Yin and Yang: How do you balance work and family?
It is very tricky. When you start a business, it demands your time 24×7. It’s like you have given birth to a baby. When I was pregnant with Megan, my second child, I prepared Marvin, my 6-year-old, my first child, who is 9 now. I told him how much I loved him and how much I would love to be there for him. I told him that soon his sister would be there and would need me 24×7 for most of the early days. So there would be times when I wouldn’t be around for him. He took all my words like a man. He stood by me all the time to help me even before Megan’s birth. I made sure I went for movie or dinner dates with Marvin alone now and then in the first two years.
Now my kids are 10 and 3. My business baby is still a demanding baby and I still try to take both my kids for days out and try to spend quality time with them.
I am married to a wonderful man, Karan. He’s been the backbone to my dreams. He is a good father and takes care of the kids when I am not around. He’s been very encouraging and helpful throughout my journey. He himself works as a tour leader and is away from home now and then around New Zealand. Sometimes it becomes very challenging.
But we have been very lucky to have the kids’ grandparents around who are always there for us to support and take care of the kids when we are not around. I always feel so grateful looking around having wonderful people around me.
The drive: What challenges have you overcome?
Lighting, posing, angles… I knew all of that. But I was fearful to take my business to the next level and to make it full time. I had been sitting in my comfort zone working as a senior graphic designer in one of the biggest companies in Auckland. When my business slowly started growing through word of mouth and my clients started liking my style of work, it boosted my confidence a bit more. My family, my friends, my clients – everyone encouraged me a lot. At last the time came when I felt in my heart ‘it’s now or never.’ I faced my fear and gave up my design job and started my journey to follow my passion. Today I am shooting maternity, newborn and family sessions in Auckland.
For better or worse: What are the pros and cons of running your own business?
Pros: Freedom both at home and at work. Freedom to be around and schedule time around my family. I couldn’t think of a better dream job for myself. Flexibility around schedules, satisfaction of creating something new every time, satisfaction of seeing those smiles on clients’ faces. I am very much a people person. I love to connect. And this business is what I needed.
Cons: When you start your business it’s very demanding, like a newborn baby. You feel tired keeping up with it but you have to keep up with it to keep it going and growing. But when it grows, we grow with it.
Hopes and dreams: What next?
My hope is to connect with more and more people, to serve and create artistic legacy images for them that they can treasure forever and to spread more and more joy in this world.
My dream is to give more quality time to my kids, family and friends.
Check out some of Mandy’s photography on her Facebook and Instagram pages.
