Today we’d like to introduce you to Andi Willis

Hi Andi, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?

My business, Good Life Photo Solutions, is dedicated to helping families save and protect their precious memories for generations to come. The ideas of family, legacy, and heritage have been with me from a young age, so it makes sense that I created a business that is inherently built on those values.

As a young child, I was intrigued by family history and discovering more about my family members who had lived generations before me. I also loved looking at old family photo albums. I came from a family that had started several small businesses so even at an early age, the seeds of entrepreneurship in the legacy field were sown.

Fast forward to 2012. I had already started a successful residential organizing business. One thing I noticed was that all of my clients had bins of photos, drawers full of school pictures, and boxes of old photos, slides, and old videos from their parents and grandparents. These items were important to them but dealing with them always fell to the bottom of the to-do list. For most people, it was an overwhelming task that could wait until later. I began transitioning my business over the next several years to concentrate solely on those family memories, and Good Life Photo Solutions was born.

Rebranding the business in 2018 and then relocating from Georgia to Texas in 2021 and again from Texas to Virginia in 2024 was not easy, but the struggles were worth the effort and stress. I am passionate about helping my clients regain control over their photos when they are overwhelmed and lost. My clients become like family to me because they share their most intimate moments and personal events with me. I treasure the trust that they place in me, and I am honored to help them in their memory keeping journey.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?

Being a solopreneur is not for the faint of heart. Wearing all the hats of running the business in addition to doing client work can be overwhelming at times. Over the past 14 years, I have learned to ask for help and to delegate tasks but as a recovering perfectionist, it’s hard to give that control to someone else. I now have a virtual assistant who helps me with my social media and administrative tasks. It was hard to give up something I had always done myself, but in the end, it was worth it.

Another struggle is the isolation of working for yourself. The majority of my work is done in my home office, although I occasionally work face-to-face with clients. I work hard to keep connections with other people in my industry through my professional organization, The Photo Managers, for education and support. I also invest in business coaching and have a fabulous group of businesswomen in various industries who work to support each other on every level of personal and business life.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?

At Good Life Photo Solutions, we are committed to helping our clients organize and preserve their precious family photos and videos so that the entire family can access and enjoy their memories for generations to come.

Preserving the family’s photos is high on our clients’ to-do lists, but often this becomes a task too overwhelming to handle on their own. Often there is an intense feeling of guilt or fear around protecting their family’s photos and we help them overcome that hurdle. Our job is to provide high-quality, customized photo organization for print and digital photos and videos so that clients feel confident that their family’s memories are preserved.

We provide white-glove, personalized service for clients in southeastern Virginia, all over the US, and around the world. Services we offer include digital photo organizing, Apple Photo Library management, print photo organizing, scanning of photos, slides, and albums, videotape conversion as well as personal photo coaching for the DIY client. But it doesn’t stop there. We have helped clients digitize medical documents in preparation for an important doctor’s visit, created photo books for special occasions, and taught clients how to use their computers and phones better.

Knowing that we have helped countless families preserve their precious memories and legacies makes me very proud. Our customized service, our professionalism and attention to detail, and our empathy and compassion for our clients and their families really set us apart from other big-box services.

Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?

I highly recommend joining your industry’s professional group. Attend its events and get to know the other members. They will be an lifeline for you when things get tough. In 2012 discovered the Association for Personal Photo Organizers (now The Photo Managers) and I knew I had found my people. Being a member has provided me with an amazing amount of education, access to valuable resources, and truly wonderful friendships.

I also believe investing in business coaching can be transformational. The support and accountability that a coach can provide will change how you run your business and sometimes even your personal life. I’ve had several coaches over the years and all of them have helped me develop into the individual and business owner I am today.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://goodlifephotosolutions.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodlifephotosolutions/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/goodlifephotosolutions
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@goodlifephotosolutions
• Other: https://linktr.ee/goodlifephoto