We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Shalyn McCullough. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Shalyn below.
Shalyn, appreciate you joining us today. Being a business owner can be really hard sometimes. It’s rewarding, but most business owners we’ve spoken sometimes think about what it would have been like to have had a regular job instead. Have you ever wondered that yourself? Maybe you can talk to us about a time when you felt this way?
I personally am so much happier as a business owner. I get to spend my days doing something I am passionate about. I remember my dad always telling me in my teenage years, “find something you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.” It doesn’t mean that owning a business is easy, or that it’s any less strenuous than a “regular job.” Owning your own business is hard, but I enjoy the work. I enjoy learning, creating, and putting my time and energy into my business to see the positive outcome. I work constantly. Between being a mom, and a business owner I’m always on the go. There are definitely days where I think it would be easier to just work a 9 to 5, have a set schedule, not have to figure out and learn about taxes, but I wouldn’t be doing what I love. I am proud of what I’ve created, and how far I’ve came in just 3 short years.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My name is Shalyn McCullough. I’m a mother, fiancé, an entrepreneur. I’ve lived in metro Detroit for the last 9 years, and I’m currently based in Southfield, MI. I’ve been interested in photography ever since I was a little girl. I use to take my mom’s old digital camera and run around my backyard taking pictures of anything and everything. My passion grew as I did. I was gifted my first DSLR camera in 2019 and really dove into learning and educating myself on all things photography. As we all know, 2020 was an intense and crazy year. I took that time of isolation to grow, and practice my craft, taking pictures of my family and the surrounding landscapes. Finally in 2021 I was able to take on my first paid shoot, and Simply Shalyn Photography was born. I now offer many types of photography services. I shoot weddings, couples, families, portraits and boudoir! If you’re looking for something a little more nontraditional I also enjoy creating creative portraits. My Beetlejuice inspired creative portrait was selected as the cover photo for Bold and Beautiful Magazine in 2022. I am a spooky season fan girl and love all things dark and creepy. So if that’s your vibe I’m your gal!
One thing that I think sets me apart from other people in my line of work is how versatile I am. I truly enjoy making YOUR vision come to life. I want to hear what you’re looking for and give you exactly that. You’re not only paying for a service, but an experience when booking with me. I help you from start to finish. Whether that’s walking you through the steps of how to book, answering any questions you may have, helping select the best location for your shoot, and going over all the details to produce your perfect photos. I even add a guide with every booking email specific to your session type that helps answer questions and prepare you for the day of your shoot.
I take pride in what I do. I treat my clients with respect, and I’m grateful for all of those who chose to hire me to capture a special time in their life. I’ve been so blessed to meet so many amazing people through this journey, and have clients turn into friends. Every time I receive a new review, or see someone has recommend my small business it makes me so happy. It really means so much!
Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?
While I do shoot smaller scale weddings by myself, I shoot all my larger weddings with my partner, Erica Jones! Erica took a risk asking me to follow her along a busy wedding season back in 2022 as her second shooter. I had never shot a wedding before, and to be honest they really intimidated me. Thankfully, everything went smoothly. Erica and I worked great together and soon discussed working as a team from then on for all future wedding inquiries. We have since created White Iris Photography and are booking weddings together as a team. We have multiple weddings booked for the 2023 season, including our first out of state wedding! With inquiries for 2024 & 2025 coming in as well I am hopeful in our continued growth! If you’re in the market for a wedding photographer all package details can be found on our website, as well as, a portfolio of our work!
Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
For myself, and my small business word-of-mouth has been the most effective strategy for growing my clientele. It takes time, but I have organically grown my following to over 3,500 followers between Facebook and Instagram. I’ve tried running ads, and doing giveaways, but nothing quite works like some good ol’ positive feedback. My clients share their photos, change their profile pictures, tag me in my work, leave reviews, and recommend my business to people they know. All of that causing a ripple effect and allowing new people, potential clients, to see my work. That is why I strive to give every client a positive experience when they book me. Nothing is ever perfect and there can always be unforeseen issues, but resolving those issues and getting through them is what is so important.
Contact Info:
- Website: Shalynphotographs.com
- Instagram: Simplyshalyn__
- Facebook: Simply Shalyn Photography
- Other: Boudoir Instagram handle is @Boudoirby_shay Weddings- White Iris Photography
Image Credits
Shalyn McCullough