Meet Alexis Powell | Entrepreneur & Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alexis Powell and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Alexis, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
My thought process behind starting my own business was my daughter. to prove to myself and my daughter that anything is possible. I want nothing more than to inspire others that have gone through the same trials and tribulations as myself and to show them that anything is possible . But for a long time I thought that it was not possible.
Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
What sets me apart from others is my heart. I have a big heart and I’m very giving and understanding ! I’m just proud to be able to bring that into the photography community! I am the most proud of and excited about my annual free mother’s day sessions! This year I have started giving 5 free mothers day mini sessions away to my clients. I enjoy photography so much money is a plus to this but that’s not my goal. My goal is to make moms feel heard, understood and celebrated!
When starting my business I didn’t have plans for photography to become a business. Now it’s been a journey to get here. It has not been easy. I worked almost 120+ hours a week while also being a mom and also tried to keep a camera in my hand. It was a rough one. I went through a lot of challenges being a single mother and quitting my job to be a full time photographer was the scariest thing I could think of. The unknown really scared me. I kept my full time job and dropped down to part time and slowly worked my way to not working at all until I felt comfortable leaving my job and becoming a full time photographer.
Along the way I have learned a lot of lessons. I think the most important one is you don’t need anyone to tell you how great you are. only you know how great you are , only you know how much your worth , and you are the only person that can stop you .
My goal as a photographer is to make you feel confident and comfortable in front of the camera! To encourage teen moms that this isn’t the end, you can change your story. It’s all up to you to do it. To be that final nudge for someone it could completely change their life.As an entrepreneur I want to encourage all the single moms looking to start a business to take the leap of faith and it could change your life!
Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Living in Michigan my whole life I absolutely love Michigan summers & of course the beach! A cruise down Ottawa beach road to Ottawa beach inn for some good bites, stop at captain sundae for ice cream! Take a long cruise down to Oval beach in Saugatuck Find a dune to sit back and admire the sunsets & Listening to the waves crash on the shore !
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
First my daughter Laylah I would be nothing without her. She has shown me an entirely new life as a person, as a mom and as an entrepreneur. She teaches me so many things about life in itself, as adults we forget how beautiful life really is. She keeps me grounded and she keeps me moving. I started this business because of her and also for her. She has watched me grow as a photographer and build this business in front of her eyes and it’s been a beautiful journey. I want her to see that she can do anything in this world if she puts her mind to it, let no one stand in your way, the world is yours. I just want to thank her and she gives me so much grace with working weekends all the time haha!
I want to thank my parents for their support . They raised me in a beautiful town and given me the entire world. They have always been so supportive and motivating I just cannot thank them enough for encouraging and guiding me while I build my business. My mom who attended all my photoshoots in the beginning because I was so nervous to meet new people and my dad who always shares my work on Facebook .
Of course I couldn’t forget Hannah Ziegeler ! I did my first mentorship at 19 with Hannah who is one of my close friends till this day and she asked me ” why?” That was it simply why. I honestly never asked myself why, why wasn’t I full time ? Why didn’t I take a risk? what was holding me back and I had lots of what if questions and Hannah came back with answers for all of them. Then I realized I was the only one holding me back. That one moment and one mentorship changed my life.
I cannot forget about my wonderful clients who I have grown such strong bonds with ! I appreciate every session booked , every bride & groom , and every event . Thank you so much for everything!
Website: https://alexisaaliyahphotography.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexisp.photos/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlexisAaliyahProductions/
Image Credits
Alexis Aaliyah Photography