Meet Lisa Wolford | Photographer

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

Hi Lisa, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
This is something I believe all small business owners struggle with… how do we do it all? I am a wife and a mom of two young daughters. Over the years, it’s been an imperfect balancing act to give attention to where it is needed at any given time. What I’ve learned is that the experiences in my personal life carry through to my work… not just the creative side, but the grace I give clients, the grace they give me, the understanding that we are all just trying to do our best.

Whenever I made the leap to become a full time photographer, it required that I shift my priorities. I was putting in longer hours, taking more jobs that I wanted to, and questioning myself daily. But as I realized that I was capable, I shifted my priorities back to my home life. Now, my clients know I am a caring mother who will love their babies like my own. I am a present wife who will cheer on their love stories like I am a part of them. They see me as a person, not a machine, and that has been the paradigm shift in my career.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
This has not always been endgame. Like so many, I graduated high school… and then college… with no real direction in mind for my life. My husband and I got married young and immediately began hustling to build our life.. This meant taking jobs we hated, taking positions that were underpaid, and struggling month to month.

Something changed when we had our first baby, Olive. Suddenly, it wasn’t about us anymore. So we got better jobs. We worked harder. We got into a groove.

After working as a Medical Assistant for years, I had our second daughter, Scout. At this point, photography had become a hobby. I was charging $25 sessions, but that helped with the bills. After having Scout, I decided I wanted to step down to a part-time position, and attempt to supplement my income with photography.

Then, the pandemic hit. I was working in a mental health office, but was furloughed as the providers went virtual. Not only that, but my photography business – which was starting to take off – was shut down for 10 weeks. We all had struggles, of course, during this time, but I did a lot of soul searching.

I never went back to my job. Things have returned to “normal”. and I still haven’t returned. Once Fall 2020 hit, my business was booming, and I knew I’d made the right decision in leaving my job to put my all into my small business.

Nothing has been easy. Nothing has been given to me. I have worked long nights, spent time away from my family, and cried more tears than I’d ever imagine. But look at me… it has paid off. I have more time with my family than I ever had. I travel to places I’d only ever dreamed of. I am surrounded by friends who love me.

What else could I possibly ask for?

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My best friend, Brittney. A fellow photographer, mom, wife, and all around rock star. I’ve thanked my family countless times through my career. But they are here because they have to be. Because it’s their life, too. But Brittney… she’s here because she wants to be. We met through our industry, but have made the choice to become lifelong friends. The encouragement… the love… the unwavering support… you just don’t find that too often these days.

Website: www.wolfordphotography.com

Instagram: ig.com/wolfordphotography.com

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-wolford-17156918b/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wolfordphotos/

Other: tiktok: @wolfordphotography