Meet Ashley Dietze

 

We recently connected with Ashley Dietze and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Ashley, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?

I would say it’s a mixture of just life experiences and watching my parents. Growing up, I watched my parents go through struggle after struggle and still do everything in their power to make sure my siblings and I have the best life possible. They have taught us so much about strength and boldness while still remaining humble and kind. My dad is a business owner as well and he started growing it when I was little so seeing him also go through the growing pains of taking a risk, getting knocked down and building back up has always been a huge inspiration. I also say life experiences because I have had many people tell me that I’ll never be good enough or I’ll never make it. While it hurt to hear, I eventually used that as fuel to my fire to work even harder and to prove that I can make a difference. I know the kind of person I am and I know that I have worked hard for every single thing I have. I have always stayed true to myself and done what’s right instead of what people think I should do. My dad taught me that your morals are the foundation of your business and people work with you because they value what you stand for. Reminding myself that every day is what keeps me resilient through the hard times.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I started my photography business when I was a senior in High school back in 2017. A couple friends of mine needed senior pictures done, but not financially in a position to pay for someone professional. Seeing the joy on their faces when they saw their photos really sparked something in me to continue down this path. I was soon booking families, more seniors, engagements, etc. and keeping my prices low so that people who can’t afford an arm and a leg, could still capture their memories. I am also a full time K-12 Art Teacher and being able to help others follow their dreams and realize their potential is something that keeps my creative brain going. My students are such an inspiration to me, so I am looking forward to watching them grow in their skills and confidence! Coming up, I have several bookings with new clients in between teaching as well as hoping to continue growing and gaining more clientele!

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Stay humble, Be true to who you are, and if you want it, put in the work for it. It’s scary to put yourself out there and hope that people take a chance on you. Embrace a growth mindset and seek feedback from others. It’s scary but, constructive criticism helps you understand your strengths and areas needing improvement. Take that feedback and reflect on your progress and experiences. Lastly, have fun and don’t lose yourself in the stress of work. It can be really easy to be motivated by money and acknowledgement, but people want to work with people who are kind and humble as well as talented. With that being said too, don’t get lazy. If you want it to work and you are willing to put in the time and energy into it, you will be successful in every way.

What is your biggest challenge or struggle right now?

My biggest challenge at the moment is establishing myself in a new area. A year ago, I moved to a new city 2 hours away from everything I know in order to do my teaching job. As a small business/independent contractor, it’s hard to find clientele in a totally different area that I haven’t advertised in. When I’m not teaching, I am doing my best to try and get my name out there and get more people to want to work with me. All in good time though!

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Ashley Dietze Photography

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