News + Features
Hire Employees to Expand Your Portrait Business: Amy Minshull Q&A
September 18, 2024
“Taking away the part that makes it hard to be an artist was the best decision I could ever make,” says Amy Minshull, regarding her decision to hire employees into her portrait business, A Moment Photography. Minshull, a North Platte, Nebraska photographer began her portrait business on the side as a stay-at-home mom, looking to make just enough to pay her monthly mortgage and have a little “for fun money.” When her youngest went to school, Minshull decided to take her photo business full time.
Only two months later, she was in a terrible car accident that left her bedridden with a concussion. Unable to do anything but rest in a darkened room, Minshull turned to listening to educational videos from The Portrait System to keep her mind occupied. Minshull was so inspired by what she heard that she wasted no time in reopening her business. The key was to hire employees to take care of the aspects she couldn’t do as she was still healing — answer phones and edit photos.

For Minshull, deciding to hire employees was a game changer for her mindset and her business practices. Suddenly, she completely understood the value of her product and service and stood 100% behind her pricing. She did so well in fact, that six months later, she opened another photo business, Nebraska Portraits, which has five associate photographers, additional photo editors, and provides services to seventeen Nebraska school districts.
Minshull recently say down with Nikki Closser on The Portrait System Podcast to talk about her business evolution. Listen to it here. Below, read a bonus Q&A from Minshull where she shares her biggest business breakthrough, how she pushed past fear, her biggest inspirations, and more.

Amy Minshull Q&A
What has been your biggest breakthrough in business?
Understanding that I needed to charge what it costs for someone else to do my job was the largest breakthrough for me. If I pay someone to cull and edit, then I need to charge an amount that covers that cost plus what I need to make. I realize many folks probably told me this, but until I needed to pay someone else, it didn’t really stick.

How did you push past fear when building your business?
Getting to the root of why you are scared is the best way to get past it. For me, it usually has something to do with being successful or people liking me or my company. Telling myself that no one else matters and that the worst case scenario is failure, then I’m going to be ok. If the worst thing to happen is it doesn’t go like I planned, then fear is easier to push past.

For someone starting out on their photography journey what advice would you have for them?
Charge what you want to charge – not what you think you are worth as someone just starting out. If you charge “beginner” prices then want to change your pricing when you get better, you will start all over with clients. Give vouchers, but keep your prices at your goal and be patient while you grow.

What fellow artists in the industry do you gain the most inspiration from?
There are so many amazing artists out there and I love getting inspired by people like Dan McClanahan, Ben Shirk and Katelyn James, but truly my all-time favorite artist to watch, learn from, and be inspired by is Sue Bryce.
How has The Portrait System changed your life for the better?
My companies and I would not at all be where we are today without The Portrait System. Discussions about hard numbers, how to pose, and how to make clients comfortable have all been processes I’ve learned from this program.
As a thank you to our readers, we’re pleased to offer you a Rangefinder exclusive discount code to get 25% off The Portrait Masters course below. Use the code RF25 at checkout to redeem. This code cannot be used in combination with other sales.
