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

Hi Caitlyn, have you had any epiphanies during or due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
YES. After Covid-19 hit, my photography business completely hit a wall – all of my weddings and sessions were re-scheduled to later dates and I realized that I wouldn’t have income for at least 2 months. So of course I sat in my feelings for a couple of days, feeling a lot of self-pity and anxiety. But I slowly realized that I had put all of my eggs in one income basket, to speak. And being self-employed, that was a huge mistake. I needed to start thinking like an entrepreneur and that meant encompassing multiple streams of income and finding creative ways to make money during all of this. So I pivoted/I’m still pivoting. I’m now taking on roles of being an educator in the photography community, offering mentor sessions to new photographers in the area. I started a couple of e-commerce shops, selling presets for photographers and even apparel! While it’s not something I would have done if Covid-19 didn’t happen, this pandemic has really pushed me to think outside the box when it comes to being a business owner.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I’m a wedding photographer based in Dallas, Texas! My style is a mix of documentary and traditional, creating lively images that reflect my couples and the people they love most. I got my start in the photography world while I was living in New York, taking photos for up-and-coming models for their portfolios and slowly transitioned to photographing more proposals and eventually engagements and weddings! The road to get to where I am today, being a full-time wedding photographer, was definitely not easy. I had to learn a lot about the business (which there is a lot to learn and I’m constantly learning new things), as well as establish my brand and style to my clientele. The biggest take-away I’ve had over the last 4 years is that giving my clients the absolute best experience from their wedding photographer is number one. I want them to feel comfortable and gain all of their trust when it comes to delivering an amazing wedding gallery that they can cherish over the years.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I love Dallas. I love Dallas more than any other city I’ve lived and visited. I’m so happy to call this place home. I would definitely have Bishop Arts on the list of places to go while in town. The energy and community in that little neighborhood is so unique. Plus, all the restaurants and coffee shops have their own personality it’s so much fun to hop from storefront to storefront. Hola Cafe and Oddfellows are a couple of favorites. Mod + Jo is also a local, small-batch jewelry shop that sells some of my favorite pieces I’d have to show off.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to dedicate my shoutout to my husband. 100%. He is my cheerleader, my rock, my biggest supporter with anything I decide to pursue. And I can’t imagine myself taking the steps I did to get where I am today without him.

Website: https://on-the-times.com
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Image Credits
On the Times Photography