We were lucky to catch up with Emily Metzger, Cassie Wolf recently and have shared our conversation below.

Emily Metzger, Cassie Wolf, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Crazy stuff happening is almost as certain as death and taxes – it’s technically “unexpected” but something unexpected happening is to be expected and so can you share a crazy story with our readers

It’s interesting how your craziest story holds the title of THE #1 most negative experience followed by the most positive in our professional and personal lives. After working on a team full-time for the past 10 years, we decided to make the leap during the pandemic and go off on our own. On April 27, 2022, we opened Mock Tuna in our newly renovated 6,500 sq.ft. photography studio. Five months after opening, we lost our studio space to not one but two fires.  A new business, drained saving accounts and an overwhelming sense of loss, our next move remained unclear. Rebuilding felt impossible. Feelings of embarrassment, self doubt, losing client trust rushed over us. Humbling was an understatement. Within a few days, we rented a box truck, collaborated with local creatives for studio space, found alternative spaces in the community and moved forward to fulfill our contracts to 100% satisfaction. Needless to say, we chose to rise to the challenge and finished the year with a bang! Our biggest take away – love what you do but most importantly love for whom you are doing it. The unconditional dedication and respect that we have for one another propelled us to keep going. The fire also provided perspective. As small business owners, it is easy to have an unhealthy life-work balance. We forget to celebrate the successes along the way, and constantly look towards the future. The fire taught us to slow down. To appreciate every milestone along the way. A year and a half later we are grateful for the fire and can’t imagine ourselves, our friendship and our business without it. We are more present in our day to day and we are truly just happy to be here for the ride. We KNOW we can take on whatever gets thrown our way because we have each other. Resilience! We are here for all the tears, laughter, failures and accomplishments – business partners second, best friends first. 

Emily Metzger, Cassie Wolf, 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?

we’re em & cass.
Best-friendtographers and proprietors of Mock Tuna, a female-owned, full-service, commercial photography studio and secret downtown cover space for attempting to meet every person in Cleveland and take the time to get to know them. What is a “mock tuna? When it came time to name our business, we couldn’t imagine naming the business after ourselves. Being two women, we felt this was our opportunity to throw a lighthearted name into the mix of the self-titled competition.  Our crews can consist of 30 teammates whose role is imperative to the success of the project. How can we represent everyone? A title must set the tone for an “all are welcome studio” – vivvvaaa Mock Tuna!

Alright – let’s talk about marketing or sales – do you have any fun stories about a risk you’ve taken or something else exciting on the sales and marketing side?

After the birth of Mock Tuna, our first order of business – marketing!  How far could we push the boundaries before seeming unprofessional?  We love having fun – maybe a little too much fun. We worked with a copywriter to launch a campaign based around taboo puns starting with the hashtag #letshookup. We tagged the city in sidewalk paint, wheatpasting, stickers, and most importantly our billboard.  We took a risk with our debuting tagline “Hey Cleveland! We know you love your lady business!” 
Get it?! 
Instantly traffic spiked on our website and instagram furthering emphasizing  #letshookup with 6 additional double entendres. Subsequently, everyone thought we were a new dating app launching in Cleveland. Although a great idea, we are not a dating app. SURPRISE meet two women, who are best friends, who own a commercial photography studio. 
We are scheming up a plan for another billboard launch this summer, keep your eyes peeled and your hearts open.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Between societal pressures, higher education and previous employment, one’s success is defined but how much you work. Long work days became synonymous with the legitimacy of your small business. If people perceive that you are constantly working, your business must be profitable. We have learned the importance of balance.We understood that a competitive market requires a culture of collaboration for best results to the clients and our community. We want to learn together and support other creatives while building relationships. Yes, we are business owners but we are equally passionate about time and how it coincides with life experiences, community, family and friends. We realize the importance of investing in ourselves and each other because without that we wouldn’t have Mock Tuna!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.mocktuna.com
• Instagram: https://mock.tuna