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

Leah Hope, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We love asking folks what they would do differently if they were starting today – how they would speed up the process, etc. We’d love to hear how you would set everything up if you were to start from step 1 today.
There are multiple things I would do differently if I was starting over in this career, but there is one main thing that could have changed everything for me earlier on! I would have been able to get where I am today much faster if I would have invested in myself at the beginning of my photography journey.

I should have invested even more intentional time and energy to my growth, but most of all, I should have invested financially in my education. I spent years trying to do everything I could to learn about photography and grow my business without spending any money. I was able to grow my business, but very slowly. It wasn’t until I invested in a business coach and mastermind that I was able to finally become full time in my career.

We aren’t meant to do it all. It makes sense that we would need other people, people who have been where we are, to help us get where we want to go next. We can find a lot of free and valuable information online these days and it can be so helpful! But, it still can’t beat one on one education that is tailored to you and your business needs and dreams!

It’s a bit cliche to say that it takes money to make money, but I have found that to be true. There are. of course, exceptions to the cliche. But it wasn’t until I decided my growth was important enough to put actual money towards, that I was able to transform my business.

If you invest in the right places, with the right people, you will make back your investment and much more! And you’ll walk away with tools and education that will help you continue to grow your business to get it where you want it to be!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I’m a portrait photographer and educator in Scottsdale, Arizona. I offer a variety of portrait sessions from family and maternity to seniors and couples and more! I’m passionate about making photo shoots laughter-filled and stress-free because I believe every season of life is worth investing in and documenting! I also offer online and in-person mentoring for beginner photographers or photographers who are feeling stuck and help them transform their dream to grow their business into a plan that works!

I believe our world is full of life, joy and color and I want my photographs to express that. I aim for the photos I provide to be an elevated version of real life. Natural and timeless, yet bold and vibrant. I’m truly flattered when people tell me they like their photos, but I’m filled with purpose when they tell me I helped them feel comfortable, confident and beautiful during our session! That will always be what matters to me the most!

I don’t want my clients to only walk away with photos they love, I want them to have an experience that makes them feel comfortable and taken care of. I make the entire process as simple, joy-filled and stress free as possible. Photo shoots aren’t meant to be a source of stress and obligation, they’re meant to be enjoyed and to leave people with lasting memories. That’s exactly what they get with me!

As an educator, it’s important to me to help get photographers where they want to be through a personalized experience tailored to them! I give them the confidence they need to run their business, their way. I’m an open book and keep no secrets with those who invest in mentoring with me. I don’t promise to teach them the most popular way of doing things, but I promise to teach them everything that’s worked for me, and then to guide them through the process of finding their way. There’s no “one size fits all” to photography and business. So, I help take people from surviving to thriving by gaining control of their business growth and finding what works for them!

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
Offering my services for free, intentionally, has been one of the most effective strategies for growing my clientele! The “intentionally” part is the most important part to note! Giving away your services or products for free does not automatically mean the people you give them to will help you grow your business. You need to make sure they are the *right* people to help grow your business and also be clear about expectations.

Start be looking for your ideal client. This doesn’t just mean someone who is willing to spend large amount of money on your product or service. Who are the type of people you LOVE working with? What type of people keep you inspired and happy in your work? Maybe it’s the client who went with the flow and trusted you entirely while working together. Find more of those people. Select one (or a few) that have an audience on social media (or a big circle of friends in day to day life) that is filled with more people who are your ideal client. Offer them a free session (or whatever your product/service may be) in exchange for sharing about you with their community.

Their friends and family trust their word, so if they share about you, that is the best kind of advertising you can get! Make sure to communicate clearly what you expect from them and what they’ll be getting in return. If you’re a photographer, for example, you might reach out to ask your ideal client to ask if they’re interested in receiving a free, one hour session with 30 digital photos. And in exchange they would be sharing the photos on social media with your business name, allowing you to use the photos for your portfolio and writing a testimonial for your business. As a photographer, it’s also important the photos represent your brand, so you could mention you want to be involved in the styling process and choose a location that you’ve been wanting to photograph!

This does not meaning saying yes to people who ask for a free or discounted session. It’s important that YOU are in complete control of how the trade will work, but I do also try to make sure it’s beneficial for the person I’m trading with as well. Then, serve them well and provide them with an excellent experience so they’ll be more than happy to share about you with others!

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
When I was starting out, I use to be so proud of the fact that I didn’t run my business like a business. I just wanted to take photos and make a little money in the process. That led to me being overworked and underpaid, which meant that I wasn’t able to be my best self and in return couldn’t provide the best experience possible for the clients I had.

In my mind, business people were selfish people. They were people who put their own goals and success above caring about others. I would say things like “I’m people-driven, not business-driven.” That is still true, however, being business-driven is also being people-driven to me now.

I had to let go of my preconceived idea that successful business people were selfish, money-hungry people who would do anything to get where they wanted to go. That is nonsense. Being a better a business woman has actually given me the opportunity to better serve my clients. Taking myself seriously as a business owner resulted in me finally making a full time income from this job I love so much. Working smarter instead of harder has given me the chance to grow my business and help others in the process.

My priorities haven’t changed. Loving people and treating them well is still what matters to me most. But I’ve realized the better I utilize my time and approach my business like the business it is… the more opportunities I have to love and serve people well.

I never wanted to be a business person. I just wanted to be a people person. It took me almost 10 years to realize I can be both.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://leahhopephotography.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leahhopephotography/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeahHopePhotography
• Other: Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/leahhopephotography/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@leahhopephotography

Image Credits
Lauren Peachie – https://laurenpeachie.com/ (took the head shot of me holding my camera, all other photos are my own)