We recently connected with CHRISTINA GRESSIANU and have shared our conversation below.

CHRISTINA, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Being a business owner can be really hard sometimes. It’s rewarding, but most business owners we’ve spoken sometimes think about what it would have been like to have had a regular job instead. Have you ever wondered that yourself? Maybe you can talk to us about a time when you felt this way?

Most of the time, I love being a business owner. I’m living the dream – time freedom, being my own boss, and making my own rules. Sometimes it’s hard though. I’m sitting alone in front of my computer trying to be cheerful and creative, and it’s just not super fun. Sometimes a client is not happy or someone cancels last minute. Those are the times when I think I should walk away and get a job at a coffee shop. I used to feel that way once a month, then as my business grew it was once a quarter. I learned to recognize the feelings of exhaustion, loneliness, and discouragement as part of the process. Now I only feel like giving up once a year, which is progress! I just notice it, maybe take a break or do something out of my routine. It’s amazing what playing hookie for an afternoon can do for your energy and mental health!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I am the first US born person in my family. One side of my family are Jewish Holocaust refugees who settled in Israel before my mom moved to New York City. On the other side, my father fled communist Romania to also settle in New York City. Both sides of my family basically ran for their lives with little more than a few family photographs in their shirt pockets. Growing up my father was our family photographer, always posing us in front of the house or the car, or the blooming azaleas. My parents kept our photo albums in a fire-proof safe large enough that 5-year-old me could fit inside. The work I create for people now is focused around removing all the friction of being in front of the camera. I take care of the questions and the anxiety around being photographed–from what to wear to ensuring everyone looks great. I’m proud that my clients leave feeling seen and beautiful, and truly cared for.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I think integrity is the key to building a good reputation. Sometimes I get twisted up worrying about my work and wondering if people will like it, so I drag my heels on delivering it. But I have to remember it’s not about me… they want their portraits! So I’ll give clients dates of when things will happen. I have to stick to those dates, whether I like it, or I’m nervous about it. People are shocked and delighted when I actually deliver when I said I would. Or do any of the things I said I would do. Being someone people can rely on is key!

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of my work is that I get to take a person on a creative ride with me. Most of my clients don’t consider themselves creative, so it’s really fun for them to have this experience. We come up with ideas and solve problems together. I give clients alot of this or that options, so they just choose one thing at a time. Soon we’ve created this beautiful thing, and they feel really connected to it.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.photocg.co
• Instagram: @photocg
• Facebook: cgphotographer