"Get Serious About Business"

Welcome to She's Crafted to Thrive, a show for women in photography and other creative businesses. You will hear conversations about the real everyday struggles of juggling life and business while trying to maintain passion and balance. As women, we have the skill of getting things done, but sometimes we get in our own way. It's here where you'll see that you're not alone. You'll discover that success does not mean perfection. Fear, negative Thoughts and challenges are all part of the journey. On the podcast, you'll find the inspiration and tools you need to have a life and business that thrives. On this episode of She's Crafted to Thrive, our guest is Sierra Camper, a young photographer who's serious about her business. Guys, this girl has things together that I don't think most 30-year-olds or 40-year-olds may have together. What I love about this is she gives great advice on how making the choice to run your business like a business really can create momentum. I'm super excited to have Sierra on, and what I'm excited about is that we've known each other like via through a, um, what was it, Facebook group Snap Society, and, um, we met that way and kind of just kept touching the last 6 months, and she has made massive transition in her work and her— and what she's doing, her photography business. And I'm super excited for her to share kind of like her journey and her path this way. So go ahead and introduce yourself.

All right. Well, first, my name is Sierra. I run CMC Photography and it's based in Panama City, Florida, in the Northwest region of Florida. My hopes is to one day get into travel photography, but right now I'm just sticking it in Panama City. Enjoying life, doing photography, going more into wedding photography than anything else. And yeah, that's it. I'm 19, small business owner. So just started an LLC. It's official now and hoping to pursue this for, for good. This is everything.

So that's awesome. So this is like your plan A, your plan, plan A, plan A and B and C. Yeah, I know offline we were talking about you were in school. What were you in school for?

Yes, I'm in school for entrepreneurship and they just basically, it's kind of like a, it's a program and technically it's supposed to be, it's just like any ordinary college program, but it has the more of a, the feel of it being a mentorship because you're in, all of your professors are business owners, they're entrepreneurs. They're very successful. And so it's more of a mentorship. You choose what business you want to start and then they just help you do all the basics of it and kind of branching it out into becoming a bigger business and just giving you all the tools and resources that you need.

Well, that's so funny. When I was in school, I don't think there was that course. I'm like, I don't think that was a thing. Entrepreneurship. I don't think we had that option as a class. I don't even know. What that would look like. Except for you're telling me, so that's pretty cool. So what I'm really excited though, is to talk to you about where, you know, where— how did you get here? I know, like, it's been 6 months and I feel like if you follow you online, you can see that you have kind of changed your passion. I feel like I feel your passion more and I feel like that you really enjoy it. So tell me a little bit about your journey in the last 6 months.

Okay. Um, biggest transition would be going from just doing like under the table transactions type deal that photographers do. I mean, honestly, that's how it is. You just kind of, it's just more of a hobby type deal starting out for every photographer. But I was like, no, I'm going to do, I'm going to do it the right way. I'm going to become a business. So I became an LLC. Got everything in order for that. And then, um, just deciding what I wanted to pursue exactly. Photography. I didn't realize how broad photography actually was. So, I mean, did I want to do commercial photography? Did I want to do more personal? Did I want to do weddings, newborns? What did I want to specialize in? And whenever I decided that couples and weddings is definitely where my passion is, then that's whenever I took a huge turn in my photography and making sure that I pursue those types of clients and that photography, the reason I chose photography is because it's so— you can individualize yourself so well in the market. And once you know how to do that, then you're kind of set and you enjoy yourself a lot more. Part of being an entrepreneur is because you want to enjoy yourself, your work, and everything. So that really helped a lot in my transition of 6 months ago versus now, how crazy of a difference it is. If you go look at my work from January and before in December, it is a drastic change from then to now. So I'd say a lot of it has to do with making sure that I was— I became a business. It became real.

No, you know, that is such a powerful statement because I think that's a struggle. Even if you're doing like photography as a side hustle, like it's like your side gig for maybe doing school full-time or working full-time. You can get in the habit of treating it like a hobby and still not a business. And those are two different types of incomes, hobby versus a real business, you know. So with photography, you're right, there's huge lane of things to be doing. Um, and I think when we first talked to you, that was something you're like, I don't know what I want to do. Like, I don't know what— I just do everything right now because I just like photography, but I don't know what I wanted to do. So what specifically made you like say, okay, weddings, that's, you know, where I want to go. That's really what I want to do.

I started doing this like online schooling for photographers and it's, it's called The Academy. And I just pay a monthly fee. They finally opened it up to where you could do monthly payments before it was like one payment deal and they opened up the monthly payments. And so I decided to do it. And I remember one of the courses that I was doing, one of the things they said is The reason we're photographers or entrepreneurs is because we want to enjoy what we do. We don't ever want to have to go to work and it feel like we're going to work. And so it said, I kind of thought about that and I was like, that's why I started. But now it's like, ugh, I have to do this today, really? And one of the things that Caitlin James had said on there, she said that a way to try to figure out how you want to do it is whenever you're going to a session, are you excited or are you dreading? And if you're dreading it, then you need to cut out that type of session. And I realized like every family session, for some reason, every family session, like, I got a family session tonight. Oh, I got to edit this family session. But with couples, I'm like, yes, I got a couple session. I get to edit it. I'm so excited to deliver this to the clients. Like, this is awesome. And so I was like, I definitely need to be more passionate about what I'm doing. So let me just do more couples often. And I'll be able to give my clients the the, um, the— I don't know, I don't know how to word this right, but, um, I'll be able to give them a better experience if I'm enjoying it rather than if I'm not. They don't deserve to have a photographer who's dreading that session.

I love that. No, that is so true. And wow, you said a lot, but I think that's a lot of photographers. They start loving doing photography and then they get into the rut or like just the going, going, I need this, I need to make this money or I need to do this shoot or something like that. And it's then because it becomes a job that you hate and it's a creative business. It's a creative business where you're supposed to be connecting to people so people can feel that off of you. If you're like, oh, another family session, like, you know, they can feel that, right? So I love that you recognize that you have to have that connection. Like, I can't be like this person who doesn't like doing what I'm doing and capture moments without liking the moments. It's kind of weird.

Love family sessions. They are fun to do, but for some reason, something in me just— I wasn't as passionate about it, and I was more passionate about— Nils here. I was more passionate about having to do couple session than I was about doing family sessions. It was just, I don't know why. There's nothing specific that, you know, it wasn't like, oh, the clients, they always tend to be like this. There was nothing specific. It was just how it was. And clients don't deserve to do that, to have that. They pay that money. They need somebody passionate about it.

Yeah, no, I totally agree with you. They don't only just spend money for the time, they also spend money, like, in the sense of the time itself, like, to give you that time. So they want to enjoy it. It's not like, you know, going to the grocery store and they have to have you.

Exactly.

You know, this is extra for them. Like, this is a treat for them. So I love that you connected to that. That's awesome. So I know you connected to wedding photography, but something else I feel like had to change with your mindset in order for you to even go down this route. So did something like happen in your life where you were like, I need to, if this is going to work, like, I feel like maybe you had a path and you were like, I have to make this decision or I have to do something. Did something happen?

Um, It's a little off topic, but it was the true reason that why I chose wedding photography and why I chose photography as a whole, but specifically wedding photography. And it was that— I wish I could turn that off— but it was that one time me and my boyfriend, we were talking and he was like, he was saying that— I was like, babe, we should go on this date, we should go and do this. He's like, we just did that. And I was like, no, we didn't. He was like, yeah, like 7 months we did. And I was like, "No, didn't happen." And he was like, "I'm gonna go find that picture we took." And he found a picture, and then I remember the whole night clearly. And then even whenever we're just at family gatherings or something, friends, we're out with our friends, they say, "Hey Sierra, do you remember?" And then I'm like, "No, I don't remember when that happened." They're like, "I don't even know why I asked you. You never remember anything." It's so awful, but whenever that specific thing happened where my boyfriend, he had to show me that picture for me to remember, I was like, If we never took that picture, that would have never— that would have been a memory lost completely. And so I was like, that's why I got into photography is because I wanted to help these families. Originally, whenever I was doing family photography, I wanted to help the families remember when their baby's hand was that tiny, remember when they giggled that certain way. But like I said, my passion just wasn't in family photography. And I realized it was in couples. And I was like, the wedding day is huge. And people get so caught up in the logistics of your wedding. I attended a friend's wedding and she was saying how stressed out she was. She's like, I didn't even enjoy my wedding day. It was so stressful. And they're like, so thankfully we have the pictures to at least remember some of the good times. And so I was like, I want to do that. I want to— and the photographer is with the bride more than anybody else on the wedding day. So it's like, if I can make— I'm passionate about couples. And if I can help them have a great experience on their wedding day, and when somebody comes up and tries to stress them out, be like, let me handle that. Okay, we're gonna put this bridesmaid to go and handle that. We're not stressing out the bride on her day. We're going to make her enjoy it. And then no matter what, the bride and the groom are still going to get caught up in the logistics of the wedding day and making sure things are on time. But I want to be able to gift them with the photographs that in 10 years they can look back on and be like, "I forgot that happened. I forgot so-and-so was there and danced like that." Like, I want to be able to give them that. And wedding days are so huge because that's something that, that's a huge step in somebody's life. That's a huge chapter change. You go from being single and then now you're thinking about a family, you're sharing everything with this one person and it's all because of that one day happening. So I wanted to be able to create an album for a bride and a groom that they can look back on, they can love and they can remember because even the same friend, she was like, I mean, I don't even remember who all was there. Like I got so caught up in everything, I don't remember who all was there. So just getting photos of everybody dancing and, you know, all of the kids having fun, anything. Any type of photo to help the bride remember every single moment of the day, even whenever they were in a different room than everybody else. They can still remember that day because that day was all about them. They need to be able to remember that day. And so me not being able to remember a date, I was like, that's why I want to do photography. And then, um, I became so passionate about couples. I was like, wedding, that's like, that's a huge thing. I mean, yeah, it's one thing to take family portraits and one thing to take couples portraits and event photography, but wedding is one of the biggest days of somebody's life. So if we can make that great, then we can create more moments in somebody else's life when they look back on that.

Yeah, you are so right. My husband and I have been married 10 years in September, and we just recently went to go visit my mom, and she has— we— I mean, I guess I didn't realize it or think about it, but we were looking back at pictures and we're like, oh my gosh, and It's like the day just came back. We were like talking about it for the whole week. For the rest of the week, we were talking about, oh my gosh, remember? And it was because someone captured those moments. And for a week, that's what we talked about. And it wasn't even our anniversary. It was just a nice memory. And then it created more moments of remembering those moments. So it's like super awesome. And I really connect to that. I totally believe that if you have someone to capture. And you're so right, the photographer is with that bride all day, and then probably the day before, just, you know, making sure on the phone and everything. Um, I call, um, wedding photographers, um, bride event planners in a sense, because they, they do so much. They plan, they're like, okay, where's this going to be so I can make sure I get this shot and make this moment, you know. They're just really into all the details.

I think has a lot to do with being able to create the perfect day for the bride, because you have to be in sync with the DJ and the wedding planner to make sure that everything's running smoothly and to make sure that you can get the shots. Because if you don't know when they're about to do that game and you're not in the right spot, you don't have your lighting in the right spot, then you didn't get that shot. So you really do have to be— it's not just taking photos, it's more than taking photos. And I mean, going and visiting the venue beforehand, you're with the bride a lot throughout the wedding planning process, so you want to make sure that you can get all of the shots because you even see all that the bride's doing in preparation. So you want her to be able to remember everything.

Yeah, exactly. So I wanna go back to something we talked about a second ago, which was finding your passion, finding your inspiration. I know you shared that story and like didn't even know it connected, but what kind of, decision? I mean, for example, this week you're like just working your business, like you're working your business, you're not doing school this summer. You know, what, what clicked for you that this needs to run like a business? Like, what do you think? Okay, I got to do this and I got to do it this way.

I was, I was stagnant there. I wasn't making any progress in my business. I wasn't making any progress in my style, my sessions, anything. I was really stagnant and it was becoming a point to where like I wasn't making any more money because I was so stagnant. It was routine work, wasn't enjoying it. And the clicking moment for me, I'd say is whenever I spoke to another photographer and she was just growing and growing and growing. And I asked her, I was like, "What are you doing to grow?" And she was like, "I got serious." Like no joking. I got serious and I was like, okay, how do I get serious? And I was talking to my dad and he's— my dad, he has an entrepreneurial mind. He's started little— we're military, so we've moved, so he's never been able to start like an actual business, but everywhere we're stationed, he started some type of small business for that year while we were stationed there or however long. And so, um, I was talking to him and I was like, I'm stagnant. I don't know what to do. Somebody said get serious, but I feel like I am serious. So I was like, I don't know. And he was like, well, Why don't you become an LLC? Because that's a year commitment. You have to do taxes at the end of the year. So that's a year commitment. If you become an LLC and then do it full-time in the summer, because I'm still doing my program, but he recommended I do it full-time in the summer. And then if I can stay, if I can keep myself busy, then I have, I have a future because I can consistently find work and making sure that I am growing and I'm not staying stagnant. And I, the clicking moment for me would be, I'd say it had a lot to do with getting to a point where I was like, I don't have any sessions this week, so I have nothing to do for photography, but that's not true. There's so much more I can be doing. So just wanting to pursue it more and figuring out how, and then that helped me find my passion. I don't know if that answers your question.

No, it does. It does. Yeah, no, that definitely answers my question because that's It's kind of like, I don't know what that— my brain has just gone blank. When people have to decide whether or not they have a problem and admit that they have a problem. Well, that's kind of what this is. It's like, okay, I'm doing something, or what is it? You're insane or you're crazy. You just keep doing the same thing over and over again, expect a different result. It's the same thing in business. Like if you keep going and doing the same thing and don't recognize, okay, something needs to change. For something to actually happen, you know, that's what you decided. You're like, okay, how are you growing and I'm not growing? I understand, you know. So that, that was to me, that answers the question. And I think that's— it takes self-awareness and it takes courage. It meant, okay, what I thought was working or what I thought I wanted to do is not working. And in order for me to really pursue my passion, I have to figure it out. I've got to start from scratch. I've got to ask no and have that And I love that you went to another photographer because who's doing it, who's like, you're seeing her progress and thrive and you're like, oh my gosh, how do I, how do I do that? You know? So that's awesome.

It was ironic whenever we worked together, she was like, it's crazy. She's like, you're coming to me, but I thought it was huge CMC Photography reached out to me. And I was like, really? Because you're doing amazing. So if anything, it's huge that I'm talking to you right now.

I love it. We are, I don't, women are so, we, we're just funny. We're just funny. So what, what things are you doing right now to kind of grow? You've been really busy, you've been having clients, like what are, what kind of things are you doing right now to get clients?

Branding is huge. Never realized how huge branding was. And I'm really trying to make a move on my branding right now. And I think that's helped a ton. And a lot of people don't understand the whole system style situation in photography. Um, that's something, especially non-photographers, they are like, what? And so, um, but it helps because whenever a client's looking for you, they don't even realize they're looking for a specific style whenever they're looking for a photographer. And so, and I feel like style and brand go hand in hand with each other. You can't have a brand if you don't have a style and vice versa. So, um, just staying busy with trying to make sure that everything is consistent and that somebody can look at one part of my business and it's not going to surprise them at all if they look at another part of my business. If they look at my marketing, it's not going to surprise them whenever they look at who is behind the camera. And whenever they look at my style of photography, it's not going to surprise them whenever they look at my website and it's like, oh wait, that doesn't match. That's not the same thing. What's going on here? And I never realized how huge that was. And so I started That helped a lot whenever I started doing the academy online and I started taking those courses because it's like 8 courses, I believe. And it's like really, Caitlin James and Aaron and Jordan Deimos. I don't know if these are ringing any bells to you. There's so many great, amazing photographers on there and it's just teaching you the wedding business, not so much of how to use your camera, but just the business photography. And it's strictly about weddings. And, um, That's helped a lot. And just making sure, like I said before, that I'm always doing something. So if, if I don't have, if I am feeling, if I'm in a rut of, I don't have anything to do right now, I need to go find me something to do. Do I need to work on a marketing strategy? Do I need to start creating more ads? Do I, what do I need to be doing right now to be getting my business moving? Because if I'm doing nothing, then my business is doing nothing.

Yeah.

Even if it's the smallest thing right now, I printed all of my old contracts. That I've never done. I've never printed my contracts. I'm like, if something happens to the site, all my contracts are done. So this week I've been printing all of them and organizing all of them and everything.

So yeah, it's the piece. I think that's the piece of business that a lot of creative minds in general just avoid like the plague because it's not creative. It's the work behind. It's the work behind the photography. It's the work behind the creativity. But in order to have a thriving, successful successful business that you can keep doing your passion, you have to kind of do that other work or find someone else to do it for you. So, you know, it's got to be done. So how are you balancing, you know, doing all of this? I know, I know you're, you know, you're a girlfriend, you're a daughter, your granddaughter. I always see you posting pictures with your family. You seem like you spend a lot of time with your family, which is awesome. But how do you balance all of that life, work, school, boyfriend.

I will not do more than 3 sessions a week. If I have more than 3 sessions a week, I'm overloading myself because then that's 3 nights because I do all my sessions at nights. That's 3 nights that are being taken up and I'm not going to be able to spend time. And I do, I'm in a small group now too. So that's one night taken up. And then because me and my boyfriend, we've been together so long, we balance between his family and my family when we're doing dinner at whose house, just like Simple things like that. So I really, 7 nights a week almost isn't enough. So I will not do more than 3 nights of photography. And then I work at the time he and my family are working. My mom works an 8 to 5 job. He works and he gets, he works early morning and gets off at 3. And my dad works early morning and gets off at 3. And his parents are the early morning, gets off at 3 type jobs too. So I wake up early in the morning and I get done with all my business stuff at 3, and then I can spend time with my family from that point on, spend time with him. I mean, there are occasional days where I'm like, I'm behind, I need to work on this session, but everybody has those moments. And, but I definitely don't do that often. And, um, wake up early in the morning, I work until they all get off. Sometimes it'll be, he'll go hang out with his friends and my dad has something to do. So then I get. Get some extra work done that day until my mom gets off and then we all do dinner together. Just something simple. I just try and work when they work because they don't have a choice on when they work. I do. So I'm just going to schedule around them and then I can do my sessions 3 nights a week. If, and sometimes I'll even go a week where I don't have a session. So then I have an extra 3 nights that week. So, um, just making sure that there's not a time. And if I catch myself saying no to something fun or creating a memory, if I say no to something, creating a memory because I have to work, I had to reevaluate myself because I'm like, I need to create memories. I need to have fun. I'm only 19, so I need to enjoy my life still. And I'm not going to be that person who works my life away. I want that work-life balance. So I'm like, okay, I'm going to go and we're going to all go go-karting tonight. But in the morning I'm going to wake up an hour earlier and get that work that I think I need to do now done.

Wow. That's such a mature attitude and plan because there are people who are way older than that and they are still not on that playing field. Yeah, they are still trying to figure that out. I think it tells a lot about what you find important. To me, that's— everybody's balance is different because everybody's situation is different. And I think what you decide works for you is only going to work for you. It's not going to work for everyone else. But knowing what works so that you have that time to, like, refresh yourself and be with your family is awesome because I don't— I mean, I'm still learning that and I'm in my 30s. So you're far ahead of, far ahead of most of us. That's awesome.

I think that has a lot to do with me being a military brat because family has always been huge because it's only been my household family. We've never had like the aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins, none of that. It's always been just us. So it's always been really important. My family has prioritized that we have dinner time together. That's just huge. And it's not like a sit at the table, formal dinner. We're all watching TV, our favorite show, giggling and laughing, having conversation, eating dinner. And that's something that's always been huge. And I think it has a lot to do with my mom making sure we ate, but that was just a little side thing. But exactly. So doing that growing up really helped me a lot prioritize family. And luckily, by the grace of God, my boyfriend prioritizes family also. So having that before starting my business, having that as secondhand nature, prioritizing family and friends, I think that helped a lot with deciding how I was going to do my work-life balance because it was just, it wasn't a question. It wasn't— there's a lot of people who are single and they get on with their lives and they start their business and then they create that family. And so it's like, wait, how do I make this transition now? But luckily I've had that for a long time. And so that was a priority before my business was even thought of.

That's awesome. Yeah. That, that way you worked, you put everything on top of that. It wasn't the last piece. I think that's the other thing that happens. People put everything, they put work, all this other stuff in, and then they try to fit family on top, and that doesn't work. It's the other way around. And that's awesome that your family has helped you create that foundation.

For sure.

Best advice you've ever been given?

Be yourself. So cliché. I mean, I know that's cliché. Everybody always says that, like, oh, the best advice I've ever given is just You are, you're unique. I know how cliché it sounds, but I've never taken it seriously. And especially in a creative world, that's huge. I never realized it. And so, I mean, you can say be yourself as far as like, as a woman, you know, loving yourself without makeup, like, yeah, that's be yourself. But I'm talking more about like, be yourself in a creative aspect of your style of photography, the way you run a business, don't have to be so like, that's what I struggled with in the beginning too, is like trying to be too professional, like, I guess. But no, if I'm just myself, it doesn't matter if I make a mistake whenever I speak. We're human. Doesn't matter. So just making sure that I'm authentic with everybody and myself. And that was just a huge advice. And it came a couple of months ago whenever, in regards to my style. They were like, be yourself with your style. I'm like, how do I be myself with my style? Like the way I edit doesn't have anything to do with me is the way I used to think, but it does. And so whenever I found myself through editing, I honestly, I found myself through editing. It was, okay, what do I like? What catches my eye? If something catches my eye, then that obviously has something to do with who I am. And so that's how it started. And then the way my client meetings ran, ran so much smoother now that I'm myself and I'm comfortable. And the way that my sessions ran. I mean, everything just ran so much smoother after I started being myself. And it's amazing. It's so cliché, but it is so true. It's the truest cliché statement I've ever heard.

Yeah, no, I am learning and I continue to learn and appreciate that truth of being yourself. Being who you are. Like, the quirks are what makes you, and that's usually what people are drawn to in the first place. And if they're not, then they're not the person you need to be with, or they're not the client that you want to serve. So true, especially in photography, because, you know, I, I remember back in the day when you would hire a photographer and you would tell a photographer, oh, well, I want my picture to look like this, and I want you to change it to be this, and da da da da, and you just go be like, as a photographer, you feel like I am stifled and I am confined and I'm like stuck in doing this thing that I hate. But you, the client, are saying that you want it this way and you already paid me, so I got to do it, you know, versus this is my style. When you sign a contract with me, this is me. So that's what you're going to get. And if you don't like it, go somewhere else. Exactly. Exactly.

And that has a lot to do with— I've realized too, something along the lines of that because if you do make that exception, okay, we're going to get this one photo, you've requested, you know, some sifia photo, a sifia edit, you know, something like that.

Okay, we're going to get it.

Then don't post that. Don't put that on your website. Don't put it on your Instagram or Facebook page or anything because then that's going to tell people, oh, they'll do this whenever I want them to. Then let's go to them and they're going to do it all the time. And then that becomes, okay, now I got to meet the client's request. I can't be myself. I can't, show my artsy side or anything like that. So if you do it, if you make that exception because you are a nice person and you're like, okay, yeah, we're gonna get one photo of all of y'all standing the specific way you want to stand, just don't post it and don't market that because then you don't want that all the time. But you can still be nice and give that client that one photo and use the other 55 minutes to do what you want to do.

Exactly. Yeah, no, that's great advice too. Just put out there what you want to attract, right? Just put out there and if the client wants something random, then you give it to them and be like, that's, that's for you. But wow, I am super excited that we did this. I just can't wait to see more of what you're doing and how, you know, you have so much growth left to do. I mean, you're 19 years old, so I'm super excited for you. Any awesome, like, exciting projects happening for you anytime soon you want to tell me about?

I am getting into the in-home lifestyle sessions. For families because I did realize that a lot of things that I dreaded about a family session was the posing. It was so awkward and I wanted to catch the authenticity. And I still do get those family inquiries and I'm like, yeah, I would love to do this for you and I would enjoy it, but I need a way to make sure that it's authentic. And in-home sessions are actually the way to go. Never realized that. And I did my first ever, um, well, I did, I did an in-home session for a family friend a little while back, but it was It wasn't what I was expecting. And then, but I did like my first ever true, like organized by me but in their house type session. And it was amazing. It was so much fun. She treasured those photos more than the other photos that we had done previously of them were going out to this empty field and doing all this like fun stuff with each other. But those photos, they were honestly, they were probably prettier. They were prettier photos, you know, makeup and hair was done. The family room was color coordinated. Those were probably easier to look at to an outsider, but that in-home session means so much more. And one of the comments she said was like, this is our first home ever. And so it, that it's just where they created their family. And so little things like that, that's, that's the new things coming. I'm about to launch a, on my website, that part to it. I'm about to, um, actually launch a, um, sale going on that the first 5 are 50% off. So that I can create more in my portfolio against that. And, um, if I get more than 5 inquiries, then it's going to be like a— I don't want to say application process because that's not what it is, but in a sense of like, okay, who's, who's going to work with me more to give me what I want out of this? Not a selfish way, but in the reason I'm offering it 50% off is to grow my portfolio. So which is going to grow portfolio best? So those are the exciting things coming. I'm still sticking with the weddings. Weddings are my main, 100%, and couples and everything. But that's just something fun and a way to give back to somebody to have that authentic photos to look back on. And because my past brides, they are starting families, so it's like, I still want to work with you, but I'm not really a family photographer, you know?

So, right, exactly.

Together we can do the in-home session and we're comfortable with each other because I did your wedding.

It's a great marriage that, that way. Yeah, I, um, there's a couple of photographers that I follow that do the in-home photography family shots and they're awesome. And I know that if it's like for you personally, they mean more to you, your family, than like a random person. But even a random person is like, oh, that's so cool, or that's so sweet, or that's, you know, so I love that you're doing that. That's, that's great.

That's the new thing coming. So hopefully it works the way I want it to. If not, it's learning lessons.

So I'm sure it will. Well, I'm again, thank you for coming on and tell us where we can find you online.

Okay, so I am said to be CMC Photography, but whenever I created everything, I wasn't, I wasn't the wisest. I didn't know anything about it. So I'm Photography by CMC on everything. So www.photographybcmc.com. On Facebook, you can find me if you do the sign Photography by CMC, and then my page name is CMC Photography. And then my Instagram is @photographybcmc. Anything Photography by CMC, that's where you can find me. CMC Photography is the same thing.

Perfect. Perfect. Well, I'm, like I said, I'm just happy to have you on. I'm so excited for you. Um, and thank you so much. Thank you. No problem.

Thank you. This is great.

All right, ladies. Thank you for listening. And I hope this conversation inspired you. Be sure to subscribe and tell a friend. That's it on this episode. And yes, you are crafted to thrive.