Welcome to Branding with Donna! Donna is a fabulous photographer here in AZ and I was so excited when I heard I would get to photograph her in February! She’s warm, kind, and a fellow Disney enthusiast! I am also obsessed with her Instagram, so I’ll definitely be linking to that at the end of this post! Enjoy some advice from Donna on life, business, and motivation, friends! We hope it serves you in some way! 🙂

 

Tell me a little about what you do
I’m a wife to a USAF Veteran, a mom of two, a sister and the daughter to a fiesty mom. These are all of the reasons that I do what I do as a photographer. It was very important to me to be able to be as present as possible for my kids. I volunteer as much as possible and took photos of everyone and everything in their lives. I have always cherished family memories and photographs and I want to do the same for others. Too many people don’t have any photos printed or taken on anything other than an cell phone. That’s great but I wanted more for my family and I love to do the same for others.

What made you decide to go down the road to creative entrepreneurship?
I started my journey as a way to be with my kids as much as possible but now I’m doing this for me. As my kids get older, I want to have a “Second Act” of my own. Photographing Weddings and College or high school seniors are loves of mine.

What advice can you share with other creatives who are struggling?
Keep going! Make small goals and achieve them. I plan my goals Quarterly and love to mark things off of my to do list. This keeps me focused on my end goal and helps to keep me from feeling overwhelmed.

What’s a favorite inspiring quote of yours?
“Laughter is timeless, imagination has no age, dreams are forever.” -Walt Disney
“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” – Walt Disney
“A winner never stops trying.” Tom Landry

Can you share a favorite marketing tip with us?
My favorite marketing tip is to show up consistently. Show up on Instagram, Facebook, and on your blog. This is my goal for myself as well.

What are your five favorite things right now?
Disneyland, Spring Training Baseball, Rubio’s Tacos, Coke Zero, The Masked Singer

 

What song do you listen to when you need to get motivated?
September – Earth, Wind and Fire; It’s old but still recognized today

Who do you love to follow?
Vanessa Hicks Education, Amy and Jordan Demos, Erica and Jon Hayes, Laura Lee Creative, Pete and Jordan Jones

 

And lastly, where can we follow you?
@donnathompsonphotography

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Interested in scheduling a branding shoot with Denise Karis Photography? Click here!

Denise Karis is an Arizona photographer who enjoys musicals, Doctor Who and breakfast burritos. IG @denisekaris