Many of us grow up with dreams of doing one thing, only to discover that it wasn’t all it was hyped up to be. 

Lauren McWilliams specialises in brand and event photography for businesses across the North East of England with her company, For You Photography.

Photography was always a fun hobby but she decided to turn it into a full-time career in 2019, after deciding that her current career, wasn’t making her happy anymore and it was in fact affecting her mental health.

I wanted to get Lauren on the show to find out why she made such a big career change and how her business has been affected thanks to the COVID pandemic.

[01:42] The COVID lockdown meant that photographers all around the world had to stop trading. Lauren only set up as a photographer in April 2019 meaning she was not eligible for any financial support from the UK government. How did she cope and keep her business from going under? 

[07:12] Lauren realised she’d have to push herself to ensure her business survived by doing things that she’d always been too afraid to do in the past. 

[09:33] Lauren studied criminology at university and she always imagined she’d become a probation officer. So why did she become a full-time photographer? It’s quite a big change in career! 

[16:20] Let’s find out about VODA and how Lauren has been supporting this wonderful organisation for young people in North Tyneside. 

[23:30] Burn out has been a huge problem amongst entrepreneurs during the pandemic. How does Lauren ensure she doesn’t burn out? 

[27:30] What lessons has Lauren learnt about going solo and starting a new business?

[29:07] Lauren discusses how she define success. Is it all about how much money you earn?

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