Today we’d like to introduce you to Christy Hunter. Them and their team share their story with us below:
Photowalk Nashville/Christy Hunter Entrepreneur Story
Christy Hunter is the Founder and Owner of Photowalk Nashville & Authentic Photos and Designs. She is the Airbnb Experience Host Community Leader for Nashville and Airbnb Online Experience Host.
Christy Hunter has been a full-time photographer for the last ten years specializing in weddings, fashion, and portraits. She has worked with numerous fashion designers (Any Old Iron, Eric Adler, Truly Alvarenga, Rank and Sugar, Laura Citron, Lily Guilder) models, and artists. She has shot events like Nashville Fashion Week, New York Fashion Week, The Dove Awards, and The Music Biz Conference. Her work has been featured in Nashville Scene, The London Guardian, Thrillist, and Nashville Lifestyles. Christy is known for her sense of style, charisma, and ability to create an environment of fun and excitement in all of her shoots, and putting her clients at ease and empowering them to be their best selves.
In June of 2018, she started the Airbnb Experience, Photowalk Nashville, taking guests from all over the world on a photoshoot/tour to the trendy hot spots. The Experience rose to #1 in three months and she is currently the Nashville Experience Host Leader, facilitating the Airbnb Experience Host community, encouraging and empowering over 70 hosts to grow their listing through skill sharing and best practices. In 2019 she changed the name to Photowalk Nashville, encompassing a wider area and establishing a name in the Nashville tourism industry. In recent months, Airbnb has asked Christy to lead the project of uniting the entire Airbnb Nashville Host Community to unite Home and Experience Hosts together through meet-ups and events. She works directly with Airbnb executives and global Community Leaders on a daily basis. In May of 2021, she was asked to launch a new product from Airbnb – as one of only eight hosts worldwide to create an online experience where she helps travelers plan their upcoming trip to Nashville. This is a global reach being on the Airbnb platform, where guests can have a zoom call where she presents the best of Nashville and answers questions they may have about their upcoming trip. Christy has led international webinars for Airbnb Host Home and Experiences on how to improve photography for their listings.
A mother of four, entrepreneur, travel influencer, and board member of Fashion Is For Everybody, Christy stays involved in Nashville happenings and shares her love of the city through speaking events and podcast interviews.
After eight years into the photography business world, I had at some point done all kinds of shoots: family, weddings, events, product, fashion – all the things, and was finding that I loved fashion and weddings the most. I began to build relationships in those communities and that led to some really exciting opportunities like Nashville Fashion Week, becoming a Board member for the non-profit, Fashion Is For Everybody, awards shows media and connecting with the creative community of Nashville. While I was out doing photoshoots in The Gulch, a neighborhood I would frequent often, I would see so many tourists coming in and taking their own photos and I would even get asked by them to take their cell phone pics at the murals. I would even get asked by them to take their photos with their phones, and once as I assisted some tourists, I had an idea.
I wanted to find a way to offer them professional shots and advice of what to do in the city but didn’t have a clue how to go about that. Then one night, I was up late editing a session and started dreaming of travel. As an avid traveler myself, I was intrigued but the idea of Airbnb but had never stayed at a listed property. I popped over to the website to browse homes stays in Paris, and while I was looking – I noticed a new feature that said “Airbnb Experiences” I clicked on it and saw a video of an Experience where you could go with a photographer to the best photo op spots and get the best pictures, also with a little tour involved. I got chills and thought “That’s me. That’s it. That is what I’m supposed to do!” I knew it was something I would purchase if I was traveling and also, I had what it takes to be a photographer/tour guide for guests. So, I sent an email to Airbnb and asked how I could do that in Nashville, and I got an answer a few days later that said – we’re actually about to launch Experiences in Nashville, would you like to be a host? Within a few weeks, I had my first experience. Three ladies from Atlanta, we had the best time taking pics and chatting while I showed them the area. They offered to take me out for a margarita and tacos after, and I knew in my heart, this is it. I want to do this all the time.
In three months, I received a call from Airbnb letting me know that my experience was the top-performing in the city, then later I applied to be the Nashville Experience Host leader, facilitating the community by doing events and discussions and providing resources to the Experience Host community, and working directly with Airbnb.
Over the last four years, there have been thousands of guests come through, over 500+ 5 star reviews and so many relationships made. The best thing about it is that I get to give the gift of memories for people. They’re coming here to celebrate or get away. So I get to be a part of that and enhance their trip by providing great information, helpful tips, take photos for them so they don’t have to selfie the whole time, plus I get to encourage them and tell them how awesome they are when we shoot! New co-hosts/photographers have been added on the team, so we can have maximum availability. Each one of them is special and has the Photowalk Nashville vibe that offers guests the unique experience. As the Airbnb Experience Community Leaders, I get to plan events, offer connection and lead all of the Airbnb Experience Hosts of Nashville. We really do have the bests hosts in the world, and I’m so proud of this amazing group I have the honor of leading. We are setting the bar high for Airbnb markets all over the world and offer so many amazing experiences that you just have to try for yourself. In May of 2021, I was asked by Airbnb to launch a new online experience – Welcome To Nashville! Where guests from all over the world can take a 30min zoom call with me, and I give my insights, tips and travel planning help. I get to share my love of all things Nashville on an international scale, promote businesses I love, and keep the history and culture alive through this online experience.
Airbnb Experiences has connected with me and even flown me to other States to shoot their wedding! It’s all about the connection and allowing my guests to feel like they have a friend and Nashville local they can trust. Seeing the photos of their photos on social media years later makes me feel amazing because I know it was a special time in their life, and they want to come back after having an awesome experience.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
So many challenges along the way. I never intended on going into the tourism industry, even though I’ve always loved traveling. All of a sudden, I found myself on the other side and was more than a photographer, but also an insider guide as well. That process led me to building out a website and finding people to help me build it out as an actual brand. The level of client intake was a lot more than what I’d ever known, so that led to trying to understand how to scale a business, bring on staff, marketing and advertising more than ever before. Connecting with local business was also challenging at times, as some didn’t understand the concept and realize I was promoting them, but as time went on most of them were really supportive. The biggest challenge was the pandemic. Navigating the ever changing restrictions and still being available as a socially distant safe activity. Throughout the year, guest still wanted to do the tour, even with the travel limitations, people still visited Nashville and they were really limited on things to do, so I continued to remain low-key open to those guests that found me on Airbnb, even tho in-person Experiences were canceled on that platform from March-October.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Photowalk Nashville?
Photowalk Nashville is a photography brand that captures visitors and locals at all the best photo spots in the city. It’s an easy and affordable way to get those iconic Nashville shots for your social media, make new friends and learn more about the city from an insider. We are the #1 Airbnb Experience in Nashville and 500+ reviews on that platform alone. Owner Christy Hunter is also the Airbnb Community Leader for Nashville, facilitating the Host community with education, events and best practices to the hosts.
What makes Photowalk Nashville special is that it is more than just a photoshoot, it is a complete experience. Guests get posing tips, hear stories and history, get insider tips and info about all the best spots. As we stroll through one of the best neighborhoods, The Gulch, we stop along the way to get the best pics and give you posing ideas. In a group setting, you get your time in front of the camera, and while the other guest get pics, you can selfie and chat with other guests. We offer various experiences – the most popular is the Instagram Photoshoot, it’s for everyone! Couples, families, friend groups, solo travelers, even dogs!
The Bachelorette Party photoshoot is just for the Bach parties, we take them to spots that are aimed more for the Bachelorette crowd and can even offer a champagne pop at the end on a private rooftop. The Entrepreneur Content Creation shoot is great for locals for new branding shots, bloggers, influencers and models from Nashville or out of town, needing a more personalized time. At the beginning of 2021, we partnered with Earth Rides, a local ride share service that only uses Teslas like an Uber. You can add on to your photo experience and get picked up in a Tesla, keeping Nashville air clean and looking stylish.
The thing we are most proud of is that every guest leaves the experience saying they had a great time. It’s all about capturing a moment in time for them and creating an atmosphere of fun and encouragement. There have been so many memorable guests and we have stayed in contact with so many of them over the last few years, and they have come back for more!
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
Traveling!!! When I was little, my dad was stationed in Italy, so my parents would take all over Europe and that set the tone for the rest of my life to love to travel.
Pricing:
- Photowalk Nashville is $69 per person
- Entrepreneur Content Creation Shoot is $299
Contact Info:
- Email: info@photowalknashville
- Website: www.photowalknashville.com
- Instagram: @photowalknashville @authenticphotosnanddesigns
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/photowalknashville www.facebook.com/authenticphotosanddesigns
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4nO0plirZuCXUQHhYF55Lw
- Other: www.airbnb.com/christyhunter
Image Credits
Photo of Christy at Thompson Hotel- Shelby Goldsmith Carver Rest of Photos courtesy of Photowalk Nashville
