We’re looking forward to introducing you to Meg Tyo. Check out our conversation below.
Meg, a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: What are you most proud of building — that nobody sees?
Right now I am most proud of building a life that I have always dreamed of.
Every day I am gaining knowledge of what it takes to run two businesses–a photography business that continues to grow, and a private therapy practice that is getting up and running. I have been working professionally as a photographer for about 6 and a half years now, but still feel like I am learning something new every day as my business continues to expand.
On the other side of my career, I am transitioning from working in group practices to running an independent therapy practice after obtaining clinical licensure over the summer. It has been a challenge to take what I know about running a business and apply it to all the regulations and procedures that come with insurance credentialing, laws, and best practices, and it feels good to have a hand in all aspects of the work.
From the outside, I am busy balancing photo shoots, edits, and therapy sessions–just like I have for years. But the part that is less visible is the immense pride and gratitude that come along with being able to follow two paths that I love on my own terms.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Meg Tyo and I’m a licensed clinical social worker and photographer. My business, Sweet Home Photography, combines fine art and clinical therapy skills to serve older adults and people who care for and about them. I see my camera as another resource in my therapist toolkit, and use photo sessions and the final images to help celebrate aging, cope with transitions and loss, process emotions, and help participants feel seen, heard, and valued.
This might look like taking photographs in someone’s house before they downsize, taking time during a challenging transition to appreciate the parts of the home that have contributed to the family’s legacy. Sometimes it looks like offering portrait sessions centered around making space for participants to share parts of their story. Often it looks like capturing candid photos during events at local senior communities that showcase aging through an authentic and positive light–providing concrete evidence to help combat ageist stigma and fear.
Photographs have helped me to cope with loss and transition throughout my adult life, and bringing this service to others is so important to me. I have seen firsthand time and time again the powerful impact that simply making space for someone to feel seen can have, and I am grateful for the opportunity to do this from behind the lens.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
This is such a great question! It is honestly hard to remember a time without ANY external feedback. Even in childhood we are rewarded for “good” behavior by adults and encouraged to “fit in” by our peers. At my core I’m a creative multitasker, motivated by things that I feel passionate about. But the working world, in my experience, is not always built for people who think or operate uniquely. Even in jobs that I have loved, I have felt pressure to perform in ways that others can understand rather than ways that help me to do my best work.
A client in her 80’s once shared with me that she felt like herself in childhood, lost herself while trying to fit into the many “boxes” that come with being a professional adult, and reconnected with her true self in retirement. This is a journey that I am determined to work through before I reach retirement age, and it has been so freeing to be able to build my own “box” through the creation of my photography business. I have found that, the more I allow myself to show up as authentically “me,” the more opportunities aligned with how I operate have presented. The background noise will always be there, I think, especially when things like social media and our current social climate are at play, but the more we can learn to follow our own paths, and truly embrace that, the better!
When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
I don’t think anyone is comfortable advertising vulnerability–at least not at first! Our culture likes polished, unbothered, cool. We are not always taught, as a whole, to speak openly about the things that are hard or painful. It has been my experience, though, that there is only so much internal storage room for difficult emotions–eventually they will make their way to the surface, whether we want them to or not. My training as a therapist has helped me to get very comfortable sitting with the pain of others, and participation in therapy of my own has helped me to get comfortable sitting with mine.
I started my photography business after using photos to help cope with the pain of losing my grandfather, and had to get comfortable sharing that story to help others understand the service I provide. Pain shifted to power, for me, when it became a way to connect with my clients on a deeper level. Hidden pain is so isolating, but owned pain can be such a powerful unifier. There is also something hugely healing about using an idea that originated in pain to help others, connect with others, and work in a role that brings me so much joy every day.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. Is the public version of you the real you?
I think so! This is something that has NOT always come easily to me. I have been working hard to let go of expectations that don’t fit and to show up as my true self across the board. The more I practice this, the more doors have opened that are aligned with my values and purpose.
I sat down with a new contact the other day to meet in person for the first time, and she said she appreciated that my personality translated consistently from my emails to my marketing material to our conversation. This was such a nice piece of feedback to receive.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. Are you tap dancing to work? Have you been that level of excited at any point in your career? If so, please tell us about those days.
I am SO excited about where I am in my career today. Growing one business while building the foundation for another has not been easy, and is honestly overwhelming at times. Despite this, I have been surprised by how much genuine happiness and gratitude I feel on a daily basis, knowing that I get to wake up and work in not one but two roles that make me feel fulfilled on so many levels. No matter what kind of day it is, I always leave a photo session feeling happier than I went in. This is mostly thanks to the wonderful participants I get to work with, and the magic that happens when people are presented with space to feel seen and appreciated. Human connection, creativity, healing, growth, fun–what could be better than that? I am lucky for sure.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sweethomephotoroc.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/sweethomephotoroc
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sweethomephotoroc/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sweethomephotorochester/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/sweet-home-photography-rochester
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@sweethomephotoroc
Image Credits
All images Meg Tyo/Sweet Home Photography
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
