Conversations with the Inspiring Tricia Muehlbauer

Fast forward several years to marriage and then a family while employed for Waste Management…

I began to take A LOT of portraits of my firstborn daughter. People raved about them. After muchencouragement, I decided to set up a side business and build it on the weekends while still employed. Without paid advertising of any sort, my business began to blossom and grow simply by amazing referrals. Today, nearly 20 years later, I am blessed to use my creative talent for the joy of my clients while earning a living.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The hardest part of being a true artist is running the actual business-the merging of right and left brains. I never wanted to be a ‘starving artist’ as they are known. I wanted to be a successful artist with a thriving business. I am thankful to have grown up in a family with my mom and dad as business owners. I learned the importance of good, solid money management. My sales background at Waste Management was certainly helpful as well. I learned how to forecast, plan, work with people, and crunch numbers.

For young people starting their passion journey… dig into the business side first. The other part is fun. But you HAVE to set up your business and put the bones in place, ie required business licenses, business insurance, bank accounts, sales tax reporting, etc. Find a mentor, hang on, dig deep, and go for it.

What should we know about Personality Portraits? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I am a creative, boutique, portrait photographer. It is my passion to create images for people that they LOVE. I photograph families, couples, high school seniors, schools, children, and corporate/headshots. I am known for making the process easy and fun. I also don’t just ‘shoot and burn’ images… I walk clients from consultation to the printing of heirlooms. I want people to have historical prints/products that can be passed down to the next generations. Think shoebox full of images (or products) when people pass away. Everyone loves to look through these boxes and clings to the images inside once the people they love are gone. Photographic history is important. Very important. I am that photographic historian who preserves life by way of a camera and the prints or products made from the images.

For good reason, society often focuses more on the problems rather than the opportunities that exist, because the problems need to be solved. However, we’d probably also benefit from looking for and recognizing the opportunities that women are better positioned to capitalize on. Have you discovered such opportunities?
When I was at Waste Management in a very fulfilling and excellent job, I deeply desired to be a full-time mom. Photography allowed me to build a business and create a great income while staying at home with my children (had a precious son 22 months after my daughter). The ability to drive my own schedule w/out sacrificing time to raise my children is priceless. There are so many talented artists out there. And women photographers are certainly part of that mix. A big part of it.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.personalityportraits.net
• Phone: 7192915545
• Email: tricia@personalityportraits.net
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/personalityportraits/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/personalityportraits/