Sarah Petty: Faced with the need to go back to work when her active-duty husband got orders across the country, Liza Blecher decided it was time to start the photography business she’d always wanted. Her start was anything but smooth. She moved her five kids and had major back surgery while starting up and got a $17,000 order. Her story is unbelievable.
Welcome, Liza! Where do you live and where did your husband get stationed?
Liza Blecher: At the time, we were stationed in the Florida Panhandle. My husband got stationed just northeast of LA and we looked into the schools because in 25 years, other than deployments, we’ve never been separated as a family. But once I looked at the schools and the fact that our kids were in high school, we had to make that tough decision and stay for the sake of the kids.
Sarah Petty: I can’t imagine the fear of always living with your husband and raising kids together to be separated to do what’s right for your kids. Had you always been doing photography at this point?
Liza Blecher: I got my first camera when I was 10 and have always had a camera with me. And traveling around the world, being in the military, we got some great memories we were able to capture. But I never thought about doing it full time until the last three years because I started doing it more often. When my husband and I decided to go ahead and geographically separate due to the kids and the military, I realized I didn’t want a 9-5 job. I want to be my own boss.
So I brought the idea up to him and crazy enough, I just happened to be on the internet that night and came across a Facebook post about Sarah Petty and joined the free challenge
Sarah Petty: So you hadn’t even been charging people? And the minute you said, I think I’d like to do this and be my own boss, I appeared in your life.
Liza Blecher: Never charged. And yes, you did. I was terrified of starting my own business because I was terrified of failure. When I was in high school, I wanted to be an artist, but my dad said that’s not a real job. So I went to college, got my degree in psychology, joined the military, traveled the world for 12 years and met my husband. So I had that in the back of my head.
After your free challenge, I signed up for Boutique Breakthrough. My husband wanted me to go for it.
Sarah Petty: Wow. Why did he support you?
Liza Blecher: He saw it as an investment. He goes, “If you can make and break even and learn some things, then it’s a positive.” But he also knows that the schedule with the children was insane, so I still needed to be a full-time mom.
Sarah Petty: So he saw it as an investment for you, like she’ll learn this and she’ll go make money. I love this perspective.
Liza Blecher: Exactly. But, December came around and I had to have major back surgery. I may not be out there capturing the moments and capturing the images right now, because I physically can’t, but I want my foundation set so that when the doctor gives me the okay to go, I’m going full speed ahead.
Sarah Petty: So you just followed the system?
Liza Blecher: Correct. I went through and checked off the boxes, made myself a little organization area so that when it’s time to go and run, I was ready to go and run. And holy cow did I run. I was on Facebook marketplace and someone posted “Hey, I’m looking for a photographer. My kids are coming to town. I only have a short window. Is there anybody available who can help me?” I responded basically saying, “I would love to serve you. I’m a boutique photographer. How may I help you and how can I create a memory for you and your family?”
We started talking, made the appointment on Mother’s Day. Her three children were all joining the military and getting ready to leave and she knew that one of them would be gone for at least a year or two because he’s a submariner. We went and had such a great time. Went back two weeks later, and they kept adding on to their order. When I totaled it up, it was over $17,000.
Sarah Petty: $17,000 from finding a random person on Facebook and having a connection of being in the military. Did you talk to her on the phone and go through the seven B’s?
Liza Blecher: Yeah, it was huge. It was an amazing moment because we talked for about 20 minutes and hit it off.
Sarah Petty: Wow. You knew what these portraits meant for her family. That artwork is going to be something that they will treasure forever. This was your first ever paying client?
Liza Blecher: Yes. I’ve never sold an image in my life. I followed the seven B’s and everything you have set up and it worked.
Sarah Petty: I’m literally holding back tears right now because that is so beautiful. It just shows how important what we do is. And truly, I believe to my core that there’s nothing better that family could have done with that $17,000 than invest in these beautiful images.
Liza Blecher: We had such a great time and we still keep in touch. They ordered a metal family portrait for their son for Christmas because of the fact that being military and he’s going to make a career out of it, you’re always moving. So he’s got his whole family with him.
Sarah Petty: That is just beautiful. What we do is really special. Thank you, my friend, for this inspiration.
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