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

Hi Cathi, what do you attribute your success to?
My core belief is “a rising tide lifts all boats.” This guiding principle has been critical to my success because I started an organization that supports a global profession that is just emerging. My goal has been to always strive for the best outcome, whether for our professional community or the general public who seek our courses and advice.

What should our readers know about your business?
Hi, I’m Cathi Nelson, the CEO and founder of The Photo Managers. For over two decades, I’ve supported people in building thriving photo organizing businesses to help families all over the world preserve and share their stories. What’s amazing is, I never set out to identify and build a new profession.

After a successful career in ad sales, we adopted my son and daughter. From the moment we brought them home, I was compelled to document every stage of our very personal family journey. For years, I created scrapbooks, photographed, and organized the memories from each step our family took together. I also built a successful business selling scrapbooking supplies and teaching others to create similar photo albums during those years. Helping people uncover the stories hidden in their photos has been my passion long before I knew it could become a viable business.
By 2007, I noticed a change as people shifted to digital photography. They needed more help with their growing photo collections. I saw this problem as a massive opportunity for women — especially the concept of turning traditional scrapbooking into a thriving business by organizing family photo collections and producing memory books. So, in 2009, I founded The Photo Managers community. Since then, we’ve grown into the leading organization serving entrepreneurs through our training, professional certification program, best practices, and a code of ethics that sets high standards for the rapidly growing photo management industry. As a result, we’ve inspired a global photo organizing movement that supports our members’ businesses and families doing work they love.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
All the professional photo organizing entrepreneurs who said yes to starting a business. We would not be today’s successful, thriving community if those early pioneers hadn’t said yes and then passed on their skills to others. I have kept this favorite quote by Brene Brown on my desk because of how true the concept is when starting a business, “It’s OK to be brave and afraid at the same time”

Website: https://thephotomanagers.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thephotoorganizers

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