We were lucky to catch up with Madeline Willcox recently and have shared our conversation below.

Madeline, appreciate you joining us today. Do you have any thoughts about how to create a more inclusive workplace?

I aim to create a space for people of all backgrounds. No one should feel like they don’t belong in this industry due to a lack of experience or where they come from/who they are. When I started out in this industry, I was lucky enough to have wonderful mentors to help show me the ropes and encourage me when I was unsure about my skills. I also had some people take chances on me when I didn’t have the same background as others which then catapulted my career. From these experiences I want to be sure to do the same for others. I love working with people who are willing to learn and who are inspired by creating.

This past year I published a photography book that is female made and was created to empower women to be anything they want to be. I worked closely with my stylist, Abby Wharram and makeup artist, Lauren Peltier to bring this vision to life. All of us had never created or produced a project that big and it goes to show that if you support one another you can create something beautiful. I hope to create another book in the future with a similar goal.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am a Fashion, Event, Portrait, & Brand Photographer based in Minneapolis Minnesota. I knew that I wanted to be a photographer since the age of 7 when I first started playing around with my aunts camera equipment. At that time I thought that I would be drawn to capture landscape photography, instead I am drawn to create everything but that. After taking part in an intense photography course during high school, I finally started my business in 2015. At that time I only focused on Portraiture, such as seniors, engagements, weddings, etc. Then in 2019 I took my photography full time, became the head fashion week photographer for Minnesota and took on roles such as director of photography for another MN based fashion show. At my start, the fashion and brand industry went hand in hand and I became very involved with various business owners, restaurants, and stores in the city. As of last year I took on a role with First Avenue and started capturing concerts which had always been a dream of mine as well. In my role I am always trying to evolve and learn new skills to get better as a creator.

Something I am super proud of is that I became a creative director and producer of my book “Off The Palette” in December of 2022. It was such a fun and rewarding experience to get to learn the publishing process and how all of the little details come together.

The people that I surrounds myself with, as well as the environment of the twin cities are huge influences in my art. I also loves that by being a photographer I get to meet a wide array of personalities and talents that are also in the creative community or are eager to learn more about the process of bringing an image to life.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

The photography industry is full of ups and downs. Sometimes you are so busy that you don’t remember how to take time for yourself, and others you are trying to fill your time up with anything you can find as work gets to be so slow. Sometimes you are on a high because you absolutely love your clients and your business is thriving, and then others it takes everything not to cry about the trials you are having with your business relationships and stress about your income.

I have had my fair share of turbulence in my business, but this last winter definitely hit me the hardest. I had amazing clients that booked every other month as they were bigger companies and always needed new content for their marketing. Then I decided to take a trip and take off for a few weeks during my slow season, once I returned they decided to go in different directions with other photographers and it really hurt my confidence and made me question my business. When you own a business that is a one person show it gives you flexibility, but it also creates challenges when you would like to take time for yourself. When this happened I really had to shift my mindset by focusing on the clients I still had that appreciated my work. You always have supporters out there and you need to look at the good and not at the thing bringing you down, otherwise you will sink.

I also decided to improve my skills to help my clients, such as stop motion and gifs, and I strengthened my connection with new people and brands. Remember, when one door closes, another will open for you. It may take time but things have a way of turning around if you let it and look for it.

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

When I started my business I was working part time jobs on the side that were my main income as I was working a lot of photography jobs for free or very cheap to get the experience. By working with new people and networking I was able to take on more and more. This then led to me gaining confidence in my field so I could start charging my worth and working with people who appreciated me for what I offer vs. Being the cheapest option and using me because of it.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @madelineelli_ @madelineelliphoto
• Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/madeline-elli-55701517a

Image Credits
taken by Madeline Elli