Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Michael Parks. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Michael , thanks for joining us today. One of the most important things we can do as business owners is ensure that our customers feel appreciated. What’s something you’ve done or seen a business owner do to help a customer feel valued?

I had a client contact me and wanted me to come to their rural hometown and photograph her 80 year old mother’s surprise birthday party. Once I got the details and found out the mother was very stuck in her ways and did not want anything fancy, I persuaded the daughter to drive her mother to Atlanta which was 2 hours from their town to take some studio glamor shots. He mother initially refused and then the daughter convinced her a huge big city magazine wanted to do an interview and photoshoot of her. She told her mother, the article is going to be all about her love for line dancing in her Golden Years. Little did she know it was not real but just wanted to get her out of her box and have a chance to get some historical pictures of her to showcase and pass down to her multiple generations that know her as “WEEZY”!

She came and the shoot was so amazing and little did she know, she was going to be visited by hundreds of family from all over the country to celebrate her Fabulous 80th Birthday celebration, featuring 25 of her glamor shots! Fast forward a month ahead and the surprise celebration was a huge success and she could not stop crying when they showed her the beautiful pictures! It was all done for free and my payment was to see her smile for 2 days straight and cry every time she looked at her pictures!

Michael , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Michael Parks and I’m the owner of DayStar Photography. I’m a native of Atlanta, GA and I’ve been passionate about photography every since my young military days in the US Air Force traveling from country to country. Since 1992, I’ve traveled to over 67 countries and photographed beautiful cities and landscapes. Now after more than 20 years of traveling the world, I’ve decided to put my dream to the test and capture what I love so much… people, landscapes, and family memories. I specialize in portraits, weddings, fashion and special events including family gatherings, birthday parties, and baby showers.

I love photographing Military Veterans, Seniors Citizens over 60, and just Happy People who love to smile! I have a soft spot in my heart for Veterans. I usually give them a 40% discount and will just sit for hours and let them tell me stories from their young military day I absolutely love to see all my clients cry when I present them with their finished products.

I never place prices on my site because everyone’s situation is different and I give discounts to almost every client because I LOVE photography and its not a job, its a Happy Place for me. It helps me cope with some military stressors I too deal with! The connection with people is
my Therapy.

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

The way I initially funded my business, I enrolled in night school so I could utilize my Military GI Bill fund to pay for the tuition at The Art Institute of Atlanta. When a Veteran uses their GI Bill fund, the military pays them a monthly stipend for books, gas for travel, computer/class supplies etc. I would make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for my lunch and eat Ramen Noodles for dinner for 6 months so that I can save enough money to buy a full-frame camera, flashes, and starter gear to launch my business. I saved $3700 and it was enough to get me started until I began to making money in my business.

I studied hard, spent every Friday night and all day Saturdays shooting clients for almost free just so I can get better and better. I’ve always believed and use my integrity as my standard by telling myself “Never take anyone’s money if you cant give them quality images”! For 4 years until I became really good, I worked for 25% of the market rate because I knew I was not going to charge full price until I was satisfied with the images I imagined in my head. It was a Win Win for both sides because my clients got pretty nice photos at a fraction of the market rate and I got many chances to hone in on my skills.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

When I produced top notch quality mixed with a charismatic approach and make every client feel they are my priority during and after the shoots.

I believe and treat all my clients like my family.

I believe and treat all my clients as a priority

I pray with all my clients before every shoot

I message and talk to my clients on all of their Birthdays and Major Holidays

I make it a personal experience, not a business experience

Contact Info:

• Website: www.daystarphoto.com
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-parks-47477293/