We recently connected with Marian Saint and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Marian thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you tell us about an important lesson you learned while working at a prior job?

My initial career was in insurance and financial services. I worked for several Fortune 100 companies with multi layers of the organization and clearly defined operating procedures. It was very regimented and well laid out and sometimes those systems felt controlling. When I first started my photography company, I enjoyed the freedom and flexibility of making my own rules. I could do what I wanted, when I wanted. But I quickly learned thats the worst ways to run a business and it will always stay small or a hobby if you treat it like that. I started putting in SOPs and processes and that made a huge difference in my business growth. I was able to slowly pull myself out of the areas that weren’t my zones of genius and focus on my expertise. This was a game changer and I wish I had realized this lesson a long time ago.

Marian, 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 been in business for 12+ years and photographed 1000+ individuals and families. At Butler & Badou Portraits, we believe in creating a welcoming, creative environment that exceeds your photography needs. For our boudoir clients we want you to see yourself as completely beautiful so you are confident and happy every day. For our families, we want to capture your authentic love and connection so that every member of your family feels seen and understood. For our personal branding clients we provide professional guidance and pictures so that you look the same online and in person; connecting you with your ideal clients.

I grew up in Hawaii, hiking and at the beach. I was always active and had side jobs. I started this photography business because I wanted to be more creative. From there it grew until helping people see how beautiful they were and increase that self confidence and self worth. I love the reactions of my clients when they see their pictures for their first time. Its a lot of, “I can’t believe that’s me!”. I have the best team and we all love seeing that transformation in our clients.

We produce our artwork in collaboration with a print lab in Italy. The quality is out of this world. Clients love that they can make completely custom canvases, albums ect. The whole experience of coming into our studio, getting full posing and style guidance, and then creating custom artwork, makes our clients feel like queens.

My most recent venture is helping other creatives fix their systems and processes so they can build a business that they love, instead of one that takes over their life. This is a huge issue in my industry and one that holds a lot of people back.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

After multiple bad relationships and some bad choices, I really had to address low self esteem and self worth. I had a mentality that I had to work my way to worth or prove something to myself and others. Its been a process to address this and I’m still learning more everyday but I realized that this is a very common issue for a lot of women. Part of the transformational process that I get to be a little part of, is when I photograph them and they are able to see themselves in a different light. Being able to show another person that they are valued and important simple for being their unique self is exactly why I love what I do. If I didn’t go through my struggle, I wouldn’t be able to speak to others with experienced compassion and understanding.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

There’s so many but the one that I always come back to is ‘Acres of Diamonds’ by Russell Conwell. Its a short story or you can even find it on youtube. Conwell was this amazing speaker and founder of Temple University, and he shared this powerful message about finding wealth and opportunities right where you are. He talks about a farmer who sells his land to search for diamonds elsewhere, only to find out later that the land he sold was sitting on one of the richest diamond mines ever. The moral of the story is that we often overlook the opportunities in our own backyard while searching for something better far away. It’s a reminder to appreciate and explore the potential around us instead of always looking for greener pastures elsewhere.”

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.butlerbadouportraits.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/butlerbadouportraits/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/butlerbadouportraits/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariandiop/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO3jUhQdTlMGjjgl7cPcWaQ
• Other: https://www.instagram.com/themarianmethod_/

Image Credits

Butler & Badou Portraits