Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda McNeal.
Hi Amanda, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’ve done a little bit of everything in my life. 21 jobs and counting photography three careers. Before I became a photographer though I was a teacher and before that, I was in interior design. However with the arrival of my first daughter, I realized I did not want to return to teaching. Teaching children can be draining and I knew I wanted to be all I could for my daughter. However, some of us are not made to be stay at home moms and I quickly discovered I was one of those people. My husband bought me my first DSLR – a Nikon D90. I began snapping pics of Julia as she grew. Then friends would ask me to photograph their children. A year later, I applied for a business license and Amanda McNeal Photography was born. My first office was in a closet off of our daughter’s nursery.
Two years later, we moved to Franklin where I made part of our home a newborn studio. I had begun loving photographing newborns and found I was really good at it. I invested in studying with Baby As Art, one of the inventors of modern newborn photography, and my business blossomed. I eventually opened up a full-blown studio in downtown Franklin and was thriving until it wasn’t.
I believe failure is important for success. Not knowing how to really run a business, like many photographers, I slowly ran mine under. When my father passed away, I became deeply depressed and had not put into place safeguards to keep my business afloat if I started drowning. So six years after I had started my business, I closed the doors to Amanda McNeal Photography for three years. It was one of the hardest decisions I ever made but I had more going on personally that I had to deal with and running a business would not allow me to deal with those issues.
Now I’m rebuilding my business and it’s stronger than ever. I learned a lot the first go round. I learned what not to do by making many mistakes that first-time business owners do. Also with age, I think we, or at least I did, begin to accept that I don’t know everything and you never want to be the smartest person in the room. When I knew I wanted to focus on high school seniors, I didn’t waste time and immediately invested in a six months workshop/mentorship with Seniorologie. I learned the first time that you have to invest money to make money and that investment is paying off. So many lessons learned by my first failure but I had to fail in order to be where I am today.
I am finally at the age of 42 living the life I dream of and doing things I love. After taking time off, which I understand is a luxury many don’t have, I am stronger in business and mindset.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
No, it wasn’t a smooth road at all. I was horrible at balancing my finances and co-mingled. I never had a business plan and always felt like I was on a run away train just trying to keep up. Often us creatives have no idea how to run a business. We can for a certain amount of time but ultimately, it catches up with us.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I used to specialize in photographing newborns. However, now I specialize in mini sessions and capturing high school seniors. I offer these girls a session that captures their uniqueness but also keeping them natural. I was once known as one of the top newborn photographers in this area and am working to be that way for my high school seniors by providing a unique boutique-style experience.
I am also a concept artist capturing the story or a woman’s journey through self-portraits. I’m most proud of my awards and honors in that field. My images are raw and honest and often times I’m told how they have helped another woman heal or understand or feel that they are not alone.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
I love the mix of city and country. I’m not a big country music fan but I guess I like how casual it is. I love the variety of people and the different views and ideas. We have a very eclectic city and although many don’t like the change that is happening, I embrace it. As humans, we must continue to evolve and move forward and although that is often painful and frustrating, it’s how we become our best selves.
I love how easy it is to spend time in nature kayaking all day then be able to get all dolled up have unique dining experiences only 15 min away for the evening. It’s the best of both worlds here.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@amandamcnealphotography.com
- Website: www.amandamcnealphotography.com
- Instagram: @amandamcnealphotography
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/amandamcnealphotography
