Today we’d like to introduce you to Tim Laielli.
Tim, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
What started as a hobby twelve years ago has quickly turned into an exploding business full of potential and opportunity. Photography was an interest for me after high school, where I photographed equine events at the state fair and senior photos as volunteer work for refugees. I didn’t actually buy my own camera until 2016.
When I bought my camera, the intention was to use it solely to photograph my kids and our family adventures but I quickly received overwhelming positive support on my photos from friends and family on social media. You know that feeling of achievement when others compliment you on something? That feeling of achievement is extremely motivating and fueled my desire to keep documenting and sharing my work.
I launched my business officially in 2017, and quit my full-time job to take photography full time in 2018. Since then, I’ve booked weddings in ten different states and two different countries. Over the last two years, I have been focusing on attracting couples who value the same things that I do. The couples that I work with value individuality, art, and the story of their love over a traditional wedding.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The most challenging aspect of leading a self-employed entrepreneurial lifestyle has absolutely been time management. With two daughters and a wife in law school, there are never enough hours in the day. It’s easy to run a business, be a dad, or be a husband – but it is extremely challenging, if not impossible, to do all three concurrently. I feel like I’m constantly rotating between succeeding at these things individually, and really want to find a way to manage my kids, my spouse, and my clients most efficiently. I’m definitely getting there, but there have been a lot of sacrifices!
We’d love to hear more about your work.
I photograph weddings and elopements for couples who do things differently. My couples aren’t afraid to get dirty, even on their wedding day. They plan their wedding for themselves and not for their guests – sorry guests.
I’m not traditional, which means my couples aren’t traditional either. The single most important thing to the people I work with is displaying their love, not how much they spent.
I don’t have an ideal couple, but I know what they value, and I’m proud of that.
What were you like growing up?
I was born on the east coast, grew up in the midwest, and am now living in the south. Although I’m generally an extrovert, I believe that moving away from friends and family at major points in my life caused me to be more introspective – a serial overthinker and overanalyzer. I was an only child until I was thirteen, so I spent a lot of time with just my imagination.
Growing up, I was never motivated by team sports. In middle school, I tried several different sports in hopes of finding something that I enjoyed because it seemed like the popular thing to do. In high school, I ran cross country and was a springboard diver, but both of those sports caused me quite a bit of anxiety. It wasn’t until I joined an art club that I really felt I was able to channel emotions into a tangible result that I was proud of.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.timlaielli.com
- Phone: 5154918700
- Email: tim@timlaielli.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/barefoottim
- Facebook: facebook.com/timlaielliphotography
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