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

Hi Tina , thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about growing your team – how did you recruit the first few people, what was the process like, how’d you go about training and if you were to start over today would you have done anything differently?

The central part of my business is shooting horse shows. When I first started, I worked for a few outfits, and I wanted to feel like I was a part of something—a collaboration of artists who respected one another. As a rider, I also wanted to produce the best images for each competitor. Many of these riders are amateurs, and this is like their Olympics. Let’s treat them that way. I wanted to give them images like they had never seen before. The ones that will go on their walls and social media profiles.

I met a few people working for other outfits and enjoyed seeing their work. Talking about photography with them lit me up; it gave me energy. Those were the first people I recruited. Those are the people I want to surround myself with.

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

I am a photographer who does portraiture as well as horse show photography. These are very different, as you can imagine.

My first love has always been horses. Ever since I was little, that is all I could think about. Growing up, I wanted to work with horses or be an artist—two hard things to make a living at. Let me tell you, the guidance counselors at school were unimpressed with me.

I was taking photos because I loved photography but was afraid to make it my career. The turning point was when I hired a business coach to help me figure out my life. I was at a crossroads and wasn’t sure what to do. She saw that the photography lit me up and loved my work. She insisted I give this a chance. So I did. And now here I am. Still growing with goals and aspirations. I still thank her to this day.

Portrait photography and horse show photography differ, but they share one purpose. To create impactful images that people will cherish. When someone loves their images, it moves me. It’s my why. It is all inspiring.

I shoot portraits, families, headshots, personal branding, and seniors, as well as horses. I love to sell metals and albums. I feel like prints are how we keep them forever and truly enjoy them. It’s so fun to just let people be themselves. To capture the real them. Messy can be beautiful.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

One of the biggest things I needed to unlearn was how I valued myself and money. Your mindset around money is mighty and will significantly affect your success as a business owner. What your thoughts are around this is what you will attract. If you have a scarcity mindset, you will attract scarcity; if you have an abundance mindset, you will attract abundance.

I had to learn that I was worth it, that people would pay for art, and that artists could make a living. They do; in fact, I know many of them who make an excellent good living. It is all about an equal exchange of energy. Are you asking a fair price and delivering exceptional service and product?

Any advice for managing a team?

My best advice for managing a team of creatives is to not micro-manage. I know that when I am micromanaged, I just shut down. My latest favorite book is, “The Gap and the Gain: The High Achievers’ Guide to Happiness, Confidence, and Success,” by Dr. Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy. It’s ultimately about staying positive and celebrating those successes. It’s not to say that we aren’t all working to improve; it’s just to not focus on the failures, which we as humans find very easy to do. A bunch of little successes add up to big ones down the road.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.fitchphoto.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tinafitchphotography/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Tinafitchphotography/