How a Photographer Built Freedom Through Systems

We're in 10 states right now. I created something that people want, and I created something that was scalable. We were creators of an experience and then we just happened to capture them with our humans.

- Lauren Michelle is a photographer, entrepreneur, and the founder of Law of Photography. She helps families preserve life's most meaningful moments while empowering photographers to build thriving businesses through proven systems

and mentorship. - People that want to like myself, open up their own brick and mortar or establishment. What's your key tip for success? - Do I want to own a business

or do I want to own a job? A lot of entrepreneurs own jobs, whether or not out of their business. They may get the benefit of money, but they don't get the benefit of freedom.

“And I think the ultimate goal is freedom.”

And so without those processes in place and a training system in place where you can replicate yourself, you can create whatever you want to create, you really will get nowhere except.

(dramatic music) - It spans the goal. Like a super high school, internet helpers. (indistinct chatter) Today, Apple is going to reinvent the phone.

- It's not over, I'm telling how we're... - The living your legacy podcast for those who live to leave a legacy. (indistinct chatter) - Open, check out the list of ladies and people

in the boxes, not on the planet. You can live your dream. - Welcome back everybody to another episode of the Living Your Legacy Podcast. Today I am joined by Lauren Michelle

of La La Photography. Welcome to the studio, Lauren. - Thank you so much for having me. - Of course, of course. So you just finished recording your episode

of Women in Power with Coffee. Shoutout to Coffee. You guys don't know this, but he's in the room with us.

- First of all, how do you feel?

- Oh, I feel wonderful. This whole experience has been really streamlined, easy, relaxed.

“You know, I think some of these things could be scary”

for some people, and it definitely wasn't anywhere near scary. Everything was very laid out for me, and I was able to focus on just telling my story. - Beautiful, beautiful. I tell clients all the time when they sit in these chairs,

I'm like, this is where you get the jitters out. So sometimes we'll do the podcast before you go to record your episode, and like, all right, let's get all the jitters out first, 'cause we do that when we can tell,

like a client is really nervous, or they might not have been on camera before, but you work in the camera business. So you kind of have, you know your way around a camera here and there.

- Correct and incorrect. I know my way around the back of a camera. I do not like being in front of a camera. - I'm the same way. - Yeah.

- That's why I started my film career. It's 'cause I hated being on the other side of the camera. - Like this to me is my worst nightmare, but we do what we gotta do. - Oh, yes.

Well, we'll pretend like there's no camera as, but no, I mean, I know my way in and out of a camera, and but I get in front of it and it is extremely scary, but I didn't feel like that today. So that was really nice.

It was fun for me as a business owner to look at your systems and to see your guys' processes and really admire them. - Beautiful, beautiful. So for the audience, this is gonna be kind of

an introduction to you before your episode comes out. Your episode will come out shortly following this podcast episode. So talk to me a little bit about Lauren. Where does Lauren come from?

Where did your business start? How'd you get your start with cameras? - Okay, well, I grew up in California, and I loved cameras.

My whole life, my stepdad always had a camera in our face.

And it was always taking pictures, and I naturally picked up the camera from there. My started, I took a film class, I moved to Denmark. When I was a teenager, as an exchange student, and I took a class there, but it was with film,

“and you know, you have to develop the film.”

- We're in our case. - When you went into the dark room for the first time, and you smelled the chemicals, you're like, "Oh, I don't even have those anymore, probably." - Oh, no, that's good for you.

- They still do, they've tweaked the chemicals a little bit now, so they don't smell as weird, but I remember my first, my story is very similar, where my dad was always taking photos when I was growing up, and he was shooting on these

little disposable cameras, and then eventually, I got my hands on one, and I would just take pictures of lizards on the sidewalk, and birds up in a tree, and I just kind of fell in love with it, and then I took a film class in high school,

got into the dark room for the first time,

played around with developing my own film, and then I really fell in love with the process. - Yes. - And it's, I find that to be kind of a unanimous experience, amongst people who fall for the camera lifestyle,

and it's such a big part of what we do today, like there's so much content, so much, everybody wants to preserve memories, which I've read through your file a little bit.

so talk to me a little bit about what is La La Photography,

how did it start, how did we get there? - So La La Photography is a boutique photography studio. - How I got there was when I had my child, I was, I wanted to take photos of him, and I realized that I had only a couple choices.

It was either paid $10,000 for a boutique photographer to take the photos, oh yes, if so. - Okay. - Oh, it's so expensive. If they want you to spend so much money,

and or it was to go to one of those big bucks in the mall, or at one of those big bucks department stores, and you know, you'd get to choose from a background that was sponge-painted, brown or sponge-painted blue. I think they've gotten a slight bit better,

but not much.

“And that would be the only thing that I could afford,”

and they really didn't do newborns,

they didn't do anything that I needed, and it really hasn't changed since I was a child. Like they were using the same backgrounds that I had 40 years ago, so I decided to get my own camera, and I started taking pictures of my own child,

then taking pictures of my friends, children, and then taking pictures of people that I know is children, and it just all built from there, and then I was able to create a business that I would wanna be a customer for.

- Mm-hmm. You know, that's a unanimous experience that I've seen among the business owners that I've interviewed in these seats is that all of them were able to find a gap

within the market of what they wanted to get into, find a problem that needed solving, and just go down that path, right? So identifying where there's a need, and just meeting that need,

not just for yourself, but for others as well. What would you say is like the core ethos behind what you do with your business?

“- Well, I believe that we do it differently,”

so one of the things I talked about in my episode was when I train a photographer,

I don't actually train them first,

how to use a camera, what you would think, that I would either hire photographers, or I would show them how to be a photographer, and that's not the first thing that they train. They train and how to build rapport with children,

how to, you know, bring out these genuine smiles. You know, a lot of, I mean, a two-year-old for sure doesn't wanna take photos. - I don't even know what's going on. - Yeah, they don't even know a one-year-old doesn't wanna take photos,

so to be able to create this experience where we're pulling out their genuine personalities is what really sets us apart and what makes our experience so special with a lot of photography, a lot of our reviews online

are actually written before they even see the photos, because these photos are just a byproduct of the experience that we've created, it lot of photography, and I think that that is really our big

thing that lot of photography is that it's weird creators of an experience, and then we just happen to capture them with our cameras. You know, we spoke about this before we started the show, but I started a podcast studio last year with a buddy of mine

and a big part of why we became so successful with that studio was because we didn't, it wasn't about the having the latest tech, having the best lighting, although I'm too much of a stick we're for lighting to let that,

to let that slide by the wayside, I was like, no, no, we're gonna invest in the lighting. But it was more about the experience, right? Like we created, you know, before we would start any podcast,

we had sort of a pre-flight, you know, when you go on a plane and they give you sort of the pre-flight breakdown of everything. So I created a version of that,

and then when we would hire new staff to run the studio, I would train them up on that as opposed to, I would make sure that I was hiring people that were at least familiar enough with the camera that I could kind of walk them through the settings,

but in a podcast studio, the cameras are on sticks, they're on tripods like you see 'em here. They kind of don't move too much. You don't gotta move 'em. You don't gotta change too many settings.

Let that be. What I really want you to focus on is the experience. Can I get you a water? Is there anything that I can get for you before? It's almost like a restaurant in a way.

Like teaching them how to be like a restaurant server, creating an experience for the guests,

“and that's what made us, you know, would set us apart”

from other studios that we're popping up at the time. I'd love to get your opinion on where you see gaps

- Well, we do mostly families and babies.

So there are gaps, I mean, anywhere where our studios are, we're in 10 states right now, but anywhere where our studios aren't, they're still just very little to choose from, as far as photography studios go.

Well, there's not a lot of people that actually have studios. It's a lot of just people with cameras who've just gotten it and they want to practice. So that's one choice. And so that's a huge gap.

And then the actually the big box studios have since gone out of business, since some of the more boutique studios have popped up, it's we have a problem with people, not a problem. A gap, the gap is that it's either those big box studios

or people who are focused on photography, like we just talked about and not about an experience.

“And I think that, I mean, with any business,”

that is the biggest gap is that they work a lot more

on the technical side of whatever industry it is, like you have a podcast or had a podcast. And I have photography. And even though there are two different businesses in two different industries in a way,

they're successful, I believe, because both of us focused on an experience over technical things. And so I think that that's a huge gap is not focusing on what they should be focused on.

Because if I just knew all my technical aspects of the camera, actually my photographers don't even know how to change a camera setting, 'cause everything is all set up for them, 'cause it is really, there's so much to think about

when you're in a photo shoot that the last thing I want them to think about is, oh, how do I work this camera? - Technical space. - Yeah, I tend to do stuff. It wouldn't work. - Why am I focusing on my exposure triangle right now?

That should have been-- - No, yeah. - I should have said that. I should have said that ages ago. - Yeah, no, so that's all set for them.

“And I mean, they do have to make adjustments,”

but it's just one adjustment. It's not a guessing game. There's one adjustment, is it too light? Okay, turn that down, is it too dark? Turn that up, super simple.

Because I really want them to focus on the clients and front of them and their needs and how we best represent their family and freeze this memory of what their family actually is because they come into our studio

and everybody's stressed. And everybody, the mom wants the children to look perfect or has been getting the children ready all day. The dad, has been, doesn't want to be there normally. Typically, doesn't want to be there.

And so they're stressed out, everybody's so stressed. And so that's what we have to stop. And that's another thing about inside success. And my experience with filming my episode was that I would think that traditionally,

I'd be pretty stressed out about doing this. And I don't think there was a time. Everything was just so laid out for me. And maybe I noticed it more because I'm a business owner. But I just admire the processes and systems

that you guys have put in place because it is very well put. I love that one of the systems comes together. Yeah, I'm very, very capable. Only entrepreneurs can say that.

Yep. Yep. Only entrepreneurs. There's a quote that I say to everyone on my clients that I film with. And for any of the clients that have filmed with me that are going to end up watching this,

you guys know exactly the quote that I'm about to bring up.

But there's a quote that I always say before we go into the legacy

segment. And it's by my end, she says, people will forget what you said. People will forget what you did.

“But people will never forget the way that you made them feel.”

And I live my life by that quote. And I don't want to kind of bulldoze past this because you mentioned your in 10 states. You are also franchising these studios out in these multiple multiple locations.

Talk to me about how that got started. OK, well, that is a fun story. I actually had a competitor from Las Vegas who we put out of business. She was a very high-end boutique photographer.

She was very, very good at her craft. But she was very, very pricey. And we, when we started, she no longer was in business. And she moved to Sacramento. And she called me up one day.

And she said, I want to open up a photography studio in Sacramento. But I don't want to do what I did. You put me out of business. I want to do what you do.

And she wanted to pay me for career humble. Oh, amazing person. It's so, so humble to be able to go--

Yeah, yeah, to admit that.

That's hard to admit. I was just wrong recently. I was telling them about it.

“And it took me a while to admit I was wrong.”

And not that she was wrong. It just is the way that the market was going. And I created something that people want. And I created something that was scalable. And I created something that didn't have me in the business all day

or have her in the business all day. So she wanted to pay me for consulting. I said, oh, girl. That's-- I don't know how many hours I would have to talk to you to make it worth it for you or I to have a successful business.

And so that's when we looked into our options. And that's when I decided that the best road was franchising. And I'm sure a lot of systems and process is when you're franchising and you're creating

a brand new location, a lot of systems and processes have to get really ironed down to make sure that you don't dilute the experience by spreading your resources to thin. And no, that's my superpower is processes and systems.

And I love it.

And I always thought my passion was photography.

And owning a photography studio or photography studios, people assume that my passion is photography. And my passion is SOPs and processes. It's just-- I love it. I love writing.

I use a program online training system called Traneal. And I could spend hours on that. I look through it. And I just say, how can I make this better? Because the better my trainual and my training systems

are, the more I can scale and the better the experiences for people that I train, for franchises, are clients. Like it's a win-win-win for everybody. Win-win-win-win.

That has been incredible experience. And my processes are ironed out, but they could always be ironed out.

There's always tweaks to be made always that.

Once I was done, I'd be done with my processes. And I would sit back and look out on a grateful universe. I know. Do that's quote from Thanos. No, no, that's not the reality.

But at least I love doing it. And at least I have a program in place that grows with me and grows with my business. So as we sort of wrap up here, I want to ask one final question for the audience out there who are being introduced to you

for the first time. What is your key tip for aspiring entrepreneurs, business owners, people that want to, like myself,

“open up their own brick and mortar or establishment?”

What's your key tip for success? My key tip for success, we just actually touched on it, would be to be very clear. I think clear processes. You can't scale when it's just you.

And I talked about this in my episode. It's, I read a book. It's called the E-Meth. And the thing that I took from it was, do I want to own a business or do I want to own a job?

There's nothing wrong with owning a job, a lot of entrepreneurs own jobs, whether or not out of their business. They may get the benefit of money, but they don't get the benefit of freedom.

And I think the ultimate goal is freedom. And so without those processes in place, and a training system in place where you can replicate yourself, you can create whatever you want to create, you really will get nowhere except in the confines of your business.

So I think that that is the biggest thing is just to make sure these processes. And it's a beautiful thing. Because I think entrepreneurs want to create.

“I think that's why they start businesses.”

They really want to build and create. And then they get stuck in their business because they want to control. And letting go of that control and by letting-- You let it go with that control in a way.

And in a way you keep that control by making these processes, because you create them. And you can create them, however you want to create them. And so that would be the biggest key to success. It's to learning that.

I don't know if you can learn it by reading, if you can learn it by listening, but learn it somehow. I feel like that was directed right at me. That hit home for me. It's been such a pleasure being able to get to learn from you

and get to know you for the people out there. Where can they find you on social media, your website? Where do they reach out? OK. Well, the company website is LaLavaFatography.com.

I do have a personal Instagram page. I'm not huge into social media. So I was just told I have four pictures up there. But I am going to get with Little Vetter. But it's miss.la.on.gov.

Thank you.

“Just put it somewhere down here in this general vicinity.”

It's mostly pictures of my children.

And all their fun things that this business has allowed me to give to them and all their opportunities.

So which is also super cool.

Beautiful. Beautiful.

“Well, guys, if you're still here at this point in the episode,”

make sure that you check out Lauren Michelle's episode

of Women in Power, which will be coming out shortly after this episode releases. So make sure you stay tuned for that.

“You'll get a much deeper dive into her story,”

the story of her business, and how we got here today. But with that, that's the end of the episode for today. I am your host, Jason Tyler, and I will catch you guys in the next one. (upbeat music)