Meet Monika Normand | Brand Photographer & Business Owner

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

Hi Monika, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I think having a healthy risk tolerance is critical for running a business successfully and is absolutely necessary if you want to grow your business. I don’t know that I’m necessarily “brave”, but I’ve always welcomed change and risk when it comes to bettering my life. I actually started my business in Massachusetts and moved to Texas a little over 6 years ago, so I had to embrace risk and change in order to get re-established in a new location with no connections. I am super calculated, think things through thoroughly, and try to measure risk versus reward carefully before making big decisions. For my business, I run numbers in my spreadsheets to make sure I’m taking calculated risks when it comes to reinvesting in the business, changing prices, pivoting services, etc. I live by the quote “what you can measure, you can change”, so my best advice on risk is to measure it and make an educated decision, not an emotional one. Ultimately, taking bigger risks earlier in your career and life can catapult you to levels of success and happiness that wouldn’t be possible otherwise. I’m currently taking some big risks in my business, but I’m choosing to see them as investments in myself, my quality of life, and ways to better serve the creative community.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am a Dallas brand photographer and I specialize in creating vibrant, bold, and custom content for businesses and personal brands. I pivoted my business from wedding photography to brand photography about 5 years ago, and although it was scary to let go of what built my initial success, the work I do now is incredibly rewarding and fulfilling. I have the privilege of working with, being trusted by, and learning from some of the most talented and hardworking business owners in their respective fields.

I own Monika Normand Creative LLC, and I specialize in branding photography for individual personal brands as well as commercial photography for service-based businesses, restaurants, and hospitality brands. Over the past five years, I’ve worked with a wide range of clients from local Dallas-based businesses and ad agencies to celebrity influencers and national brands. As your creative partner, I will work with you to collaborate on the best strategy to capture engaging, on-brand, high-performing, money-making, bespoke content, and you’ll walk away with a beautiful asset library you’re confident in and can’t wait to show off.

I’m known for my bright, vibrant editing style and being able to capture my clients’ personalities in an honest, authentic way. I am most proud of my ability to relate to people, make them feel seen, and help them feel confident in front of the camera. I think my personality puts people at ease because I am organized and attentive but also down to earth, accepting, and love to make people laugh. Working in the branding field for several years now, I am well-versed in successful marketing strategies, I know what goes into creating a successful brand, and I am able to help my clients navigate a seamless and productive photoshoot whether they are just starting a brand-new business or have been running a successful company for decades.

I am also in the process of opening my own rentable photography studio, Brightside Studios, here in Dallas in the next few months. Brightside Studios will offer several unique vignettes in addition to a beautiful natural light blank canvas space for photographers and videographers to create content in. I utilize these types of spaces for my brand photography clients all the time and am so excited to be launching a space of my own!

Self-funding multiple businesses is scary, exhausting, and takes a lot of patience, but I am proud of the hard work I put into getting here and wouldn’t have it any other way. I also have an incredible support system that keeps me sane and encourages me to take risks and go after my dreams (this is absolutely necessary as a business owner to surround yourself with encouraging and supportive people or you’ll go insane).

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Anytime I have visitors from out of town, these are my top places to bring them to:

Restaurants:
Ellen’s for a delicious southern brunch

Oishii, SMU Boulevard for the best sushi and wine menu
Partenope, downtown Dallas for delicious pasta, pizza, and wine
Sky Blossom for apps, drinks, and a really cool rooftop view of downtown Dallas
Pizza and drinks at Eno’s Pizza

Activities:
Explore Bishop Arts District for art, gift shopping, music, and food
Walk Katy Trail for nature & exercise
Walk White Rock Lake for peaceful time outside
Stroll through Deep Ellum and check out street art, lots of great restaurants, coffee shops, ice cream, and gift shopping
Play disc golf at Oak Cliff Founders Park
Check out the wildlife at The Dallas World Aquarium in the Historic West End
See a game at the American Airlines Center (I’m a big Maverick’s fan!)
Stroll through Highland Park Village for high-end shopping and delicious restaurants

Sights:
Explore Dallas Arboretum to stroll through the gardens
Check out the Stockyards in Fort Worth for your classic Texas experience

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’d like to dedicate this shoutout to Kambri Preciado who is an incredibly supportive, encouraging, and inspiring person, and I am so grateful to call her my friend. She is the genius behind Bring Me Bronze, and we met by picking up each other’s business cards in the mailroom of our apartment building 5 years ago. (Yes, business cards still work as a good marketing tool!) It’s been so grounding and helpful to have a friend who shares the same drive for creating a better life and knows what it’s like to run your own business. She’s the absolute best!

Website: https://monikanormandphoto.com/

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monika-normand/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/monikanormandcreative

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@monikanormandcreativellc/

Other: Brightside Studios Website: https://brightsidestudiosdallas.com/ Brightside Studios Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brightsidestudios_dallas/

Image Credits
Monika Normand Creative LLC