We were lucky to catch up with Vivian Doering recently and have shared our conversation below.

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

I grew up with both ends of the work spectrum. My father held the same quasi-state job for 23 years and my mother was self-employed with a children’s clothing business and a decorative arts business for more than 30 years. I’ve always had the dream of working for myself, making my own schedule, choosing my own clients, but at the same time, aspired to have a full time job with a steady paycheck. Initially in my mid-20s I felt that these two aspirations could not intersect.

After graduating from the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore with my BFA in photography in 2012, I went to work at a fine art printing and framing shop that I had interned at during college. Like many young adults fresh out of school, I wasn’t immediately sure what I wanted to do with my degree. Eventually I was presented with a full time job opportunity doing product photography at an auction house. I was excited. I felt enthralled with the idea of being able to receive a stable salary while using a camera everyday in my actual job. I used this position to grow my technical skills with lighting, having to learn how to photograph sterling silver and high end jewelry (reflective items), furniture (large items), rugs (flat items), artwork, and decor. I was able to expand my creative abilities working with the marketing team designing exciting imagery for advertising.

Around my 4th year of full time, salary life, I received my first freelance product photography client, the wife of a man my husband worked with, who owned a bath and body business. She spoke to other small businesses she knew in Baltimore and things just kept expanding from there. One of my product photography clients lead to an architectural photography client that I still work with to this day and has led to others. Since I had art experience at the auction house, I started documenting art and exhibitions for a local gallery. One artist in the first show was very connected in the art scene and started spreading the word. One of my product photography clients lead to an architectural photography opportunity. I was told in college how crucial networking was, but never truly experienced the importance of it until I watched my freelance grow from one to three to ten clients.

By the end of my 8 years of full time, salaried employment, I was working 70 hours a week, my 40 hours a week at the auction house, along with evenings and weekends for freelance clients. I invested in a nicer camera and my own studio lighting. I was collecting the tools I needed to hit multiple fields of photography that I enjoy doing. It started to occur to me that the seemingly unattainable life of working for myself was maybe not so unattainable.

If you were to ask me how to describe myself, I would say I am a very determined, hard worker. I need organization, cleanliness, stability, and I am not a big fan of surprises. Love planning surprises for other people, but would rather they’re not planned for me. (Also loves cats, biking and the outdoors.) Being such a planner, I was my own road block in taking the plunge to leave my full time job and run my own business. Eventually I knew I needed to change my mindset. Being a planner was a positive, not the contrary. I was going to make this huge life change, but I was going to feel really prepared and ready when I did. I met with other small business owners to find out what I needed to do to create a DBA (Doing Business As) with the state, a sole-proprietorship versus an LLC. I met with the bank to create the specific business accounts I needed, an accountant to set up Quickbooks and learn my write-offs for taxes. I also reminded myself that I would learn things along the way, to give myself a little grace and know that not everything could be planned out perfectly.

This month marks a year since I left my full time employment position and officially started my own business, Vivian Marie Photo. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so proud. It’s been a journey. I’m thriving off the beautiful, diverse clients I work with, while regularly educating myself on self-employment. Not to mention, the freedom to plan my own schedule and take a bike ride on that 76 degree day in the middle of the day on a Wednesday is pretty darn great.

Growing up with both types of role models on the career spectrum has helped me find the confidence to dabble in both worlds and be successful. If you’re aspiring to start your own business, my advice would be take your time, build connections, do the research. No lesson is a bad lesson. And eventually, take the plunge, it’s worth it!

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.

Vivian Marie Photo is a multifaceted photography business. I’ve found that I’m interested in multiple different fields of photography and can incorporate all of those in a career. I do product photography for Baltimore businesses. I shoot art and exhibitions for DMV based galleries and artists. And I do interior and exterior architecture for multiple environmental graphic design companies and interior design companies. I do portraits for the occasional business owner, or engagement session or wedding. This diversity creates a fun, ever-changing roster of photoshoots on my self-employment journey.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

Funding a business can be difficult, but shouldn’t feel out of reach. When I firmly decided I was going to leave my full time salaried job for entrepreneurship, I started siphoning all the money I was making from my freelance into a separate savings bank account. I sustained my cost of living from my full time job income, and created the savings for an emergency and to have the initial capital to start my business.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

Networking and word of mouth. Delivering a personable experience and good product to a client is crucial. Keep a healthy relationship with your clients, even the difficult ones, it will pay off in the end. Odds are that your clients knows another client that will benefit from your services. I market myself on instagram as most business do, but have truly seen merits of word of mouth grow my business exponentially.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.vivianmariephoto.com
• Instagram: vivianmariephoto

Image Credits
Vivian Marie Doering, Vivian Marie Photo