Amanda McNaughton is the founder and passionate creative behind-the-lens of Amanda Mary Creative. Based in the heart of British Columbia’s West Kootenays, Amanda offers bespoke photography services to help brands and businesses alike capture their story and communicate it with confidence. From magazine-worthy Interior Sessions to Brand Sessions that deliver much more than “pretty photos,” and her up-and-coming Ship & Shoot product photography service set to launch this spring, Amanda’s clean, bright, and natural light aesthetic is taking the industry by storm…and she’s only just launched!
Who you are and what you do?
My name is Amanda McNaughton, though today most know me as Amanda Mary. I am a 32-year-old photographer and entrepreneur based out of Nelson, BC. My greatest passion in life is helping people to be, and feel, seen. So, after a decade working as a freelance photographer, I founded Amanda Mary Creative for fellow creatives, makers, designers, side-hustlers, start-ups, entrepreneurs, and businesses who are ready to build a business that loves them back! My business is about so much more than creating gorgeous photos. Each session is carefully crafted to help my clients elevate their message, spark a connection with the right people, and help them uncover the confidence they need to reach that next level. Think of me as your very own, and incredible tenacious, brand cheerleader.
How did you create your brand? What was the idea, or inspiration behind it?
Amanda Mary Creative was conceived during a moment of blunt honesty.
I started my photography journey in 2004, under the red, muted lights of my high school’s darkroom with the dream of becoming a wildlife photographer. After obtaining a BFA in Photographic Study from Toronto’s acclaimed Ryerson University, an internship with Canadian Geographic, and countless freelance assignments over the course of a decade, I realized that I wasn’t actively chasing the dream I so adamantly proclaimed I wanted. It wasn’t the steep competition that was holding me back… it was me. Determined, dedicated, “I can make anything happen if I work hard enough” me. So I decided to “find my why” Simon Sinek style, to uncover what my true passion was. And goodness did I! From the moment I discovered my “why” I let my aspiration of becoming a wildlife photographer go (happily might I add!) in favor of something even greater. I turned my focus to others and started to build a brand dedicated to helping them succeed.
How does your brand work?
I truly believe that if you want to be it, you need to see it. Photography offers creatives, makers, entrepreneurs, and businesses an incredible opportunity to build confidence in their brand. Confidence in both their right people and confidence in themselves! I offer a variety of services, each tailored to the unique needs of my clients. While the exact process may differ between brand, interior, and my new Ship & Shoot sessions, my approach is always the same: to deliver outstanding results, cultivate a culture of confidence, create wildly successful clients, support a community mindset (community over the competition every dang day!), to operate with transparency, and be bold. These core values shape how Amanda Mary Creative exists in the world, and how I, as it’s founder, approach every opportunity.
What advice would you like to share with our readers?
I love hats, and a good wool one is certainly a wardrobe staple. But that doesn’t mean you have to wear all of them! The expectations we put on today’s ‘preneurs to envision, create, manage, market, and sustain a business is unbearable. Instead of trying to DIY every damn thing, remember that your time has incredible value. Every moment spent outside your zone of genius (aka. your unique intersection of passion and talent) is one less moment (or likely more!) you get to spend refining your skills and doing what you love. I learnt this the hard way in building my own website. After months of hard work, I was left with something passable. If I had outsourced that work I would have a website that works for me, and the weeks I spend trying to learn complex back-end-coding could have been much better invested. If coding, brand design, photography, marketing, social media, or bookkeeping aren’t “your thing,” do yourself a favour and outsource it! It’s so damn worth it. Trust me.
What are some of the challenges you went through while building your business? What are the challenges you go through on an everyday basis?
Ironically, confidence. I’m an enneagram one, which makes me a critical perfectionist. So I completely understand how hard it is to leap out on your own! The truth is, you will never feel 100% “ready” to chase those goals. And even when you do manage to take that leap, thoughts of self-doubt will always creep in. The good news is, we all feel it, so at least we are in good company!
On a day-to-day basis, I spend a lot of time educating others about the value of professional photography. There are a lot of misconceptions out there and misguided opinions often feel disheartening. Photography is a thriving industry without any real regulation. With the influx of digital, photography has become a complex world with a wide range of skills and experience. By building honest dialogue around fair credit, market value, copyright law, and the incredible advantage an established expert bring to the table, I hope to help build a strong and supportive community that is empowered to make the right choice when it comes to the needs of their unique brand and business.
How do you manage your finances through the services you offer? Did you receive any funding?
Until recently, whenever finances came up I would run the other way. “I’m a creative,” I would say, “I don’t do numbers.” Cue constant anxiety! But when I decided to take Amanda Mary Creative full-time last year, I knew I’d have to tackle my fear of spreadsheets. Through a local community program, I drafted a business plan, budget, and made cash-flow predictions for the next two years. It wasn’t easy, but knowing the numbers is a key aspect of building a sustainable (not-to-mention profitable) business. Today, I know how many clients I need to take on to meet my financial needs on both a personal and business level. Knowing this enables me to book the right number of sessions and ensures I don’t overcommit my time and energy. If I want wildly successful clients, I need to be 100% there for each and every one of them! As an added bonus, this community program also provided start-up funding to help take the weight off of my shoulders for my first 48 weeks.
What is your vision for the future?
Some big plans are already in place for 2021! An exciting brand and website refresh with the talented ladies at The Coast Kit are heading your way this spring. (If you are looking to create a strong brand, website, or social presence check them out! And if you want to DIY with one of their templates, be sure to use my code “AMANDAMARY15” for a little bonus) With it, I’ll also be launching my new Ship & Shoot product photography service. This means you don’t need to be a Kootenay local to work with me! Now, more than ever, it’s critical for businesses to have a strong online presence. Ship & Shoot will allow me to work with brands across the globe so that I can help them communicate with confidence and create the right impact.
I’m on a mission to help others thrive. In the next five years, I hope to stand as an example of what is possible when you toss fear, competition, and perfectionism to the wind, choosing instead to believe in yourself and the unique zone of genius you offer.
What would you say to someone who is thinking about creating something of their own, and making a living at it?
Do it! Failure isn’t something to be afraid of, never trying to become the person you dream of becoming is. So give yourself permission to try, permission to grow, and permission to fall (just get back up!). And if fear is taking up too much brain space, remember the words of the ever-iconic Moira Rose, “worry, is but undernourished enthusiasm.”
Company name: Amanda Mary Creative
Email Address: hello@amandamarycreative.com
Website: amandamarycreative.com
Instagram: @amandamarycreative