074: Education equals growth. How to get started with Aimee Novy of Aimee Novy Photography
Education is important
Aimee Novy believes education is what sets apart the professionals from the hobbyists. Our industry is constantly changing and it can help you stay on top of the trends and stay on top of the business side of your business.
Education can come in many different ways - mentorships, online courses, in-person events, among others. In this episode, Aimee shares why she is passionate about education.
Show Notes
Starting out
Amiee started with a Facebook page and photo albums of seniors she shot while in she was in high school. She then looked for a mentor and began working towards being a paid photography. Her mentored told her to get her DBA and her official business was born! Aimee has been in business now for 8 years, and has since switched from seniors to weddings. She grew her photography business with social media and mini sessions. Aimee’s first wedding threw her some learning curves, but it gave her the taste she needed to keep pursuing that side of her business.
After getting a few weddings under her belt, she began attending bridal shows and making her business more professional with insurance and changing to an LLC. Aimee spent her down time between shoots and classes learning as much as she could about the industry and her client experience. She believes you have to be one step ahead of everyone else.
Learning more about the industry
The education side of her business has always been something that was important to her. She wanted to go beyond just a few extra credit hours in college. Aimee found the Academy Online when looking for information on getting her masters and dove in head first. The industry (all industries, really) are always changing and growing, so it is best to always be learning. Education is what differentiates you as a professional. It can give you workflows, solutions to common industry issues. It takes your passion and turns it into a career. This is what drives Aimee: knowing she can support her family with her career.
In-person learning
Aimee has attended Wedding MBA in Vegas for the past two years and discovered Two Bright Lights. Learning that she needed to publish her photos also helped grow her business. Wedding MBA taught her a lot about SEO and reminded her that she has to do more than just take photos. After Wedding MBA, she attended more bridal shows and was able to book 10 weddings right away.
Why education is important
There are many people out there that feel like they can just pick up a point and shoot and become successful. While it is a great place to start, Aimee saw the growth in her business once she started investing in education. Education taught Aimee to treat her clients as people and not just paychecks. She realized it is a lot more about building relationships with them along the way. Couples will choose people they connect with and having mentors helped Aimee to figure this out.
Investing in education
There isn’t a perfect time or place to invest in your business. Aimee suggests starting small with a mentor before getting involved in a long term program. If you can afford to do it and it fits in your schedule, pick an education method that fits your life and business. Don’t allow it to overwhelm you and hinder your growth. There is always something else to learn and you can pick small areas to grow in as your time allows. Aimee says to never compare your business to others because you’re all still learning.
Aimee’s five favorite places to learn
Online classes and courses
Podcasts in your niche
Pinterest articles on blogging and SEO
Online guides from educational photographers
1:1 workshops with locals in your area
We mentioned
The Photographer Academy Online - Matt and Carissa
KJ Branding Course (inside The Photographer Academy)
Amy Jordan’s Complete Wedding Process (also inside the Academy)
About Aimee
Hey there, I'm Aimee Novy a french toast bagel- loving , peony- obsessed , pepsi - drinking , twenty something who loves to travel and photograph beautiful weddings. Aimee Novy Photography is a published international wedding photographer, educator based in Springfield , IL . We specialize in weddings for the modern chic & adventurous couples. Some describe me as outgoing and a big ball of energy, I have a great sense of humor and enjoy laughing. I'm a romantic at heart , I love photographing weddings because there is nothing I enjoy more than capturing moments that are truly romantic and beautiful in its most perfect form. I received my Graphic Arts Degree from Robert Morris University, I started this business as a senior in high school.. who would've known that I could turn my passion into a career. I am a mother of a 3 year old boy his name is Liam . He keeps me very busy, we have three siamese cats ( Moose , Ziggler & Mickey mouse clubhouse.. yes , Liam named him LOL ).
