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

Alright, Joy thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

When I first took up photography as a hobby, I had no idea what I was doing. I spent a lot of time in online forums, watching YouTube videos, and playing around with camera settings on as many occasions as I could just to learn the ins and outs. In the beginning, I’d even reach out to other photographers for help with questions that I had. It took a lot of research and practice to finally understand how to use my camera. The technical side of things is just one aspect of what I do though.

Once I realized that I wanted to narrow my focus down to weddings, I knew I needed to do more. Just knowing how to use my camera wasn’t enough. Thankfully, I had a ton of experience in customer service from previous jobs. One of the main skills I took away from my most recent job was the importance of showing empathy. Empathy is pretty high on my list of business essentials when it comes to any service-based business. As a wedding vendor, it isn’t just my job to capture pretty photos but also to provide a service with an elevated level of care. Knowing my camera is a great start but I also take pride in being equipped with the soft skills needed to instill confidence in each couple that I work with.

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

A few years ago I became an entrepreneur on a whim. I wanted to spend more time with my kids and I constantly wished I had more freedom. Since I started picking up small gigs alongside other established photographers, I figured I’d dive into the business side of things too. After working a few weddings as an assistant photographer, I was completely hooked. Weddings are the perfect combination of super impactful moments and an unforgettable celebration. Who doesn’t love a party?

It took a while for me to finally carve out my little space within the wedding industry. Unlike other photographers, my work is timeless and true to color. I’m not big on fads. It’s important that couples are able to look back on their wedding album and relive the same emotions, not cringe at the edits. I even had to draw a line in the sand when it comes to my style of shooting. Don’t get me wrong, I love the editorial look but right now I focus on capturing photos that both feel and look genuine. If a couple is charismatic with high energy, that’s what they get. If they’re more romantic and alluring, their photographs will reflect that.

My business continues to evolve the more I discover things that matter most to people. I’m constantly making changes to my services. At the moment, I provide several hours of wedding day coverage usually with a second photographer, an optional engagement session that I highly encourage, and physical products that serve as beautiful home decor and conversation pieces. We live in an era where everything is going digital but I think it adds a nostalgic touch to have memories that you can literally hang on your walls.

I take pride in knowing that I’ve built a business using my own talents. I get to show my kids what entrepreneurship is first hand and inspire them to think outside of the box. At their young age they get to experience what it looks like to own a business and they get to share my failures and success with me. I’m so proud of the legacy that I’m creating for my family.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Networking is a huge part of my business. When I’m photographing a wedding, the outcome is largely from the efforts of a number of other vendors. I make it a point to meet new people and make friends with others in the industry often. One of my mantras is to treat others the way I want to be treated. I try my best to show up for others and be helpful when I can. As a result, I’ve built a pretty good reputation within the wedding industry.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

From the beginning of my entrepreneurial journey, I dived into reading a ton of self help books that lean more towards business. I’d like to consider myself an avid reader so I have a laundry list of books that have made a huge impact on how I treat my photography business. A few that I found most helpful are Atomic Habits, Building A Story Brand, You Are A Badass At Making Money, Chillpreneur, Profit First, Everything Is Figureoutable and We Should All Be Millionaires just to name a few.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://forjoyphotography.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/forjoyphotography
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/forjoyphotography
• Other: https://pinterest.com/forjoyphotography