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

Rachel, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Has Covid resulted in any major changes to your business model?

If there’s one thing we’ve all likely experienced as we’ve navigated the difficulties of covid, it’s that we’ve really gained a lot of clarity about what really matters and what doesn’t. When your world comes to a halt suddenly, and everything hits the wall, you’re left standing there looking at the mess trying to salvage pieces of what was. Parts of our lives that we lived before were completely decimated and there was no way to resurrect them, simply because our world wouldn’t allow it. So we had to wait. We could grab what we could, and hold onto hope that we would eventually get back to “normal”.

But what was normal anymore?

For me, it didn’t take long to realize that I didn’t want to live life according to my old definition of normal. I found relief in the space that occupied my life all of a sudden. The things I thought were good for me started to look different in this new light. I was able to see that the path I was on, wasn’t actually serving me personally or in business.

As things opened back up, the shift was dramatic. Business went from calm and quiet to “Oh my gosh, make it stop!” It was something that was unavoidable. With all the weddings that were rescheduled, there was an obligation to fulfill, but it felt like too great a burden to bear at times. I had to constantly remind myself that I didn’t live to work. I had to fight for my physical and mental health. I had to build in as much space as I could. I knew the work would eventually get done, and I didn’t want to wreck myself doing it.

Having experienced two years of complete opposites back to back, I was forced to find the middle ground. A sense of balance was required to move forward. Neither were sustainable long term and if I was going to keep this career, something had to change.

I have worked to model my business so that it’s separate from my personal life. Even though my name IS my business, I am NOT my business. It can be hard to detach like that, especially in a creative industry when your art comes from your heart, but it’s necessary. I have also decided to lean into my intuition as my guiding source.

How many times do we have an adverse gut reaction to some aspect or opportunity in our business, yet we find a way to talk ourselves into it. It often comes down to revenue, but ultimately we are living from a place of fear. I have a little note sitting on my desk that says, “Does everything inside of me say, ‘Yes!’?” This is inspired by Oprah Winfrey and I adapted it for myself. I think we have to listen more to our gut, stop talking ourselves into things that we know at our core aren’t right, and live life and run our businesses in ways that inspire and excite us.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’m an internationally published wedding photographer who has earned my reputation through my uninhibited approach to storytelling. My artful and discerning style allows me to create imagery that is deeply personal and authentic to each couple.

For the last 12 years, I have been documenting destination weddings in exclusive, one-of-a-kind locations throughout the country. My adaptable and reliable nature works beautifully in high-touch events and I am known for collaborating seamlessly with the creative teams involved.

Based in California, I have worked with celebrities and regularly work with the top wedding planners in the nation. My work has been recognized in Harpers Bazaar, Martha Stewart Weddings, Inside Weddings, Brides Magazine, The Knot, and more.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Rory Vaden said it best that our reputation precedes revenue. In the wedding industry, content is great and we all love showing off the stunning events we get to be a part of, but the truth is relationship trumps content over and over again. Weddings are no joy ride and who you have down in the dirt with you makes all the difference. We are all digging deep and working hard to bring our client’s vision to life, and having a team that is dedicated, adaptable, and service-focused is priceless.

When you realize that building a solid reputation is less about fighting for your own success and more about how you can help others succeed, there’s no limit to where you can go.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Your journey is your own and there is no “one way”.

Starting a business is intense. There’s a lot you don’t know and it’s easy to want to mimic other people’s actions in the hopes that we can obtain the same level of success as them.

I remember devouring business books and blogs early on and working to implement these strategies I was learning, and then it happened one day that I read a piece of advice that directly contradicted another piece of advice. Both resources were reputable, and I was left to decide who was right.

The truth is, there wasn’t a right or wrong way. They were both right. What they were sharing was simply a representation of their personal experience. Ultimately, we need to remember that our journey is OURS. We have to take what works and leave what doesn’t, but in the end, we have to build a business that feels right to us because without authenticity and believing in what we’re creating, there is no way forward, no matter how “proven” someone else’s strategy is.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://rachelhavel.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelhavel/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rachelhavelphoto
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelhavel/

Image Credits
Rachel Havel