We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Tavit Daniel. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Tavit below.
Hi Tavit, thanks for joining us today. Owning a business isn’t always glamorous and so most business owners we’ve connected with have shared that on tough days they sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have just had a regular job instead of all the responsibility of running a business. Have you ever felt that way?
My last full time job was January 2014. After 6 years of hobby shooting, I quit my job after the new year. Its a scary feeling working for yourself, but you have to take risk in order to redeem the rewards. This far into my career, I have no idea how I could ever work for someone else or do the 9-5 thing. Working 9-5 isnt bad. There is no such thing. That mentality is subjective. If you work 9-5, make income and are able to survive and receive benefits, then I dont know what the problem is. Before I quit, photography was just a hobby, but once I realized I was making enough side money and needed more time to invest into my business, I knew it was right for me to make the switch.
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 was raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. Ultimately ended up in Arizona, went to ASU, graduated, discovered photography on accident and turned it into a full time career. In 2007 I visited my mom in France and borrowed a friends camera from work. Once back, I realized how much I loved shooting and editing photos. Over the next 6 years, I spent a good amount of time practicing photography until I was able to finally leave the workforce and open my business in 2010. 2010 specifically, I opened Tavits Photography, but it wasn’t until January 2014 that I left the workforce to go fulltime with my career.
Since I began, if I do something, I always try to do it right and the best. If there’s any distinguishment between my brand and photos, I really hope that if I’m being compared to a local competitor and we are shooting the same thing, that the potential client can see the difference. Its a very tough space to be in, but I don’t pay attention. Focusing on growing and my team is my top priority, providing the best experience for my clients when they hire us is all I care about.
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
Never settle for less and do your best. Yes, I am aware that sounds corny, but people skills is something everyone needs. You may be great at your talent, but without interpersonal skills, why would anyone want to work with you? People like being treated well when they are spending money on a service. They want to know who you are and what they’re getting. In turn, my most effective strategy was being a good person, listening, and going above and beyond for my clients.
Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?
Photography doesn’t necessarily require a huge amount of capital to begin with. Though the hobby and career path is expensive, you can easily start with basic gear. The goal with photography is to consistently invest in yourself, over and over and over, getting better bodies, lens etc. Marketing and digital presence also play a role. Money management and patience is what wins here. Unless you’re wealthy, this umbrella of purchases adds up fast. So instead of throwing all your money at once, I came up with a monthly budget of saving $500, and once I had enough saved up to buy a specific item, I would. This kept me focused.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.TavitsPhotography.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tavitsphotography/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TavitsPhotography/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/tavitsphotos
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/TavitsPhotography
Image Credits
Tavits Photography