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

Thalia, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?

The idea to purchase a classic Volkswagen Bus and create a business around it started in September 2018, after I traveled to San Francisco and came across a couple of Volkswagen buses. I thought the buses were beautiful, and on that trip, I remember searching for VW buses on Instagram and came across an account of a photo booth bus in that area. The business idea was cute and unique, so I researched mobile businesses that operate in a VW Bus. At that point in my life, I wanted to do a business of my own, and since I am a fan of the 70’s era and aesthetic, I decided I would purchase a VW Bus and do something special with it. I searched online for VW buses, and in November of the same year, I came across a beautiful 1977 Volkswagen Bus in San Antonio, TX. I took the trip to San Antonio and made one of the best purchases of my life. I am a fan of Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood Mac, so the first thing I did was name the bus Stevie! The bus was in decent condition for a classic vehicle, but it needed mechanical work, so 2019 was all about getting work done on the engine and coming up with a business plan. During the brainstorming process, starting a photo bus was the idea I gravitated towards the most because of my experience in photography. I did a lot of research on photo booths, and since I had an extra DSLR camera I could use for the photo booth, I decided to purchase other necessary equipment to build a photo booth, such as a printer and computer. I tested different photo booth software until I found the one I liked the best. Afterward, I got a friend to make a custom wood shell for the photo booth, and once it was ready, I started working on a website and promoting the photo booth service.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Stevie the Photo Bus is about a unique photo experience inside a vintage Volkswagen. We have Stevie, a 1977 Volkswagen Type 2 Bus, and Lindsey, a 1966 Beetle; both are great additions for all kinds of events. Stevie can be booked as a photo booth bus, like a typical photo booth where guests go inside the bus to take photos with the booth and then receive tangible 2×6 photo strip copies. Our photo booth service is perfect for boho weddings, corporate events, or 70’s themed parties. The other service we offer is renting the bus or beetle as a prop for brand photo shoots/video shoots, mini-sessions with local photographers, or events where the client wants the vehicles as a photo op for the guests at their event. The best part of this business is the smiles we see when people first see the bus or beetle. You don’t often see these vehicles in good running condition on the street because maintaining classic cars takes a lot of money, time, and labor. When people come across us, they get excited, and they always want to take a picture in front of the vehicles. Social media, especially Instagram, and the support from local photographers in Houston have contributed a lot to the success of this business. I’m very proud to be running a small business that is a little different from the norm, and I hope to continue adding more classic vehicles in the future.

How did you build your audience on social media?

One of the first things I did after buying my bus was open an Instagram account. At the time, I was working as a social media coordinator, and because of my background in the field, I knew I needed to be on social media to reach my target market. I had the tools and the skills to take photos/videos, so on the weekends, I would drive around to different murals or parks around the city with my now husband, and I would take photos of the bus, edit them and post them on social media. People liked the content I was putting out, and eventually, local photographers and event planners started reaching out to rent the bus for photo shoots and events. Being consistent and posting good-quality photos is what helped me gain an audience when I first started. I’d say today, things are different as social media has changed a bit in the last few years, and platforms like Instagram and TikTok make it easy for users to create a video quickly. You don’t need the newest camera or best editing software to create a video that captures the viewer’s attention. High-quality content is excellent, but it is not necessary to gain an audience. My advice to someone starting out is to not worry too much about quality and just get out and shoot with a cellphone. Take videos, take photos, create a lot of content, and most importantly, be consistent.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

We helped build our reputation within our market by providing a different kind of photo booth experience. There are hundreds of photo booth businesses in Houston, but very few businesses in the city revolve around a classic VW bus or beetle. We also make sure to offer excellent customer service. We provide effective customer support and promptly address user concerns, which has led to positive word-of-mouth and strengthened our reputation.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.steviethephotobus.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/steviethebus/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/steviethebus
• Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@steviethebus?

Image Credits
Thalia Perla