We recently connected with Melissa Maschek and have shared our conversation below.

Melissa, appreciate you joining us today. What’s the best or worst investment you’ve made?

The best investment(s) I’ve made in my business have been in regards to education- courses, business coaches, books I’ve read, etc. I’ve realized that you can avoid a lot of mistakes by learning from others example. Also it is really beneficial to get an outsiders opinion. Having a coach in the first year of my business was so beneficial to give me guidance on which areas I needed to dedicate more time to developing and action steps to get from point A to point B.

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 got into photography in High School, and then studied it formally at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. I started doing photography professionally full-time in 2010 working for a local studio, and then started my own business in 2015.

I work with couples and families to photograph lifestyle family portraits, elopements, and micro weddings. My photography style is joyful and playful, and my editing style is warm and bright. I utilize natural light wherever possible and aim to make the process fun, laid back, and easy for my customers.

I love working with people that aren’t from the Charleston area. Because I specialize in beach portraits and elopements I tend to attract a lot of destination weddings and vacationers. It’s really fun to meet people from all over the world! I love hearing about my customers home towns, what they have been up to while they visit the area, and offering recommendations if they ask!

I would say I am most proud of my reputation in the community and the reviews I get from my customers. I try really hard to give people the best quality images with an experience that is fun and relaxed. When I get feedback or read a review that someone had a great experience I do a little happy dance! It is such an honor to be trusted to capture the most special moments of people’s lives and all the milestones of their growing families. I feel really grateful that I get to be a part of that.

Have you ever had to pivot?

Yes lots of times! I think a huge part of business is just trying different things and not being afraid to fail. So lots of things I have tried out didn’t end up working out, and a few things have worked out. It really is a journey and you learn a lot about yourself and others in the process.

I was teaching photography classes when I first started my business but after awhile I realized I wasn’t as passionate about teaching as I was about creating so I decided to stop doing the courses and double down on more photo sessions.

In 2020 my husband and I bought a house/farm property that we turned into an airbnb / micro wedding venue. We renovated the house and then had to go through with lots of zoning and permitting for the event hosting. I absolutely loved the designing process and all the creative projects were just unending! It was one of the biggest risk/reward projects I’ve done to date but it was truly worth it! We did all the renovation work during Covid shutdown and then as the world was emerging we announced the opening of the venue. We ran it for a year and then in 2022 we sold it! It wasn’t the original plan but the market was awesome and the timing was right. It was such a great experience. I learned that it can be just as impactful to have something for only a chapter of life as it can be for something that lasts a long time. Everything has it’s own timing and to trust the timing of life.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I really think niching down to a smaller specialization is a great way to become known for something. This was hard for me to accept at first, but once I did I was able to focus more energy and effort into honing my skills towards that specialty and just getting better and better at it. You have to accept that you aren’t ‘everybody’s cup of tea’ and that’s OK! But the people who do align will value what you have to offer and it will be a better fit!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.melissamileyphotography.com
• Instagram: @MelissaMileyPhotography
• Facebook: @MelissaMileyPhotography
• Yelp: @MelissaMileyPhotography

Image Credits
Image credit Carrie Watford @carrieclicks Image credit NMickle Photography