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

Hi Heather , thanks for joining us today. Going back to the beginning – how did you come up with the idea in the first place?

The Santa Workshop Experience..

In 2013, I was standing in line for the typical Santa photo at one of our local malls. After waiting for over an hour, to get less than 5 minutes with a very frustrated looking Santa, and a photo where my then one year old was barely looking, I thought there has to be another way. I thought about all of my neurodivergent kiddos and how they would never be able to experience the magic of Santa or even the holiday due to those lines, the over stimulation of crowds, etc.

So, the following year, I partnered with a local Santa and we worked mainly with my medically fragile clients, and my special needs clients. I wanted to do something truly unique that offered some magic to them and in a way no one else had thought of yet.

It started as a one-day event in 2013, and now in 2023 it is a often sold out 3 day event full of all the magic.

The first weekend of December, that Friday, Saturday, & Sunday; you can find me working at my studio, aka Santa’s magical workshop with Santa and all the elves. I have elf volunteers ages 12+ who help guide families as they arrive to the workshop and transition from station to station during their time with Santa. This piece was added in to help remove some of the fear of the big guy in red. If kids see other kids dressed up, they are more likely to relax, have fun, and enjoy the moment.

The workshop is limited to one family at a time, 30 minutes private time with Santa, where they will visit a variety of stations within the workshop including but not limited to a professional backdrop for photos with and without Santa, create a craft with Santa, challenge Santa to a game, enjoy a treat with Santa, listen to a story, along with so many others. (Parents get to choose the activities they would like for their family, so the workshop is catered to each individual family. Professional photographs are taken throughout the entire process, and before the family leaves, Santa & their favorite photographer always have some special gifts to give and the message of spreading the magic through acts of kindness in the community. Each year we have a giving tree, where each family picks a random act of kindness to act out before the new year in an effort to help spread holiday magic and cheer that they hopefully gained from all the personalized touches at the workshop.

You see, I’m a HUGE believer in surprises, and spoiling people. Truly dropping random acts of kindness around like confetti is one of my favorite things to do and partnering that mission with the Santa workshop provides an excellent way to bring alive the magic of the holiday season with the big guy himself. From opening doors, giving compliments, making handmade holiday cards, you name it, once you visit the Santa workshop, you’ll leave wanting to bless those around you and help them feel all the warm fuzzies and extra special too.

In addition to all the sweetness being spread in the community, I also love getting to see families year and year and their children growing up through this incredible family tradition.

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?

Most would say I’m the best cheerleader for others. I think that stems back to growing up before my time, and having to be the one who took care of everything. I’ve always been that way. My grandpa bought me my first camera when I was seven and I fell in love with the art of being able to freeze time and document life.

I’ve always been the person who is incredibly grateful for each day. If I wake up, there is a roof over my head, clothes to wear, food to eat, and my family is healthy, I’m incredibly blessed. Growing up, we didn’t have very much, and even today, we have what we need, but don’t overdo it. I started my business in 2008 and made a full-time career in documenting people’s special moments. Their milestones, their accomplishments, their growing families, all the things; and I do so in a way that authentically captures their genuine personalities through candid movement. It’s not often someone can say that they get to make a living doing what they actually love, but in my case that is wholeheartedly true.

Being the wife of a professional firefighter & EMT, my family understands the value of time, family, and community. At any point in time when my husband leaves for work, he may not return because of the type of job he does. To me, time is one of the most underrated aspects of life. So, when asked why portraits are so important, I will always say, because it’s your only way to freeze that time and turn those moments into memories.

When you think of my business or my brand, you should feel empowered. You should feel like when working with me, I will help you feel relaxed, confident, and actually enjoy having your photograph taken because of all the planning and prep I put into the session prior to photoshoot day. I think if I can help do my part in leaving the world a little happier than the day before, then I’m doing pretty good. This applies for every session, every client, every family, and I am that business owner that truly does do a happy dance when you book your session with me.

A few fun facts that set me apart from other photographers
1) I am trained to work with special needs families. I absolutely LOVE my neurodivergent families. I love all their quirks, ticks, and work extremely hard to give them the absolute best experience to truly feel the love and know that they matter.

2) I am a dog mama and have worked with rescues for the majority of my life. When families have rescue pets who are timid around grownups, people, or have special needs themselves, I have special tricks and training to help the animals relax and feel safe around me.

3) I’m a boy mama. Raising boys is quite similar to raising wildlife, haha! Juggling running a full-time business while raising two young boys doesn’t come without its challenges. At ages 8 & 11, I do believe we are in a sweet spot, but I mention this because I have not only worked with all the phases my own boys, but also with my professional experience I’ve worked with nearly all the ages ranges, phases, and developments.

From the expectant mama nerves, to the new mom haze, to the moms who struggle post-partum, I am here to help. From the minute old babies, the toddlers who have stranger danger, energetic two-year-olds, mean mug three-year-olds, the boss four year olds, the CHEESE face five-six year olds, the silly face eight-nine year olds, the awkward smile ten-twelve year olds, the can’t be bothered pre-teens, the teens, to the young adults, I’ve got you.

4) I secretly/ not so secretly (haha!) love working with the toddlers, teens, and tenured adults (65+). I’ve seen nearly every phase of life through my work, and I love the helping to document the personalities of the littles who aren’t even sure of themselves yet, maybe they just figured out how to walk or talk, and they don’t want to sit still. They are sassy and they keep me on my toes, and I love it.

My teens can be all into portrait sessions, but most of the time they are experiencing an awkward phase of life, with pimples, braces, or just social anxiety in general. Those are my sweet spot, because being able to talk to them and just be on their level, helps them to feel seen, heard, and actually let some of their personality shine through.

My tenured adults aka 65+ crew, they are adorable. They have so many stories to tell, and I want to hear them all. I want to help them feel valued, alive, seen, and heard. So many times as our loved ones get older we treat them like they aren’t capable of basic things, when in reality it’s that notion that inevitably causes more harm than good in taking their independence away. I want my clients to know that I am paying attention and that if their are mobility issues, disabilities, or general concerns, I will take care of them, but I also will treat them and all my clients with respect and dignity.

Overall, my business, my brand, and my purpose are all one in the same; to empower individuals to feel seen, heard, and document their lives and moments in a way that turns moments into memories in the most personalized & organic way possible.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

I think the biggest obstacle between non-creatives and creatives is the pricing structure and teaching the community the value of their dollar. For example, if I go to Lowes Home Improvement to purchase a lawnmower, I’m not going to haggle them and ask how much is it if I only need one use, that actually sounds quite crazy right? Well, in the photography industry I often will receive inquiries to ask pricing for one photo.

Now, in that same example, the salesclerk at Lowes, would likely explain the benefits of each lawnmower, and show the various price points for the different options, but ultimately it is what it is. In a creative industry, oftentimes the community will see the package options for services and want to haggle because they do not quite understand what they are paying for. Meaning, they don’t know that they are paying for someone who has been in business for over a decade, or someone who is going to do much more than push a button for their image. It is the responsibility of the business to help show the value in the products and or services that they are offering, and even more so for the creative industry.

I think understanding the difference between purchasing a product or service from a big box business versus a local independent business also makes a difference and it takes all of us to help educate the community on why those purchasing habits are so important. Most people equate independent with more expensive, but that is not necessarily true, but they won’t know that unless properly taught.

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

When I first started my business in 2008, social media wasn’t what is is today. You couldn’t just say you were good, you needed to show you were good. Prior to officially opening the business, I had offered countless free sessions to practice, and perfect. Then when I opened my business, I would reward those who referred clients to me with sessions themselves. I think from the very beginning my business model has been about creating raving fans; creating that following of clients who know who I am, what I bring to the table, and what to expect each time through the consistency of work and delivery. I built my reputation as I built my client base, organically. In 2010 I joined the local Chambers of Commerce, the Professional Photographers of America, and became certified with the Better Business Bureau. Of course, those pieces helped with credibility towards the base I was already building.

As my business grew, I was invited to speak at various functions on business, client retention, brand awareness, all the aspects needed to build and maintain a successful business. So not only was I doing my business but teaching as well. A big piece of building business reputation is doing what you say and being transparent about the success and struggles in entrepreneurship.

Your reputation is what people say about you when you are not in the room. It’s how you make people feel. That to me is THE MOST important aspect of a successful business. Without creating a solid reputation for yourself and your business to where people want to work with you over and over, you won’t have a business. I say my clients become family, and once you’re family, I will spoil you all year long, haha!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.momentsbyheatheredmunds.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/momentsbyheatheredmunds
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/momentsbyheatheredmunds
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-edmunds/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDXP5I8h-3CYCONVVrY-Axw
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/moments-by-heather-edmunds-mooresville
• Other: Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@momentsbyheatheredmunds

Image Credits
Image credits: Moments by Heather Edmunds & Company, Heather Edmunds