We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Rachel Barnum. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Rachel below.

Rachel, appreciate you joining us today. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

I love being a business owner! As a young adult, I held many different regular jobs but the schedule was too strict to grow a family. I graduated college in 2016 and worked for several years in different capacities as a journalist, social media manager and even got my real estate license. Over time I realized I wanted to be more independent and also create and manage my own schedule, clients and myself really. I am so blessed to do what I do and be able to make my “workplace” exciting each day, whether it be the office editing, scoping out a new photo location, or enjoying beautiful Michigan.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Without much guidance, I picked up a camera gifted to me by my parents as a birthday gift and started offering free sessions to fill out my portfolio, just to see if I could even do it. I kept this up until I felt confident to charge for my work and asked for very little. Even after that, I undersold my work for years due to imposter syndrome and until the reality of overhead expenses set in. I have been fortunate enough to work with several kind members of the industry and gain experience here and there, but most of it has been self-starting and just believing in myself. I truly am so proud that I’ve been able to create this business and keep it successful.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

When I turned 23, my mom and dad bought me a Canon Rebel T6 with a camera bag and all the essentials to get started in the hobby. This was the main camera that I used until I finally upgraded years later, but I’ve always been amazed by what I was able to capture on a beginner camera and used lens. With photography, there are quite a few apps that you can use for free with your business so there was very little startup funding needed.

The proof is in the pudding that you don’t need to buy whatever latest model is out to get customers! While I currently shoot with a Canon R6 mark II, I remember the days without the high-end equipment too.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Starting on social media can be daunting. I’ve never had great success with numbers of likes and followers, but by staying consistent and doing my research on best times to post, I’ve been able to gather quite a following for my work. While 100 followers might not seem like a lot, when I imagine 100 people listening to what I say in person then it does feel like a lot! Consistency and creativity with posts go a long way in maintaining and growing a following.

Just stay consistent! Think about content while you’re shooting, and always be aware of who would prefer not to be on your socials as well and be sure to respect that. Literacy goes a long way!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.rosememoriesphotography.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rosememories_photography_llc/reels/
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/rosememoriesphotography/