Meet Sara Turbyfill | Photographer + Graphic Designer

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

Hi Sara, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
I come from a family of entrepreneurs, so part of me always knew I wanted to start my own business. I know there’s risk involved when starting your own business. However, I remember my parents being at all of my basketball games growing up. Even though they had to return to work immediately after, they could step away for a few hours because they owned their own business. I knew then that I wanted the same freedom one day.

For me, the biggest risk would be not taking one at all. I’d rather put all my effort into my business now than look back in 30 years and regret not trying. People have this false sense of security when they work for an employer. In reality, you could get let go any day without warning. The best decision I ever made and the biggest risk I’ve taken was starting my own business. One regret I have is not taking a chance on myself sooner.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
My name is Sara Turbyfill and I’m the owner of Sara Turbyfill Photography + Design. I’m a professional photographer in Denver specializing in commercial and portrait photography. I operate as a full-service photographer and offer a variety of products and services to clients. I’m also recognized as a Certified Professional Photographer, meaning I demonstrated competence in photography through image submission and written examination.

In 2015, I graduated from college with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. I majored in international business and entrepreneurship because I loved to travel and knew I wanted to start my business one day. After graduating, I held various marketing positions where I improved my photography and graphic design skills. While working in these roles, I realized I wanted to start my own business in the creative field. I started freelancing during the pandemic and officially launched my business two years later.

Getting to where I am today wasn’t easy. It involved a lot of late nights and busy weekends. Every spare second I had was spent honing in on my craft or learning how to market my business. There’s no telling how many courses I took, podcast episodes I listened to, and books I read to get to where I am today. A lot went into this.

One lesson I learned is that failure is inevitable. Instead of focusing on, “What if I fail?” I’ve shifted my mindset to, “What can I learn from this failure?” As most entrepreneurs know, you can’t avoid failure. Every entrepreneur fails, usually multiple times, before starting a successful business. Our failures are often our biggest lessons.

A challenge I’ve struggled with in business is not believing in myself. When I first started, I had doubts that I wasn’t good enough or smart enough to do this on my own. I overcame the feeling of disbelief by listening to other business owners talk about their struggles. It’s reassuring to hear from owners of some of the biggest companies in the world that they’ve faced hardships too. Many successful business owners were close to giving up right before they got their big break.

One thing that sets me apart from other photographers is that I’m also a graphic designer. When working with branding clients, I use my graphic design and photography skills together to create brand imagery. My goal is to create visuals for clients that are consistent and visually recognizable across all platforms.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Coffee:
– Dandy Lion | Denver: coffee + cute plant store
– FIKA Coffee House | Parker: coffee + conversation
– Kunjani World Coffeehouse | Parker: coffee + conversation

Food:
– 2 Penguins Tap and Grill | Centennial: craft beer, great food, live music
– Crave Mediterranean Grill | Glendale: best Mediterranean food in town!
– Farmers’ Markets: there’s always something new to try
– Nana’s Dim Sum & Dumplings | Aurora: soup dumplings + hot tea
– Nolia | Centennial: wine tasting + tapas
– La Loma | Castle Rock: Mexican food + watch the sunset
– Little Man Ice Cream: ANY location

Places to Hang Out:
– Cherry Creek State Park | Aurora: watch the sunset
– Denver Botanic Gardens | Denver: look at flowers
– Littleman Ice Cream Factory | Denver: factory tour
– Pronghorn Park and Disc Golf Course | Castle Pines: beautiful 18-hole disc golf course
– Reuter-Hess Incline | Parker: moderate hike + incline
– Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge | Commerce City: wildlife drive – lookout for bison!
– Roxborough State Park | Littleton day hike + wildlife watching
– The Wild Animal Sanctuary | Kennesburg: photography + wildlife watching
– Waterton Canyon | Littleton: bike ride + wildlife watching

Day Trips:
– Blue Sky Scenic Byway | Evergreen: when it opens again – beautiful scenery + wildlife watching
– Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center: learn about wolves + wildlife + tour + wolf howl
– Eleven Mile State Park: camping trip
– Glenwood Springs: Iron Mountain Hot Springs
– Paint Mines Interpretive Park: take pictures of pretty rocks
– Pawnee Buttes Trailhead: early morning day hike
– Pike’s Peak: donuts + scenic views
– Manitou Springs: eat lunch + window shop + drink water from the springs

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to dedicate this shoutout to my parents. Although it was never easy, they showed me that it’s possible to start your own business and have control of your life. They have always encouraged me to go after what I love and have given me great advice along the way. I appreciate their love and support over the years.

Website: saraturbyfill.com

Instagram: instagram.com/saraturbyfill/

Facebook: facebook.com/saraturbyfill/

Youtube: youtube.com/@saraturbyfill