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

Sarah, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Often outsiders look at a successful business and think it became a success overnight. Even media and especially movies love to gloss over nitty, gritty details that went into that middle phase of your business – after you started but before you got to where you are today. In our experience, overnight success is usually the result of years of hard work laying the foundation for success, but unfortunately, it’s exactly this part of the story that most of the media ignores. Can you talk to us about your scaling up story – what are some of the nitty, gritty details folks should know about?

When I studied photography in college, I never imagined myself owning my own business. The idea felt overwhelming to me, the uncertainty of consistent income, finding clients, marketing, and handling all the behind-the-scenes work seemed un achievable. My plan was always to work in the photography industry under someone else’s company, which is what I did for over four years.

Eventually, after some poor management experiences in my last couple of jobs, I reached a point where I knew I needed a change. I quit without having another job lined up and decided to try finding my own photography clients in the meantime. It was honestly terrifying, there was no guarantee it would work, and I had no idea if I’d be able to make enough money to support myself.

What started as a temporary plan quickly turned into something I became incredibly passionate about. Once I realized how much I loved being my own boss and building something that was truly mine, I put everything I had into growing my business.

I hustled hard. I cold messaged hundreds of small businesses offering photography services, offered very discounted sessions just to build my portfolio and get my name out there, and messaged nearly every wedding photographer within a huge radius letting them know I’d love the opportunity to second shoot for them. I went out of my way to network with other photographers and wedding vendors, built referral programs, prioritized Google reviews, and advertised on platforms like Kijiji, which definitely came with some very sketchy messages at times.

I also ran a couple of Facebook ads offering discounted sessions, and they completely took off. Suddenly I had more inquiries than I ever expected and was booking sessions constantly. At one point, I was shooting every single day and went five months without a day off. It was exhausting, but it also proved to me that this new dream could actually become a reality if I was willing to work hard for it, and I definitely was.

Behind the scenes, I was constantly shooting, waking up early in the morning to edit, building a website from scratch, making social media strategies, learning the business side of photography, and trying to create the best possible experience for every client I worked with. There were a lot of long days, a lot of self-doubt, and many moments where I had no idea what I was doing, but I stayed consistent regardless.

Over time, my name started spreading, inquiries increased, and my business very quickly grew into a full-time career. Within only one year, I no longer had to spend money on advertising because all of my new inquiries were coming in organically through word of mouth, referrals, and social media.

Looking back now, taking that risk completely changed the direction of my life. Building this business has been the greatest and most rewarding thing I’ve ever done, and I’m incredibly proud of how it’s grown!

Sarah, 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?

Hello! My name is Sarah, and I am the owner of Sarah Winters Photography, based in the Niagara Region of Ontario, Canada. I’ve been passionate about photography for as long as I can remember. Growing up, I was always the one taking hundreds of photos on family vacations and setting up fun photoshoots with my friends. Everyone knew me as the girl who always had a camera in her hands.

After studying photography in college and working several jobs within the industry, I eventually took a leap of faith and started my own business, the greatest risk I’ve ever taken. Not many people get to say they turned their passion into a career, and I feel incredibly grateful that I can.

I am a lifestyle photographer specializing in weddings, families, newborns, and events. My goal for every session is to make the experience feel effortless, comfortable, and fun. I want my clients to leave feeling like their session was less of a formal photoshoot and more of a meaningful experience with the people they love most. My photography style leans very natural, classic, and timeless. I love true-to-life, vibrant colours and posing my clients in ways that encourage genuine interaction and emotions.

Photography has always brought me a kind of joy that nothing else really compares to. No matter what I’m going through in my personal life, when I pick up my camera, I feel an immediate shift, I become happier, more present, and fully in my element. It truly gives me immense joy to be behind the camera.

One of the things I’m most proud of is that the majority of my business now comes from returning clients, word of mouth, and referrals. To me, that means I’ve built not only a business, but genuine trust and relationships with the people I work with. At the end of the day, I want people to know that when they book with me, they’re getting more than beautiful photos, they’re getting someone who is truly passionate about preserving their memories and making the entire experience feel special from start to finish.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

When I first started my photography business, I didn’t have any real social media audience or strategy. I started from scratch by following hundreds of other small businesses in my area and genuinely engaging with their content. I commented, liked, and supported their work consistently, not with the expectation of anything in return, but because I wanted to be part of the community. Over time, many of them followed me back, and I was able to build real connections and relationships within the local business and photography community.

From there, I focused heavily on consistency. I don’t worry too much about how many likes or views each individual post gets. Instead, I focus on the overall look and presence of my page. When someone lands on my profile, I want them to immediately see that I am active, I am consistently working with clients, and that I am someone who is regularly creating and delivering work. I think that bigger picture matters far more than any single post’s performance.

To stay consistent, I’ve built systems for myself. I pre-plan my posts weeks in advance so I’m never scrambling for content, I set daily reminders on my phone to make sure I’m showing up online in some way, and I keep my stories updated with what I’m currently shooting, editing, and delivering.

My biggest advice for anyone starting out is to focus less on going viral and more on showing up consistently and authentically. Support others in your community, engage meaningfully, and treat your page like a reflection of the client experience you want to provide. Consistency builds trust, and trust is what ultimately turns followers into clients.

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

I think my reputation has been built very intentionally around the experience I give my clients from start to finish. From the very beginning of working with someone, I focus on clear communication and preparation so they always know what to expect. During sessions, I make people feel comfortable and confident, I’m constantly hyping them up, guiding them when needed, and making the experience feel relaxed and fun. Then after the session, I prioritize delivering galleries quickly, and have become known to have some of the fastest turnaround times in my area.

That experience naturally led to one of the biggest drivers of my business, which is Google reviews. I’ve made it a priority to encourage clients to share their experience because I believe that real words from real people build the strongest level of trust. Over time, those reviews have become one of the main ways new clients find and choose me.

In the early stages of my business, I took on a very high volume of clients in a very short amount of time. It was overwhelming at times, but it helped me build momentum quickly. I was constantly shooting, constantly delivering, and constantly being seen in the community, which led to a lot of referrals and word-of-mouth growth that I’m still benefiting me today.

From a creative standpoint, I think I may have filled a gap in my local market for true-to-life, natural editing. My style focuses on timeless, vibrant, and authentic colours rather than heavy filters or trends, which I think resonates with clients who want their photos to still feel relevant years from now.

Overall, I think my reputation has been built on consistency, reliability, and making sure every client feels genuinely cared for.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sarahwintersphotography.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahwintersphotography?igsh=MW01a3pkeDYweWJtcA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/17mX9PRvfZ/?mibextid=wwXIfr