THE BLOG
INTENTIONAL GROWTH CREATES STRONG ROOTS
When I first started out in the photography field, I knew very little about what it took to run a business. I had a “build it and they will come philosophy!” But I quickly learned my passion for the business would never drive profitability. So that first year of business, I earned a “street MBA” through books and experience. I had to learn, and fast!, what it takes to move the needle and keep my business alive. And over the past 20 years, I’ve never taken my focus off this.
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When you put in the work to build your business with deep roots, you create peace in your life, freedom to get back to your family, and the potential to earn your dream salary. Instead of working harder, booking out weekends, missing out on precious family time, and worrying endlessly about whether you’re doing enough, you will build a business rooted in proven systems. Stop serving your business. Start creating a business that serves you.
INTENTIONAL GROWTH CREATES STRONG ROOTS
Oh friend, I have done it all!
12 years as a wedding photographer, pre-family.
Transitioned to portraits 15 years ago after growing to a family of 5.
Along the way I have run a small portrait studio on my own; worked from home (yes, with three babes on my hip) shooting sessions on location; ran a 1,700 sqft retail portrait studio with a team of 6 (holy cow, I learned a lot); and lastly, in 2022 I bought a 2,000 sqft boutique studio offering high end portraiture.
Hi, i'm laura esmond
Mompreneur. Boss. Food lady. Photographer. Coach. Unpaid Uber driver. Passionate photographer ally.
The transition from weddings to portraits brought many challenges. Instead of weekends off and a more laid back business (what I expected), I ended up working after my kids bedtimes, bending my schedule to fit my clients needs, and constantly worrying whether I was doing enough in my business.
Feeling lost and messy, I needed to figure this portrait thing out.
So I made a list of what I wanted and why:
Weekends off so I could rest & spend time with family.
My business felt messy. I needed easy systems to respond to inquiries, book sessions, and keep my editing on schedule.
Scheduling boundaries and a gentle way to communicate them.
Pricing knowledge so I could feel comfortable with my rates.
Branding that spoke from the heart so I could stand out.
A portfolio showing only what I wanted to shoot.
A consistent salary that made a difference for my family & my own self worth.
Reliable ways to get bookings so I could worry less.
what I wanted
SINCE THEN, I've established a business that earns
$20k per month with ease.
And now, I'm sharing it all with you.
