EP (41) Nicole Smith: Flying High With er Unique Photography Business That's Changing the Travel Industry
I'm sure we've all been on a trip before, where our selfie game was strong; but didn't you just wish that there was someone with you (with a professional eye) to help get those stunning travel photos, instead of those face close-ups?!?
Whether we're traveling solo, with a friend, partner or family - capturing the sacred moments along our journey are so important; because it's how we keep those memories alive for years to come.
After going on a trip to Paris with her best friend (who she rarely see's, as they live in different parts of the world), Nicole Smith 'almost' learned the hard way about photography. After checking out their pictures at the end of the day, they came to realize that they had captured a lot of blurry photos of themselves taken by random tourists and way too many selfies to count.
The end results weren't pretty and they didn't accurately depict the beauty they saw, or the fun they were having.
That's when the lightbulb went off.
With the belief that memories are the best travel souvenirs, and photos are such a great way to memorialize those, why wasn't professional travel photography a bigger thing?
She returned home to Canada after her trip, only to discover that there was a huge gap in the travel industry. And so she began testing out her start-up concept on friends - giving them the gift of professional photography - meets local tour guide- on their vacations and the feedback was phenomenal.
And so, Flytographer was born.
Nicole and I discuss everything from finding her first photographers, to making her first sale, building the company from scratch while raising two kids and all the sacrifices that came with wanting to make a lasting impact.
This is a story of a true disrupter, folks! Be sure to listen...
SOME QUESTIONS I ASKED:
How has starting this company changed your life?
Where did this idea stem from?
How did you first get it off the ground?
Did you bootstrap or seek funding right away?
What was it like making your first sale?
How did you past career help you transition into startup founder?
What's been the most difficult part of launching your own business?
Did you always want to be an entrepreneur?
Biggest hurdle you've had to overcome?
How do you select your photographers?
And so much more...
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:
How Nicole tested her idea before jumping in with both feet
The importance of building something people want
Why you should try and do it yourself at the beginning and then outsource
How to create partnerships with big brands (hint: start small)
What Nicole used to launch her business at the very beginning
The process of using what you have, to create what you want
How to enlist your friends when you are just starting out
The power of customer service and getting it right
And lots more...
OTHER LINKS:
CONNECT WITH FLYTOGRAPHER
WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | PINTEREST
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Edited by: James Nicholson