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

Harmony, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

The biggest risk I took in my life was when I decided to resign from the corporate job that I had held for 13 years. I took a leap of faith and jumped right into becoming a full-time entrepreneur, business owner, and Photographer. This was a big deal for me because having a corporate job for so long gave me a sense of comfort and stability. It was safe. I never had to worry about receiving my next paycheck. I received bonuses every year and the company that I worked for provided amazing benefits. This was all going to change and it was scary.

Even though I held the position for 13 years, I knew after year 5 that I wasn’t happy. This was a job that I didn’t see myself doing for the rest of my life. At least the position that I was in, I knew I didn’t want to do it forever. So between years 5 and 8, I worked extremely hard to earn a promotion that would lead to a higher position. I went above and beyond what was expected of me. I volunteered to take on more duties and responsibilities. I showed up early, stayed late, and jumped through hoops to try to get recognized. No matter how much effort I put forth, it never mattered. I never received a promotion.

By year 8, I decided to start focusing my attention on moving on. Even though this company provided a stable job for me, deep down I wasn’t happy. Between years 8 and 12, I devoted myself to myself, instead of a company that didn’t value me. And by year 13, I took a risk and resigned to pursue my own Business.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Harmony Montoya and I am a professional newborn and baby photographer serving Los Angeles County and surrounding cities. I create high-end newborn and baby portraits in the comfort of my client’s homes.

I am known for my unwavering love and patience while dedicating extra time to perfecting every little detail. My attentiveness is what sets me apart from others in my industry. I understand the delicate nature of working with newborns and toddlers, therefore I create a calm and soothing environment not only for the little ones but for their parents as well.

My goal is to create beautiful and timeless images that my clients will love and cherish forever.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

When I first started my small business, it was very straightforward in terms of bringing clients in. Then, all of a sudden I started facing all of these changes at once. A pandemic, inflation, outbreaks, and social media changes. As soon as everything started to change, I saw a huge change in my business which forced me to figure out how to continue to keep going and not give up on my dream. I changed the way I advertised, implemented new safety protocols, and pivoted the way I ran my social media.

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

When I go into each newborn session, I go in with the realization that I am capturing a moment in time and freezing it forever in the form of a photograph. This is so rewarding because my clients will have this memory to look back on and cherish for many years to come. My photos will be hanging on my client’s walls, shared with relatives, and enjoyed for generations. It is truly an honor to be the person to capture such a special memory for my clients.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.emeraldrainimages.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emeraldrainimages/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emeraldrainimages

Image Credits
Emerald Rain Images