We were lucky to catch up with TIFFINI SPRY recently and have shared our conversation below.

TIFFINI, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with 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?

I am definitely happy as a business owner! There’s a big sense of pride in knowing that I’ve been able to create an avenue for myself and my family in a few short years that contributes to both our family income and my own personal growth. I’m working harder than I ever have (light chuckles) but I know undoubtedly that the efforts I’m putting in will pay off. Being a business owner is NOT for the faint of heart especially when you’re a team of one. I do have vendors and trusted partners that I work with but the major decisions made, operations and business development all come from me–and it’s a tall task. I have to remember to give myself grace on the days where I feel like I may have fallen short of what I WANTED to do but may not have accomplished.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am a full time “experience curator” with my company, POSE! 360 Photo Booth and I’m experiencing all the amazing offerings of Charlotte, NC (where I live and run my company). After a 17-year pharmaceutical/device sales career, I desired a new direction for my life and talents, and POSE! was born. I’m an honor graduate of Winthrop University with
a BA in Mass Communications and an MBA from the University of South Carolina. Most recently I completed a certificate program from Cornell University for women business owners and all of these help me navigate as a new solopreneur.

I call myself an experience curator because we do sooo much more than rent photo and video booths! We help our clients deliver a true, meaningful and worthwhile time thru our product offerings. I’m very glad to say that the work we do makes people happy. They have fun, they look good and feel good and…and it energizes me that we can do that for people.

What I’m most proud of to date is that I took a bet on myself–and I’ll never regret it.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

There’s a book I read many years ago called “Women Don’t Ask: The High Cost of Avoiding Negotiation–and Positive Strategies for Change” by Linda Babcock and Sara Laschever. Although I had a nearly 2 decade span as a business professional my role largely involved client and relationship management while driving sales–though I have a lot of transferable skills this new business development in a new area is very different! Being a “newbie” in an industry that’s still dominated by men was a bit daunting at first given me being solo, and again very new. This book helped me realize that unless I speak up for myself then no one else would. This book also helped me realize that unless we ask for and go after what we want, in meaningful way, we will continue to stay in spots that we may not be thriving in. Comfort is okay, but the real magic happens when we shake things up and get UNCOMFORTABLE!

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

There are a ton of resources available to new business owners and those thinking about venturing into entrepreneurship…so much so that it can really be daunting to figure out where to start and who to trust. I found that having a community of like-minded, driven folks that do what you do is very helpful (Thanks to Sharone Reid and Chit Chat Photo Booth), and they can offer up programs and resources that they have found helpful. My local Chamber of Commerce was helpful as well. Lastly, I think most people are familiar with LinkedIn, but may not be familiar with LinkedIn Learning which has video courses taught by industry experts in software, creative, and business skills. Participating in these communities and delving into these resources can catapult your rise and make your path more meaningful, even in the early stages.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.pose360photobooth.com
• Instagram: @pose360clt
• Facebook: facebook.com/pose360photobooth/
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/tiffini-spry-mba-92060710

Image Credits
@flowersomephotography