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

Shanti, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?

My wife and I took a risk on Studio Northwest when we purchased the business two months before our son was born. Having a new baby and a second business to run meant additional financial responsibilities at a time when we were already pushing the envelope. Non the less, we had faith and we took the leap! So far things have been working out great, with the loan payments it hasn’t been a huge source of additional income, but we are able to pay all the bills and the loan and come out just on top. We are working on building the business by partnering with other businesses and hosting classes. Most notably we have recently began working with Pro Photo Supply to offer workshop events. The response has been great. We look forward to what is to come!

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 a visual artist with a love for creating beautiful and meaningful content. After receiving my degree in NMC (New Media Communications) I became a freelance documentary film maker and photographer. I used my love of color and beautiful imagery to tell important stories. The journey through my career has led me through multiple genres of content. I’ve filmed and photographed for high level brands, worked for non-profits, started a photo booth and event photography company (www.pdxphotolounge.com), and become the owner of a beautiful brick and mortar photo studio in Northwest Portland. Looking out for my clients and offering a top notch service has been the key to my success. I currently offer an hourly photo studio rental, portraits and headshots, event photography, photo booths, and video production services. As my businesses grow, my team grows. We are building out our team of in house photographers for Studio Northwest who specialize in everything from brand photos to boudoir photography.

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

My steadfast determination to offer a reliable service with full accountability to the client. No matter what happens I want my clients to walk away with a positive feeling about their interaction with my business. If I can make this a reality then I know that those clients will be loyal and they will also refer their friends and colleagues. This has been the strategy I’ve used from day one.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

Finding the right advertising team has honestly grown my business the most. Word of mouth and referrals helps a ton but there’s nothing like getting to the top of Google and being seen by thousands of people a day.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.studio-northwest.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/studio.northwest/
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/shanti-martin-3a901619

Image Credits
Kristal Passy