In celebration of National Small Business Week (May 12th-16th) we sat down with five members to hear about their story, passions, impact, and businesses. The fourth member featured in our interview series is Shawna Parks, Photographer and Founder of Shawna Parks Photography. Shawna started her business seven years ago and has been an active Hera Hub member since 2013.
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What was the inspiration behind your business?
Like a lot of female photographers, I started out taking pictures of my kids. My husband is a broadcast news photographer, so taking snap shot quality pictures wasn’t an option. I’ve always been creative, and I found that I had an eye for photography. My friends began to encourage me to take pictures of other people. This came at a time in my life when I needed something to be about me. Fo so many years, I was Todd’s wife or Miller and Allie’s mom.Todd encouraged me and I started taking some online photography classes. Which became online Photoshop classes and so on. I’m entirely self taught.
How has your professional background prepared you for entrepreneurship/your small business?
Honestly, my professional background really didn’t give me much of an edge in photography, but did give me the organization & people skills that I would later need as a business owner. I didn’t leave my office work behind. My husband also owns his own business, and I do the bookkeeping for both of our businesses.
I did sell Stampin’ Up! (rubber stamps and supplies for paper crafts) for a few years. I did pretty well at it and I really enjoyed it. It didi teach me to sell without being pushy or icky and to speak to groups of people. It gave me a little taste of what it would be like to run my own business.
What is the most rewarding part of owning your own business?
There are so many rewarding aspects of being a photographer. There is the creativity for sure. But there is the first look at the images when they are being downloaded onto my computer. It NEVER fails to leave me with a huge smile on my face. The other is watching my clients look through their proofs for the first time. The expressions on their faces. The oohs and ahhhs, The “oh my gosh! This picture is exactly what I see in my mind when I think about my…husband, son, daughter. It makes me almost want to photograph the preview session!
What is the greatest challenge?
The biggest challenge is getting the phone to ring. Getting my name out there. Getting my work in front of people who value photography and what I have to offer. There are so many aspects to running your own business.. So many hats to wear. Photographer and editor being the least of those. It’s the website building. The SEO. To blog or not to blog. Creating marketing pieces. Developing relationships that can further my business. And all of those things lead right back to getting in front of that potential client.
What is your life’s greatest passion? Purpose? How does your business align/support this mission?
Passion. That’s such a…passionate word! I don’t know that I can say that I have a passion. Passion to me says that what you are feeling is an all-consuming need that takes over. I think we all have different purposes at different stages of our lives. Right now my purpose is to slowly wean my two teens into adulthood with a sense of self and of right & wrong. To help them to find their purpose and place in the world. To be the example that they deserve. At the same time, planning ahead for that time when they are on their own. Growing my business into something bigger as my role as their mom gradually changes. So, I won’t find myself with an empty nest, it will just be filled with different eggs.
What about your business are most proud of?
I’m most proud of the fact that I’m doing it myself. Me. The high school educated girl from rural TN. I continue to take online classes in marketing and photography. Finding the resources I need to further my skills and my business. I’ve recently relaunched my website that I built myself. I am also proud of the high school senior model program that I have launched, with professional marketing pieces that set me apart. A program that is impressive to moms and that kids are excited to be a part of. A program that will hopefully flourish with my incoming 2015 seniors.
What is your business’ future?
Right now my goal is to become preferred photographer with Seniors Ignite. Seniors Ignite is a nationwide program for senior portrait photographers and their high school senior models. I want to be the caliber of studio that is part of a carefully chosen group of portrait photographers and have my photography and models compete in their national model program. Accepted studios can submit models into the national Seniors Ignite Model contest. Winning models will be able to attend the national Seniors Ignite event each spring to model for some of the most talented senior portrait photographers in the nation. It is TRULY the experience of a lifetime!!!
Visit Shawna Parks Photography by clicking here and give her Facebook page a thumbs up!
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Shawna Park‘s interview is part of Hera Hub’s Small Business Week Feature. San Diego is home to some incredible small businesses and we are proud to say that many of them are Hera Hub members.
