Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Heather Gallagher, Owner of Heather Gallagher Photography & Doula Care, located in Winooski, VT, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
My business is Heather Gallagher Photography & Doula Care. Although I may use different modalities in each practice, ultimately, I am a witness and provide my client(s) with a container to experience life transitions without judgment and to be seen wholly. As a doula, I support pregnant people, families in postpartum, those experiencing abortion, and people at the end of life. As a photographer, I document many of the same life experiences and more, as well as create humanizing imagery for businesses and brands. So who are my customers? Anyone. Everyone!
Tell us about yourself
I started using photography as a young child as a simplified and exact way to communicate with my mother, who is a deaf Chinese refugee and immigrant with limited ASL and English language comprehension. I continue to use it as a tool to tell universal and personal stories across the spectrum of life experiences from birth to death to remind myself and anyone who will listen that we are all more alike than different.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Being invited to witness and support people during their most intimate moments never, ever gets old. The second it does, I'll know I can't do this work anymore, but I don't see this happening.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
It's a well-worn topic for a good reason. The work/life balance, especially as a parent, is a challenge to say the least. I find it helpful not to have the expectation that the two will ever be truly balanced in a 50/50 sense but that with healthy boundaries and a clear idea of your priorities (which may evolve over time), you can find a harmony that ebbs and flows with the seasons of life.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
Save all your receipts, read contracts and make sure people read yours, and practice what you preach.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.heathergallagher.co/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeatherGallagherPhotography
Instagram (Photography): https://www.instagram.com/heather.gallagher/
Instagram (Doula Care): https://www.instagram.com/lifesaspectrum/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heathergallagher1/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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