Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Hannah Bailey. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hannah, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today 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?

It’s funny you ask this, I was just thinking about this the other day. Now that I’ve been a business owner for 5+ years, full time for 2 years, I cannot imagine going back. You always hear the saying, “I didn’t want to work a 9-5 so I became a business owner and now I work 24/7,” and that couldn’t be more true. Although it is easy to become burnt out and overwhelmed, you have to take a step back and focus on the big picture. I am able to do what I want, when I want, with passion and creativity, and most importantly I am able to be home with my son. I love the relationships I have built with countless clients and working with them year after year. If you’re familiar with enneagrams, I am a type 3 which means I am very goal-oriented, driven, and thrive on success. These things are very beneficial when it comes to running your own business. Building and maintaining my brand is important to me, and it fills my cup compared to working for someone else.

I am big on serving people with the passion that you have. Being able to not only serve my clients, but my family and friends as well. Putting my heart and soul into what I do, recognizing how important it is to document the memories. The photos I take may be the last photo a bride has with a family member, or maybe it’s the first 48 hours of a newborns life. The work I do is so much more than just taking a “pretty picture,” it has so much more meaning.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

This is a great question. I have been a portrait + wedding photographer since 2017. I took my business full-time after recognizing how many clients I was turning away due to my job at the time. This was in 2020, during a worldwide pandemic… Such a thought-out, yet terrifying decision! I am so glad I did, because the following years proved that this was the path for me. My calendar is constantly full doing what I love, having the opportunity to be creative, and capturing beautiful memories for my clients.

I have an extensive background in the wedding industry from decor, rentals, planning, coordinating, managing, and of course photography! I have always loved the industry, the people I’ve met along the way, and of course all of the couples I have served in one way or another.

In addition, the year 2022 has easily been the best year yet. Alongside my family, we have opened up a brand new luxury wedding venue, THE VENUE at Wildflower Ridge, and I also became a first time mom. With these things combined, I have been able to specialize my photography to more families + lifestyle, in-home newborn sessions, yet still be knee-deep in the wedding industry. All of these things have continued to allow me to serve my own clients and also create my own schedule to focus on my family.

Family is another huge part of who I decided to be a business owner. I’ve always known I wanted to be a mother, and I knew I wanted to be home as much as possible. My business is my creative outlet all while being able to be home and raise my son. This past year hasn’t been easy trying to juggle it all, but I want my son to be proud of me and to know how hard I worked to be able to be with him. I also want to show other moms that it is possible, and we really are capable of more than we think we are!

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

Back in 2017, I was a newly married, full-time college student and full-time employee. Why not throw a side hustle on top of it?! I used to think I was so busy (which I was) but nothing compares to life + business now. I am so thankful for all of my early clients that gave me a chance, which is how I got where I am today. After the increase in demand for wedding photography, and finally coming to my senses, I quit my job in 2020 in the middle of a pandemic. I am so grateful for the leap of faith that brought me my independence and flexibility to work as much or as little as I want.

To this day I don’t know what it’s like to not be busy or have a never-ending to do list lingering somewhere on my desk. From the start, I was in school full time, working full time, maintaining my life and relationships, all while trying to build a business having no idea what that entailed. Now that I’ve earned my degree and quit my job… Throw a baby in the mix and the stress-levels never seem to cease. Ha! The point is, it’s second nature for me to be busy and quite frankly, I thrive off of it. The work always gets done and I’ve found systems and ways to stay organized to tackle it all.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Word of mouth is huge, especially in a small town! I have worked with family, friends, their families and their friends, co-workers, my husbands co-workers, people I went to high school with, and the list goes on! This is why it is so important to give credit when sharing images from your photographer, leave reviews, and support local. Social media and websites are vital, but giving your clients a positive experience and over-delivering to them goes a long way. I have always been an incredibly social person and a great communicator (I mean, I do have my bachelors degree in communications), but I truly love people in general. I love to build and nurture relationships with people instead of treating them like just another name on the schedule. I have been so fortunate to work with so many incredible people that I cannot wait to work with again.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.hannahbaileyphotography.com
• Instagram: @hannahbaileyphotos
• Facebook: Facebook.com/hannahbaileyphotos
• Other: thevenueatwildflowerridge.com (wedding venue) @wildflowerridgeweddings on Instagram

Image Credits
Hannah Bailey Photography