We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Megan Vu a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Megan, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So, what do you think about family businesses? Would you want your children or other family members to one day join your business?
In the 15 years of experience I have working and hiring both family and non-family members into our wedding photography business, I believe it’s not the nature that makes us work, but the nurture.
Our business is structured like a loose pyramid. And while this pyramid is mobile, Kevin is the head, I (the wife) am the neck and Jenna my sister is one of our main photographers (the body). We have found a groove that finally works over many failed attempts to build a reliable team that has stood the test of injury, professional mistakes, and even emotions.
Our past failures were always based on poor management of dissimilar personalities. We are simply not good managers of modern communication and/ or expectations in the workplace. We are not cheerleaders. We do not have work-life balance.
The beginning of KLV Photography only formed and survived because Kevin and I were raised similarly and had similar tolerances of what it meant to work and commit to each other early on without regard for our emotions. It was not healthy. It did build resentment. And there was definitely a better way to do it. But that simply didn’t happen; and for our grit and commitment, we still have a business today despite how we felt at the time. I am very proud of us for that. We went through something hard together and while we didn’t know how to do it with grace; we still did it and we are in a blessed position in our lives because of it. And while we did address and fix so many broken methods at a time when we could let down our hair, I wouldn’t trade that time for anything.
The only way for us to add on another team member with a hint of what we were willing to do, was to find someone as “ride-or-die” as us. It is not guaranteed that someone with your blood will take action in the same way you would, but someone raised in the same vein; under the same mental understanding of your inner ethos; now that can work. And in general, willing to follow your leadership.
Jenna and I are 8 years apart and despite that we are innately similar in the core of how we work and interact with others. Leaders in our own right, but much better utilized as followers in the grand scheme. While we are very similar, Jenna brings youth and empathy and communication; whereas I bring direct systematic experience. Together, we help turn the wheel for the vision of Kevin who leads the company.
The issue lies in the expectation that blood is stronger than one’s established work ethic, integrity, grit (or lack thereof), and personality. In the end people will be people. We got lucky that the three of us think similarly and have enough fear of the other which keeps us in check with putting out our best work. Whether it’s sending an email, delivering photos, showing up early, improving one’s work or sacrificing for each other.
Now, in my commitment to always bring my best efforts to my role, that healthy fear that keeps everyone in check I find that bar raised again. Whereas, before I worship the work we’ve done and there people we were; I realize that has often led me down a road of false pride and arrogance. And for all that ego, I am thankful for the road traveled until now. However, I seek a more fulfilling driver behind my work and the greater role that I may inhabit now and in the future.
My Christian faith that I am rediscovering is a powerful mover and while I don’t completely understand it; I feel a sense of peace that I haven’t felt before. Even now, I am compelled to write this in. I am excited and thirsty for what is to come as our family business grows inwardly to keep uncovering its own truths and I am so thankful that I do have my family with me to share this with. Finding balance when there was none. Creating empathy when we’ve pushed it aside. All the while, knowing that the 5th gear to grind is always there within us.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
In 2009 I began in wedding photography as a second photographer. I learned the craft from my husband (dating at the time). Our college years together were spent passing the last years of our required courses, photographing couples at the beach and scouting the next venue and portrait session. Today we photograph about 70 weddings a year and I manage 3 photography teams year round and communicate without about 80 clients a year.
The issues I spend the most time solving are time management, client complaints or issues, communication issues, web development, brand voice and awareness, client education and vision management.
I am most proud of our consistency in the wedding industry and our ability to put our work first.
Can you open up about a time when you had a really close call with the business?
On New Year’s Eve 2020 I was lying in a hospital bed, monitors going off every 5 mins, and I could hear the countdown to the new year in and out of consciousness. My parents were in Washington, and my husband was home alone I had just gotten out of major spinal surgery to place two metal rods alongside the “bursted” T7 vertebrae. C2 was also broken as wells as a couple of ribs.
The day before I had gone over a boulder during a mountain biking accident with my husband where I had to be airlifted to the closest hospital only to go through everything with the hospital staff alone since the Covid-19 policies prohibited any visitors at the time. And since the hospitals were overcrowded, I found myself tripping on intravenous meds in the hospital hallways for the first week.
As the manager of the business, you can imagine the shock to the system this had. Kevin and Jenna were suddenly pulling double, triple duty. And by the time I was discharged to recover at home, they were also caring for my infantile state until February. If it weren’t for the diligence and sacrifice of Jenna at this time, Kevin would be immensely overwhelmed. When my parents came to assist us as I found my feet again; it was not simply a matter of getting back to work; but a matter of being born again. We got to see how crucial my role was and how easily this could all go away. So every day we’re blessed to wake up and experience the grand and mundane is such a gift.
Fortunately, I had built my role around being at home, I had no commute, no office to check into, and for the most part, I could schedule any client meetings around my preference. All the work and systems we were building came into full effect as we moved the roles and responsibilities around until I was running at full speed again. And because of that dire time, we all became better at everything we do in the business.
Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?
One of the best things about my role was that I got to defnite it early on and even now, I get to choose how it evolves and what influences I can bring into the picture to help me do my job better. Some notable things in the beginning were taking lessons from outside of the wedding industry and adapting them to our branding, marketing and business philosophy. Books like The E-Myth Revisted, which laid out the basic structure of the visionary, manager and technician. Defining those roles for us really help Kevin and I find structure and helped his chronic need to control everything more manageable and take direction from me; someone who is technically not the leader of the company.
The 4-Hour Workweek taught me about the minimum effective dose in order to make significant change occur. Seneca, Letters From A Stoic taught me that my emotions are there but don’t control me. And now, in my late 30’s the Bible is giving me prayer and spiritual peace and relationship with God I never had before. I lessons and grace I receive with this new relationship is insurmountable.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://klvphotography.com
- Instagram: @klvweddings
Image Credits
KLV Photography, Meg Le Vu, Kevin Le Vu