Throughout years of proposing, planning, and executing marketing and advertising campaigns for clients, she found joy in the hobby of photography. Over time she found herself growing weary of late nights, when her brother made a suggestion which encouraged her to be where she is now. Ashley Low Photography was created and meets a very specific photographic need for families.

She has learned so much from past experiences, and continues to learn daily. In this Spotlight Interview, Ashley Low is sharing an abundance of wisdom and solid advice for professionals looking to make the leap into entrepreneurship, and those currently facing the everyday battle of being a striving entrepreneur.

Tell us about you and your business/career, and what you were doing before you started? Did you always dream to do what you are doing now? Or did life throw a particular opportunity your way?

I am a photographer and I capture the fleeting moments of babies with their families. I am the founder of Ashley Low Photography and my studio specializes in newborn photography for babies less than two weeks old.

I spent the first seven years of my career in the advertising field, in a project management role liaising between my clients and my teams of designers, creative directors, print managers, media companies, and so on. I would propose, present and execute marketing and advertising campaigns for my clients. Making things happen has always been my work ethos, and meeting deadlines is what I have been doing every day of my career.

I have always loved photography as a hobby -it was an escape from my crazy work life. I travel around the world and hike in the mountains of New Zealand, carrying my 5kg DSLR camera.

When I decided that I’d had enough of working till 1 am almost everyday, and was unsure of what to do next. My brother suggested that I further my studies in photography and pursue photography as my career. I have never loved my brother more for this advice!

To Professionals Struggling With The Leap
Be bold and take a risk.

If there is that little voice in your mind or heart that says ‘this (your current work) is not for you’, ‘you are better than this’ or ‘you are more than this’, it’s time you consider the next path.

You might not know what to do next, but sticking to your current path is not going to lead you to the next route. Worries and fears will only pull you deeper into this current path, but if you do not make the firm decision to change, nothing will change in you. Take a leap of faith and let things flow. Yes, you will not know what will happen; yes, you might fail; but if you never try, you will never know. We human beings are born to learn how to protect ourselves. Once we decide to take the leap, even while we are wobbling on our path, our brains will naturally help us to find ways to balance ourselves and make things work.

Is your business or career all you dreamed it would be? Do you ever feel like giving up or have you ever felt this way?

I remember when I was studying photography in London, everyday when I boarded the bus to school, a smile naturally appeared on my face, my heart felt warm and I looked forward to school. It is such an amazing feeling to have found something that I am so passionate about.

Since I started my business in September 2011, there have been many challenges, some late nights, worries, fears, and so on, but there has never been a moment when I’ve felt like giving up. I feel really contented now, knowing that this is a career I have chosen; I can see myself doing this when I am 75 years old! This contentment helps me carry on with my business, regardless of the challenges I face.

My advice is to be like a baby who’s learning his first motor skills. He may not know how to crawl or even sit yet, but he always finds ways to try. He may cry when he gets frustrated and feels despair but he knows he will try again because he wants it badly; he has a goal and he will strive for it. When you know what you want to do, you have a goal and you will keep striving for it. Fall and pick yourself up again.

Entrepreneurial Struggles

My biggest frustration is the feeling of loneliness as an entrepreneur.

We are not born leaders,or born to be business people or to be a boss. When I feel lost, I always feel unsure about whom I can talk to and what I can do about it. I always turn to the world of the internet for help, but, even though I get answers, it’s a one-way conversation. Having a business partner helps but I am a sole proprietor.

I, therefore, turn to networking events to meet more like-minded people who share exactly how I feel about things. I have also started doing some business courses, which allow me to meet other entrepreneurs. All of these networks have helped me gain friendships, as well as ease my loneliness in my work.

What is your biggest failure/lesson in life? How has that shaped how you work, and what you do in your business/career? 

Always be humble and always be open to learn from others – either from our peers, from our customers or even from our staff. The only way to grow is to be like a child; be open to acquiring knowledge, learn and be inquisitive.

If you could do it all again – what would you do differently?

Everyone make mistakes and everyone feels bad about the mistakes. My advice is to learn to see the positive rather than the negative in everything we do. What can we learn from the mistakes we make? What can we do to ensure we do better next time? Focus on what came out of this mistake: maybe it’s a stronger team, a new friendship, a new-found great supplier, and so on. Focus on the positive side of the mistakes.

Saying To Live By

Don’t hesitate. Just try and move along.

Ashley Low’s One Line

Moments will pass and soon you will be moving on to the next phase of life. Photograph and capture these fleeting moments of you and your family!

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