MAD LOVE MONDAY | Sharon Mellott
My name is Sharon and I’m the proud owner of a photo booth company called fotobüth. My journey to becoming the owner of a photo booth business is different than most. To be honest, it wasn’t something I set out to do or even considered looking into.
A friend of mine originally owned fotobüth and was running it as a side hustle. Her primary business was growing and she simply didn’t have the time to continue to invest in fotobüth and give it the love it needed to grow. I initially looked into it out of pure curiosity, but the more questions I asked the more interested I became.
Photography by Nicole Constante
In June of 2018 I purchased fotobüth and it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made!
When I first took over fotobüth I was pretty nervous. I knew very little about the industry, but knew enough to know I was entering a competitive market. I wouldn’t consider myself to be computer savvy either, so to say I was overwhelmed by all of the cords and technology to make this baby run smoothly was an understatement! I have to be able to set this up how fast… and in the dark? What if something goes wrong? I spent hours in the basement practicing how to quickly set-up the booth and how to take it down so I’d be able to do it at an event without being stressed.
The biggest lesson I’ve learned in the past year is you need to believe in yourself and in your product.
Otherwise, how can you expect other people to? I’m also the owner of an Interior Design company called Weaver Design Inc.. I may not of had any experience in the photo booth industry when I first purchased it, but I already had the skills to run a business. Although fotobüth is currently a side business for me, it has grown to be so much more than JUST a side hustle. My passion for this industry has evolved over the past year and I’m always anxiously waiting for the next event. I enjoy meeting new people and I’m excited for the potential this company has to grow. My favorite part has been customizing the photo booth to make it my own. I’m always trying to think of new things I can add-on to make fotobüth stand-out against my competitors in this ever-evolving industry.
Running a business certainly comes with its challenges and is not for the faint of heart – the hustle is real folks! I’ve contemplated giving up more often than not, which is why I feel it’s so important to surround yourself with people that will continue to uplift you. Sometimes the only way to push through the difficult times is to have a little faith and to keep putting one foot in front of the other. If it was easy, everyone would do it! At the end of the day, it all comes down to the fact that I love what I do. Watching people come together and get outside of their comfort zone, share some laughs makes all of those struggles worth it. There is no greater gift.
One thing I love about being a business owner is that you are in control and there really is no limit as to how far you can take it.
There is something so empowering in knowing that you’ve created something that is 100% your own and watching a business grow is the most rewarding thing I can think of. There are no words. Being an entrepreneur has really pushed me to live outside of my own comfort zone and to embrace the discomfort in the unknown.
I’m so glad I found the YEGBOSSBABES community. It can be challenging to find a mentor in your industry or even someone to talk to that can relate to the struggles that come with being a business owner. I cannot say enough about how fantastic it is to have a community of strong, like-minded entrepreneurs to share experiences with. There is so much we can learn from each other!
Sharon Mellott | fotobüth
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