"Delegating is hard, but will keep you focused on the reason you started your business in the first place" with Catherine Nguyen

Photo by Jillian Clark

Catherine Nguyen is a Raleigh-based advertising and editorial photographer specializing in residential and commercial interior design and architecture. A New York native, Catherine has a background in visual design for banking and management consulting, branding and marketing—she even studied programming and economics at Columbia University. After realizing her passion for creative pursuits, she attended The Academy of Art University in San Francisco to study photography. From landscapes and fashion to food and real estate, Catherine worked in many different photography genres before focusing upon interiors and architecture.

Can you tell our readers about your background? 

I never thought I was creative. I grew up in a traditional family setting where my school studies were emphasized, especially math and science. I even went to a specialized high school Stuyvesant in Manhattan. While there, I took a painting class to fulfill a requirement senior year and found that I really enjoyed it. I started painting and then taking snapshots to remember scenes to paint later. 

What inspired you to start your business? 

I traveled a bit in 2000 and came home with over 30 rolls of film. I started to realize that my love of photography had begun to overshadow my love of painting. I was freelancing in NYC as a presentation designer and creative services project manager in banking and management consulting firms. After a tough break up, I realized it was time for a life change. I decided to move to San Francisco and work toward a BFA in commercial photography at the Academy of Art University.

 Where is your business based? I am based in Raleigh, North Carolina, however travel to San Francisco to shoot for clients a few times a year.

How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?

I went back to school to study photography. I assisted at a busy commercial food photography studio, a wedding and portrait studio, and for a fashion photographer. During my last year at the Academy, I dipped my toe in the water by shooting under a wedding photographer as well as shooting for a busy real estate photography company in the area. I realized that I did not want to photograph weddings full time, but loved shooting houses and interiors. The last year of school, I worked on a still life portfolio and my website as well as marketing collateral. I was lucky to have some design experience in my past. I worked with the real estate photography company until the market crashed in 2008. Then I went to work for a hospitality content creator based in Vancouver. I gained a lot of experience shooting commercial properties during that time.

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business? 

As a commercial photographer, I find that getting published is key to raising brand awareness. When I moved from San Francisco to Raleigh, I immediately studied the local magazines and reached out to the Creative Directors of several. I met with the Creative Director for Walter Magazine and started shooting for them in 2014. I have gained many clients through being published over the course of the years. 

Social media has played a large part in helping me to grow my business. Instagram is a great way to get my new work out there and to be on the radar for local businesses as well as national business.

What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?

Going back to school to study photography at 30 was scary. I was leaving a city and a well-paying job that I had created for myself. After establishing a client base in San Francisco, my husband and I decided to relocate closer to my family in Raleigh. I essentially had to start over. That was tough, but I stayed focused. I reached out to local magazines, scoured Houzz to reach out to local interior designers and architects. I took a leap of faith, but it has paid off!

How do you stay focused?

I love what I do. This helps me stay focused while having to wear many hats and work long days. 

How do you differentiate your business from the competition? 

I offer a lot of styling input to my clients before and during photo shoots. Not all photographers do this. I strive to better my shooting and post production techniques on an evolving basis. I definitely shoot and process differently now than I did several years ago. I also help pitch stories to magazines and other media outlets as part of my services.

What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business? 

Being published locally, nationally, and working on the television show Love It or List It has solidified my reputation. This in addition to posting and interacting regularly with businesses on Instagram has been very effective in growing my business. 

What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs? 

Find the right team to help you build your business so you can focus on what you're good at. Delegating is hard, but will keep you focused on the reason you started your business in the first place.

What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why? M

y favorite app is 645 PRO. It is a camera app that allows you to simulate shooting on a medium format camera. My favorite coffee table book is, "Japan" by Michael Kenna. It is a beautifully designed black silk book with a bone enclosure toggle. The book features long-exposure black and white photography by the British photographer. He is one of the reasons I became a photographer. My favorite blog at the moment is www.sunnycirclestudio.com. Erin has a wonderful way of bringing her designs and styling projects to life in an approachable way.

What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?

The APA is a great business resource. It is the American Photographic Artists organization. Its mission is to "improve the environment for photographic artists and clear the pathways to success in the industry." They provide a directory for commercial photographers as well as business manuals and articles to help with your business. I have been a member since I was a student. 

Who is your business role model? Why? 

My business role model was my first boss, Dorothy Safian. She was an investment banker-turned-executive-recruiter in Manhattan. She taught me never to accept, "no" as an answer. I learned a lot about bookkeeping, business writing, client relationships and generally how to be a woman business owner in an industry dominated by men.

 How do you balance work and life? 

I have difficulty balancing work and life at times since my business is growing rapidly. I have started to take my own advice and delegate certain responsibilities so that I can focus on what I love: photography.

What’s your favorite way to decompress? I decompress by painting. I learned how to work with alcohol ink in the past few years and it has become a wonderful way to tune out, relax and create something beautiful without any expectations.

What do you have planned for the next six months? 

I have a few small trips planned to relax, visit friends and family and regenerate after a tough year-and-a-half without any travel. I also plan to train an assistant to take over more of the administrative tasks of the job so that I can have a better work-life balance.

How can our readers connect with you?

Readers can connect with me at www.catherinenguyen.com and follow me on social media at  

Facebook: www.facebook.com/CatherineNguyenPhotography

Instagram: www.instagram.com/catnguyenphoto

"Do work that you care about" with Katie Girogadze

Entrepreneur, photographer, blogger, jewelry designer—Ketevan (Katie) Girogadze is taking the social media world by storm teaching her loyal followers how to take incredible photos and travel in style. Katie shares the story that led to the development of her hugely popular and breakthrough photography app KATIE ONE.

Can you tell our readers about your background?

I was born in 1993 in a rural mining town in the Republic of Georgia (located next to Russia and Turkey in the Caucasus region) and was orphaned at 12 years old. Thanks to constant hard work, dedication, and a strong desire to succeed, I got a chance to enroll and graduate with honors from a top French business school. After graduating, I started my career in a social media management position at L’Oréal. Since I was responsible for the social media strategy of a L’Oreal brand, I spent a lot of time doing research on Instagram which I eventually turned into a side hustle. Two years later I left my job to work on my fashion and lifestyle blog full time.

What inspired you to start your business?

I used to see Instagram posts and photographs that were so poorly executed and I would think to myself “I can do way better than that!!” That’s how I began developing the KATIE ONE App as a reaction to all the poorly designed photo apps on the market and the fact that photo maps weren’t even a feature. These were improvements and upgrades that we needed so much for improved content creation.

Where is your business based?

We are a content creation and digital software company based in Paris, France.

How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?

Initially, I had spent months researching online to see if there were a photo map and editing app all in one. There wasn’t. I thought “This is crazy!” Such a massive industry and there is not a single solution out there to help users like me save time and guarantee to find the best photo locations around the world. I realized there was definitely an opportunity to create something to help people. I started to work on it right away and the first thing I did was look for people with a technical background who could collaborate on building the app.

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?

For me, it’s content creation for multiple social media platforms (Instagram and TikTok) and partnering with influencers for content creation and promotion. 

What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?

There are significant challenges caused by the pandemic and the situation the world is in right now. We haven’t overcome these challenges yet, but we’ve introduced new solutions. For example, since most people cannot travel right now and they can’t enjoy the interactive map to the fullest, we introduced educational guides and programs to teach photography and stay creative even while being at home.

How do you stay focused?

Minimizing multitasking and training my brain to stay focused!

How do you differentiate your business from the competition?

We are highly focused on providing solutions for our customers. We saw the gap in the market and created a product that fully satisfies our customers’ needs. With the KATIE ONE App, our users have the best solution for photo and video content creation.

 What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?

So far, influencer marketing!

What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?

Do work that you care about. There’s no doubt that running a business takes a lot of time. Steve Jobs noted that the only way to be satisfied in your life is to do work that you truly believe in.

What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?

The KATIE ONE App for photo and video editing! I use it daily for my content creation! Lifehacker is one of my favorite blogs because it mixes technology, productivity, and life hacks. My favorite book is usually the one I happen to be reading. At the moment, I’m rereading “Amok” by Stefan Zweig.

What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?

I can’t live without Gmail or messenger apps like Telegram and WhatsApp (the best and the fastest way to get in touch with our employees). And I would be lost without Adobe Creative Cloud apps that I use on a daily basis for content creation. They have the best software for creators.

Who is your business role model? Why?

Charlotte Tilbury is one of my business role models because she has done an incredible job of building an e-commerce empire. She has worked so hard to build her social media following and business by insightfully recognizing a gap in the market (that also happened to be one of her own needs) and fulfilling it by successfully bringing that product to market.

How do you balance work and life?

This is challenging. My Instagram feed was the start of everything for me, and it has developed into an online blog, complete with Instagram stories (which is basically an additional platform in itself these days) and TikTok videos. As soon as I channel a little more energy into one social platform, the others fall behind. I try not to take on too much work and delegate as much as possible so I can focus only on things that are really important and enjoy the weekend and free time as well. 

What’s your favorite way to decompress?

Taking a day off! That’s what I’m doing today. It doesn’t necessarily mean going on vacation or traveling for me. I am just going to veg out and allow myself to calm down and center myself.

 What do you have planned for the next six months?

We recently hit a milestone of 150,000 users of my editing app, KATIE ONE, only a few months after its launch. We are extremely happy that we were able to reach that huge number even in the middle of the pandemic. Currently, we are working hard to introduce new, exciting features in the app over the next few months! We are also working on introducing new fall and holiday collections for my jewellery line.

How can our readers connect with you?

Follow me on Instagram for daily life and travel: @katie.one

For photography tips: @katieoneapp

I also share funny content on TikTok: @katie.one

And detailed blog posts with insider tips on the blog: www.katieone.com

"You might be able to make the best, most delicious cupcakes in the entire world, but that doesn’t mean you’re going to be good at running a bakery" with Kim Hefner

Kim Hefner is the owner and photographer at Wild and Found Photography.  Based out of Denver, Colorado, Kim specializes in photographing adventurous couples sessions, including elopements, microweddings, proposals, and engagements.

Can you tell our readers about your background?

My background in photography started when I was pretty young. My dad was always a big photography buff and hobbyist, so my brothers and I had cameras in our hands from a young age. He started giving us little disposable cameras (if you remember those!) for every family vacation when I was probably 7 or 8, and then I got upgraded to a digital camera when I was about 13. I still have some of the printed photos from those disposable cameras, and they are pretty awful, as you might expect! Ha!

What inspired you to start your business?

I actually did not start my business until after age 30, in the midst of a career crisis. I went to school for accounting, but at a certain point, my accounting career stopped being fulfilling to me. I struggled for a couple of years to figure out what I actually wanted to do.  As the cliché goes, life is short, and I wanted to spend my days in a way that aligned with my goals and values.

Finding out that adventure elopements were an actual thing is what inspired me to start my business. It was the perfect combination of my passion for the outdoors, photography, and business.  

Even more than that, as someone who also never loved the idea of a big, traditional wedding for myself, it felt great to be able to empower couples to choose a wedding day that actually felt right to them and represented who they are.

I was able to offer couples a way to live in alignment with their values for one of the most special days in their life, and live in alignment with my own goals and values through my career at the same time.

Where is your business based?

My business is based out of Denver, Colorado, but I am usually traveling to somewhere else within the state to get those epic mountain photos! I do also travel to other states, as well as internationally for destination sessions. My favorite destination location that I’ve shot in was Costa Rica for a proposal at the most amazing blue-green waterfall.

How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?

I first got started with my business by taking photos of friends and relatives. As a professional photographer, it’s hard to ask clients to pay you to do a type of work that you’ve never done before. So the very first step that I took (and that I recommend to other aspiring photographers) is to get out there and start shooting what you want to shoot.

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?

Thus far, content marketing and learning how to effectively implement SEO principles into my website have been the most effective ways of raising awareness for my brand. This is particularly true in the area of adventure elopements and proposals. These are areas of photography where clients really benefit from working with someone that can help them as more than just a photographer, using planning resources (i.e., content) that I’ve created. I’ve created many resources to help couples, such as planning guides for popular Colorado elopement locations, or an article on how to craft the perfect proposal speech. Many of my clients have found me through these resources.

What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?

One of the biggest challenges for me has been overcoming my social anxiety and stage fright when it comes to the initial phone calls with potential clients. These initial phone calls are so important because it’s the time when the couple gets to know you to see if you’re a good fit. It’s also the chance to communicate your value and what you offer for clients that other photographers don’t. So it’s an absolutely crucial step.

But it definitely doesn’t come naturally to me. As an introvert, I don’t really love talking about myself. It’s just something that you only get better at by doing over and over again. It gets a tiny bit easier every time. Another thing that I do to help is to take about 5 minutes after each call to reflect on how it went, what I did well, and what I could do better for next time.

How do you stay focused?

A couple of the best things I’ve found that help me stay inspired, motivated, and focused on my business are listening to TEDTalks on YouTube and reading business-related books. I try to take some time for this during my mornings a few days a week.

How do you differentiate your business from the competition?

I differentiate myself from other photographers by truly being a full-service provider.

Most wedding photographers are just going to show up to the wedding day and shoot for you. There’s really no need for them to get more involved because with traditional weddings there is usually either a wedding planner, a venue coordinator, a day-of coordinator, or at least a very involved friend or family member to help.

With elopements and microweddings, as well as proposals, sometimes as the photographer, I am the only professional my clients have to help with things like figuring out the perfect location, logistics, and timelines, figuring out permits for public lands, and finding trusted local vendors. So all of these things (and more) are included as part of all of my photography packages. It really does make a difference for my couples.

What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?

Utilizing SEO and content marketing has been the most effective way for me to grow my business.

What’s your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?

There’s a phrase I like to tell people that goes: You might be able to make the best, most delicious cupcakes in the entire world, but that doesn’t mean you’re going to be good at running a bakery.

There are many people who want to take their personal skills or talents and turn them into a business, but they don’t really approach it as if they are running a business. If you want your business to grow and make a profit, you have to treat it like a business and not a hobby. That means learning about things like marketing and business strategy, and even a little bit of things like accounting.

What’s your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?

My favorite and most used app is definitely AllTrails, which I use for finding great locations for hiking and even places to take clients! Since so many people use the app, it’s also great for checking trail conditions via user trip reports. It also has a GPS for tracking your hike as you go, so you can see your personal stats like pace, mileage, and elevation gain.

My favorite blog is Afford Anything by Paula Pant. While this blog started out as a personal finance blog, the real underlying premise is actually that every decision you make is a tradeoff. This includes not only your money but also your time and energy, so you have to make good decisions about what you do every single day. This kind of mindset is incredibly useful in both business and in life.

My favorite book is Building a Storybrand by Donald Miller. This book was so insightful and helpful when thinking through my marketing plan. It really makes you look at your product or service and think of it from the mindset of your customer, rather than from your own perspective. I highly recommend it to anyone running their own business.

What’s your favorite business tool or resource? Why?

My favorite business tool is SEMrush, an SEO tool that allows me to research what content my audience is most interested in, as well as researching my competitors, and checking in on key metrics for my own website.

Who is your business role model? Why?

One of my favorite business role models is Rand Fishkin, who went from being $500,000 in debt with his business to creating a successful and well-respected company in the SEO world, SEOMoz. 

I once heard an interview with Rand Fishkin, where he talked about something that I’ll never forget now that I have my own business. He talked about how most people, even those who seem very successful, are muddling through things more than you think.

When I started my business and even today, I often find myself feeling like I am muddling through. And even more than that I compare myself to local competitors who are much more established than me. In these times, I’ve found this lesson to be a source of motivation. I remind myself that all of these other entrepreneurs were doing the same thing at one point and probably still are. It’s totally normal to be muddling your way through entrepreneurship and to make mistakes. Even if you don’t know exactly what you’re doing now, just keep going, because that’s the way you grow yourself and your business. 

How do you balance work and life?

Learning to balance work and life is something I’m definitely still working on! My business and its success mean so much to me that I’ve often found myself sacrificing personal time in instances where I never would have so when working in the corporate world. I’m trying to work on putting personal time first in the day, such as working out in the morning before I even start my work.

What’s your favorite way to decompress?

My favorite way to decompress is to go for a long, challenging hike—without my camera! When I have my camera with me, I’m always thinking about getting shots. I can’t help myself! So going without it forces me to let go a bit and just enjoy nature.  And if it’s cold outside, I like to treat myself to a hot tub session afterward, which is extra relaxing.

What do you have planned for the next six months?

Over the next six months, I have lots of elopements coming up! There are still so many couples who have decided to postpone or cancel their wedding due to COVID, and I’ve been lucky enough to work with many of these who still want to get married!

Outside of my client work, I’ll continue to create even more resources for clients who are planning elopements and proposals. I’m also currently working on becoming a Leave No Trace Certified Photographer. For photographers that work outdoors on public lands, Leave No Trace is crucial to preserving the places we love so we can continue to take couples to these beautiful locations and photography them.

How can our readers connect with you?

I’d love for readers to connect with me on Instagram at @wildandfoundphoto or on Twitter at @wildfoundphoto. I’m also on Facebook (Wild and Found Photography), and finally, my website (https://wildandfoundphoto.com/) is also a great place to learn more about me and my photography!

Q&A with Graphic Designer & Photographer, Anna McNaught

Anna McNaught is a published graphic designer and photographer originally from the east coast and now living in Los Angeles, California.  After graduating Ithaca College with a degree in photography and design, Anna Moved to the west coast to pursue a career in the arts. Her photography and design work came together as she began creating surreal-fantasy images in Photoshop.  Anna is the founder of The Liked Photo, a blog for photographers and business owners looking to learn photography and grow their brands on Instagram.  

Can you tell our readers about your background? 

I have an artist background from day one. Surrounded by art my whole life, it was only natural for me to become a photographer and graphic designer.  I have always had a vivid sense of imagination and I believe that stems from my roots of growing up on 40 acres of land with nothing to do other than get lost in the woods and play make-believe!

What inspired you to start your business? 

After growing my photography on Instagram, I wanted to give back to my community.  So I started The Liked Photo to teach others what I have learned over the past few years of being a freelance photographer and fulltime graphic designer.  I wanted to teach others that they can easily grow a business through Instagram and online and escape the 9-5 if they so desire. I believe that there is a whole world out there waiting to be explored and with the power of online marketing, we can get away from our desks and computers and do the things we've always wanted to do. 

Where is your business based?

All over the world! Since it's an online business, I can take it anywhere that I go - but currently, I am located in Los Angeles and so is my business. 

How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?

I spent a lot of time pre-planning ideas and putting lots of hours into ideas that failed.  I have always had an entrepreneurial mindset and when I came up with the idea for The Liked Photo, it just clicked! (no photographer pun intended). The major step I took and continue to take every day was to invest time and money in my education. I've learned more in the past year of starting my business than I did in my 4 years of college!! I also try to test new ideas and concepts and see what works. 

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business? 

Instagram!  I try to constantly connect with my audience and offer lots of value. I also sell prints at weekend art fairs and that has been a great way to raise awareness. 

What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them? 

My biggest challenges have always been, self-doubt, imposture syndrome (feeling as though I don't know enough about what I'm teaching), and shiny object syndrome (information overload and signing up for too many courses). I have overcome these by reminding myself that there are different levels to everything. I'm sure there have been countless CEO's that have doubted themselves and their abilities to do what they do but if they didn't push through, we wouldn't have some of the companies that we have all come to know and love.  It's a matter of perspective.  As for Shiny object syndrome, I still struggle with that!

How do you stay focused?

By making lots of to-do lists!! The best thing for me and my best advice for others is to step away from the project when you're lacking focus.  I've found that a quick walk, yoga, or just taking a break will re-center my thoughts and bring me back to the task at hand. 

How do you differentiate your business from the competition? 

I try to bring my bubbly personality into The Liked Photo. There are a few other businesses that are teaching photography and Instagram marketing but we are very different.  My goal is to great a space that artists and business owners can learn, contribute, and share their ideas. 

What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business? 

Using email opt-ins on my blog posts and offering something of value for free, has been very helpful.  I'm able to capture email leads while the reader receives a free checklist, ebook, etc.

I think business/blog owners, forget the importance of growing an email list but to do so, you should offer something to your customer for free. 

What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs? 

Spend lots of time learning your skill or craft. Education is so important whether it's through an accredited program or just learning online.  I would not be where I am now if it wasn't for how much I read, watch, and absorb.  And then, just do it!! take the leap and start your business and test, test, test.  

What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?

Favorite app - Instagram of course!

blog- Neil Patel and Melyssa Griffin - They both offer so much value and have been my go-to resources. They are also awesome people, down to earth and easy to talk to.

book - Non-business: 1000 Splendid Suns; Business: 4-hour Workweek - It's a great book to reevaluate how and where we are spending our time.  We can get double the amount of work done in half the time if we take out the hours of putzing around. It also talks about how we shouldn't wait until we are 65 to retire and see the world which I fully agree with!

What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?

There are a lot but I absolutely love ConvertKit for emailing. It's easy to use, clean and simple interface, and makes opt-in forms, automation, and funnels a breeze.  I also love ClickFunnels for again, the ease of use, and Squarespace for websites. 

Who is your business role model? Why? 

Again, there are a lot but off the top of my head, Neil Patel. He's started a whole digital marketing empire and really knows his stuff.  He is a genius when it comes to numbers and outsourcing to get the tasks done.  I had the pleasure of meeting him last week and listening to his q & a session.  He is a down to earth guy who came from nothing and learned all of this on his own. 

What do you have planned for the next six months? 

I'm planning on launching my first premium course about Instagram for business owners. This will teach businesses how to grow their brand on Instagram and triple their revenue. I also plan on creating more content, increasing revenue, and create a thriving community.  Oh... and plan my wedding!!! :)

How can our readers connect with you?

You can see my work on Instagram - @annamcnaughty, read the blog www.thelikedphoto.com   or email me anna@amcnaught.com