We recently connected with Lien Do and have shared our conversation below.
Lien , looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?
Coming from an immigrant family, and seeing how my parents left their home to rebuild in a foreign country has definitely shaped my work ethic. It took a lot of hard work and grit for my parents to have absolutely no idea what’s in store for them in the states, but to take the risk anyways in order to chase the “possibility” of a better future for 7 of their children. Witnessing this sacrifice built the foundation for my own work ethic. Being committed to finding something better, chasing opportunities, being motivated, and taking action to find solutions is the work ethic that helped me build the successful photo studio that I have today.
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?
Baby Pegasus Photography is a true creation of the heart. I am a self taught portrait photographer with a natural talent and love for working with children and an extensive background and experience and training in working with families. Why do my clients love me as. a photographer? My journey to becoming a photographer started as an elementary school teacher, who became a mom, then motherhood ignited a passion to tell my baby’s story through photography. I was obsessed with learning how to use a camera, photoshop, posing, lighting and anything I can get my hands on. Photography became a beautiful by-product of me telling my baby’s story, then that led to me telling my clients’ beautiful stories for years to come. My brand is about providing that full service experience so my clients can focus on enjoying their family’s memories. My studio is about building a space where moms can come in and feel like celebrities with professional hair and make up artistry as well as an amazing client closet collection from couture gowns to simple minimalistic looks for them to choose from. Every session is carefully planned and created with the colors that compliments the clients’ homes. I work with a full staff with an assistant at every session and an editing team for post production work. I am working with families who are excited about the milestones that they are at, whether it’s a maternity session, a newborn session, or a milestone birthday session, they are going to be celebrated at our studio. The babies that come into my studio become my babies while they’re in my care. They are cared for and posed in the most gentle and safest manner. The families become my family. The art that I capture and create for them become family heirlooms to last for generations to come. In addition to capturing their memories, I’m also my clients’ interior designer and decorator. We plan wall art for their homes together. You’ll often see me sketching out various layouts for their frames, canvases, and other artwork for their homes. I truly love what I do and seeing the excitement in my clients’ faces when they see their family’s portraits in print is absolutely priceless.
What’s next for us? Regardless of what profession I’m in…providing support, bringing people together, and building a sense of community is always my core value. Last year I teamed up with a few well established photographers to teach a photography and business workshop in Las Vegas. I plan on offering more workshops in the upcoming year. Since I am always referred to as the “baby whisperer”, I just finished developing an app that will allow parents to soothe their babies, create a memory book with everyday images, and have a reference guide to get some answers about raising their young children. This will be released in the Summer of 2024.
We are also planning to offer other photography services as well as expanding our location in the next coming year so stay tuned..
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
The most impactful qualities and skills in my journey is the discipline to stay authentic, being a great listener, mastering the ability to pivot and be flexible. Staying authentic is important because I AM MY BRAND. Staying true to how I envision my business and how I treat my clients is extremely important, because clients can go anywhere to get their pictures taken but they choose me because they want the experience that only I can provide. Listening is important because when you work with people, you have the responsibility of making sure they feel heard and they’re a part of the process. Being an entrepreneur is not easy and it takes a lot of patience as well as the ability to pivot. Things can change quickly, but making sure to stay flexible is important to make changes as needed.
The advice I have for people starting on their entrepreneurial journey is to look for the wins. It’s easy to look at the massive list of things to do and goals and milestones to reach, but remember the wins no matter how small. Those small wins are stepping stones for big wins. Making sure to write those down and celebrate them.
All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?
My number one challenge is finding the balance to be a single mom and running a successful photo studio. Running my own business means there are lots of late nights and weekends full of work deadlines. Over the years, I’ve learned to carve out “non-negotiable” time to spend with my daughter. I attend all her school events and take her to after school enrichment activities. I’ve learned to keep consistent business hours. I’ve given myself grace for things that I’m still learning. My motivation for successfully navigating being a successful business owner and a present mom is my daughter, because she is witnessing this journey. I want her to know that when she grows up she can do it all and be a parent too if she chooses that path. One of the most important things I learned to do to create more time and balance is hiring an editor and an assistant. Learning how to delegate some of the workload has been a tremendous help!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/babypegasusphotography
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/babypegasusphotography?mibextid=cr9u03
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/baby-pegasus-photography-rancho-cucamonga-4
Image Credits
All images credited to Baby Pegasus Photography
