We were lucky to catch up with Mary Margaret Vollmar recently and have shared our conversation below.

Mary Margaret, appreciate you joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

I’ve always been interested in photography. For as long as I can remember, my dad always had a camera in hand and took endless amounts of photos of us as kids. So, you could say its been engrained in me since birth. In college, one of my best friends started her photography business and I helped her think through some of the business aspects and even modeled for her when she was first starting up. This period of my life really re-ignited my creativity and I became obsessed with photography again. But when I moved to Nashville in 2020, I struggled figuring out what I wanted to do. It wasn’t until my mother suggested I start my own photography business that I really considered it. I have always wanted to own my own business, I have a passion for connecting with people, I absolutely adore children, and I value ways to suspend moments in time. All the wheels clicked at the moment and I knew I was about to embark on a really cool adventure.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I grew up in Memphis, TN; one of the 4 BBQ capitals in the country (and the best one…) and home of the blues. My family is enormous….about 40 people strong….and consists primarily of strong women. My mother was 1 of 6 girls and I am the youngest of 13 cousins, making our family gatherings a sight to behold. Throughout my childhood, you could always find my father with a camera, documenting almost every moment of our lives. At the time, though, I didn’t appreciate the value of these memories and how they would impact me later on in life. As a man in a woman’s world, my father recognized the unique opportunity to have his only daughter learn from these strong, southern women and encouraged me to spend as much time with them as possible. Being surrounded by these incredible women made it impossible not to pick up on their work ethic, sophistication, and how they handled situations firmly, but with grace. It was amazing to behold and I am proud of the lessons they taught me at such a young age.

Their influence led me to become the woman I am today. Driven, hardworking, kind, energetic, and striving for laughter in all my experiences. Now, I know what you’re thinking…how does this all lead to being a photographer? The funny thing is that being a photographer was not something I ever planned on. I fully intended to work in corporate America and have a successful career. But, as my career has progressed, I found myself searching for a more creative outlet to bring back the fun in my life. After helping several friends start their photography businesses, my mother said “why haven’t you considered this for yourself?” …more of that powerful woman insight I was telling you about…. I began reminiscing through my father’s photo albums and realized what brought me the most joy in life was being surrounded by my family and friends, the ones I loved the most. And the lightbulb just clicked!

I am primarily a family photographer that specializes in a bright & airy style. I love working with expecting mothers, newborns, and various sizes of families (don’t forget the pets!). What sets me apart from others is my client experience. I am with you from before the beginning! I provide a detailed style guide for all my clients and ensure each session is tailored specifically to them. I even do style consults with some of my clients that need a little extra help in that department (because let’s face it, it can be stressful to pick out your clothes)! Finally, I send an email out the week before a session with reminders, parking instructions, and more.

Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?

Figuring out how I was going to get enough funding to start my business was scary…I mean really scary. I had just moved to a new city, in an expensive neighborhood and apartment, lived alone (with my dog), and was not earning a high-paying salary. So, how was I going to do it? I convinced myself it was worth it and that I could sacrifice for a little while. With the exception of my first camera backpack, I funded my startup on my own. I did a LOT of research on the best systems, equipment, and education I needed to get started. The key there was “needed” to get started. I really had to scale back and only invest in the necessities, which meant I had to determine what was the most important thing to me when starting my business. I knew I wanted an excellent client experience and only invested in things that got me there. This meant I didn’t choose the best website builder or blog domain, but instead chose some cheaper options that I later was able to upgrade. I also lessened what I spent in my personal life. This meant going out less with friends and not buying clothes. In my first year, my goal was to breakeven…and I ended up profiting a small amount! I’ve continued to carry over this method now that I’m more established. I really have to check myself on what is necessary vs. what is nice to have, or even what is “trendy” to have.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

Networking. Don’t get me wrong, I get a lot of clients from social media groups too, but networking and referrals never fails. I have been fortunate to have some AMAZING first clients who have booked me again and again. They have been so incredible with referring me to their friends, writing reviews, and tagging me on social media. Those seemingly small things make such a BIG difference when you’ve got a small business. I cannot thank them enough.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://marymargaretphotos.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mary.margaretphotography/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mary.margaret.photography1
• Other: Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/marymargaretphoto/?invite_code=42995b308ddc48a5b0a72627a6b367a1&sender=993114292737896181