Today we’d like to introduce you to Anna Zajac.
Anna, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I went to school for design in Ohio and was really passionate about graphic design. Wedding photography was just something I did as a college job. I worked for this terrible studio while I was a student and learned a lot from these two guys that ran the wedding photography studio near Cleveland. I did all their dirty work for them; I carried their equipment and would upload images for them.
Eventually, I turned into a second shooter, and then it came to the point where they offered me a full-time position and I said no.
For one, I thought I would just be a graphic designer, and two, I thought I could just do it myself. I could just shoot weddings on my own, have a much better time, and get way cooler clients. That’s kind of what I did the last two years of college. I had a lot of fun doing that, but always in the back of my mind, I just thought that this was for while I was a student and I’ll just be doing graphic design for the rest of my life.
My dream job at the end of school was to work for a branding and marketing agency, so I applied all over Ohio and heard nothing back and was really disappointed. Then I started applying out of state and ended up applying at a company called VSA Partners in Chicago, thinking that this huge agency probably wouldn’t even get back to me. Little did I know, a guy I had gone to school with was a creative director at this agency. When my application came through, he said he knew me and the interview process was very fast. I submitted the application, two days later they called me, and then I had a follow-up an interview about a week later. Then about a day after that second interview, I was offered a job and I hadn’t even graduated from school yet. I was getting my dream job and I was freaking out and I was moving to Chicago, which I had never visited. I came to Chicago the week I was supposed to walk at graduation and found an apartment, then moved two weeks later.
I got to the agency and was really happy and thankful, and kind of just forgot about wedding photography for a while. It wasn’t until I was at the design job for six months when I had a shift in perspective and this ah-ha moment of “wow, I’m actually way more passionate about photography than I am designing.” It was very eye-opening for me because I thought I landed my dream job, but this was not what I’m that passionate about compared to my peers. If I’m looking at my skill set and who I am as a person, then maybe being a designer doesn’t match up with who I really am.
I stayed at the agency for a while, and after about a year, I made a plan to leave. I wanted to try booking a full season of weddings and thought I would freelance design if I needed to. That following year, I did social collaborations with friends on weekends and photographed events trying to meet people and learn about the city. I worked hard on my website, releasing a new portfolio. I tried to save three months of living expenses, which was really hard to do. By the time that year was over, I was ready to leave, and it was so hard saying goodbye to this great job. I felt foolish and stressed out thinking about if I would fail.
That first season after leaving my job, I only had 18 weddings booked, which if you’re looking at the wedding world, most people shoot between 20-35 weddings a year. So, 18 was good but not great; it was a little risky. I feel very grateful that right after I left my job I was really busy because I had those weddings booked, but there were some very scary moments being self-employed. Thankfully, I had amazing clients that referred me to their friends. Every year since this is my fourth season now being full-time has gotten better. Now, I take about 30 weddings on per year, and I have to close my doors at 30. I’m very grateful for the journey and I don’t want to forget the hard work that went into laying the foundation for it. People don’t realize that when they see a brand or a business, they just see the outward picture, but there’s so much unglamorous hard work.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Through this whole time, it’s so easy to compare. Personally, whenever you’re doing anything, it’s so easy to begin to have these peers around you and compare, especially on social media. I struggle with that to this day. Being more concerned with the work you’re making and less concerned with how many people are liking it and who’s seeing it is so important. The more you can have your own awareness of what you are doing, especially if it’s honest and moving you forward, is important.
Early on, finances were a huge risk. I’m very grateful for what I had saved from my full-time job. Having those three months of living expenses was a tremendous help in the beginning. Every year has gotten easier because I know how to prepare for the next year, but in the very beginning money was a huge concern.
Being a first-time business owner, there are expenses that come up that you don’t think about. If you’re a registered LLC in the state of Illinois, you have to pay about $500 every year just to have that. Those things that come at the beginning of every year that you might not factor in in the first year. The more you save, the more you have freedom. It’s so important early on to have additional sources of income, whether that be dog walking or working in a coffee shop or driving for Uber. Having those additional sources of income does help because it gives you the freedom to say no to work that might not make sense to your brand.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Now, that I’m a little more established in my business and I’m around weddings so much, I’m most inspired by anything unrelated to the wedding industry. It’s so important to bring those other aspects back into the industry. Instead of looking at shoots or other photographers, I try to look at art or what other people are doing through ceramics or textiles or other creative business owners and seeing how they approach their business and try to translate that back into what I do. It makes me feel more refreshed and keeps me fresh in my work. I really love looking at the work of Vivian Maier or Julie Pointer Adams.
I think what sets my work apart from other companies is that I really take the time to invest in my clients on a relational level. I think that makes my work feel more intimate and candid because the trust between me and my clients is already there.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I wanted to be a businesswoman carrying a briefcase downtown. I laugh at the thought of that now, but I also think it’s funny that I had the heart for being an entrepreneur at a young age.
Contact Info:
- Website: annazajacweddings.com
- Email: anna@annazajacweddings.com
- Instagram: @anna.zajac.weddings
Image Credit:
Anna Zajac Weddings
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