Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Hannah McMahon. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hannah, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?
Genetics may have played a factor in this and somehow I managed to get a mix of my dads stubbornness, by grandmothers grit and my moms complete inability not find a way though. And that’s something I’ve always loved about myself- this ability to find a positive, or find a way though. My mom has always described this to other people as this incredible quality that I have, and it makes me proud to hear her talk about it. “She just DOES it,” She’ll say to anyone who listens. “She says she’s going to do it and no matter what, somehow she just makes it happen.”
And I think that’s a huge part of where my confidence really grew! This culmination of challenge, after challenge, after challenge and finding a way though all of them. Hitting so many walls and “no’s” and “you can’t do that” and finding a way forward anyway. Growing up my relationship with my dad was tumultuous, to say the least, and that presented a lot of challenges, both in my family dynamics but also financially from a pretty young age. I started my first job at 14 and worked my ass off through high school, then though college for a nursing degree, and eventually to a place where I could retire from nursing altogether and pursue this incredible dream job of full time photographer.
It’s been this intense ride of highs and lows but I would not have traded a single one of my challenges for the world, because they shaped me into someone who IS now so confident in themselves, I don’t question my gut, and I don’t question self worth, and I absolutely do not question my ability to make it happen!
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I am so excited to answer this one! As of this week, I am officially Hannah McMahon, RN BSN, PUBLISHED and award winning Boudoir Photographer of Hannah Mac Studios! Though I have celebrated several publications in the past I just two weeks ago landed the cover of The Photograp.her Magazine and I couldn’t be more excited about it.
I work with women to reconnect to and celebrate their bodies, exactly as they are, right this very minute. In a culture that commodifies and praises this impossible pursuit of beauty standards, Without every intentionally doing so, we tie our self worth to something the media has convinced us we can never really achieve, and so will never be “enough”.
Well I’m here to shatter that belief, and allow us to celebrate us exactly as we are. Here in this studio, bodies of all sizes, shapes, colors, religious backgrounds, sexual orientations and gender expressions are celebrated. We celebrate the skin we are in and provide a safe space to ground back into your bones. No model experience is required here- with over a decade in the portrait business I promise to help you feel your best!
And while we’re on that topic- little reminder that that looks, and FEELS totally different on everyone! Maybe you’re after a cozy loft inspired session, or maybe you want something bold and in-your-face! Maybe you want something a little edgier, more editorial, or even maybe have some super cool idea bouncing around in your head and don’t quite have the words for it- and that one, especially, I can’t wait to hear about. I love a creative challenge and bringing your vision to life is the best part of the job!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Ooph, yes. Learn from my mistakes!
1, The earlier you can believe that you are worthy of boundaries in your business, the better off you will be! Learn to set work hours and enforce that. The rest of the world gets a rest day/days, and you should too!
2. Your mindset is the most powerful tool in your toolbox, and it can also be the most detrimental. Optimism, for me, has been key! If you tell yourself you can’t, your probably right. And also, when you tell yourself, and fully believe in yourself, that you CAN do that hard things, you CAN figure it out, you CAN find a way, you’re probably going to be right, there too!
3. A heartfelt plea to my creative mind babes- chances are, you’re a professional (insert what you do here) but you AREN’T a professional business person. Invest in learning how to run an effective, sustainable business that can support you though your creative path. And, for the love of all things holy, hire a bookkeeper!
Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?
Without a doubt, Brenae Brown, in ever word she has ever penned to paper, but most importantly: “People are hard to hate close up. Lean in.”
That one quote has shaped how I respond to both my friends, family, clients, and strangers alike. This idea that people are (hang with me here, I know this sounds silly) just so, so painfully human. And we are so wildly complex, and full of emotions, and feelings and sometimes when we are triggered in a situation, if you just lean into it a little more you can find those painfully human qualities on the other side of that anger or frustration, You can find something that you can relate to, or understand, or empathize with, You can soften towards the anger, and let it melt a little.
This has especially helped me when I have a frustrating situation come up at work. Maybe it’s something simple like a cancellation, or maybe it’s something more complex like a client stying to steal my work (yes that has happened, yes it was awful, and yes I learned a LOT from that experience and man have things changed since then) but at any end of the spectrum, it’s taught me to take a breath, recollect and soften where and when I can.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.HannahMacstudios.com
- Instagram: @hannahmacstudios
- Facebook: @hannahmacstudios
