Meet Alicia Yarrish | Wedding Photographer & Educator to Creative Small Business Owners

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alicia Yarrish and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alicia, what do you want your legacy to be?
I don’t want or need to be remembered with fame, or by being the best wedding photographer. I want people that I cross paths with to remember that I care so deeply about their family and their memories- their legacy.

Awards and other accolades are truly an honor and much appreciated whenever I’m nominated or chosen. However, the biggest joy and highest compliment I’ve ever received is when people tell me I captured that couple exactly how they know them to be and that their personalities and love shine through the photos.

I want my legacy to be that I put my heart into others’ legacies.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am most proud of my small business being the sole providing income for my family! That’s not to say that any small businesses that are just starting and getting their footing are less than, I’m just so proud that after a few years that my revenue has been able to 100% fund the life my family wants while supporting my husband going back to school to become a chiropractor.

It’s definitely not easy when your business is the only income. It can be a lot of stress and bring some uncertainty. This is why it’s been so crucial to have systems and processes in place to ensure I’m serving clients amazingly every time and bringing in clientelle consistently. It’s much more nuanced than that, of course, however, at the simplest- systems and processes are to thank for my business success!

I guess my biggest lesson throughout business has been to be bold, and take risks, but to do it in a way that makes sense for me, my family, and my clients. Not every piece of business advice should be taken. I learned that the hard way! Just because someone who, at the time, has a higher level of revenue than you said to do something doesn’t mean you need to also do that in order to find the level of success they have and that you want.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Houston is such a vast city! There’s so many wonderful places to see and visit you can’t hit them all in one trip- just based on distance alone. However, because so much of my life was spent in Clear Lake, I’d absolutely take a friend to tour NASA and visit Space Center Houston!

I’d take a friend to shop in Highland Village, walk Rice Military, dive bar in Montrose, 5* dinner Downtown, and the like. When I show friends my city, it’s generally a continuation of normal life just elevated a little. I don’t feel like Houston has many overly tourist places. Our best “scenes” are the everyday ones- great shopping, amazing food, and epic coffee bars, and bar bars!

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?
I’m a big believer that my success isn’t just my own. I have to dedicate this to my husband, Teylor. Husbands by nature are supportive, but Teylor has truly gone above and beyond in supporting me, encouraging me, and stepping in to help and make things easier on me. He’s my hype man telling everyone he can about how talented I am. He’s the tamer of the tiny humans when they’re wild and I need to get work done at home or head to a photograph wedding. And in the beginning, while we were living in Europe with a lot of rules about how I could run my business, he told me, “if anyone can do it, it’s you”. And that has stuck with me throughout my decade in business.

There are so many others that deserve credit and recognition. Sophie Epton for teaching me that it’s more than okay to bring traditional business strategies into the creative space and to use my strengths in that area. Christine Wright for always having my back through the ups and downs of business ownership and for being a constant source of encouragement. Catherine Smeader for always thinking like me but still pointing out what I can’t see in the moment and reminding me not to be so hard on myself. And all three of these ladies for always reminding me that I can, and will have, as much success as I want.

Website: https://aliciayarrish.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aliciayarrish/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aliciayarrish/

Facebook: https://facebook.com/aliciayarrishphotography

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDMlXNSZj6nUsUw9WGACXWA

Image Credits
Alicia Yarrish Photography