Today we’d like to introduce you to Megan Kelly.
Megan, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I started off working in the restaurant business while attending school at ucsd extension for photography. I had been in the program and was unsure of what area of photography I really wanted to focus on. I then took an architectural photography class and knew, this is what I loved! I really enjoyed taking pictures of dynamic buildings and interiors. It was challenging and I was intrigued. I then started to think about who would need professional photos of buildings? And I realized, real estate agents! My next step was to find agents who needed professional photos and to speak with them. I decided to start going to local real estate caravans, where real estate agents meet once a week to discuss current listings. My schedule would consist of Caravans in the morning, and working day/night in the restaurant business. After some time I started to get more and more clients interested in my business and it became more difficult to have 2 almost full time jobs. After talking with my close friends and family after a period of time I took the leap and quit the restaurant business to become a full time entrepreneur and business owner. It was so scary to be honest, the decision was not an easy one. I knew I had the support of my family and friends and that made all the difference. Looking back I am so happy I did leave my restaurant job, my opportunities have grown immensely since that day. Now seven years later I can say it was worth the risk and could not be more happy.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I really love this question! I think many people tend to see the success of another person and not necessarily see the challenges along the way to get there(or stay there). I really believe that challenges are any part of working toward something we want, I wish it could be an easier road! There have been and still are many long days where the pressure is high, real estate is face paced and moves quickly, even a missed call or text can cause issues. The challenges I struggled with when I first started my business over 7 years ago were very much about learning how I want to run my business. I struggled to find how to set up my processes, structure and goals. It took a lot to learn about how many homes I can photograph and edit in a day, how much time I need to set up appointments, and other scheduling difficulties to provide a consistent and good quality service. Over time these processes became more streamlined and overall my business has run quite well. I think some of the more difficult struggles as a photogrpaher over time are about creativity and making photos that I think are beautiful while still meeting everyone else’s goals. I have to balance creativity with function and to make sure I am listening to the details of the real estate agents I work for and their clients. It’s the idea of knowing my creativity won’t always come first, the clients themselves come first. It’s important to me to always stay open minded in willing to learn from other people and their ideas. Remaining confident in my skills but never arrogant. I believe this is a skill that has helped me so much in my regular life as well!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Hi! I’m Megan with Sterlingphoto. I specialize in real estate photography. I can help real estate agents and homeowners sell their house more quickly and for top dollar by providing beautiful photos of their homes. The real estate photos are the first impression the buyer will see and it is the most important! I have owned my business and photographed thousands of homes in San Diego over the last 7 years and love what I do. This is not just work for me, it’s my passion and I enjoy it everyday. I have been perfecting my photography skills over time and am always using the most up to date photography gear and creative tools for editing. I photograph everything from manufactured homes to mansions! I have been published in New York Times, premier magazine, Dream homes magazine,Ranch and Coast. I am so lucky I get to work on my passion everyday and to help agents and homeowners be at ease knowing the photography will be taken care of professionally and correctly.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
I love living in San Diego! I have grown up here and lived here my whole life. The best part about living here is the weather and beaches! I also love eating at some of the restaurants we have in La Jolla, Downtown and Little Italy. My least favorite part of living in San Diego is the traffic, I guess that is part of living in the best city!
Contact Info:
- Website: Sterlingphoto.net
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/Sterlingphoto1
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/megan.kelly.9404
Image Credits
@sterlingphoto1
