We recently connected with Stacy Markow and have shared our conversation below.
Stacy , thank you so much for joining us. You are such a positive person and it’s something we really admire and so we wanted to start by asking you where you think your optimism comes from?
I became a full-blown optimist during my former career. I was a wine sales representative, and I would often have to take winemakers from Italy and France around Dallas to visit my restaurant and hotel accounts to taste wines with potential buyers. I would stack my calendar full of appointments and events in the evenings to make the most of their limited time in my market.
I’ll never forget the one time I had a winemaker from Bordeaux with me, and while I was eating a salad at lunch every single appointment texted me to cancel at the last minute. While waiting for the check to arrive, I messaged every contact I had, called in some last minute favors, and ended up reloading the afternoon calendar before our server charged my card for lunch.
I learned to never freak out when something goes sideways, I’m resourceful and can pull rabbits out of hats should the need arise. Everything will work out in the end if you let it.
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’m a commercial photographer specializing in Interior Design and Commercial Architecture photography. I’ve loved interior design and taking pictures for as long as I can remember, and I launched my business in January of this year.
Prior to becoming a photographer, I spent the first two decades of my professional life working in the hospitality industry. Once I graduated from college, I enrolled in culinary school, followed by taking classes to become a certified sommelier. Once I passed the sommelier Diploma exam through the International Sommelier Guild, I took a sales position with a Houston-based French and Italian wine importer. What I found was my obsession with connecting to not just the food and the wine, but really to the people, their environments, and the way it all comes together to create incredible moments and memorable experiences.
I found myself with a very successful wine sales career, but it lacked the creativity I craved. Photography was such a natural evolution, and it has always been a passion of mine, I am excited to now have the opportunity to bring my experience from the world of hospitality and travel to my clients as a commercial photographer.
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?
Being intrinsically motivated, focusing on building meaningful relationships with both your clients and your competitors, and being consistent in your marketing efforts are the three most important skills to have. The internal motivation to succeed will push you to keep going when the path gets long and dark. My hospitality career trained me to care for people, so I always strive to lead with kindness and add value wherever I can. The amount of referrals that has brought in the door has been nothing short of incredible. Lastly, strive to be consistent in your marketing efforts, like automating your social media content so it posts every week, asking for reviews from former clients to elevate your brand perception, and spend 1-2 hours a week networking and performing client outreach. Those are the most impactful qualities and actions that have made my entrepreneurship journey a successful endeavor so far.
I think most people believe they need to have it all figured out before they start their business, but for me it’s been far better to take action, assess what works and what doesn’t, and constantly modify and evolve as time goes on. You won’t have it all figured out, and that’s 100% okay. My mistakes have taught me far more than my successes ever have.
Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?
My ideal client is a mid-tier to luxury interior designer or architecture firm who loves designing impactful, vibrant residential and commercial spaces, and has a unique and distinct design point of view. They are focused on growing their business, driven to succeed, and appreciate the value that highly styled, professional photography can bring when it comes to building their business and their brand.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.stacymarkow.com/
Image Credits
Headshot credit is Monika Normand Creative, remaining images are my professional photography work.
