Today we’d like to introduce you to Elle Yeon.
Hi Elle, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I had a fulfilling career in graphic design, but after my third child (and the one with alllll of the allergies) turned one it was too much to juggle a 9-to-5 with three littles. I quit my job to be a SAHM for at least a year or two. A few months in, I found that being a SAHM was terrible for my mental health. I needed alone time, I needed interaction with other adults. Photography was something I was interested in straight out of college, but at 22 I didn’t have the ambition or confidence for entrepreneurship. Twenty years later, everything in my world aligned so that I could jump into it with both feet. This was not a hobby that slowly turned into a side hustle, I purchased professional gear before I even knew how to use it, knowing that it was sink or swim. Either make the monthly tuition for daycare, or go back to being a SAHM. So I dove into business coaches, photography mentorship, and technical classes to collapse time and turn me into the business owner and photographer that I needed me to be. I hit six figures in 18 months and I’m just getting started!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Definitely not a smooth road. I had to overcome the discouragement from all my loved ones, telling me to apply for jobs and take a 9-to-5 again until the kids got older, I felt isolated (and ended up starting a Facebook group for local photographers to connect and hang out), I made big purchases I regret in my pursuit to grow as fast as possible, the renovation for my studio took double the time I had been told, and to this day I am still stressed about whether it will ultimately work out.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m a branding and portrait photographer. I specialize in creating images that look like they belong in a magazine, and my portraits are sought after because I create the emotional space and mental preparation for clients to truly be themselves and get captured in a way that exudes their personality. From the early stages, my goal has been to become the most expensive photographer in the area. And not just by raising my prices, but to grow and evolve to a point where my work commands it. A lot of photographers are “racing to the bottom” in trying to discount their work just to get customers in the door. I work in the opposite direction, I want to curate an experience that feels so bespoke and luxury that the right clients keep coming back for more.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Extremely introverted, giving to a fault and taken advantage of fairly often, sarcastic and witty, afraid of rejection and being embarrassed. Being the first child in an immigrant family, I felt like I had to take care of myself and figure things out on my own, which made me scrappy. But I lived for verbal affirmation, and found a lot of it in the art world. My mother signed me up for classes every year: drawing, painting, mixed media, sculpture, and so on. I’m grateful for the unique perspective of the world it gave me, seeing it through the lens of an artist.
Pricing:
- My clients spend anywhere from $500-$20,000
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.elleyeonphotography.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elleyeonphoto/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555898139435
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/elleyeonphoto
