Hidden Gems: Meet Troy Hayes of Next Door Photos Front Range

Today we’d like to introduce you to Troy Hayes.

Hi Troy, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
My story is incomplete without some context around my faith since that is where my business journey began. I was a first-generation college student who was trying to find his way in this world of academics at the University of Michigan. For most of those years, I felt overwhelmed by my classes and the peer pressure to ‘live your best life’ by partying all the time.

In my junior year, I started going to church and placed my faith in Jesus, my relationship with Him giving way to the introduction of business. A couple years after graduation my wife and I were considering moving out of the state for her pharmacy residency and a friend asked if I’d be willing to meet with someone regarding a business idea. Skeptical but intrigued I said yes.

The business was Next Door Photos, a partnership similar to a franchise and a network of real estate photography companies across the U.S. Not just a real estate photography company though, one that sought to use business as a force for Good; primarily through our editing teams where we provide a livable wage and restorative environment for survivors of human trafficking, those at severe risk of exploitation, and those in underemployed communities globally.

Excited but scared I prayed fervently about this and if this was something I should do; you know the kid with an English degree and no business background, should he be opening a business type of prayer? The answers to those prayers are the clearest I’ve felt the Lord speak to me and it has been a joy to follow the vision He has set before me.

So in July of 2019, we set out to Denver and I opened Next Door Photos Denver South, just a small territory within the Denver Metro area. The thrill of running a business and chasing after benchmarks that others had set was exhilarating! In my first 1.5 years of running the business, I only sat behind two others as the fastest start to grow their business (and neither of them did it in a brand new market they just moved to or during a global pandemic). I was great at sales but not so great at operations, so I partnered with Jencen Smith who owned NDP Denver West who was good at operations and in January of 2021 we opened Next Door Photos Denver.

We had huge goals and ambitions together and we were the best of business partners, but it took a good year and a half for us to understand the roles we should be and how to stay in our lane. By the time we were settled into our roles and moving in the direction we had first envisioned Jencen felt the Lord call him to something else, not sure what that was he just knew his time with Next Door Photos had come to an end. So in June of 2023, he transitioned out and I was back on my own, except this time with NDP Denver to run.

Just two months later, I learned that Adam the owner of NDP NoCo, and Ryan the owner of NDP Colorado Springs also decided they would like to transition out as owners of their territories. As I considered what that meant and prayed some more, the Lord’s voice was clear once more: “This is what I have had for you, will you be faithful to what I have given you.” So my wife and I purchased those territories and helped transition them out. As of writing this, we are now the proud owners of NDP Front Range!

Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I think anyone who tells you opening and running a business has been a smooth road is probably lying to you. Even Next Door Photos where we have different systems and processes in place is still a struggle. Some of the major struggles that I have faced are time management and hiring.

Time management is a funny one, people wish they could do whatever they want with their time but once you get that freedom you realize that it’s a burden to carry and not a freedom to enjoy. When you can do whatever you want to do with your time it can be very difficult to do what needs to be done all the time, especially as someone with a rebellious soul who says ‘Don’t tell me what to do with my time’

As for hiring, it isn’t so much about retention but it’s the process of finding great candidates and then simplifying that process. Figuring out what questions to ask, how many people to interview in person, how to create a candidate scoring system, and finally how to have all of this process put into a system that manages and automates some of that work. Those are just two of the biggest struggles but only two of very many.

As you know, we’re big fans of Next Door Photos Front Range. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Next Door Photos offers a full suite of real estate photography media to realtors to help them sell their listings; from floor plans to aerials to 3D tours and everything in between. We do so with same-day booking and next-day delivery, this is one thing that sets us apart from the competition because we know that real estate happens fast!

We are also locally owned here in Denver and accept appointments from the Wyoming border down to Pueblo with no travel charge with easy online scheduling. We try to be a one-stop shop for agents listing homes but still, keep that personal touch.

So maybe we end by discussing what matters most to you and why.
People matter most to me. It starts with family and close friends, but I would say people in general have always mattered a ton to me.

A big part of this for me is that I see the intrinsic value that every person has, regardless of what they have to offer. People matter and the way we treat other people matters, it’s an easy thing to lose sight of when there are so many divisive events happening around the world.

Pricing:

• $159 – 20 Essentials Package (20 Pro Photos, 2D Floor Plan, Twilight Photo)
• $50 – 3 Aerial Photos
• $50 – Social Media Reel
• $50 – 3D Tour Options

Contact Info:

• Website: https://frontrange.nextdoorphotos.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ndpfrontrange/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NDPFrontRange