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

Alright, Rachel thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?

Naming anything is definitely tough, but once I landed on the idea for The Hive House, it felt obvious. I had considered naming it after myself, the street it was on, or the city it was in, but none of those captured the vision I had for the space. I wanted the studio to be a hub for local photographers — a place where we could gather, collaborate, and build community, much like a hive. As soon as the concept of a beehive came to mind, it clicked instantly, especially because I was opening the business inside a house. The Hive House was the perfect fit.

Rachel, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I got into photography because of my dad — he let me use his cameras when I was a kid, and I started out photographing the dance performances I was part of. Over time, that hobby grew into my career, and now I photograph mostly weddings, seniors, families, and dancers. When a house in my family became available, I had the opportunity to open my first studio space, and that’s where The Hive House was born. It eventually moved into a bigger space and grew into what people know today, along with a second studio, The Juniper Loft. Both studios are places for photographers to come and create in beautiful, inspiring settings. Recently, I launched a brand-new space inside The Hive House called The Den — a room built around a full LED window wall that creates the look of perfect, diffused daylight at any time of day. Most photographers shy away from artificial light, but The Den removes all the guesswork, letting photographers shoot at 8pm or on a cloudy day and still get consistent, stunning “natural” light.

I’m incredibly proud of the businesses I’ve built from scratch and the way they support and uplift the photography community. More than anything, I love creating spaces where people can connect, create, and build something amazing together.

Let’s talk M&A – we’d love to hear your about your experience with buying businesses.

In 2024, I had the opportunity to purchase The Juniper Loft when the previous owner, Anna, decided to focus her time on other pursuits. I was thrilled to step in – I knew it would be a perfect extension of what we were already offering at The Hive House. We worked closely together to ensure a smooth and beneficial transition for both of us. We negotiated a fair price for the furniture and a studio time trade, making the deal official on January 1st, 2024. While taking over any business comes with its challenges, like managing the calendar transition and coordinating cleaning and seasonal set designs, the overall process was smooth. There were a few quick decisions that needed to be made, especially as we jumped into new set designs for the season, but it’s been incredibly rewarding to see both studios thrive under the same roof.

Does your business have multiple or supplementary revenue streams (like a ATM machine at a barbershop, etc)?

Yes, our business has multiple revenue streams beyond the studio rentals. In addition to renting the spaces at The Hive House and The Juniper Loft, we offer a variety of add-ons for photographers. These include lighting equipment rentals, a boudoir suite complete with a mini fridge and lingerie closet, and seasonal set designs that change throughout the year. Over time, we’ve also provided unique extras like smoke machines to add creative flair to photo sessions.

A big addition to our offerings is The Den at The Hive House, which provides an entirely different photography experience with its LED window wall — a feature that’s new to the photography community. These supplementary services allow us to support photographers in bringing their creative visions to life while also creating new revenue opportunities for the business.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://hivehousestudio.com , thejuniperloft.com, rachel-desjardins.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehivehousestudio , https://www.instagram.com/thejuniperloftmpls

Image Credits

Laura Banken Photography
Rachel DesJardins Photography