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

Chad, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Do you take vacations? How do you keep things going – any advice for entrepreneurs who feel like they can’t step away from their business for a short vacation?

I absolutely take vacations! I think with all the buzz around “work/life balance” these days, it’s starting to become more important to more people, but I’ve always placed a very high value on time off. I consider myself fortunate to have a very seasonal business model because it doesn’t take much to carve out a road trip or a camping adventure or a visit to see old friends in another state. Sure it’s a challenge to account for six weeks with no income, but it’s hard to describe how relaxed I feel after an extended period of time off.

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’m the grandson of a WWII Army photographer and the stepson of an Austin-based photojournalist, so it was just a matter of time before I had a camera in my hands too. I’m a highly technical person, so I enjoy that photography pairs creativity with precise machinery; it’s quite fascinating. Around the time I transitioned from shooting 35mm to using my first digital camera, I discovered that I have a strong rapport with small kiddos and a knack for photographing families, so that’s been one of my focuses for the past twelve years. One of my favorite things is when parents legitimately did NOT think their child was going to smile for family portraits and were amazed at how comfortable they were during their session with me.

How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?

I keep a remarkably detailed database of all my clients’ names and birthdays. With how many people I see during a year, and the simple fact that I often don’t see my clients again until the following year, it’s nice to have a little reminder and note of what makes them unique and interesting. And it goes a long way if you get a random email from your photographer wishing your kids a happy birthday. I feel like a part of the extended family of some of my best clients. I’ve been invited to parties, reunions, boat days on Lake Travis, races at F1, out to lunch, and even on beach holidays with some of them.

If you have multiple revenue streams in your business, would you mind opening up about what those streams are and how they fit together?

Most photographers strive to specialize in one primary area of expertise, like portraiture or automotive. While my main business has been family photography, I have diversified into a second specialty: architectural photography. This discipline is less dependent on the weather, so it allows me to stay busy during my off-season if I want to. Also, print sales have grown to be quite a decent chunk of my annual revenue. Finding a way to keep a residual income stream going can make the revenue per sale jump sharply.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.chadwadams.com
• Instagram: chadwadamsphotography
• Other: www.claraboiaphotography.com