Today we’d like to introduce you to Lyndsie Lord.
Lyndsie, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I have always known I wanted to be a photographer, I’ve had a camera for as far back as I can remember and it really all started because of my dad who was constantly taking pictures of our family. Makeup became more prominent in high school, I was always doing my friend’s makeup for homecoming, prom or just for fun. I can’t remember exactly when I decided that I loved makeup, but growing up my mom was a cosmetologist and I would always steal her makeup and play with it for hours. I honestly don’t even know how I learned because it just came so naturally to me. I definitely have my parents to thank for helping shape me into the person I am today.
As far as starting my own business, about four years ago I was working two jobs, seven days a week just to make ends meet. I remember being exhausted and really frustrated working so hard to build someone else’s dream, or to sustain someone else’s business and never feeling fulfilled. I finally decided that, if I could put that much effort and hard work into something that I wasn’t passionate about, imagine what I could build with something that I was insanely passionate about! Lucky for me, I had just found a job where I could (for the most part) make my own schedule and had the weekends free (FINALLY). So, I detailed 18 wheelers for 6 months while I worked weddings on the weekends to build my portfolio. It’s definitely something to laugh about now, but sometimes you have to do things that you don’t particularly love in order to get to where you want to be. In this case, it allowed me to kickstart my dream job!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I think the biggest struggle for me was accepting that I was a legitimate business, that I was talented and that I deserved to be successful. The hardest part is getting out of your own head and not having the confidence at the beginning, and really learning to believe in yourself. It’s a huge change going from always working for someone else/another business to working for yourself and promoting your own business, you almost feel like a con artist at first haha. The saying “fake it til’ ya make it” ran through my head quite a few times during the first year, but eventually everything becomes natural and the excitement of doing what you love really sets in.
The most important piece of advice that I can give to anyone, but especially women, is to truly believe in yourself because not everyone will. I had a boyfriend at the time when I first started out, that when I told him I was going to start my own business, he just laughed at me. People will think you’re crazy for jumping out on your own, they won’t believe you until you actually make something of yourself, and that can be a tough place to be when you first start out. But using their doubt as fuel for the fire is the best thing you can do, if it feels right and it makes you happy, at the end of the day, the only opinion that matters is your own.
Please tell us about La Boutique Photography & Makeup Artistry.
I absolutely love what I do, I’m a photographer and a makeup artist and I specialize mostly in weddings, engagements, couples, and Boudoir, but I branch out every once in a while and photograph/ do makeup for musicians. Depending on the day, I’ll either do both Makeup and Photography for a wedding or one or the other, which can make for a long but extremely exciting day!
La Boutique was just an idea and a dream that turned into a pretty cool reality! The main focus for my business is to give something real and genuine to anyone who hires me. Whether it’s photographs on your wedding day that you’ll look back on forever, or a flawless makeup look on the best day of your life. I don’t want to just give people a product, I want to give them an amazing experience that they’ll always remember, and if they can walk away feeling like they’ve just made a friend, then I’ve done my job!
There’s a wealth of academic research that suggests that lack of mentors and networking opportunities for women has materially affected the number of women in leadership roles. Smart organizations and industry leaders are working to change this, but in the meantime, do you have any advice for finding a mentor and building a network?
Reaching out to people who are working in the same business or that have had similar paths is so helpful. Just having someone to talk to about your struggles, and successes with can make a tremendous difference in your day, but having that person/mentor to ask questions to or have their advice on certain situations is key. For me, joining Facebook groups, or even just reaching out to someone and saying “Hi” and introducing yourself has led me to some beautiful connections. It can seem intimidating at first but 9 times out of 10 you’re probably going to make a new friend! I’ve found that photographers and makeup artists, we’ve all been there, so connecting about our passions comes so easily, and who doesn’t want to talk about what they love!
Pricing:
- Wedding Photography begins at $2000
- Bridal Makeup begins at $125
Contact Info:
- Website: www.laboutiquephotographyandmakeup.com
- Email: laboutique.photo.mua@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laboutique.photo.mua/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaBoutiquePhotoMua/
Image Credit:
Laura Mae, AB Photography – www.abphotographynh.com, La Boutique Photography
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Aunt Beth
February 20, 2019 at 9:37 pm
This is my amazing neice! She is a beautiful, strong woman who has so much passion for her work and the people she touches through her photography. It is so rewarding to see her dreams become a reality!