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SubscribeAlright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kristen Young. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Kristen, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?
Both businesses were essentially hobbies turned into career opportunities. When I created Elizabeth Maryland Photography, I was fresh out of college and a new mom of a toddler. I was looking to create a flexible job opportunity for myself that allowed me to prioritize being a mom without sacrificing my goal to be an artist. I’d already been shooting for friends and family often, so with all of the equipment and knowledge necessary to start it felt like an easy transition from student to business owner. When the pandemic hit it became extremely difficult to continue to make a living as a photographer, which is when I opened the Apothecary and began creating handmade candles from home.
You hear often that the art industry is oversaturated and it is difficult to establish yourself, but I truly believe that every artist has a completely unique style and therefore can provide an experience to the consumer that cannot be replicated exactly. To create something from your imagination and bring it to life for others to enjoy is a beautiful experience- and there can never be too much of that.
Kristen, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I’ve had a passion for all things art related for as long as I can remember. As a child I gravitated towards music initially and spent most of my youth in the performing arts and playing music of my own. I struggled with anxiety and found that creating art had an enormous impact on my well-being and overall confidence. Once I graduated High School I found that I didn’t have as many opportunities to perform, so I began seeking out other avenues to create that brought me the same level of joy that music did.
In college I began to take a serious interest in photography, coding, and
graphic design. I found that it was the most versatile way to incorporate all of the things I like to do artistically and have a realistic career path in the process. I found out I was pregnant soon after and really pushed to graduate in order to focus on motherhood. When my son was born, I found myself constantly using my camera to capture every little moment of his childhood. I grew extremely comfortable behind the camera and started to offer photoshoots and Graphic Design services while being a stay at home mom.
About a year into doing Photography professionally I had the opportunity from a friend to begin shooting sports. Every time I was on the sidelines shooting I remember feeling so happy; it never feels like work to me. This really solidified that I was on the right path and for the next several years I continued with sports and portrait photography, as well as expanding my business to offer web design, social media management, and graphic design.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
The pandemic hit my photography business quite hard. When everything shut down and my main source of income slowed significantly, I became really hopeless and lost a lot of motivation to continue working in that field. In an attempt to relax more, I started to lean into my hobbies and begin creating my own bath soaks and candles to match. I really enjoyed developing an entire brand identity for the Apothecary and having to create photoshoots for my products allowed me to feel more encouraged to continue with my other business at the time.
That following Christmas, I decided to give out some of my products as a gift and received a lot of positive encouragement. I received dozens of requests to create more products and everything took off from there! I began selling mostly through local pop-ups and more recently have my products available at a salon called The Lon’ Next Door in Grosse Pointe.
I never really intended on selling on a large scale. I like having the ability to create each product in small batches, and still having the time to pursue my other business full-time. I’m super grateful for the opportunity the Pandemic gave me to switch gears and take a small break from photography, but long-term I only hope to make candles for fun!
Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?
A book that had an overall impact on my ability to pursue the things that I desired without shame or question was Glennon Doyle’s book “Untamed.” One quote that specifically stuck with me was “Because once we feel, know, and dare to imagine more for ourselves, we cannot unfeel, unknow, or unimagine. There is no going back.”
I’d always had a desire to work as an artist and I tried to never doubt my ability to do so successfully. What continued to motivate me was the perception that it wasn’t going to be my experience or intelligence that kept my business going; but rather the confidence I had in myself to succeed no matter the circumstance. You will gain more knowledge as you progress but one thing that will take you far is continuing to believe you’re capable of this goal.
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