We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Mellisa Rasor. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Mellisa below.
Mellisa , thank you so much for joining us and offering your lessons and wisdom for our readers. One of the things we most admire about you is your generosity and so we’d love if you could talk to us about where you think your generosity comes from.
My generosity stems from being raised in a very poverty ridden area. As a teenager, I would use my allowance to help friends buy groceries and would regularly provide holiday gifts or clothes for co-workers children. I have always been with the mentality of “if you have more than you need, grow a longer table”.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
They say “find something you’d be willing to do for free and make THAT your career”. I’m not sure who “they” are, but that’s pretty solid advice. If you feel recharged and driven spending your free time doing something, you’ve probably found the perfect gig to turn into a career. Photographing the local punk music scene for free to help support local musicians is how I started to really fall in love with photography. Prior to that, I assisted another local photographer doing set design, customer service management, marketing and lighting assisting and really enjoyed the client connections and creativity behind photography. I decided to branch off and start my own project, Rasor Sharp Photography. Now I spend my days photographing local musicians, helping fellow women owned businesses take their business to the next level with stellar branding images, capturing artistic out of the box senior portraits and more! I really enjoy collaborating with my clients and making their photo visions come to life. Every photoshoot and connection provides me with new insight and skills. The opportunity for personal growth is limitless! Currently, I’m working on perfecting new lighting techniques and trying out more “caught in camera” effects like light painting and the ring of fire technique.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Understanding the exposure triangle, how to work your camera settings, and how to manipulate light with off camera flash are important skills to creating quality images for clients. But, the three most important things to having a successful photography business aren’t even related to your camera at all, in my opinion. Being organized, personable, and having strong customer services skills will help your business blossom and be successful.
Organization is HUGE when it comes to running your own photography business. From showing up to the shoot with the right gear for the job, charged and ready to go to communicating with multiple clients at once and arriving on time, you have to have your act together and be organized. Find a system that works for you and stay on top of it!
Being friendly and personable are another major component to a successful photography business. I’ve been complimented numerous times on how my easy going personality and sense of humor have made clients feel comfortable enough to be their authentic selves. Be yourself! Joke. Be goofy. Dress in your normal fashion. More times than not, the clients are hiring you because of YOU….getting amazing images is just a fun bonus.
This skill is the absolute most important and impactful skill. CUSTOMER SERVICE MATTERS! Respond promptly and with empathy to customer complaints. Own the mistake you have made…you are human, you will make mistakes… and make it right. Think about “added value” when working with customers. Provide a little perk or gift to thank them for their order. I like to offer an extra digital, create a surprise collage, or provide an extra print to thank them for their patience as I correct any issues I’ve made. Always touch base and follow-up after delivering a job to see if they need anything else. Sometimes, clients will be afraid to reach out. Being approachable and willing to work together will leave a lasting impression. You will lose clients if your customer service isn’t up to speed even if you have the best photos in town!
Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
It is easy to get overwhelmed with tasks as a small business owner. There are always e-mails to respond to, social media posts to be scheduled, new ideas to implement, or a marketing strategy to focus on….wait, did I remember to eat today? When your focus is being pulled in too many directions, take a deep breath, have a snack, and make a list. List making has helped me significantly. Without lists, my brain just bounces from one task to another like a rubber ball in a rubber room. Throw everything onto a list and focus on one task at a time. This is a great technique for decluttering your brain and making everything feel more manageable. Give it a try!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.rasorsharpphotos.com
- Instagram: @rasor.blades
- Facebook: @rasorsharpphotos
Image Credits
Behind the Scenes: Robert Boehm
