Wedding Photographer – Entrepreneur

 

“You have to be intentional.

There are definitely days I just want to be lazy and do nothing and maybe talk to no one,

but then you think to yourself, is this day being redeemed right now or is it such a waste of time?”

 

Getting Into the Business

 

Toni Valentini is a 22-year-old entrepreneur who began her photography business adventure at age 16.

“In 9th grade, we had to do a school project about what you want to be when you grow up. I just am such a girly girl, and I either wanted to be a wedding planner or a wedding photographer. I interviewed Meg Brock, and, after talking to her, I had even more of a desire for it. She had just come from being a nurse. It just showed me anybody can do it if they have the heart for it and are willing to do it.”

Toni would take pictures of friends, and then in 10th grade, she was hired for her first wedding. “I had no idea what I was doing price wise or skill wise. That was my first wedding gig on my own and before I had second shot for anyone, but I got something in my portfolio.”

After that, she began reaching out. “I started asking family friends if I could do their Christmas cards, and I did it for free or really cheap.”

Once she had enough pictures, she made a portfolio, then a Facebook page and then a website and an Instagram.

“I did everything myself. —  my own marketing, my own website. I really wanted to put my name out there. Once they (family friends) sent out their Christmas cards, people said, ‘Oh, my gosh. Who’s your photographer?’ And from there it’s really been word of mouth.” 

Through shots with friends and family members, Toni found her niche. “I love weddings and couples.”

Now, Toni Valentini Photography books multiple weddings, as well as other shoots, a year. “I always bring my assistant, shout out to Naomi.”

“I genuinely adore the connection of photography. It’s telling somebody’s story. What I love most about it is the connection of people and getting to make people happy.” 

But the business came with doubts. 

Toni said she doubts, “Everyday. I think every young person that I’ve talked to struggles with what to do – career wise – because our culture puts so much identity in what you do. Our identity is so much more than that.”

Her doubting is sometimes brought about by comparison. “For me, personally, there have been so many days, especially being in a creative field, where all you do is compare yourself to other people’s work. It’s good to set goals, but, if your goal is to be somebody else, I don’t think that’s a good goal to have.

The world doesn’t need another me, or you, the world just needs you to be you. You’re unique and that’s how God made you. I have to preach that to myself.”

And sometimes the doubts come through thinking about the future. “To try to think what you’re going to do for the rest of your life is so much pressure. Do I see myself photographing weddings for the rest of my life? Not really. But I don’t really know what else the Lord would have for me right now. I love what I’m doing right now” Toni went on, “It’s good to plan, but, when we are only thinking about that, we’re not living in the here and now. You can’t really grow if you’re not present. So, in order for me to even better myself for the future, I have to be present.”

 

Living Purposefully

 

When asked what living purposefully means to her, Toni said: “The first word that comes to mind is intentional, to live, to do all things with some kind of intention.”

But, “you have to be intentional about living intentionally. There’s definitely days I just want to be lazy and do nothing and maybe talk to no one, but, then you think to yourself, is this day being redeemed right now or is it such a waste of time?”

In the day to day and in the long term, Toni says having goals and aiming to live them out is key.

“I usually try to set goals for myself around my birthday. What do I want out of this next year? What do you hope to get out of this year? It’s important to have goals in order to live for that purpose.”

But to achieve those long term goals, we must also think short term.

“Motivate yourself, remind yourself, figure out how you’re going to achieve it. Picture the person you want to be. Is who you are right now, in this moment, working towards that or against that? It’s either going one way or another. You’re either helping yourself or not. 

Toni focused on two aspects of her life & living with purpose in them: relationships and business.

“Relationally, don’t wait for the other person to reach out. If you’re thinking of somebody just text them, just do something for them.”

“Business-wise, my mom has always said, ‘Do one thing a day for yourself to better your business.’ So, whether that’s dropping cards off at a coffee shop, or sending a mass e mail out to all my clients that I’ve had before, even if its committing 3 hours of the day to e mails, website updating or whatever, just to do something every day for yourself. And that’s how I see my business growing – because owning your own business, it is what you make it. You’re not just going to have success fall in your lap, you have to work for it.” 

“It’s important to surround yourself with people who will challenge you, who are going to do that when you’re weak and not able to, to have people who are going to motivate you and not encourage your laziness. Surround yourself with people who are going to believe in you no matter what and encourage you.” 

And why challenge yourself?

“If you’re not challenging yourself you’re not growing. I just don’t think that should be appealing to anyone. There’s really no positive outcome to just doing the bare minimum and just sliding through.”

And those things holding you back? “Wean those out of your life. If that means you have to get off social media, then get off social media. It’s not a big deal. If that means you change friends, community, get out of a relationship, or leave your house, whatever it is you just have to do it and do it prayerfully.”

“I think people should always challenge themselves, better themselves, grow. That’s such a big part of life.