Mom Who Made It Happen
Ginger Hites
HomeTown: Corry, Pa
Currently resides in West Pittsburgh.
Currently resides in West Pittsburgh.
Tell Us about your business and why you created it.
"My Business is Frames of Infinity. I am a local Photographer who specializes in Newborns, Children, and Families.
From Maternity to Sr. Sessions, I happily cover it all. I do not have a studio location (as of yet) but do most of my sessions on location or in my clients homes. I feel it is much easier on wee ones to be in their own environment, surrounded by their own things to keep them calm while I and their parents jump around like clowns to make them laugh and smile. It's true, no parent can deny it. We all do just about anything to get those real giggles and smiles to come out.
I started my business to fulfill a longtime dream. I have always loved having a camera in my hand, and documenting my life and then my daughter came along and suddenly it wasn't about MY life anymore. It was about her, and how quickly she changed and grew and I couldn't get enough of getting THOSE moments. You know which ones I mean. The ones where they are crawling across the wood floor with light streaming in, or walking in grass for the 1st time, to twirling happily across a field. The simple pleasures of swinging, laughing, and loving. Those are the memories that I love to capture. Not the stiff, scary lady with all the lights and a silly duck on her head moments. The real ones, outside and together."
Tell us about your family
"I am married to Greg, who is the best husband and father that I could have ever dreamed for. We have 3 children, 2 daughters and a son. Maggie, our oldest, is 8 and is already interested in learning the ropes of being a great assistant. She accompanies me to different sessions here and there, and is quick with a reflector and also loves to help break the ice with some of our more shy clients.
Our son, Fionn (pronounced Finn) is 4 and is in love with anything related to cars and technology. He also keeps us in stitches with his quick wit and great smile. And last but certainly NOT least, is our 2 year old Honey Badger, Cate. She is sweet, but rules this house with iron fist as only a true toddler terror can. Don't be fooled by her curls, this girl means business."
Tell us about your background/ education
"3 years into a Speech Communications Degree at Edinboro University of Pa. I suppose one day I should finish that degree, maybe soon now that my husband has finished with his career change."
What Advice do you have for other moms looking to make it happen at home? Looking to have it all!?
"Owning a business isn't going to bring you a windfall of income right away, it comes with A LOT of headaches. You have to be willing to bend, almost to the point of breaking (or to breaking) and find you way back again. BUT no one ever said ""hard work DOESN'T pay off"" right? If you want to be a business owner you need to put the sweat equity into it. If you truly LOVE what you do and have a passion for it, then keep at it and make it work.
I can't really say that I ""have it all"" as I'm still in the no sleep part of my life, but we're getting to the point where we are making it all work. We're no longer trying to do it alone, and have called in "helpers" and baby-sitters as needed. We also call on our "village" from time to time and they willingly jump in to help. It does take a village (and great family) to be able to pull off "having it all"...but honestly I can't say I have it all. When I get that thing called sleep back, THEN I'll know we're doing something right."
What do you love about having your own business?
"Honestly, I LOVE everything about being a business owner. I love working when I can, even when it means around the clock. I love that if I didn't have time to take a shower today because I was buried in edits and and designs, no one has to know. I love having the ability to take my laptop out in the backyard and work while my kids play. I get to be here, for it all. If I want to shut my laptop and go nap in the hammock, on a weekday, with my kiddos, I can.
I also get to design my own props. I make the bulk of my own props, and this year my husband started helping me with that as well. He builds me beds, frames, etc. and I sew and create a good bulk of the rest. With my own business I get to put MY vision into it. I love that now a good deal of my clients not only fill my inbox with requests for sessions, but for home-made goodies for their little ones as well. It's been a long road, but I have some great clients that have just sat back and let me put my spin on their portraits. That's what's so awesome about having repeat clients, I get to know them and their personalities and can create and suggest for them before and after our sessions."
When did you know it was going to WORK!?
"This is a hard question. As I built my business so very slowly, it was hard to know if it ever WAS really working or if it was just dumb luck that people found me. I have only been advertising for just a little under a year now, and honestly just in the past few months did I realize that things were clicking together the way I'd been planning. It's hard to build a business when you do it so slowly, but it was the only way we could and keep our family going the way we needed to.
This is the first year where there hasn't been a lull in typical times of a lull. Usually January is slow across the board, but not this year. So I guess I can say this spring is when I KNEW all our hard work was paying off and people were appreciating what they saw and sharing my work with others."
What challenge(s) did you find most prevalent as a mom running a business?
"What isn't challenging about being a mom with a business? We threw in every challenge possible in the last five years (and thank goodness)we're STILL going. We moved to Pittsburgh six years ago, as my husband decided to change careers and start all over. So I came into this thinking that it would be easiest to have a business from home so that I could work and take care of our daughter at the same time, eliminating daycare. Sure it worked, and it has allowed me the ability to let my business grow SLOWLY while my family grew (not so slowly) but is has been HARD. Let's be real. There are NO days off. I have come to the conclusion that I'll sleep when I'm dead, and there is ALWAYS a kiddo underfoot needing something. It's how it works as a mom. You HAVE to be a MOM and wife first, and a business owner a close second. You almost have to be able to be two people at once. As if just being a mom isn't hard enough. My husband JUST finished his degrees this month, and it's been a long crazy ride. He has been gone A LOT, as he was first working on his RN and now his Doctorate. It made growing a business ALMOST impossible, but we kept at it, very slowly and got lucky with the results."
Did you ever want to quit, throw in the towel!? What kept you going?
"I'd say once a month at least, for quite a while. Especially when I had one going to school every morning, a 2 year old, and a newborn that I had to get ready as well to get her to the bus stop. Life was very tricky and competition is VERY stiff in Pittsburgh. There are literally HUNDREDS of other Photographers here, so to get my foot in the door in a new market was a long shot. Talent abounds here in Pittsburgh, and I spent the bulk of my first few years doing volunteer work only. It gave me a chance to give back while working on finding MY style. My husband has been my rock. On days when I am weak, and ready to throw in the towel, he reminds me of why I keep going. He brings me chocolate, and lets me take a nap or a shower to shake it off. And then of course, I have another session and get to play with another newborn, or laugh as daddy's blow raspberries and tickle their babies and it brings the love right back. How can I quit, when I get to watch people LOVE each other? I have the BEST job in the world.
Ginger Hites has been a part of Macaroni Kid since the inception. We met her very early on at an event where she was donating her time and effort to document the SIDS walk. Not only is she an extremely talented photographer (perhaps the BEST PITTSBURGH HAS) but she has a heart of gold and contributes her time and efforts to charities of the heart. She's a true example of a Mom who's made it.
Debby P Editor, Macaroni Kid of Pittsburgh LLC
