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

Hi Hanni , thanks for joining us today. So, let’s imagine that you were advising someone who wanted to start something similar to you and they asked you what you would do differently in the startup-process knowing what you know now. How would you respond?

The idea of starting a photobooth and event service was never in my career path. I majored in media and worked in fields like media production and project management. I’d never owned a business before, and while I had experience in media production—which kind of does tie in a bit with Honeybooth—podcasting and production were really where I excelled.

Starting a small business began as just an idea, something that grew into reality with encouragement from family and friends. But looking back now, I’ve realized that building something from scratch in an industry I didn’t know much about wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be. If I could do it all over again, I’d start with a more structured plan. For example, I’d spend more time researching market value and competitors and doing more overall research. I’d also dive deeper into understanding the mechanics of running a photobooth—not just what the clients see, but the operational side behind the scenes. When I expanded into audio and video phone booths, it took longer than expected to figure out how to integrate people’s messages into the devices. Even with my audio and video editing experience, it was more complex than anything I’d worked on before.

My first event was rough, but I learned that every experience, even the difficult ones, helps you understand what to fix so you don’t repeat the same mistakes. Another lesson I’ve learned is the importance of support. At first, I thought I could handle everything on my own, but I’ve come to see that it’s okay to lean on friends, family, and, hopefully, future employees.

One thing I was very consistent with is budgeting. I’m a pretty budget-conscious person, and I always try to stick to what I’ve allocated for a project. That’s been helpful as a startup. Since launching last summer, I’ve experienced a lot of growth—personally and professionally. Believe me, there’s been plenty of sweat, tears, and even moments of regret, but I’m incredibly thankful for how far I’ve come and the lessons I’ve learned along the way.

Hanni , 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?

Hi! I’m Hanni, founder of Honeybooth, a photobooth and event services business. I started the business in 2024, initially for family and friends as we have a lot of get togethers and then decided to expand on that to provide services to everyone. I wanted to bring creativity, fun, and unforgettable memories to events of all kinds.

Honeybooth offers a modern, high-quality DSLR photobooth experience tailored for weddings, corporate events, private celebrations, and more. Our signature mirror photobooth is a step beyond the traditional setups you might see elsewhere. It’s unique, interactive, innovative, and has a wow-factor that keeps guests coming back for more. It’s always fun to see guests stopping for selfies with the mirror before diving into the full photo experience! Our services include customized photo templates, backdrops, and innovative features like audio and video guest books and an LED Vogue Booth. The audio and video guest books are especially popular, allowing guests to record personalized messages that go beyond traditional photos or typical guestbooks, creating keepsakes filled with personal stories and laughter. Our LED photobooth brings a touch of glam. Imagine stepping into a room that feels straight out of the Met Gala, which takes events entertainment to the next level.

What truly sets Honeybooth apart is our commitment to personalization and quality. We use professional-grade DSLR cameras to ensure crisp, stunning photos that feel like proffesional portraits. Our audio and video booths go beyond traditional written guestbooks. My background in audio and video editing allows me to add an extra layer of care and creativity to the content we deliver. Whether it’s editing sweet audio and video messages or curating polished photo templates, I’m dedicated to giving clients something they’ll cherish forever.

One of my favorite moments is watching guests light up when they see their photos and come back for more-there’s nothing better than knowing we’ve added that extra spark to someone’s celebration.

Looking ahead, I’m excited to expand Honeybooth into offering even more event services. This evolution feels like a natural next step for the business, allowing us to further enhance how we help clients celebrate life’s most special moments.

For potential clients, Honeybooth is more than just a photobooth service- it’s an experience. From start to finish, we strive to make your event seamless, stylish, and fun, leaving you guests and our clients with memories they’ll treasure for years to come. Hit me up and let’s create something amazing together!

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

My journey started with a dream of working in media production, but I quickly learned how difficult it was to break into an industry where people who look like me are vastly underrepresented. As a Black woman, the disparities and struggles I faced, even though I was qualified, deeply affected my mental health. I began to doubt myself and question my abilities, even with my many previous experiences in my resume.

Still, I was determined to create stories and content that were relatable and meaningful, especially for people of color and those in my demographic. That determination led me to start a podcast with a friend, where we were able to express ourselves, inform our audience, and build a platform that truly resonated with the community.

From there, I was fortunate to land a position in media production that allowed me to learn about film, television, especially pre-production. I worked alongside incredible mentors who taught me invaluable skills that I continue to use today. That job gave me the inspiration to want to start my own show or at least be able to share stories that will resonate with marginalized communities. It’s a dream of mine to be able to fulfill something and bring a story that I feel like people will be resonate with. Hopefully that’ll come in the future.

But currently, with what I have learned from my various positions- much of my journey has also been self-taught. Thanks to “YouTube University,” I dove into learning video, audio, and photo editing, and I even experimented with animation (though I quickly learned it really wasn’t my strong suit). Trying and failing at new things became part of my growth.

There were barriers I had to overcome that weren’t just professional. In college, I was diagnosed with both a mental illness and an autoimmune disorder. Navigating the stigma within my own community while struggling with my mental health was difficult, but it also gave me a deeper well of creativity, empathy and strength that has shaped who I am. I used to feel ashamed at times to be able to tell my own story and my struggles with my mental health, but I’m slowly beginning to have a voice and be more open. If not just for my own healing, then maybe to make an impact in someone else’s life.

Starting my own business, Honeybooth, has been one of the most rewarding but also challenging parts of my journey. The stress of running a small business while pursuing my career dreams has sometimes triggered anxiety and depression. There were moments when I felt so overwhelmed that I thought about quitting, but I’m incredibly fortunate to have a supportive family who has guided and helped me through those tough times.

Life is unpredictable—it can be chaotic, joyous, and messy all at once. But every time I’ve fallen, I’ve made it a point to get back up, no matter how hard it felt. There’s a saying, “Fall seven times, stand up eight,” and that has kind of become my mantra. Each hurdle I’ve crossed has made me stronger and more determined.

I truly believe that with hardship comes ease, and that belief is a testament to my resilience and how I approach life, work, and this business I’ve built.

Has your business ever had a near-death moment? Would you mind sharing the story?

I wouldn’t say I’ve had any near-misses with payroll or close calls like that, but I’ve definitely faced my share of challenges in this business. One of the biggest early struggles was simply learning how everything worked. I spent countless hours watching YouTube tutorials, trying to understand how others managed their products. Even when I thought I was doing everything right, it often felt like things moved in the opposite direction, forcing me to start over. For example, my dad and I spent an entire day watching videos on how to set up the LED Vogue Booth. It took us hours just to get the bars to fit properly, and we had a lot of trials and errors that took days putting it all together. Even now, there are times when setting up the booth requires extra hands, but with each attempt, I’ve learned new techniques that have made the process faster and smoother.

One of the most memorable moments of my business journey—and a true “near-death” moment for the business—was during my very first event. At that point, I had just received the photo booth and was still figuring out all the technical details. A friend of mine asked me to provide services for her event, and I was excited to make it a great experience for her. However, when I arrived to set up, I realized I had lost a critical screw needed to complete the booth. I searched through all my bags but couldn’t find it anywhere. In a panic, I left the venue and drove 30 minutes back home, hoping I’d left it there. But no luck. I couldn’t find it anywhere.

I remember being on the phone with my dad, driving back to the venue feeling completely defeated. I thought I wasn’t prepared for this business and that I had made a huge mistake—spending all this time, money, and energy only to fail. I even told him I was ready to quit and sell the business to someone who could handle it. But my dad, who’s not only been a huge support but also an unofficial “not so silent” business partner, calmly reminded me that setbacks happen. He said that sometimes things are out of our control, and while it’s tough in the moment, these challenges are all part of the learning process.

After that conversation, I reached out to my friend and explained that I couldn’t do the booth that day. I packed up my stuff and went home, but I learned a valuable lesson: always be prepared. I immediately ordered extra screws and wires to make sure I’d never find myself in that position again.

And get this: when I finally found that missing screw, it was inside the booth itself. Looking back, I can laugh about it now, but BOY was that an important lesson I learned that day. Preparation and learning from your mistakes are key. Future advice to others: always make sure the screws are put away first.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.honeybooth.net
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/honeybooth_
• Other: Currently we are on Facebook Marketplace- if you search up Mirror Photobooth or even Audio guest book you’ll be able to find our business. In the near future we’ll be doing more online advertisements.