How to Build Your Photography Business | Beth Skogen

Authentic Business Adventures Podcast

Beth Skogen - Beth Skogen Photography On the Having the Eye for Beauty: "I think everybody's beautiful. Everybody." There is no such thing as an entrepreneur with just one idea. Beth Skogen is a living embodiment of that fact. Beth has a compelling journey that began with an internship at the prestigious VII Photo Agency in New York. Since starting her own photography business in 2009, she's captured authentic moments for businesses, families, and individuals, emphasizing original imagery over stock photos. Beth's entrepreneurial spirit extends beyond the lens. This is where it gets very interesting. She's also the founder of the Vegan Sausage Fest, an event that offers plant-based food creations as a delicious alternative to traditional meat-heavy festivals. Held on Memorial Day weekend, the festival has grown from a shared dream with her friend Lauren to a community event attracting over 1500 participants. Beth’s dedication to a vegan lifestyle even led her to start a vegan cycling team for RAGBRAI, a seven-day annual bike ride across Iowa. Her team, Powered by Plants Cycling, ensures that vegan participants have access to nutritious meals while on the road. Listen as Beth details how she built her photography business and rolled with a few changes, as well as how she started other ventures targeting a healthy lifestyle. Enjoy! Visit Beth at: Beth Skogen Photography: https://bethskogen.com/ Powered by Plants Cycling: https://www.poweredbyplantscycling.com/ Vegan Sausage Fest: https://www.vegansausagefest.com/ The Vibrant Veg: https://www.thevibrantveg.com/ Heartland Farm Sanctuary: https://heartlandfarmsanctuary.org/ IG: @bethskogen @poweredbyplantscycling @vegansausagefest Podcast Overview: 04:43 Learning photography licensing; met photographers, inspired. 09:10 Internships helped transition to documentary photography business. 12:14 Friend documented birth; inspired me to photograph. 16:02 On-call birth duties caused scheduling conflicts. 18:37 Guiding options for hand placements during photos. 20:01 Helping people feel beautiful and comfortable photographed. 23:53 Ensure hair, bangs, and necklace placement correct. 28:00 Love capturing portraits and family life moments. 32:02 Volunteers chop salads, feed and muck stalls. 34:24 Volunteer or donate for Pasture Pals updates. 37:17 Laura Montalbano accepted my culinary request. 40:32 Planning campsites and unloading supplies for RAGBRAI. 41:54 Many food options, scarce healthy vegetable options. 45:23 Unique bao bun: Asian slaw, Sriracha aioli. 50:42 Loved the unique bean patty at bar. Podcast Transcription: Beth Skogen [00:00:00]: This isn't the best side of my face. And my response to that is, well, let's do both, and you'll get to choose later because you never know. James Kademan [00:00:11]: You have found Authentic Business Adventures, the business program that brings you the struggle stories and triumphant successes of business owners across the land. Download downloadable audio episodes can be found in the podcast link found at draw On customers dot com. We are locally underwritten by the Bank of Sun Prairie, and today we're welcoming slash preparing to learn from Beth Skogen of Beth Skogen Photography. So Beth, how is it going today? Beth Skogen [00:00:36]: I'm good. It's Thursday. James Kademan [00:00:38]: It is Thursday. I'm excited. I'm excited because I've known you, I think, since a long time when there were not so many digits in the 2000. And people said 10 years ago, and you thought you're talking about the nineties. So let's start with Beth Skogen Photography. Beth Skogen [00:00:54]: Mhmm. James Kademan [00:00:54]: What do you take pictures of? Beth Skogen [00:00:58]: I photograph people. Okay. Let's see. I photograph for businesses. I take branding photos, lifestyle photos. I also photograph families and interiors,