We had the good fortune of connecting with Andrea Doss and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Andrea, what principle do you value most?
I think the most valuable principle a person can have when operating a business that works directly with people is servitude. With social media being so ingrained in our daily lives, I see a lot of business owners complain about certain aspects of their business and I think that has the potential to make clients feel like they’re a burden. When I started noticing that “trend” (mostly with the push of reels on Instagram and photographers feeling the need to post relatable content), it really didn’t sit right with me and I started asking myself how I can go above and beyond for my clients. I refined my workflow and process of how I do things so each client feels like my only client, and their needs are highly prioritized above anything else. I think many business owners have the right idea in terms of creating boundaries and setting proper expectations, but part of what makes my job so fulfilling is knowing I have the ability to blow my clients’ minds at every step of the way and truly make them feel seen, heard, and taken care of.
Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I think one of the coolest things about being a creative business owner is the marriage between logic and creativity. I’m an ambivert, so I’m half extrovert and half introvert. I think this is really a great advantage and something that sets me apart because it helps me meet people where they’re at, and when working with clients on a really important day in their lives, it’s so important for me to be able to make them feel comfortable. It also helps on the backend of my business, because I can utilize my creativity to make the business “stuff” feel more personalized and cohesive to my own brand.
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I attribute so much of the growth I’ve had in the last couple of years to Maddie Mae and Henry Tieu. The two of them give so much to their community of students and they care so much about helping photographers not only succeed at what they do, but feel fulfilled while doing it. Both Maddie’s marketing course and the art course she co-created with Henry have been such valuable tools in my educational arsenal that I’m able to refer back to any time I feel unsure about how to proceed with a business decision, and I’m super grateful for educators who truly care about the impact they make on the industry.
Website: andreadossphoto.com
Instagram: instagram.com/andreadossphoto
Facebook: facebook.com/andreadossphoto