We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Sydney Ross. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Sydney below.

Sydney, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s kick things off with a hypothetical question – if it were up to you, what would you change about the school or education system to better prepare students for a more fulfilling life and career?

Before starting my commercial photography business, I taught high school math. In my experience as an educator, I noticed many schools do not provide the space for students to fully be prepared for general adult responsibilities. Students should be receiving an education that includes the necessary skills to be a successful adult and navigate life, rather than skills to meet graduation requirements and choose one specific job or major. It would be amazing to see students leaving high school and college feeling prepared to pay their taxes, invest money, change careers, and buy homes.

There is certainly value in having general education classes, but the focus should be shifted to value these core classes just as much as courses that teach financial literacy, career growth and transition, and managing the stresses of adulthood.

Sydney, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I began this creative adventure when I moved to Madison, Wisconsin. I didn’t know anyone in town when I arrived. As a way of getting to know the city, I started Explore Madison, an Instagram account featuring my discoveries and recommendations in the Madison area. At first, it was a fun evening and weekend hobby. Soon, I fell in love with the city’s emphasis on small, local businesses and learned how supportive the entrepreneurial community is. Within two years of living in Madison, I began to realize creativity and exploration were the things I had always been passionate about. Being a photographer was something I dreamed of but never seriously considered. I connected more regularly with a few small business owners and decided to take a leap.

I created a commercial photography business, Sydney Ross Photography. I never thought I would start a business! It feels so fulfilling to provide entrepreneurs with beautiful images that attract customers and build appreciation for their hard work. My style is authentic, candid, lively, and colorful. I capture the small moments and behind the scenes that often go unnoticed. I specifically aim to work with businesses owned by women, people of color and members of the LGBTQAI+ community.

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

Social media used to be the part of my business I most wanted to hire out for. When posting content that takes a reasonable amount of time and energy to create, it is discouraging to see low engagement rates and attention from your intended audience. The impostor syndrome sets in, and soon it can feel very draining.

Changing my mindset towards social media was a challenge, but I did notice significant growth and peace when I did. The main thing that helped me? I realized no one is a true expert on social media. A lot of people have a strategy, can notice trends, and understand how to use analytics. At the same time, the algorithms are so unpredictable, and sometimes high quality content just does not perform well. Plus, the algorithm is different for everyone. Rather than get too down about that, keep posting! Who cares if something doesn’t go as expected?

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

A lot of my life was built on comparison. In every level of schooling, I can recall some amount of feeling compared to my peers in very competitive environments. I did well in school, and much of my self worth came from being a high achiever in that environment. The years of schooling in this way led to me constantly comparing myself to other people and their achievements.

There was a period of time when I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. I felt very insecure about running my business, which led to thoughts of comparison with others. It took awhile to learn that running a business is something that needs to be collaborative over competitive. The best fully developed ideas rarely come from one person. There is so much that can be learned from working with other entrepreneurs. Being able to appreciate what others think, feel, and do through a non-judgmental lens is crucial to sustainable growth and success.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sydneyrossphotography.com
• Instagram: @sydneyrossphotography, @explore_madison

Image Credits

Sydney Ross Photography
Courtney Terry Photography