We recently connected with Stevie Reid and have shared our conversation below.

Stevie, appreciate you joining us today. The first dollar your business earns is always special and we’d love to hear how your brand made its first dollar of revenue.

My first client was a high school senior, I was absolutely terrified. I had shot family and friends numerous times and it began to be a walk in the park. But when a friend referred the high school senior to me I was shook. I didnt even know what to charge, what to offer, and more importantly, how to not show I was an amateur. Luckily, he did not want to take pictures but was forced to by his parents, we both agreed to make the best of it. His parents was very flexible with me and the shoot was a complete success. I shot 30 seniors the rest of the year and was hired to shoot the prom. The best takeaway from that experience is to go before you’re ready, you never know what’s waiting for you if you give yourself a chance.

Stevie, 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?

My name is Stevie D, Im a Beauty & Fashion photographer based in Dallas, TX. I started my photography journey in Detroit, MI in the summer of 2012, primarily shooting portraits. I was very fortunate to have a mentor in the beginning of my career. Greg Foreman took me under his wing and taught me photography from A to Z and without him I would not be where I am today. I got into beauty and fashion because I wanted to be a bit more creative with my shoots, and this genre provided me with the creative outlet I was looking for. It took some time to understand exactly what beauty and fashion was from a retail perspective vs a commercial perspective. The commercial side of beauty and fashion is where I knew I could shine. I provide my client with a very clean aesthetic, which is what most rave about. Being able to be creative and still provide imagery that my clients use for marketing materials, campaigns, and more is what I consider success. One of things that sets me apart is my client and potential clients can identify one of my images if they see it, I have a consistent style that is somewhat unique.

Conversations about M&A are often focused on multibillion dollar transactions – but M&A can be an important part of a small or medium business owner’s journey. We’d love to hear about your experience with selling businesses.

I owned a photo studio rental space in Houston, TX. It was an amazing space for creatives to come and shoot at. It became a community favorite and once I decided to move to a new location I received a ton of concern about closing the space. I was able to sell the space to 2 creatives who would continue the legacy that I created. The biggest lesson in business that Ive learned is to solve a problem with your business, fill a void. Your business will always have value if you do so.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

The most effective strategy for growing your clientele is effectively communicate with your clients. If you tell them you are going to do something, make sure you do it. Always come through, and if you cant you have to communicate it to them effectively.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.steviereid.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/steviedphotos
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/steviedphotos

Image Credits
Profile image- Cameron Perry Other images- Stevie Reid