We were lucky to catch up with Tara Flannery recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Tara thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?

Although it’s been a 12-year journey, my business now earns the same revenue as my husband makes in salary at his job. We have a fun competition each year to see who can out-earn the other. I’m now beating him which feels great as a women-owned small business! I now have a goal to double revenue over the next three years.

Let me rewind to the beginning. My first year in business, I had negative profits because camera equipment and other gear is very expensive and I didn’t have many clients. I was in a learning and growth mode. If someone was willing to pay me to use my camera, I made it happen. Setting pricing was extremely difficult. There were growing pains and lots of mistakes. But I learned from them and did better next time.

Over the years, I have focused the business on those things that I truly enjoy photographing. So, no more weddings or newborns. I focus on corporate photography, families and high school seniors. Focusing on the things that I’m good at and that I enjoy has made a huge impact on business success and enjoyment.

Tara, 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?

I have an undergraduate degree in Management and Quantitative Business Analysis from Baylor University and an MBA in Finance from the University of Houston. When our first child was born in 2005, we bought a DSLR camera (as many new parents do) and started playing. Soon, I discovered a love of photography and the idea that I could do it as a business was exciting and new. It was something that was mine alone. So I studied and worked and took photos of anything and everything. Studying while my daughter napped. Editing and re-editing photos and learning Photoshop. In 2010, I created Tara Flannery Photography LLC.

In 2016, I began a journey to earn credentials through the Professional Photographers of America that set me apart from other photographers. I am now a Certified Professional Photographer and Craftsman. I need three more merits (which I plan to earn this year) towards the Master’s Degree. I believe the continuing education in any craft is key to remaining relevant and to providing the best for my clients.

Tara Flannery Photography provides headshots and branding, family portraits, and senior portraits.

All businesses, from multi-million dollar corporations to owners of small businesses, need professional headshots. Now more than ever, having a digital presence online is critical to the success of your business. Corporate headshots are a fast, efficient way to add tremendous value to the company and to individual employees.

Family portraits as a highly custom part of my business. I walk families through the process by identifying needs and making a plan for the end result. We go from idea generation and planning through to portrait installation for a complete and thorough portrait experience.

High school senior portraits are some of my favorite creative outlets! I love working with seniors – they are at a time in their lives when the whole world holds endless opportunity. Life awaits them and it’s an exciting time. Parents are sad to let them go but so very excited too for the next step in their lives.

My passion lies in connecting with people. I like to read people’s energy and connect and flow with their energy to put them at ease. Being in front of a camera is not natural or comfortable for most people. I want my clients to know that I see them – all of their beauty and brilliance.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

I was introduced to Storybrand with Donald Miller by another photographer mentor/teacher. Storybrand has shaped my thinking about the customer/small business relationship in such positive ways. The framework makes that relationship so very simple. “If you confuse, you lose.”

With Storybrand, the customer is the hero and the business is the “hero-maker”. Our job, as small business owners, is to solve the customer’s problem.

1. Identify the customer (character)
2. Define the problem
3. Be the guide to help solve the problem
4. Make and explain the plan
5. Create a call to action
6. Paint the picture of what success looks like
7. Paint the picture of what failure (or doing nothing) looks like

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

We human beings are so critical of ourselves. Our flight-or-flight response is very strong. And the critical brain wants everything to be perfect in order to survive.

When photographing people, it is sometimes painfully difficult for people to view images of themselves. This truly hurts my soul when it happens. I want people to not only love the images but to love themselves. So, when I do get a client who is surprised and delighted with an image of themselves, it makes my heart soar. I am thrilled that I could show them an image of themselves and have them see the beauty that I see. My business tagline is “The Very Best YOU … is what I do.” I don’t want people to be someone else. Why would you want that? There is only one you. You are you and beautiful just the way you are. My goal is for people to see that in my images.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.taraflannery.com
• Instagram: @taraflanneryphotography
• Facebook: @taraflanneryphotography
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/taraflannery

Image Credits
Tara Flannery Photography