Have you ever had dealings with people where you just get the feeling that they just want something from you? I’ve dealt with my fair share of inauthentic people and it’s never nice to deal with people who don’t have your best interest at heart or are only nice to you when they want/need something. That’s why I want to make sure that I bring my whole, genuine self to every aspect of my life, including my business. It means what you see is what you get.
It’s taken me a lot of thinking, praying and more thinking before I stepped out and launched my wedding photography business. I knew that I wanted to shoot, I knew that I wanted to write. But what could I possibly write about? My adventures and landscapes? How would that help or make a positive impact on anyone? Maybe it could help give people ideas on where their next adventure could be?; it wasn’t until I shot my first wedding for my friend’s, Liz and Liwa that I realised that weddings was where my heart lies and what I wanted to build my business around. Not to make a quick buck.. sure we all need money to live.. but it’s about so much more than that.
To me, it was a way I could reach and serve people, to impact their lives in a positive way and to use my gift of photography to bless them – I’m not saying I’m the best photographer out there; every day I’m learning, I’m refining and I’m practising to become the best I can be and to deliver the best images for the client’s I’m privileged enough to work with. I definitely know that the way I treat people, the way I interact with them will be different from the rest. And all those pretty details, the joy and the happiness of the day are just THE BEST to shoot! It gets my creative juices flowing!
If there’s anything I’ve learnt from working as a Client Experience Manager in the corporate world, it’s that it’s about how you make people feel that impacts them the most. Sure you need to deliver a great product too, but if their experience with you is poor, so what? To me, the most rewarding thing is not just for my clients to love the images I produce for them, but it’s so important to me that the way I make them feel during the whole journey with me and the impact I have on their lives when I work with them, makes a lasting impression for all the right reasons. So what does that mean for my business and for my future clients?
Authenticity and Integrity
Remember those fake girls / guys from high school? Yeah, those guys were never nice, they were only ever nice to you when they wanted something from you.. Or what about that annoying car salesman who will do anything to get you sign the contract before you leave? That is NOT the person I ever want to be. That means I take pride in being authentic and operating with integrity. It means I’d let go of a potential booking if we aren’t the right fit for one another, because at the end of the day, I care about the relationship I have with my clients and I only want them to have the best experience possible with me.
Trust
Building trust is important to me and I’m sure it’s important for my clients as well. Imagine paying for a service and then getting someone who isn’t who they say they are, who doesn’t show up, or who doesn’t even care.. NIGHTMARE! I NEVER want to be that person. Building trust with my clients means a lot to me.. It means keeping promises, it means meeting and exceeding deadlines, it means showing up and bringing my whole self and always with a positive attitude! It means ensuring that the trust that my clients put in me is never, ever broken.
I’m here to help…
My whole purpose is to serve people and build relationships, which means making sure that I not only produce beautiful images for my clients, but that I’m here to help and serve them.. It means that I like to be involved, to be hands on (but not in an obtrusive way). It means that I like to be available for advice, to help with timelines, locations, etc. or just for a good old chat.
I could go on and on about why I do this, but at the end of the day, it’s because being passionate about what I do is important, people and relationships are important, businesses built on authenticity and integrity are important and those things combined are what drives me.
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