May 15, 2017

Meet Molly LaCroix of Molly Anne Photography in Norwood

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Molly LaCroix.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I was working a corporate job and was not happy at all. Every Sunday I would feel sick to my stomach knowing I was going to have to go to work the next day. It was such an unrewarding job that was sucking the life out of me. I remember sitting at my desk thinking “if I could do ANYTHING what would it be”. I had two or three things on my list but, photography was number one. The next day I started to think about how I could actually do this. I didn’t even have a camera at this point. I knew I loved photos and I loved getting lost in blog posts. First thing I did was buy a camera and start shooting random stuff around the house and at the beach where I spent a ton of my time in the summer. That in itself was so therapeutic to me. I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed it. I started a little blog about my photos and NOBODY looked at it but it was fun for me. A friend of mine asked if I would take some photos of her family and I said “sure why not, but I have no clue what I am doing. I have only taken landscape photos”. That was the shoot that changed everything. I photographed her family and then posted it to Facebook. She has three siblings so they were all tagged in the post. I got so many emails from that one session. I started shooting families in late 2009 for about $50 and then started to realize that this could actually happen. I began reaching out to the photographers whose blogs I had been following. I asked for any advice that they were willing to give. Out of the twenty or so photographers I contacted about seven got back to me with amazing pointers that to this day I follow. One of the photographers I had emailed actually reached out to me to see if I would second shoot for her. I nearly died because I had absolutely NOTHING to show her. I have zero clue why she even thought to ask me. I ended up saying yes, and shoot a few with her that year. People started to email me to shoot their weddings in 2010, which I was so excited about but so scared. I was only used to shooting little family sessions, and only had a few second shooting gigs under my belt. Running an entire wedding was a totally different ballgame. Why these couples trusted me I have no idea. To this day I owe them everything. Without them I wouldn’t be where I am. We would meet at cafes and I would show them family photos. I had NOTHING else. They saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself. In 2011 I sat down with my boyfriend at the time (now husband) and we talked about what he next steps should be. I was still working full time. I would come home on my lunch break to edit, and at night I would edit until 2AM. He convinced me to take the leap and have faith in myself. So, on May 11th 2011 I walked out of corporate life forever. It was one of the scariest but happiest days ever. Six years later I have almost tripled my revenue and am now in a beautiful studio space in Norwood, MA.

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?
When you work in corporate you have an HR person to handle your insurance, an IT person to help you when NOTHING will work, and an accounting team to deal with taxes. For me the struggles came from learning how to actually run a business. There is more that goes into it than just taking pictures. I had never imagined it would be so hard. Setting up a system to take credit cards, paying quarterlies and monthly sales tax. Getting insurance and figuring out how to fix your computer when it doesn’t work. I didn’t even know how to install the software to edit my photos. There were so many nights when I just wanted to give up. It was too hard. I had no clue what I was doing and it was so frustrating. Every time I would figure out one thing something else would pop up and be an issue. My business grew so fast that it was hard for me to keep up. I typically like to do things slowly so I don’t get overwhelmed, but I didn’t have that option. I can’t tell you how many times I would say “next year at this time things will be figured out and I won’t be so overwhelmed.”

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Molly Anne Photography – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Molly Anne Photography specializes in wedding/portrait photography. When I first started the one thing that was important to me was being able to provide clients with an amazing experience from beginning to end. My goal was for everyone to feel comfortable with me and trust me. I didn’t want to be the photographer next door that you would book and not talk to or see until your wedding. I wanted to be different. I wanted my clients to feel like I was their friend. I wanted to be in touch with them from the moment they booked me throughout the entire process. To this day I can honestly say that is what I am most proud of. I have lived by that rule since the day I started Molly Anne Photography. Every time I get a thank you note or a review my clients always say what a great experience they had and how comporting was to hem. I have had parents contact me saying they felt like I was part of the family. My clients literally buy me gifts, which blows my mind. I think I stand out from other photographers because I put my heart and soul into every wedding and my clients know this and appreciate it so much. My referral rate is so high and it honestly makes me incredibly proud.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
Each year I keep pushing myself to further the client experience. I am working on in person sales to be sure that all of my couples receive the best products that they deserve. That is my 2017 project. After that who knows. The options are endless as long as you have people behind you that believe in you.

Pricing: