We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Nancy Rodriguez a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Nancy, appreciate you joining us today. The first dollar your business earns is always special and we’d love to hear how your brand made its first dollar of revenue.

My first client reached out to me after a friend of hers told her about my work, which she had seen through a friend. She was having a Quinceanera for her first born daughter and needed a photographer / videographer and was on a budget. At the time in 2011, my husband and I were doing both photos and video, and since we were just starting to charge, we we’re nowhere as expensive as most photographers / videographers out there, however the quality of our work was standing out. She contacted me, we met, she saw our work and we signed the first contract which was very exciting, people were willing to pay for our services!! our first contract was for $1,750 which included a pre-photo session, slideshow, prints, all day photography and video of the day of their party, our client was just as excited as we were, she had found someone who would give her good quality work without breaking her bank.

A few years went by and I decided to focus more on just photography, gave my business a new name and eleven years later, my first client is still hiring me every year for all the milestones in her family, ie; graduations, sweet 16, maternity, newborn, birthday etc.

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 am a proud mother of four, ages 18, 20, 21, 30 and one 10 year old fur poodle baby named noodles. On my spare time, I enjoy the outdoors, hiking, running, and of course while I’m out, I love capturing all the beautiful sceneries, everyone that knows me, knows I love the moon and love capturing all the phases of it, that’s where the name of my business come from.

Here’s a little of how my business evolved, I had always loved capturing all special moments for my family, so I bought myself a photo camera and video camera, it started with friends of the family asking if I would capture their events, and I would do it at no charge or very minimal charge, only because it made me feel good about myself knowing I was able to help someone.

At that time I went back to school to be a nurse, and noticed my school also offered a photography degree, so I decided to do that as well. I graduated and earned as Associated degree in photography, and that’s when I decided I would make an official website, registered my business and finally put a price on my work. While I knew a lot about photography, I still had so much to learn, and going to school gave me that discipline and security I needed.

I am most proud of earning my Photography degree, I was a stay at home mom for fourteen years, in 2010 I almost died due to a pulmonary embolism, after surviving this traumatic event, I decided I would go back to school and finish what I had started. So walking the stage was a great fulfillment, because for a moment in time, I thought my life almost was ending, it’s been twelve years since that day, and these days I live my life to the fullest, I do a lot of volunteer work for a local high school band. I’m thankful that I am able to capture my clients moments, I don’t let any detail escape me. My business is not just a business, it’s more about capturing lifetime memories that when my clients see them, they relive those special moments all over again and usually call me back for their next milestone.

I’m currently doing newborn photography at a local hospital, I also do newborn sessions at the comfort of my clients homes, and I’m one of the main photographers at Hillside Boutique in Castroville Texas. While I am most busy with newborn photography, I am a Photographer for all occasions, and when needed I am able to provide videography as well.

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

My attention to detail, and the quality of work I have provided is what helped build my reputation within my market. I have also done a lot of volunteer work, therefore many people have seen my work and know that I’m not out to break anyones bank. While I have to make money just as any entrepreneur out there, I also understand that many people struggle and therefore I am willing to work with all my clients to make sure we both attain what we need.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

A lesson I had to unlearn after I started my business, was saying “YES” to everyone even when they could not pay for my services, I used to think that by saying “YES” I was doing myself good, not realizing I was saying “NO” to myself.

My photography instructor once told me “don’t ever give your services for FREE or sell yourself CHEAP, your work is worth a lot more than you know”, and my oldest daughter who is a licensed family therapist, numerous times told me “it’s ok to say NO, saying NO to others is saying YES to yourself”.

I’m happy to say, that these day I take that advice to heart and remind myself that I’m worth the price I put on my work / services, and I have unlearned to say “YES” just because someone says, “another person can do it cheaper”.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.mahinaphotography.com
• Instagram: mahinaphotography_nr
• Facebook: @mahinaphotographynr
• Youtube: Nancy Rodriguez at Mahina Photography