Meet Brooke Hoffman | Denver graduation photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Brooke Hoffman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brooke, what habits do you feel helped you succeed?
Having healthy habits is so essential to the healthy function of any small business. When you’re working as your own boss, no one is there to hold you accountable, so it’s really important that you can do that for yourself.

1. Staying focused and excited about my business is a habit I like to pour energy into because if the passion isn’t there, it’s hard to keep the business healthy. The number one thing that helps me to do this is to journal often about my big-picture goals. Doing frequent check-ins with myself to make sure that what I am doing on a day-to-day basis aligns with my more long-term, big-picture life goals. What direction do I eventually see my business taking? What aspects of my business are draining me and what is making me excited about my business? Considering these types of questions often helps me stay excited, motivated, and moving in the direction of having a fulfilling business that will make me the happiest version of myself!

2. Having a consistent work schedule in place as much as possible is also so important. Having dedicated work time during the week helps me to feel productive and gives me more time to focus on hobbies and travel during my “off hours”. Waking up at a consistent time and blocking off time for work reminds me that this is a serious endeavor like any other job that requires time, care, and attention to thrive. Without doing this I tend to feel overwhelmed and my work-life balance suffers greatly. Going to social areas like coffee shops also helps me to stay productive as working from home can create a bit of a lonely and easily distractable environment!

3. Asking for feedback and constantly considering what’s working and not working. I always want my business to evolve and grow into the best version of itself. I’ve found that evolution typically only transpires within small businesses when problems are noticed and addressed in a systematic and quick way. I am always asking my customers about their experiences with my business. Whether that’s how they heard about my business so that I can better gauge what avenues of marketing I should focus on, asking about their experience in working with me in person during their session, or even after gallery delivery. Direct feedback like this has helped me to see my business through my client’s eyes and to figure out what is working and not working. Asking my clients to write kind Google reviews is also a great way to get feedback and it has really helped to make my brand become more visible and trustworthy online!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I started doing photography in college when a few of my family members needed graduation photos. I wasn’t very good at first, but I stuck with it and my sophomore year hobby eventually snowballed into my full-time job and led me to pursue a degree in commercial entrepreneurship while at Florida State University. At FSU I competed for grant money that helped to fund new equipment for my business including a new laptop, camera, and lens. The grant money elevated my business to the next level. I started honing in on my strengths and weaknesses and began feeling more confident in my technical and social skills. For the last four years, I’ve been continuing to focus primarily on graduation work as working with students my age has been really exciting and enjoyable work for me! I like to think that I’ve gotten pretty good at making someone’s most cherished time in college come to life through vibrant and lively imagery.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I have recently become a bit obsessed with concert photography as the live music scene here in Denver is like no other. The iconic Red Rocks Amphitheater would be an absolute crime to skip while visiting. I personally think it’s one of the most magical places in the world. Besides being a marvel to look at, so many iconic artists have passed through this venue making it such a one-of-a-kind place.

Boulder is another must-hit stop. Its vibrant and lively atmosphere always makes for an incredible weekend excursion.

Anywhere downtown near Commons Park or RiNo is always a hit for food in my opinion. I’m really new to Denver myself so I’m still in the process of exploring all that the city has to offer!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My dad has always been my biggest motivator in my career. He was the one who originally sparked my interest in the creative world with his constant creation of new short films centered around our family vacations. Whether I liked it or not, he always had a video camera in his hand and iMovie running in the background. He loved creating these movies and I eventually started creating them myself after seeing him work on video editing for most of my childhood.

Website: https://www.brookehoffmanphotography.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brookehoffmanphotography/ and https://www.instagram.com/brookehoffmanphotographylive/

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