We were lucky to catch up with Melissa Mark recently and have shared our conversation below.

Melissa, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. One of the toughest parts of scaling a business is maintaining quality as you grow. How have you managed to maintain quality? Any stories or advice?

I am almost at my five year mark of running my business, woohoo! So over the past few years, my photography company has grown pretty quickly which I am so grateful for. I take on more & more clients each month and it’s so exciting. I want to make sure that all of my clients are getting the same experience throughout their time with me. Creating systems and automating where I can has really helped streamline my process and keep the experience consistent. For example, once a client pays the deposit for their photo session they will receive an automated email that includes my Austin Location Guide and What To Wear To Your Photoshoot guide. I love providing a ton of guidance before we meet so that my clients feel taken care of.

Melissa, 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?

For folks who may not have read about you before, can you please tell our readers about yourself, how you got into your industry / business / discipline / craft etc, what type of products/services/creative works you provide, what problems you solve for your clients and/or what you think sets you apart from others. What are you most proud of and what are the main things you want potential clients/followers/fans to know about you/your brand/your work/ etc.

Hi there! I’m Melissa Bordeau Mark, a Branding, Couples & Portrait photographer based out of Austin the hill country & surrounding. I specialize in taking photos for businesses which includes: branding, headshots, product, real estate & event photography, and taking photos of couples which includes: wedding, engagement, proposal, maternity, newborn, & family. I love what I do because I get to meet new people each and every day and create images that tell their story.

I am the most proud of my relationship with my clients. The number one way I receive business is through repeat clients and client referrals and that says a lot in my book! I am so appreciative and grateful for all the amazing business owners and couples I get to work with.

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

I bought myself my first camera in 2017. I was working full time as a Marketing Manager and taking photos on the side. I fell in love quickly with photography. I would take classes at Precision Camera weekly and learn from whoever I could. I started out in music photography, taking photos of live music, concerts, and festivals (SXSW, ACL). My first photoshoot outside of music was for a surprise proposal. I got the same rush of excitement that I felt while capturing music that I knew a career in photography was what I was meant to do. That night I created my website and the rest is history. I am going to hit my 5 years in business this upcoming January!

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

I am so grateful that right now, the best source of new clients for me comes from client referrals. Clients I have already worked with will tell their friends/family/co-workers about me. This makes me feel so happy and accomplished to know that my past client is raving about me to their circle!

Contact Info:

• Website: bordeauphoto.com
• Instagram: @bordeauphoto
• Facebook: @bordeauphoto1

Image Credits
All photos by Bordeau Photo, headshot by Wild Rose edited by Bordeau Photo