We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Heather Bennett. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Heather below.

Hi Heather, thanks for joining us today. Looking back on your career, have you ever worked with a great leader or boss? We’d love to hear about the experience and what you think made them such a great leader.

My last ever boss before I started my own business was so impactful not only in how I run my own business now, but how I live my life. She always felt like more of an older sister to me than anything–always being available for advice and gently guiding me in the right direction. I can’t tell you how many evenings we would stay past close talking about best business practices, nutrition, being moms, and bettering ourselves as people. She put a lot of effort into team building and making sure we all felt appreciated and supported as part of her team. She was the most genuine and caring boss I’ve ever had. We still keep in touch and see each other in person about once a year, even though she lives a few states away!

Now with my own business leading a team on each wedding day, it’s so important to me that I treat them as just that–a team. It’s my job to make sure they have all the information they need to feel supported and successful and give my clients the best experience possible. We always have such a fun time and that’s the whole point, isn’t it?

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?

Sure! I’m Heather, a wedding photographer based in St. Louis who embraces the unconventional. My photography is heavily influenced by documentary and editorial styles, and I’m always trying to learn something new to add to my list of photography skills.

The biggest problem I solve for my clients is just making sure they understand that it’s their wedding day, and they can make choices based on what THEY want, not what they think the expectation of their guests is. As a wedding photographer, I’m there with them almost the entire day of their wedding–oftentimes spending even more time with them that day than their own spouse, and my clients are relaxed and put creative trust in me because I’m devoted to making sure I get to know who they are and what their unique priorities are on their wedding day.

Being a non-traditional wedding photographer means so much more than just valuing alt aesthetics and out-of-the-box ideas–it’s about mindset. If a potential client doesn’t actually seem excited about their wedding day because they’re prioritizing what others want instead of thinking about their own vision for their day, I probably won’t take them on as a client. Couples who are authentically excited about making their wedding day their own are my people. It doesn’t matter if they’re planning an intimate, low-key day with 10 of your closest friends and family or a huge 300+ person banger that lasts until sunrise–if they’re intentionally making choices that speak to them as a couple, I want to be there!

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

One word–perfectionism. I always had this idea that people wanted to hire that perfect, put-together professional, so once I entered the work force, I put on a face that wasn’t my own, lasting through the first year of my business while I was learning the ropes. For that first year, it didn’t seem like I was connecting with my clients well and my mind was absolutely BLOWN when I started infusing my creative personality into my business. Not only was I less stressed because I was able to just be ME, but I found that I started easily attracting people whose values aligned with mine. Now, the relationship I have with my clients feels a lot more friendly than a distant business relationship, and I feel like that’s what most people really value in their wedding photographer–someone who they know they can rely on, lives and conducts business authentically, rolls with the punches of a wedding day and pivots effortlessly, and delivers a creative end product and excellent experience.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

Networking is SO powerful, and I wish I’d known that so much sooner. When I first got into photography, I was incredibly intimidated by other creatives who had been in the business longer than me. I felt like they knew exactly what they were doing in both their craft and their business, and I felt like most of them were untouchable. As I continued to grow, I realized that we’re all consistently struggling with the same things like balancing creativity with being a business owner, imposter syndrome, and if we’re not careful, burnout. Networking has helped me feel like I’m not alone.

Not only does networking help with the mental side of running a business, but working with other creatives and seeing how they do things is oftentimes the inspiration I need to foster my creativity instead of falling into monotony. Everyone sees things differently and it’s a breath of fresh air when I feel like I’ve fallen into a pattern of doing things a certain way to have someone right there with me to offer an alternative. Sometimes that’s all I need to set my creativity on fire!

Contact Info:

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

Image Credits

Heather Bennett – Bee Brook Photography