We recently connected with Chrissy Marsman and have shared our conversation below.

Chrissy, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’ve love to hear an interesting investment story – what was one of the best or worst investments you’ve made? (Note, these responses are only intended as entertainment and shouldn’t be construed as investment advice)

When I first started photography, I put the majority of my income back into my business to buy gear and upscale my website. Doing this doubled my earnings heading into year two. I was able to establish my photography business much faster than average.

Chrissy, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I took photography courses in college. For me, it was always a hobby, but never something I thought I would make into a business. When my son was born, I bought a camera to capture photos of him. In the end, I decided to try my hand at family portraits. Then I realized this was agreat creative outlet for me to be able to do something I loved while still taking care of a newborn. My next step was to learn from others. After finding expert photographers, I picked their brains, attended their sessions, and watched them in action. To learn more, I took every online course I could find. After that, I began working as a second shooter for other photographers. Whenever possible, I got out and used my camera. As soon as I started, I put in the work and didn’t stop searching for knowledge. To this day, I still maintain that photography is an avenue where you never “arrive”, you “evolve.” You are always learning. I never want to stop being in that mindset of pushing myself to the next level.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

The process of photographing weddings can be physically demanding. In an average day, I walk 3-5 miles and am on my feet for 8-10 hours. After a day like this, the average person will be pretty sore. My experience with it has been somewhat challenging. I suffer from fibromyalgia. This means that my nerves are on high alert, causing me to experience pain when I should not. I work very hard to manage stress before a wedding in order to keep my pain levels low. To prepare for the day, I stretch my body and exercise. For the benefit of my back, I also wear orthopedic shoes. I see a sports massage therapist and a chiropractor on a regular basis. I am able to get through a day without pain due to the things I do outside of a wedding day. The work I do on behalf of my couples makes me very proud. Fibromyalgia has been a challenging journey for me, but each year I improve with the work I do. Despite my diagnosis, I am proud of what I have accomplished. In my view, fibromyalgia does not have to be viewed as a negative condition. Instead, it has prompted me to be more aware of my stress and workload. As a result of my experience, I have learned how to say no and to take proper care of myself. I’m thankful for this learning process.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of my job is providing memories for clients, especially on wedding days. Moments like these occur so quickly, but their importance cannot be overstated. It is a priority for me to keep that in mind at every wedding. It is honestly really sad when weddings are over for me. Once I’ve spent months, if not years, getting to know a couple and helping them create their dream wedding day, we become friends, and then it is done. However, that feeling reminds me that I did my very best to serve them. In order to capture the moments that are most meaningful to them, I invested myself in learning about their lives. Whenever I receive an email or a review in which a couple expresses their love for their wedding photos, it makes it all worthwhile!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.chrystinmelanie.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/chrystinmelanie
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/chrystinmelanie

Image Credits
These are all my photos – Chrystin Melanie Photography