We recently connected with Chloe Bovia and have shared our conversation below.

Chloe, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’ve all been there before where things are tight financially and we start asking ourselves in the small/simple joys like a cup of coffee is worth it. Have you had an experience like this and if so how did you think about this sort of spending?

When I first started my business as a photographer, I was absolutely terrified of spending money, and that only intensified when I left my job to be a stay-at-home mom and run my business. With having such a dramatically reduced budget, I started cheaping out on everything, and I ended up wasting a lot of money. A lot of times I’ll have a very specific creative vision in my head, but when it came to execution I would buy the bare minimum and regret it later. I was buying the worst quality materials, breaking things, having to spend hours and hours MacGuyvering things, it was such a waste! I would take on tasks that really should have been outsourced. I feel like a jack of all trades, but I’ve recently realized that I also want a life. I could spend ALL day doing SEO, tweaking ads, learning every social media platform, and networking, but I have a whole kid and husband to take care of now. And I want to be present for them more than I want to run my business. It’s hard to find that balance when you don’t have the funds to outsource, but in this leaner season of my life, I’m challenging myself to spend the money where it makes money instead of trying to do everything myself. For me, that means ads that run in the background while I enjoy my time. It means spending a little more on a better customer management system so I have the tools I need to automate my processes. It means being patient enough to save and wait for the the thing I actually want instead of frustratingly making due with the cheaper, lower quality version.\

Chloe, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

So I’m a portrait photographer, and I never thought I would be here doing my own creative thing full time. I used to be food justice advocate – I worked in nonprofits around DC and Maryland fighting for fairer food systems and I loved it, until I didn’t. The work will always be near and dear to me, but the environments were so draining. Between the racism, politicking and the drudgery of dealing with government bodies, I was burnt out. By the grace of God, my husband was doing well enough that I could quit my job and become a stay-at-home mom while running my business. Did I mention I had a kid? Anyway, I’ve been doing that for about a year now, and been in business for about two years. It’s absolutely amazing, and I thank God for everything I’ve learned and everyone I’ve met through this journey. The biggest thing for me has been a total transformation in body image and confidence, and that’s the driving force behind my work. Every photographer is like “Self love! You’re perfect! You got it girl!” and I’m all for that. But I think even deeper than that is wanting to remind women that we’re not alone. This is about community and holding each other up. I grew up in church and I’m still very active in my Christian faith, so that sense of community and duty to one another is at the heart of what I do. My mission is to help women love themselves unconditionally so they can keep showing up for others. I also just believe in the divinity of creativity – God made beautiful things, and He made us capable of making beautiful things, so I’m determined to do that as much as possible. There’s so much going on, and we all need community and beauty to help us just get through the days. And I have a baby girl that sees everything I do and mimics it – she even tried putting my deodorant on the other day! It feels so urgent for me now to show her a mom that pursues her gifts relentlessly, and loves herself and those around her deeply.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

Interestingly, the best source of new clients for me has been old job connections and church members. I’m very active in my church and I always donate my time on projects for whatever skill I can. That’s not a flex, but it’s just been beautiful to see how people have now rallied around to support me. I absolutely consider them my family, but I think my advice is to show up in your community authentically. Don’t do it FOR your business, do it for yourself. You’re a person that needs love and support, and people are out there willing to give it. And give more than you take! When you genuinely show up for people, your name gets spoken in rooms you’d never be able to reach on your own and that’s powerful.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

One lesson I had to unlearn was the idea that my talent would bring me clients. What an absolutely embarrassing lesson. Besides the fact that I wasn’t even that good, there are way too many photographers for “good photos” to be a selling point anymore. I had to learn how to run a business, communicate the value in the experience, and connect with people authentically. Being good at something and running a business are two entirely different skills and I quickly realized I was seriously lacking in one.

Contact Info:

• Website: boviaco.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/chlo.tographer
• Facebook: Facebook.com/boviaco.photography
• Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/chloebovia

Image Credits
Lavender Brio Jamila Ford Ty Richardson Alexis Ashcroft Johana Vicente Candice Williams Photographer: Chloe Bovia