We recently connected with Katie Schneider and have shared our conversation below.

Katie, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

Being successful is such a relative term. What one person might deem successful, another person might think of as a failure.

I believe that success is multi-faceted. Success comes from not only achieving results and goals, but also making mistakes and learning from them. That’s the key. Learning from your mistakes, analyzing what happened, and making changes to your business so that you will hopefully not make the same mistakes again. Failure can be success!

When I started my business, I started with one type of business model. After a couple of years, I realized that the business model was not going to be sustainable and profitable in the long-run. I decided to make the hard decision to switch to another business model. It was not easy! When you already have a business model, pricing structure, and operating processes and you have to scrap all of that and basically start new, it can be very daunting. The hardest part was admitting that I failed. Nonetheless, I knew it had to be done. I failed and I couldn’t move forward without making big changes. I knew there would be a learning curve and ramping the business up again. Being successful means admitting that something is not working and making hard decisions to change. It means making big changes so that you can be profitable now and in the long run.

I joined a mastermind, hired a business mentor, and basically re-started my business from the start. Not the complete fresh start, but it sure felt like it. Obviously, I had a lot of knowledge already and it was easier to re-start. It still took some time to get business back up to where it needed to be. My client base changed. The way I marketed changed. The pricing model changed. The photography experience changed. All for the better!

As I look back now, I am grateful that I made the realization only a couple of years in and made the necessary changes. It set my business up for success, profitability, and sustainability. It also gave me the flexibility to balance family and business life.

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

After starting a family, I had to evaluate my life and career choices. I knew it was important to me to raise my kids and to be around with them and for them. I decided to leave my career in the corporate world.

For the first couple of years, I embraced my new role as a mother. While I loved being a mother, I knew that I also needed to do something that was for me. I enjoyed working in the corporate world as a business analyst and I wanted to continue doing that in some way, shape or form. Naturally, starting my own business was going to be the best option to balance family, being a mother, and my own aspirations.

I had always enjoyed photographing. Growing up, we traveled a lot. I loved taking pictures of all the historic and beautiful places we had visited. I loved taking pictures of my family, so that we could remember being at those places. Not only do photographs capture a moment in time, but they also document family history. What we did, what we looked like, who was part of our family.

I joined together my love of photography and my experience in being a business analyst and started my photography business. One of the unique things that sets me apart from other photographers is my business education and my experience in the corporate world as a business analyst. There are a lot of transferable skills. I have fundamental knowledge of how to run a business for profit and sustainability. It’s not just about taking pretty pictures. There is so much more to running a photography business and a studio.

Having a successful photography means is all about the client experience. Clients want to have pictures that they will love and be excited to share with family and friends. They want to have pictures that they can display in their home, on their walls and their shelves. And, they want to look flattering in photos. I hear so many times from clients that they don’t feel like they are photogenic. My response: none of us feel that way! That’s why I’m here to make sure they look flattering in photos, that their best side comes through, and that in the end, they are happy and excited with about their photos.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

In today’s digital age, there are so many resources online that practically anyone can start their own business and be a photographer. If you commit the time, you can research how to do most common business tasks. The resources that I wish I knew about earlier in my business journey are other people. Other photography business owners who have tried and failed, again and again and had the knowledge of successful business practices. You can’t really get that knowledge online. You need a person, whether it’s a mentor, group, mastermind, or a friend, who you can talk through ideas with, bounce ideas off, and get feedback. From these resources, you gain commitment and accountability and are able to get the business going quickly and efficiently.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Thinking of the creative side of my photography business, my main goal is to make my clients look flattering in photos. Since most of my clients will say that they feel awkward when being photographed and feel like they don’t photograph well, I focus on posing, making them feel comfortable, and the flow between family members for family portraits. I explain to my clients why we do certain things and don’t do other things when posing. This way, they understand why we are doing something, they relax a little, and they trust me as the expert. A good amount of my professional education focuses on learning posing, from the toes to the top of the head. Whether clients are getting family portraits done or professional headshots and personal branding photos, they trust me to make them look their best.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.katieschneiderphotography.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katieschneiderphotography/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KatieSchneiderPhotography/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katieschneiderphotography/

Image Credits
Photos taken by Katie Schneider. Katie’s lifestyle headshot taken by Leda Lee Photography.