Today we’d like to introduce you to Meghan Iasielo.
Meghan , please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Is this the part where I make myself sound much “cooler” than I really am? 😉 I never exactly had that “AHA!” moment for when I knew, I wanted to be a photographer but I did know that I always thrived with the right-side of my brain. After graduating from Bradley University with a degree in photography, I came to Chicago to start my original photography company, VDV Photography, which was a tribute to my maiden name. I maintained another full time position as the manager of a hospital newborn photography company as I tried to grow my personal photography business, with the end goal of one day being able to own and operate a full time photography company out of my house. When I was finally at that point, I quit my other job, booked a flight to Paris for fun and came home two weeks later to re-brand and re-launch my company full time. Shortly after that, Meghan Leigh, LLC was born and I have been the main photographer and business owner ever since. I have dabbled in many photography fields but I now focus on wedding, portrait and food photography and am loving every bit of my “dream come true” career.
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?
I think what most people don’t realize about small businesses (I was once one of these people) is that there is no built-in help. Sure, I had more than enough experience in photographing but who was going to handle my finances and tech support? You very quickly have to figure out a way to outsource/hire help with the business aspect or learn how to wear all of the different hats yourself. When I first started the company 10 years ago, I never had the budget to hire help, which meant all duties fell into my lap. I had to learn to be the marketer, accountant and IT specialist and handle all client relations and administrative tasks all while still resuming my role as photographer and editor.
As I’ve built and grown my business, I’ve been able to outsource some of those things and even hire interns along the way but with the help of my husband, we still primarily run it ourselves. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t the toughest part of my job – trying to find a way to balance (and learn!) all of those different duties and still keep my creative photography juices flowing.
Oh! And time management. When you have full control over your schedule, it’s both a great thing and challenging thing. I constantly have to remind myself to “turn off” work past 6 p.m. and that, it’s OK to take off a Monday or Tuesday here and there if I worked all weekend. On the contrary, if I met up with a friend for a two hour lunch, I have to be self disciplined enough to make up that time later in the day or the next.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Meghan Leigh – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Meghan Leigh is a wedding, portrait and food photography company based in Chicago but available for travel worldwide. The company focuses on personable and approachable client relationships and strives to offer a fun and easy photography experience.
I limit myself to around 15 weddings a year in order to provide the best customer service and dedication to each bride and groom and also to free up other time for restaurant and portrait photography.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
It has always been a dream of mine to own some sort of space where I can photograph and style food. Whether that be a naturally lit shed in my backyard or a lofted studio in the city, I would love to have a designated space with beautiful natural light where I can store my props and create awesome photographs.
Since, I limit myself to a certain amount of weddings, the goal is to continue to hit the max number of weddings a year and attract clients who are passionate about photography and beautiful venues all while building my reputation as one of Chicago’s most sought-after wedding photographers. In addition to photographing local Chicago weddings, I hope to continue to build a destination wedding clientele that allows me to combine two of my favorite things- photography and travel.
Pricing:
- Wedding Packages begin at $3,300
Contact Info:
- Website:Â www.meghan-leigh.com
- Email:Â meghan@meghan-leigh.com
- Instagram:Â @themeghanleigh
- Facebook:Â https://www.facebook.com/themeghanleigh/
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