We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Roshan Spottsville. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Roshan below.
Hi Roshan, 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?
My upbringing is definitely the reason for my resilience. I was raised by amazing people. Life wasn’t always easy, but my mother, grandparents, uncles, and aunts each contributed in their own way to my ability to push through difficult times, whether personal or business-related. When you become a business owner, it’s important to have the ability to persevere when challenges arise. Learning to be adaptable, creative, and solution-oriented will determine how long you stay in business. Entrepreneurship is definitely a roller coaster ride, and being resilient has helped me persevere.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I’ve always been a photographer. Even as a child, I can’t explain the excitement I felt when I received the prints from film that was developed. There was always something magical about it for me. Fast forward to 2024, and I’ve been operating my photography business for 14 years now. When I started out, I was all about photographing people—anyone who would let me. Today, I specialize in brand photography, which involves creating photographs for business owners that showcase who they are and what they do. As an avid supporter of small businesses and the empowerment of women, this niche allows me to combine things I am passionate about. I believe that when you empower women, you empower their whole families, and I feel blessed to use my creative talent to support women in helping their businesses grow.
Don’t get me wrong; I also LOVE senior and family portraits, which I do all the time. This is just where I feel I can make the biggest impact because I believe that empowering women also empowers their entire families.
As a business owner, I believe it’s important to give back to my community. I’m an avid supporter of the empowerment of women, small businesses, youth, and my Navajo culture. With my busy schedule, it’s hard to be as supportive as I would like to be, but I figured out a way to combine it all. My brand ambassador team, KARMA KREW, was established to introduce aspiring Navajo models to the world of modeling. Selected through an application process, our brand ambassadors will embark on a one-year term that includes participation in six themed professional photoshoots and collaboration on four team community service projects. Our goal is to provide a positive and safe introduction to the modeling industry while also giving back to our community and collaborating with local businesses. At the end of their year, each participant will receive both print and digital images from their photoshoots to enhance their modeling portfolios. Anyone interested in sponsoring or collaborating can email me at [email protected].
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?
The three qualities that have kept my business going are creativity, bravery, and stubbornness.
Creativity: Owning a photography business requires you to continually learn, seek ways to grow, and find different ways to market your business. Sometimes you have to change your pricing, your packages, and your ideal clients. Standing out is important in this business, so you have to do things differently instead of just following trends. Creativity helps you find out-of-the-box solutions and ideas that help you achieve that.
Bravery: Because I’m not afraid to walk into rooms where I want to be, I’ve learned so much by being around people who are already excelling in their fields. Stepping out of your circles gives you a unique perspective and different ideas. It’s hard to dream of where you want to be if you don’t see proof of that in someone. I’ve been exposed to so many inspiring people, and that helps me continue to strive to be better and do more.
Stubbornness: Being a photographer is one of those careers that a lot of people don’t take seriously. People think we just push a button and our “amazing” cameras do all the work. This can make it hard to establish a career. I’ve always had it in me that I was going to make it happen no matter what anyone said.
Tell us what your ideal client would be like?
My ideal clients are business owners who are ready to invest in enhancing their business and online presence. I collaborate with entrepreneurs to create vivid, professional images that effectively communicate who they are and what they do. A cohesive set of marketing photographs can truly be a game changer for a business, significantly boosting its visibility and appeal.
It’s crucial for me to work closely with my clients to ensure that each photo is intentional and aligned with its intended use. This means understanding their branding goals and how the images will be utilized across various platforms. Given that every client has unique needs and characteristics, special care is taken to tailor the poses, settings, and lighting to highlight their best features and create a flattering and authentic representation.
By focusing on these personalized details, I aim to capture each client in a way that not only meets but exceeds their expectations, ultimately helping them present their business in the most compelling light possible.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.photographybyroshan.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/photographybyroshan
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/photogroshan
- Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/photogroshan
Image Credits
Headshot: Anneke Marie Photography
All others: Photography by Roshan
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
