Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sam McNoldy . We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Sam, 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?
I grew up in a household where both of my parents were entrepreneurs who owned their own businesses. I watched as they worked hard consistently, routinly learned new skills and techniques to better themselves and their businesses and learned that if your passionate about what your doing, you will always put your heart and soul into it and enjoy the work you are doing more than anything else. They have always pushed me to be my best at whatever I chose to do, so when I set out to own and opperate my photography company they were supportive, encouraging and helped me learn how to be the best business owner I could be.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I am a wedding & portrait photographer located in Winston-Salem, NC. I pride myself on developing friendships with my clients and making sure their time in front of my camera is fun and exciting and a positive experience. My favorite photographs that I take of my clients, are those candid moments of them being their most authentic selves. The best part of what I do is seeing couples and families grow in front of my camera and documenting those moments for them. It brings me immense joy when I see clients photos hang in their homes, knowing that I played a small part in capturing their stories to share for generations to come.
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?
Determination. Individuality. Growth.
These are all important characteristics that I try and live by when it comes to my business. Learning to never quit even despite being faced with challenging times has kept me going through some very difficult seasons of owning my own business when I felt like quitting was easier. Learning that I need to share who I am, what I personally bring to my field and not being afraid to be different has been the biggest lesson that I have learned and wish I had figured out earlier on. Constantly learning and growing in my field and craft has kept me interested and passionate about what I do.
Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?
I owe so much of my craft and skill development to the Commercial Photography Department at Appalachian State University. The staff in that program prepared me and taught me over the course of 4 years to truly be the best photographer I could be while also teaching me skills on how to be the best business owner I could be. They never went easy on me and pushed me in the most challenging ways. I truly could not be where I am today without their leadership and guidance throughout my time in their program. They truly give their students everything they can to set them up for success and I am forever grateful for my time spent learning from them.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mcnoldyphoto.com
- Instagram: mcnoldyphoto
- Facebook: McNoldy Photo
Image Credits
All images taken by McNoldy Photo
