What choosing a niche you love can do for your business

Hey, you guys. I am so excited for this episode because I have a really amazing and talented and heart-centered and passionate water photographer. She is an underwater photographer. Her name is Renee Seigel. She is amazing at what she does. I mean, every time I see her work, I just cannot help but just be like, wow. Like, it's amazing. And you'll hear me love on her about this in the episode. But what I love even more so after having this conversation with Renee is that she has always been true to what she loves to do. She's had many life hurdles, um, some new to me. I've been following Renee for over 2 years at this point, and I've really seen, um, different things, um, in her business. We're in the same mastermind as well, so I'm just so honored and privileged to have her on the show.. If you are feeling stuck, if you have life hurdles and you're trying to figure out how to connect or find your passion, how to stand out in a saturated crowd, you definitely want to stay tuned for this episode because Renee is going to share her journey and some mindset that I think has allowed her to continue to capture the things that she loves, to do them, and find people who love her for doing the thing that she loves. And I think that's ultimately what everybody really wants in their business, is to do something that they absolutely love and find a tribe and find of people that want to support and cheer them on. So stay tuned, and I can't wait to see you on the flip side. I'm so awkward. Stay tuned. Welcome to She's Crafted to Thrive. I'm your host Nikita Williams, and this show is for all the ladies who are making and creating things that they love. You will hear conversations about the real everyday struggles of juggling life and business while trying to maintain passion and harmony 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 and negative thoughts and challenges are all a part of the journey. And on this podcast, you'll find the inspiration and tools you need to have a life and business that thrives. I'm so excited to have Renee on the show. You guys know I love photographers. I know every time I say this, I say this every time I have a photographer on the show, but I've never had an underwater photographer on the show and y'all, she's the bomb diggity. Like I know I just went back to like the '80s or whatever phrasing bomb diggity came from, but Renee, your work is absolutely beautiful.

You're too kind.

I love it. Every time I see a post, like I'm literally raving about it. Like I'm like, man, I don't know. One, I'm like, I would love to, but I don't think I would look that great in water, but that looks amazing.

Oh, thank you.

Thank you.

It's definitely a niche. Like, it's definitely not for everybody and not all that common, you know. And so it's fun. It's really fun to create in that space and to work in that space. So I love it. It's definitely a passion, and it has to be because it's not an easy space to work in. But, but it's fascinating and creative and challenging, and I love it.

Well, I know I kind of just jumped in like being super excited about the awesomeness that you do, but please introduce yourself and let everyone know who you are, where you are, which is important. Um, and, um, we'll jump in a little bit after that.

Okay, I'm Renee Spingle, and I, um, my studio is Renee Spingle Photography, and I'm in Charlotte, North Carolina, and I'm an underwater portrait photographer. So I have been a photographer for ever. I don't know if I want to say how many years because that ages me, but yeah, well over 10 or 15 or more. I was a post-newborn photographer in a studio in Washington, D.C. area, and then for my husband's job, we moved to Kansas City, and then we moved to Charlotte, and we've been in Charlotte for almost 4 years. And when we first got here, I said, "Bip, done, no more." I've I've started 2 studios. I'm just gonna focus on my boys. I have 3 boys who are now 4, 10, and 12. And, you know, my husband works long hours, travels a lot. And I was like, I'm just gonna, just gonna focus in on them. And about a year into that, I was like, and, uh, yeah. So I adore my boys, but I'm a better mom and a better person when I'm creating. And a lot of people can create for themselves without running a studio and do an amazing job of that. I see some moms that are just creating art and creating photography of their own kids and they're not working and not running a business and they're doing an amazing job. For me, I need the challenge of working with other people and other clients. I take pictures of my kids all the time, but I need a little bit different venue than that. And so I started my business again and thought that I would jump into family photography. Was trying to figure out how to incorporate beach sessions. The beach is about 3 hours away from here, 3 and a half, and with the way I drive, it's, yeah, 3. And so we were trying to figure out how to make that work. And I had bought an underwater housing for my camera Several years ago when we lived in Virginia, I had an accident, didn't walk for about 9 months, and had to put everything on hold. And so I got very angry about that, that I finally invested in an underwater housing and then couldn't use it. And so I put it in the back of the closet. It never came out of the packing box in Kansas. It stayed in the basement in the storage unit. And when we moved to Charlotte and I was finishing unpacking kind of that year later when I finally got around to finishing those last few boxes, I found it.

It.

We had built a pool after we got here. I jumped in the pool and tried it one day, and that was it. I was in love. And so I, I just, I just knew I'd found my passion. And so that summer, that was 2018, so that summer I got in the water as much as I could. I had some paid sessions, but a lot of sessions I just crafted for myself, asked people specifically, you know, I need a model for this, I need a model for that, and crafted the sessions that I I wanted to craft to build my portfolio and to build my skills. And last year it took off. And so I've only been at it 2 years, not quite 2 years now, but it's amazing and I love it.

Wow.

That was the quick version right there.

Yes. You know what's interesting is that I feel like I've been a part of your journey. You have. Since you started doing this, which is like, I didn't realize that until you like put out the timeline. I was like, oh my gosh, I have literally watched you create this niche that you felt like was like nobody's doing it and like, what is this? To being like you've been featured in magazines, you've been featured on these beautiful art exhibits and things like that in a year. Like, what?

Yeah, it's been a wild ride. So I've been on the local news a couple times. I've been in photography magazines and local online magazines. It's a fascinating niche to people. So because it's so unique, because there's not a lot of people that do it, there are other people in Charlotte who have underwater skills, but there's no one else who has chosen that as their focus and as their primary focus for their studio. And I have my own pool and I have my own equipment, and so that gives me that opportunity to just do that. And I thought I would shoot, you know, 3 or 4 months a year and shoot other things the rest of the year. I have a studio. I still love working with babies and with children and all of that. I just haven't had time because the underwater has taken off so quickly that that is dominating my schedule. So that's what I'm doing.

I am so excited. Like, I'm so excited for you. And now I'm like super excited because I realize I've been watching you from the get-go in this particular niche. I don't think I would have found you had you not done this niche, right? Because you were doing your, like, the traditional photography that all photographers are doing. Not that you guys know I love photographers, not that I'm knocking that, but it is really hard to differentiate yourself in this market. It is.

And as a family photographer, and that's why the first couple sessions that I did were beach sessions, because I wanted to find a way to differentiate myself. I knew out of the gate that I had to find a way, if I was going to break into the family photography market in a new city, in a new location, we'd only lived here 9 months at that point, I had to find a way to separate myself out. I had done that in Virginia, posed newborns, and doing them in a studio was newer, a newer idea when I started doing that when I was in Virginia. And so I had studied under the right people and made that my niche. But then, like I mentioned, I had an accident and, you know, that derailed things and then and we moved and that derailed things. And so then that niche took off and exploded and posed newborns every, you know, that's not a niche anymore. I mean, it's a niche, but it's not a small niche. It's a very large niche now. And so I, as much as I love working with newborns, I knew if I wanted to not compete on price, not compete with the masses, I needed to differentiate myself. And I see the best photographers around and the most successful photographers around they are niching. They are finding something that differentiates themselves. And a lot of them are family photographers, but they're figuring out what makes them unique and what makes them special and why are people going to come to them. And I think that is true across all creative outlets, across and outside of the creative industry. But for any creative entrepreneur, you have to find what makes you unique and what makes people want to come to you. Now, your personality is a huge part of it, right? Showing online presence, showing who you are, and showing what you can offer to somebody, you personally, your personal brand, and your, um, how— what you're going to give to them. But also, how is what you offer different than what other people offer, right? And, and I was able to figure that out. And it's not just about finding something unique and doing it. It is about finding something unique that you love, and that is where I am so blessed that I was able to do that. The water is life to me. I have been a swimmer since I was 3 years old. Like, I have begged for a pool every time we moved. I have said, let's look at this house that has a pool. Let's look at this house that has a pool. I never found the right house that had a pool, and so we made a commitment that when we moved here, whether we found a house with a pool or not, we would build one, and we did, and we built a beautiful pool, and so water to me I mean, my youngest was in swimming lessons at 16 months. Like, he could swim the length of the pool before he was 3. So, to me, water is it. I love the ocean. That is where I refresh and rejuvenate. I like to stand up paddleboard and freedive and, you know, snorkel and swim and everything like that. That is it for me. So, to be able to find something that matches my passion for families and children, my passion for photography and my passion for water and pull that all together. Wow. Blows me away. Yeah. And I think that's why— that's one of the big reasons I've been able to succeed the way I have been able to is because it does blow me away. It excites me. I love it and I thrive at it. And so I'm able to jump in.

I love that. You just basically hit all like the foundational pieces of why this show is called She's Crafted to Thrive. Like, You literally have hit all those little points because you have to find what makes you, you and brings the masses like in a way that like doesn't disrupt your, your, your zone of awesomeness. Right. And there's a couple of things that you've mentioned that I'm going to dive into in a minute, but, um, I've been around photography myself for a long time and I don't think until you, did I think, how is she doing this? Like, there's gear for a camera in the water like that? Like, you know, I've heard of underwater for like cameras, but they always remind me of like the, you know, the ones you used to get as a kid that you could, but they didn't take like the best pictures. So it's like, what in your life or what person or event said, I need to put my camera in the water?

There's actually like a specific triggering event for this. So when I was, it was, I don't even, I won't even guess on the years, but it was before I got married, before I even had met my husband. I went to the Grand Cayman Islands with a girlfriend. She was a scuba diver. I was not certified. And so we went out and we went to the, we just went to the Caymans for a week as a girls trip. She would go scuba diving and I would go free diving next door. Like the water is gorgeous and clear and it's amazing. And so we'd go out on the boat, she's down there scubaing and I'm free diving. And that's where I taught myself to free dive. People are like, "Where'd you learn to free dive?" I was mad that I couldn't go as deep as she could. So like, that's how I learned how to free dive. So I was going down 20, 25, and we think I probably might've hit 30 feet on my own. Wow. Which is not any kind of a record for free divers. Free divers can go 50, 100, the world records are over 200. I mean, it's crazy. But for me, that was a pretty good deal for having no training. Yes. Disposable point-and-shoot underwater camera and took some pictures. I've got some of those on my blog of like the original, like I scanned them in, I found them and scanned them in. But there's a photographer in the Caymans, her name's Kathy Church, and she is definitely a generation ahead of me. Like she's been doing underwater photography for decades. And I'm comfortable saying decades with her. She's incredible and she does marine work and like nature, underwater nature photography and does some incredible work. And we went to her gallery gallery, and I looked at that and I said, "That. I am going to create that." Wow. And my girlfriend bought one of the prints and I couldn't even bring myself to buy one because I was like, "No, I'm gonna create it myself. Someday I will get there." And now I don't do a lot of marine work because I don't have the chances to get out there and free dive very much. I've taken a few pictures but not much. But over the years, now we're to the point now where now I've used it to, I didn't even dream of portrait photography at that point. But it's, that's how it's morphed. But that's where it started. That was the day.

Wow. That is so cool. Like, that is so cool. It is.

It is. I have her book on my shelf and a lot of portrait underwater photographers don't even, you know, Kathy Church, a lot of marine underwater photographers, they know who Kathy Church is. But portrait, they're like, what? Because she doesn't do any kind of portrait work. But she was the motivator for me on that.

Wow. I love that it was inspired by another woman and her passion. Because if she's been doing it for decades, she's had to like love doing this. She has to.

And she's had to like, you know, chart a path, you know? I mean, she takes these huge expeditions all over the world with all these divers. People travel to see her, travel to train with her. You know, she's got a diving school and diving center in the Caymans now and she's made her career that way. And, and she's like, it's a, it's bucket list to meet Kathy Church and to, and to dive with her and to work with her.

Wow, that would be awesome. I hope that's on your dream board somewhere. Oh, it is. Awesome. Okay, so you have mentioned twice, or at least twice in our conversation that you had an accident.

Yeah, I fell down a flight of stairs.

Oh no. Flight of stairs.

And I was holding my 21-month-old. Time, and he was completely fine, but I completely torqued my knee, so they had to rebuild it. Yeah, they had to rebuild it, like completely rebuild it. So we— I didn't walk for about 6 to 9 months. Oh my gosh, about 6 months, but I didn't walk freely without a cane or anything for about 9 months. It was rough. It was really rough. It was the day before I had my first official session of Renee's Single Photography in my studio in Virginia. So my photography studio has had some, some ups and downs getting started. So I had the cake for the cake smash in my refrigerator, and I was calling her from the hospital after the firemen had taken me by ambulance to the hospital to tell her, I'm so sorry, we could not have the little girl's cake smash session. So, oh my gosh, I've had some fits and starts.

But yeah, so, okay, so, okay, everybody listening to the show, Renee has already said that she's been doing this for years. She's started and begun different niches. Now she's doing underwater photography and she's had different bumps along the way. But what I love just right now, just listening to you talk, like you haven't lost like your passion for doing this? And what are some things like, what are some challenges or fears that you've had to work through in order to keep this? Because it's not been an easy road so far.

No. And honestly, as I've listened to your podcast, the knee and all that, that's a smaller bump. So I have my master's in international affairs and US foreign policy. And I was— had my dream job at the State Department, and that was when I met my husband. And my migraines got so bad that I was missing work a couple times a week. I was being hospitalized for my migraines, and we were doing everything in our power to figure out what was going on. And I finally had to go in and tell them I had to leave. And this was the job I had dreamed of from the day I started college, and I'd gone on and got my master's, and every job that I had was building towards this job. And I finally had it. And I was on a fast track. I was doing amazingly well and was, I was doing incredibly well. And I had to go in and say, I have to leave. And he said, he looked at me and he said, Renee, what can we do to keep you? And I said, let me work 30 hours a week because I was working, it was a 40-hour-a-week job, but I was working 50 to 70. And he said, "We can't do that." And I said, "I know, and that's why I didn't ask." And they kept my security clearances open for a year for me in case I could come back. And my dream was that, you know, with some rest and some, you know, some more doctor visits and digging in, that I would be able to figure it out and be back in 6 months. And 6 months later, it was worse. And so it took us a while to figure out everything, and I still manage my migraines. Something I still live with and manage it, but nothing, nothing like that. I don't get so sick and I haven't been hospitalized in years, and so it's a whole different ballgame now. We've pinpointed enough things. But so the photography was a way to like still have something for me even though I couldn't pursue that other thing that was originally my passion, but But at the same time, photography's always been there. Like, I used to ride my bike to work in the spring and leave early so that I could take my camera and stop in Tidal Basin on the way to the State Department at 6 in the morning for sunrise. And then I would, you know, have my suit in my backpack and then switch it off, you know, in the gym at the State Department. And I, you know, I did that a ton of times. And then I would go on the weekends and sell these little note cards that I'd made out of the tulip pictures, you know.

Oh my goodness.

Been around since I was a kid, you know, since I first picked up my dad's SLR, not a DSLR, my dad's SLR, when I was, you know, 12 or 10. But yeah, so I've had things to work through, right? But, and I'm a mom of 3 kids and I'm the primary caretaker, you know, and so that has to be my first responsibility. So managing all that. And so there's times I look around and I see other women that are my age and I think, wow, like, look what they've done by this age.

Crap.

You know, like, I had so many dreams and so many goals and I think, crap, look at those 3 boys. They're pretty freaking awesome.

They are very cute and sweet.

They're good boys, you know, and they're 14 and 12. They're good boys, you know. And so we've moved 3 times, major moves, and I've handled all that and we've done, you know, we've done all these other things. So, okay, all right, I'm good. So there has been some things to deal with, but you figure out that, I don't know, like I talk to you and I say, how you doing? You're like, you're fine. And I know that there's stuff going on, but you tell me. And it's the same thing, you know, like you can sit around and complain about it or you can figure out, all right, as long as I do these 5 things every day, as long as I make sure I do my stretches and get my exercise and see the chiropractor and, eat my vegetables and drink my water and have these things and don't eat these things and do eat these things and get enough sleep that I can stay on track, and I shouldn't have more than a couple migraines a month. And so let's just do it, right? And if it starts getting worse, eh, check. What am I not doing? What's not on the list? OK, I'm not managing that very well. Let's get that back in check, and let's go forward.

Wow. First of all, Wow, you didn't tell me this and I didn't know this. Like, okay, so I feel like, I feel this, I feel a certain kind of way, okay? Like, I hear these kind of stories from folks, like, until we get into these conversations and I'd be like, dawg, okay, all right, well, wow, that is like complete, I would never have thought that that was your world. Like that is a world that, that was like your passion to be at and then to flip it on its head to be in photography. But I love that you've always had that creative space in you, like it's always been a part of you and it's never gone away from you. When you had to make that decision to go this way, you know, into this creative space like full, fully, did you feel like you had to like find yourself again or redefine who you were, or?

I think that happened when I left my job and became a stay-at-home wife before I had kids. So that, that was a big transition for me because like it's one thing for a woman to say, oh, I'm pregnant, I'm going to become a stay-at-home mom now, but to become a stay-at-home wife with no job, was a challenge, right? And I think I'm still 15 years later dealing with some of the things that I put on myself during that period. I should be, I should not be, those things. And I'm realizing now none of that mattered. But those things that I put on myself and my relationships and who I was 15 years ago because, oh well, I have to be gracious that I'm being supported and this and that, and I'm a stay-at-home wife. Who's that, you know? And I'm no June Cleaver. Like, I'm just not. That's not me.

Right.

And I'm a hot mess when it comes to housekeeping and organization and all that. So stay-at-home wife that can't keep a house. That's kind of an issue. So I baked a lot. I baked a lot. I made really good cookies, so I baked a lot. But, you know, so I dealt with that a lot. And then, and I got involved in church and I volunteered, which was good because, you know, I could say, "I've got a migraine. I can't come today," and they understood. You know, it was something that I could have that space to be in. But then I dealt with the, you know, having kids and all that. So the transition has been, it has been different. It's been like from the, from the working professional to the stay-at-home wife, and then now it's been from the stay-at-home mom to the full-time working mom. And so then that's been the transition that I'm in now. So I did not really transfer from State Department to photography photography. Like that transfer didn't happen.

There's been other, other, other life transitioning.

Yeah, exactly. But that one didn't happen really.

So, so what is some advice? Like, so what helped you to like, you know, I'm going to start my photography business. I feel like a little bit of me is, or you is in me where I, I couldn't not, like I cannot not work. Like, like I feel like for me it's like I have to do something. Like it has to be something that fulfills me.

I have to give and I have to create. So it doesn't necessarily have to be income-producing for me, but it has to be something where I'm, where I'm inputting, where I'm giving, where I'm creating. And so for a long time, I found that in my church, and I volunteered in different ministries. And so, but at the same time, for me, I've always been a leader. And from high school, college, as a child, like, I've been that leader and so when I was not well, I would volunteer, but I couldn't take on a leadership role in that volunteering. And so that wasn't very satisfying to me because I couldn't— I just had to be the show-up soldier, and, and that has never worked very well for me. I needed to be the one that took over a program and made it something better, made it something bigger, or, you know, gave back in some way. And, and I couldn't do that because of my health.. And so getting my health back on track has allowed me to now be in a place where, okay, now I can create. And that's where the space that I'm in right now is that I'm able to say, let's create this business. And let's not just take in clients and X number of clients per year and make X number of dollars, but let's create something. Let's build. Let's— what are people not doing in the industry? Let's look around. What's not happening in the industry. All right, then there's a gap. Let's fill that gap. Let's do that. Let's, let's, okay, what else is not happening? Oh, there's a gap. Okay, yeah, you know, let's, let's get back to people. Let's create. Let's, let's help people grow. You know, I see a real lack of African Americans represented in underwater photography.

Y'all, I got my hair straight right now. If I get in some water right now, I'll be like, whoo! It'd be like a poodle.

Here's one of the issues, right? So, but so diversity in aquatics and working with people about, about that issue and why is there a lack of representation and why is there a lack of representation among underwater photographers? And so all that. And so then as you start digging in, there's a lack of representation in swim instructors and there's— and so you start going down that hole and that's something that I've been working on and trying to work with my head lifeguard is is a diversity and inclusion instructor. She travels and teaches, and she is an amazing woman. And so she and I have incredible chats on this issue. And so she's been able to educate me a lot because, you know, I'm a white girl. I've lived in a white bubble a lot of my life. But I've also was raised by a gay father, right? Like, I've got a lot of friends in like a whole range of diversity. And so I want to make sure people are included who want to be included. And by reaching for that, I've got a large number of African Americans coming to me for underwater photography. And other people say, why are they coming to you when they're not coming to me? Because I'm reaching for it. I'm opening myself to it. And I'm looking for it because because I want to make sure they are represented as well. And it is a population that is underrepresented in this genre and in this niche. And so those are the types of things that I look for and I say, where are the gaps? Where are the holes? And I want to fill them, right?

Yeah, I think that's a good example for everyone. I think we always try— a lot of people try to fit in the mold and sometimes that doesn't work. Like, it— like, if that's your— if that's I like to say if that's your play, like if that's how you work, then do it well in your way. But the people that I usually see that are blowing up the scenes are people who are not— they're creating their own mold and like blowing it, no pun intended, out of the water because it is something that they have seen that needs to be changed or something that they've seen that needs to be just created and brought attention to. And I think you do a really good job at that. Like, even if you look at all your photography in the water, it's so diverse and it's such a beautiful thing to see because you see families, you see couples, you see even branding photos, you see like the beautiful pictures of the Black women. And I'm just like, "Dawg, one day, one day that's gonna be me." It's beautiful. So, um, what is one piece of business advice you would give? This whole episode has literally been a whole bunch of advice. If y'all ain't heard it, you need to listen to it again. But what is one piece of advice that you've been given that has completely shifted your mindset on how you do what you're doing right now?

Bless and release. I am not even kidding. This is my year to bless and release because I cannot do it all. I cannot do it all, and my dreams are bigger than I can even, like, hold on to, right? The more I let myself dream, the bigger they get, and so last year I got so overwhelmed because I tried to do it all. I tried to do I do all my own editing, all my own email, all my own scheduling, all my, uh-uh, everything. And this year, and I shut down, I shut down. And I wasn't a good business owner. I wasn't, I didn't take care of my clients. I took care of my clients, but I didn't take care of them the way that Renee takes care of her people, right? I didn't take care of them at the level that I take care my clients. And because I couldn't, I couldn't be all things to all people. And so this year is about bless and release, but it's, it's about letting go and recognizing that there are people that can do things as well as I can and probably better, and I need to let them do that. And so it's giving up some of those things and letting other people help help and letting other people do things, paying them, valuing them, right? Not just, not just burdening them, right? But, but giving those things out. And as I started to look at the numbers, there are a lot of things that I can outsource and that it's going to be financially beneficial to me to do so. So at first I was like, oh, that will cost this much and that will cost that much. And I'm just starting out and I'm realizing now, no, Like, that takes me 5 hours and I could make this much money in 5 hours. So doing what I thrive at, using my superpowers, what I'm good at, I can make 3 times, 4 times that amount of money if I have that time to work in my creative space, to do what I'm good at, to be in the pool, to be working with clients, to be doing that versus what I need to pay somebody to be sending out emails. My website, to be doing the things that I don't need to be doing. And so yes, I still want to have client contact. That is so important to me, right, to engage my clients and to have that. But I'm figuring it out. That's what I'm doing. January and February for me is sorting it out, figuring it out. What can I automate? What can I outsource? What can I get off my plate? What can I bless and release so that I can have a year of just thriving in my creative space. And the more I let go, the more awake I become, the more alive I feel, the more things I add to my list. So many ideas that I have and there is so much I want to do, but it is giving me that space to live in that space. By letting those things go, I can live there and I can do what I am good at. And that's, that's the biggest advice that I can give to somebody. Bless and release what you know.

Yes, I agree with you. I recently this year, I'm doing a little bit more of that. I've taken on a client in order to more bless and release some things like a client that I wouldn't traditionally have picked up because I'm like, oh, it's not in my niche. And you know, being all like, whatever. But it's like, well, this one client is going to help take care of stuff that I really don't need or want to do. So I'm going to do that.

Whatever that blessing release looks like for you, right? Figure out what that is, right? But, but it's that figuring it out to give yourself the creative space. If you're, you know, one of my favorite podcast episodes is Amy Porterfield and the, the innovator versus the Integrator. And I am an Innovator, like, that is me, and that is the heart of who I am. And so it is about being able to live in that innovative space and create and have those big picture ideas. And that is not every person. That is not everyone. And so if you are that person, embrace it and live in it. But when you have got that other stuff weighing down on you, like, I'm not good enough at that, I stink at that, all those negative voices. It's hard to live in that space. Yeah, you're out how to divide that work and to let someone else assist where they thrive, where they're good at. That person that loves spreadsheets— oh my god, oh my god— you know, like the person that loves that stuff right? God bless them. Let them, let them love on that stuff for you. And you live where you live. And hallelujah for people who love numbers.

Girl, yes, I'm all with you on that. Exactly. Exactly. Okay, so let's wrap this up a little bit. So what are 3 tools like in your business that you cannot— like, you're like, I have to have them. They have to be in my business. I'm using them every day, every week, every month, that you think that would help any business owner or specifically a photographer, but what would be those things?

Oh, see, I thought you were gonna ask for underwater photography. I was gonna tell you all those, but—

Whatever your heart desires, my friend Renee, say it!

So in underwater photography, I'm just gonna go with that because I'm gonna make it fast. Faster. Um, but in underwater photography, I love wearing a dive skin. So it's like a, it's like a whole body, like a, like a toddler would wear at the beach that's pale skin, you know, like it zips up and it's long sleeves and long pants. And it just makes me feel free in the water and comfortable because I'm like twisting all around and showing everybody every angle. And so it just feel a lot more comfortable and I look a lot more professional. And so once I started wearing that, I felt so much more comfortable with behind the scenes videos and being in front of clients, whether they were dads or husbands or whoever they were, I felt a lot more comfortable, a lot more confident in the water. And so I love wearing a dive skin. I love, I always wear a weight belt, which is interesting. People don't always recognize that. And so I buy it at a dive shop. I wear a weight belt and I put about 12 pounds in it and I wear it around my waist and that's what helps me sink and stay at the bottom. I can sink and stay at the bottom on my own using breath control, but it takes less energy for me if I'm using a weight belt. So I can stay down longer and with using less energy if I have a weight belt. So I love that. And I always wear dive socks. So they look like little black shoes and they're not— like somebody commented on how slick my new dive shoes looked because I got new ones this year. Not about looking cool, it's about I have PebbleTech on my pool and it's little bitty rocks. And so generally kids swim in it, I swim in it for fun, doesn't bother me at all. But when I'm working and I'm bouncing off the bottom constantly, and the way I rub my feet on it, it shreds my toes. And so the dive socks protect my feet. And if I'm in and out and the sidewalk's hot or whatever, it just protects my feet the whole time. And so I wear dive socks and a dive suit and a weight belt. It's my whole little uniform. Yep, they are 3 tools that I, I don't go in the water without.

So awesome. Well, ladies and gentlemen, you heard it here. All the 3 things you need to— like, if you want to put your camera in the water, get the stuff. But this is the gear you should be wearing to do it. Awesome. Well, how can we find you online and all the things?

Yeah, so I am across platforms. I'm Renee Spingle Photography. So I'm the same everywhere, ReneeSpinglePhotography.com and on all the platforms.

Awesome, you guys. I will have all of her stuff in the show notes and all that jazz. And Charlotte, if you live in Atlanta, Charlotte is like 2.5 hours away. It's not that far.

A little bit further than that, but yeah, but it's not far at all. And so I shoot— we shoot down to Atlanta a couple times a year. So it's pretty quick and easy drive. It's about 3.5 hours.

So, okay, so I have no excuse for one day coming to you.

You do not have an excuse at all.

Okay, well, thank you so much, girl, for being on the show.

This is awesome. Thank you so much.

All right, ladies, that's a wrap for this episode of She's Crafted to Thrive. Thank you so much for joining me. Please share with your friends and be sure to like and subscribe and leave us a review on iTunes. In the meantime, check us out at sheescrafted.com to check out the show notes for all the goodies and things that we talked about. And there'll be links there for you guys. So in the meantime, just remember, you are crafted to thrive.