We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ethan Craik a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Ethan, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How do you think about vacations as a business owner? Do you take them and if so, how? If you don’t, why not?

The simple answer is yes.

Running Below the Sierra has taught me some rather valuable lessons in balancing work and personal life. While I do take vacations, keeping operations running smoothly always remains a priority. Operating as a small business, I’ve adopted a minimal approach, which gives me the flexibility to manage my business from anywhere. Being a one-man show, I handle everything from accounting to client correspondence and being on-site. For me, simplicity is key to avoiding stress and staying agile.

I’ve deliberately kept my business overhead low, which has been key to maintaining flexibility. Initially, I made the mistake of way overspending on camera gear when starting out. Now, I’ve honed in on what works best for my needs and minimized unnecessary expenses. I own all my equipment outright, avoiding recurring subscriptions or hefty monthly bills. Operating from my home office and living frugally in my personal life allows me to focus resources where they matter most.

In my line of work, I’ve embraced its perks of being able to work remote to the fullest. Instead of being tied down to one location, I often edit while on the road in my truck camper. This mobility not only facilitates editing but also enables me to pursue new opportunities even during slower periods. Modern technology has made it seamless to connect with clients and follow leads from anywhere. You can access the internet from almost everywhere.

By maintaining a lean operation without extensive staff or overhead, I’ve found a sustainable balance between work and personal life. I’m not driven to expand dramatically, which affords me the freedom to enjoy my work and downtime equally.

Ethan, 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?

I’m Ethan, and I’m the guy behind Below the Sierra, LLC. I wear a lot of hats. I do photography, videography, and graphic design. Funny enough, my journey into this field started way back in middle school when I dreamed of becoming a graphic designer. It wasn’t until freshman year of high school when I took a photography class that got me completely hooked. Now, I get to blend all of these passions into my work, and that’s pretty exciting for me.

I’ve grown my business to be versatile. During peak seasons, you’ll find me shooting weddings and family portraits, but it’s the quieter months where I really stretch my creativity. I’ve built strong relationships with clients who rely on me for web design, creating marketing assets, and running social media accounts. Some even keep me on a monthly retainer for consistent photo and video work. I find enjoyment in the challenges clients bring my way. I often get a, “Hey, think you can do this?” It keeps things fresh. No two days are ever alike. Sure, it can get frustrating at times, but overall, I thrive on the variety, the learning experiences, and the chance to meet new people along the way.

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

Yeah, absolutely. What started as a side hustle really did grow into my full-time thing. I got into photography back in high school. I was the kid always taking photos of friends, filming stuff around campus, and jumping at any opportunity to do something visual. I even put together a video series for the school and did design work whenever I could, like posters or flyers.

By the time I was a senior, I’d already shot a couple of weddings and started doing little projects on the side. I decided to go ahead and get my business license through my county, it cost me 100 bucks, and I left high school with both a diploma and an official business. That summer I shot several weddings, built a website for a local hair salon. It all just kind of flowed from there.

It’s been a really natural progression, there was never one big moment where everything changed overnight, just steady growth over the years. One job led to another, and I kept saying yes, kept learning, and stayed consistent. I’ve been really lucky to have that kind of gradual momentum, and I think that’s what’s helped me build a sustainable career doing what I love.

We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.

A lot of the work I do is for families, so naturally, relationships build over time. It’s pretty common for a couple to come to me for some casual photos, and before long, I’m doing their engagement shoot, then their wedding, and eventually baby photos. It’s cool to grow alongside clients like that. The work kind of turns into its own form of advertising. Photos get posted, shared, tagged on social media, and that word of mouth spreads really well, especially in a small community.

Most of my new clients come through Instagram or from a friend of a friend. I’ll get a DM or a referral just from someone seeing a photo I shot. And when things slow down or I’m trying to drum up some business, I’ll reach out to past clients with a quick email like, “Hey, time to update the family album.” or ask friends, “Know anyone looking for photos this season?” It’s casual and usually well received.

I also ask for Google reviews from clients I’ve built a good rapport with, it helps boost visibility and adds some credibility when people are searching for local photographers. But overall, it’s just about keeping things personal and staying connected. The more authentic those relationships are, the more likely people are to come back and refer others.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.belowthesierra.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/belowthesierra/

Image Credits

me