Tristan Duplichain is a mother and business owner from Jackson Mississippi.
She currently owns and operates “Tristan Duplichain Photography LLC.” Tristan has recently expanded her company to help more than just photographers, but entrepreneurs by teaching them the importance of social media. Utilizing podcasting, YouTube, and other platforms, Tristan has grown her business from the ground up.
What is your entrepreneur’s story?
Reverting back to childhood, I remember not coming from much.
My mom supported her and me in a two-bedroom apartment in what is now considered the worst part of Jackson.
I never had a bad childhood, in fact, my parents gave us all they could and provided us with food, shelter, and love. I was homeschooled, went to church, hung out with friends every weekend. It was pretty normal.
Growing up in a trailer, I couldn’t help but feel weird when going to my friends’ houses. Not exactly realizing their homes were different than mine, but their family was a higher class than my middle-income family. I couldn’t help but feel less than sometimes.
Since 15 years old I’ve had the drive to work and make my own money, never wanting or letting my parents help. I’ve had two jobs, one being in the restaurant industry and the other was photography. Once I started making my own money I paid for my camera, car, bills, food, etc. I refused to let my parents spend a dime on me because I was independent enough to make my own income. I remember having my own social media at age 11. I think at the time I wasn’t technically old enough to have certain platforms, however, I loved speaking with people, editing code for website templates, and just chatting with like-minded people. Moving to my later years I think my love for social media has really pivoted my business and made it what it has become today. My love for independence, making others happy, talking and hustling has grown my photo business to what it is today.
How did you come about building your business?
Being homeschooled, my parents let me study pretty much anything I wanted. Graphic design was my main interest at the time. They found out through a friend that the local community college took homeschoolers and let them pick vocational classes to prepare them for college and what industry they were considering for college. My class was “digital media.” My teacher Mr. Gore was extremely supportive and I really have him to thank for giving me the push to pursue more than just graphic design. I entered a photography contest and won first place. This piqued my interest and love for going out and taking photos of people. I loved making someone feel better about themselves and getting to know other people just by going out and doing what I love. Going to college at 17, I had my degree in Photography and Graphic design a month before my 19th birthday. My goal in college was to gain experience to photograph musicians. Even though it’s still something I enjoy, I’ve found fashion editorials, influencers, companies, and weddings are my favorite to shoot. I worked in restaurants taking the money I made and reinvested it into my photoshoots and gear to make myself better and more educated. It wasn’t until I was 25 that I realized I was lacking a lot of business sense and needed to learn how to make it profitable and more than just a paycheck to paycheck hobby. Buying marketing books and self-teaching myself business, I have molded my company into what it is today.
What is your business model — how were you able to grow so fast?
My business model was kind of simple really. In the beginning, I did a lot of free work. Posting like crazy, tag the right people, using the appropriate hashtags and geotags, commenting, networking growing in my community by word of mouth. Eventually, I worked for magazines in my area, growing my network to out of state magazines. I always remembered to tag clothing companies, sharing to multiple forms of social media, recording videos, and making sure I had daily content. For a while, I realized I wasn’t booking weddings and day to day clients like I was wanting. I ended up buying a booking software (honey book) and it virtually changed the dynamic of my business. I think I had a 95% booking rate in the first 2 months. This may seem a little high, but I try to keep my rates reasonable. I like shooting more and growing my network. A huge thing I’ve implemented is client gifts, I give my customers more than just photos. I give them gifts that they can look back on. This has really grown my growth rate when my clients post images of little goodies I’ve given them.
Can you give me an overview of who you are, what is your educational or overall background? What are some of your achievements?
Well, I’m a mother to my son, Finley. I was born in Jackson Mississippi. I was homeschooled, attending Hinds Community College for vo-tech in high school. I have an associate degree in Photography with an emphasis in Graphic design through Antonelli College. One of my most recent accomplishments is photographing the film documentary cover, “The House in Between.” I was certified in Photoshop back in high school which wasn’t an easy test to take. One of the highlights in my photo career was getting a photo tutorial article in Photography Masterclass Magazine. My work has appeared in POZ magazine, Salyse, Volant Magazine, taste of the south, garden & gun, Mississippi Magazine, and many more.
What have you learned through your experiences as an entrepreneur that can be used by aspiring business individuals?
I have learned growing a business isn’t easy. It takes a lot of work, and it doesn’t grow overnight. You have to constantly wake up and show up. Keep creating and make more content. There will be days you don’t think it’s worth it, but that’s when you get that opportunity knocking at your door. If you want something, don’t wait for it, go and get it. Write to people, network, don’t be afraid of rejection. Take workshops, reinvest into your business keep learning and keep growing. Just because one person doesn’t believe in you, doesn’t mean someone more notable than they don’t.
What makes your business so unique and successful?
I think what makes my business stand out and successful is that I have a lot of education behind my quirky tattooed appearance. When you meet me, you see a short tattooed girl and probably wouldn’t think I am as knowledgeable in business as I am. I like to have fun, get to know people, and have a good time. I love traveling and buying unique pieces of clothing for my models. My photography has a unique look to it, and I am always trying to find new angles and new ways to take something and make it my own. I don’t want to look like everyone else. I want to stand out on my own. This makes people want to work with me and support my vision. I am in my own lane and I am my own cheerleader even when no one is backing me. I believe positivity and creativity are why I am successful.
What have you learned through your journey as an entrepreneur?
I’ve learned focusing on the ending goal is all you can do when the storm is rough. Not everyone is going to be your fan, and not everyone is going to love you. I’ve learned you have to separate business and personal. Go after what I want and not be afraid of becoming successful or failing. There will be a failure here and there, but there will be successes that make you forget those few failures. Being an entrepreneur means taking chances and making mistakes. No one is perfect and that’s what makes my entrepreneur journey beautiful.
What skills and attributes make you as successful as you are?
When it comes to my work, I think my attention to detail and color scheme really makes my artwork stand out, which helps it catch the eye of the viewer. When it comes to my personal attributes I think my drive and willingness to work hard for what I want is what has made me grow and become as successful as I am.
Why is online business, marketing, etc important?
Online business is So important. It helps you make connections you wouldn’t be able to make otherwise. Word of mouth is POWERFUL, however, having an online presence shows you have supported, you’re credible, and can produce the work and put in what it takes to make that client happy. If you aren’t willing to do the work, I believe it shows in your social media, marketing, and product.