We were lucky to catch up with Carissa Bui recently and have shared our conversation below.
Carissa, thanks for taking the time to share your lessons with our community today. So, let’s jump right in – one of the most essential skills for unlocking our potential is self-discipline. Where does your self-discipline come from?
As the middle child of five in a homeschooling family, with a little brother on the autism spectrum, I’ve always been responsible for myself & then some. Most of the time when I tell people I was home schooled my whole life, they are surprised (which I am grateful for haha). In middle school my parents gave me the option to stay home schooled or go to our public school, & I opted to remain home schooled because of the agency it gave me.
I started working at 14, & since I did not go to school every morning, I could take morning shifts, then do my homework in the afternoon, or take a midday shift while helping my mom with my brother in the morning, then doing twice as much homework the next day, etc.
This instilled in me an bend towards entrepreneurship, because while my parents did check in some, I was always my ultimate accountability to ensure school got done, while also balancing work & extracurriculars, like dance & volleyball.
In my work today, this helps me balance the countless different tasks I have to do every day, from editing the next wedding on my queue, to meeting with upcoming clients for a happy hour while we discuss their wedding timeline, to posting on social media for marketing, to balancing my P&L. It may sound strange, but I do not think I would be as successful or self-disciplined as I am running my own business today, if it were not for how I grew up in a home schooling structure as the middle child of five.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I am a business owner based in Brooklyn New York. I’ve spent the last six years living in New York, building my dream clientele of couples who love film photography, & want their wedding day to be documented authentically, rather than in a curated or staged manner. My favorite part of my work is meeting interesting people from around the city, country, & world who I never would’ve met otherwise.
So often when one of my second photographers gets a photo on a wedding day where I am in the background taking a photo from another angle, there is a massive smile on my face. There is nothing more special than joining couples on one of the happiest days of their lives, & being fully immersed in it. To then bring those moments back to life for the couple when I deliver their wedding gallery full of digital & film images is an honor I never tire of.
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?
1) I think taking a deep dive into the niche medium of film photography has helped me stand out amongst my peers in the wedding industry. Even as film has become more popular as an offering, a deep understanding of the practice shows in our portfolio & in the quality of film we deliver our clients.
2) Flexibility is very important when building any business. While I am not perfect in this, I believe I am able to locate a problem & suggest a fix to my clients very quickly, which is something of value to them. When a wedding day falls behind or we have to work at an alternative location, or anything else interrupts the original plan, I tend to be unfazed. Additionally, my flexibility helps me to pivot when one business action plan is not working, or there are certain shifts in the wedding industry.
3) Curiosity is essential for any business owner. In my own business, it means being curious & willing to learn from your peers & mentors, as there is always more to learn from those around you. For wedding photography specifically, it means being genuinely curious about what makes each of my couples unique. Is one of you the cook while the other likes to clean? Are you a big PDA couple or could you almost pass as two friends out to dinner whenever you are on a date? Are you straight shooters who love to read or weirdos with lots of inside jokes or a mixture of both? Curiosity aids me in ensuring each couple is documented as their authentic selves.
It is so basic, but practice really does make perfect. The 10,000 hour rule seems to have weight to it. Work hard at your craft, fail, try again, be gracious with yourself, & always be open to learning from others.
How would you describe your ideal client?
My dream clients are couples who want their love story to be documented authentically, including a lot of laughter. My business name is not called “Carissa Joy Photo” just because Joy is my middle name. I chose to highlight my middle name, because of the beauty of the joyful moments in peoples lives that deserve to be remembered. Like reuniting with a friend from college at your cocktail hour, or waving your left hand in the air right after your partner puts it on you at the altar because you are overwhelmed with excitement, or you grandmother pulling you aside during your reception to whisper some unsolicited wedding advice in your ear. I love working with couples who want the joy of their big & small moments like these memorialized forever, on film & digital.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://carissajoyphoto.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carissajoy.photo/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@carissajoy.photo
Image Credits
All image credits go to Carissa Joy Photo
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
