We recently connected with Heather Mohr and have shared our conversation below.
Heather, we are so happy that our community is going to have a chance to learn more about you, your story and hopefully even take in some of the lessons you’ve learned along the way. Let’s start with self-care – what do you do for self-care and has it had any impact on your effectiveness?
I’m a huge believer in the saying “you can’t pour from an empty cup”. I try to keep my own cup full, so that I can serve those in my life to the best of my ability, whether that be my kids, clients, etc. Self-care can look a little different for everyone. For me, it involves getting enough sleep, trying to make sure I eat enough fruits/vegetables, drinking plenty of water, and carving out time for massage therapy.
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?
I have been a photographer for almost 11 years. I’ve always loved taking pictures, even back to my high school days and childhood, but never really considered it as a career until I started having babies of my own. At that point, I was desperate to find a way to contribute financially to my family while also being more present for my children. I knew that commuting almost an hour each way to a corporate job wasn’t going to allow me to be the mother I wanted to be, so I started brainstorming. As is the case for many entrepreneurs, I decided to turn my hobby into an income.
I continued working my corporate job while building my photography business for several years, and then was able to leave the corporate world for a few years, focusing just on photography. However, when the pandemic happened, it paved the way for more remote work opportunities. At that point, my youngest was about to start Kindergarten, so I decided it was a good time to consider returning to my corporate career as a total rewards leader. I am still doing that to this day, and love that I am able to work from home, allowing me the flexibility I need to be a parent. So now I run my business part-time, which has worked out well for me.
Another thing to note is that I ran my business solo for many years, and almost 4 years ago I joined forces with another female entrepreneur. It’s been great running a business as a partnership, especially with the additional demands I have from my day job as well.
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?
Tenacity is an important skill, both in running a business as well as in finding success in the corporate world. Things don’t always go as planned on the first, second, and sometimes third try. You have to be willing to keep going when things get hard. You also have to be able to reflect on what is worth pursuing wholeheartedly in spite of the challenges, and what is not. Sometimes it is ok to go in a different direction if something isn’t working. However, if you give up at the first sign of difficulty, it’s going to be hard to find yourself moving forward in the direction you want to go.
Time management is a skill that is crucial as well. It can be learned if it doesn’t come naturally, but it’s so important, especially when juggling multiple priorities.
Finally, as someone who runs a business in a creative field, I will say that spending time focusing on learning how to operate a business, not just focusing on creative growth, is something that can really separate out those who take their success to the next level from those who rely on creative talent alone.
Tell us what your ideal client would be like?
An ideal client for me is someone who values a custom, boutique photography experience. Someone who wants to turn their photos into wall art and/or heirloom keepsakes that will last a lifetime.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.willowandmohrphotography.com
- Instagram: heatherwillowmohrphotography
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PhotographybyHeatherMohr
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heathermmohr/
Image Credits
Heather at Willow & Mohr Photography (me)
