We recently connected with Mikayla Elrod and have shared our conversation below.
Mikayla, appreciate you joining us today. Owning a business isn’t always glamorous and so most business owners we’ve connected with have shared that on tough days they sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have just had a regular job instead of all the responsibility of running a business. Have you ever felt that way?
I often say that I was a terrible employee because I went through PTO like it was candy and called in every chance I could. I have absolutely thought about what life would be like if I had a regular job. The last time I had this thought was actually this week. November is the start of my “slow season” because I have no weddings on schedule until January, however November should really not be considered a part of my slow season because I have all of the edits from the weddings I had during September and October that I have to catch up on. Monday I realized that I would need to spend the whole week inside, editing from morning to right before I go to bed. Remember, I’m a business owner so editing isn’t the only task I really should be working on. I need to worry about sales, marketing, business meetings, and sales calls I have scheduled. I felt extremely overwhelmed and worried about the time I’d be missing, in the evenings, with my family. I sat in my car and daydreamed about what it would be like to work from 9-5 and be able to come home and not worry about whether I will be meeting my quota in order to pay myself adequately and where I can survive in a world of intense inflation. The thought was a nice one. Then I went to my sister in law’s banquet where a friend had announced she was getting married and all of my instincts kicked in and I immediately sold myself and my work and the thought hasn’t crossed my mind since. I think it’s natural to wonder if the grass truly is greener on the other side no matter what position you’re in. But having a little reminder of why you do what you do is amazing.
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?
Not only do I identify as a wedding photographer, but I also go by bonus maid of honor and best friend. When I was in college, my parents bought me a camera as a Christmas present. It was a beautiful Canon Rebel T5i. A really wonderful starter camera. I took pictures of everything. My family in motion, the snow falling, and anything I thought was absolutely beautiful about the world we live in. I was in college working towards eventually going into medicine. I wasn’t sure what area I’d want to study in, but I knew I loved science and medicine. In class during my second year of college a friend has mentioned that she was getting married. She was going to do a beautiful backyard wedding and she just knew she wanted parts of the day documented and didn’t care that I had no experience. Me being the overachiever that I am, couldn’t bare to show to her wedding WITHOUT any experience at all. So I reached out to photography groups on Facebook asking to be able to second shoot for free to gain experience. Second shooting is when you are the assistant photographer. You’re there to catch some things the lead photographer might not be able to and just make sure there are back up images. A friend of a friend ran his own wedding company where he offered Dj services, a photo booth, photography and videography. He said he would pay me to be a second photographer. I was elated since I would be getting experience and making extra money while I was in college. I second shot a few weddings and then captured my very first wedding on June 9th, 2017. Less than two years later, I was studying biochemistry and doing research in mutagenesis. I become so passionate about wedding photography that I dropped out in January of 2019 and started creating my own company.
What sets me apart from others is that weddings are a huge passion of mine. I absolutely am IN LOVE with documenting the milestones in peoples lives and weddings are a huge one. It is my goal even as just a wedding photographer, to make sure my couples have their day go as smoothly as possible. I act as a semi-wedding planner on the day of, a best friend who will make all the right things happen, and someone who will take all of the stress away on the day of. I want to be stressed out for you without you even knowing it. I want my couples and any couples who read this to know that I find what your pain points are, within your wedding planning, and make it easier for you to take care of. I will be with them from the start to finish and even after.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
Let me set the whole scene for you…
From 2019 to the end of 2020 things were WILD in my life. I had moved two times, just dropped out of college and ended up back with my parents. I truly felt at my lowest. I continued to work as second and lead photographer from the company I started with in 2017. I was also nannying to bring in extra money and because I have always envisioned myself working with kids. In June of 2019 I met a beautiful woman who would eventually become my wife. After five months of dating, I know, Uhaul, we IMPULSIVELY got a puppy and I moved in with her, her mom, and little sister. This was in November of 2019 and in the beginning of March 2020 the whole world shut down. Picture this, you’re quarantined for three months with three people, a brand new puppy, and someone who still had to go into work even though this wild virus was killing millions of people across the world. It was so hard for all of us. Finally, everything had started to open and I went back to nannying and slowly getting back into shooting weddings. One thing about my business, that I am actually extremely thankful for, is that I was not full time yet and therefore I only had a handful of weddings for 2020 which made life on my end very easy. I didn’t have to worry about too many reschedules or cancellations
But that also meant that I didn’t have a lot of income either. Fast forward to September 2020 my, then, girlfriend and I bought a house and in November I got COVID, quit my job, and decided it was now or never to take my business on full time. Let me tell you, buying a house and quitting your job during a pandemic after making NO money, aside from unemployment, for three months and only nannying a couple of days a week was STRESSFUL to say the least. But it was SO incredible. I absolutely love when I am faced with a challenge and I can watch myself and my, now, wife overcome them and power through. It is very exhilarating.
Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?
I know this question is more about material that has significantly impacted my entrepreneurial thinking. However, I am going to, mostly, gush about the absolutely best business coach and, now, friend that changed my business and my world forever.
Tonya Rineer the best coach and friend you could ever have. This woman has changed the game for me. In 2020 I met her at a networking event where I found out that she coaches coaches and business owners. When I decided to quit my job and take my business full time I KNEW I HAD to reach out to her. She was the first and BEST business decision I have ever made. In January of 2021 we began working together which ultimately flourished our friendship. She taught me how to price myself, how to pay myself and most importantly, how to value myself. This year changed everything. I upgraded my packages and I found out what it was like to value who I was and what I was doing. Every time I had any doubts all I had to do was call her and she could change the way I viewed myself within 5 minutes. She is a HUGE reason why, not only, my business is flourishing but why my self love is. It is November of 2022 and I continue to hire my really good friend as my business grows and she only adds more and more value every time we meet. From marketing to sales to setting up a successful business budget, Tonya knows it all. I will always recommend her to any business owner. I wish I could show you just how knowledgeable, creative, and a great business owner and coach she is.
She has a book you can purchase called “Mindset Shift”. It is a wonderful book that had me challenging all of the negative thoughts and feelings I had about myself and my business. This book helps you change the way you think in a way that will only bring you success within yourself.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.moonraephotography.com
- Instagram: Moonraephotography_
- Facebook: Moonraephotos
Image Credits
ME!