Posted Under: Entrepreneurship, Our Heroes

Today, in the “Our Heroes” series, I’d like to introduce you to the wonderfully talented Oana Hogrefe. Oana escaped her job in the software industry when she was laid off from her corporate position in 2009 and entered into a blissful life of professional photography, which she had previously pursued on a part-time basis. Oana felt ready to take charge of where her energy was directed and has a genuine love for capturing life’s precious moments through photography. Let’s hear her story…

DD: Who are you and what kind of corporate job were you at?

OH: I came from Romania, 15 years ago to pursue a graduate degree in Physics. I graduated with my PhD in 2000 from Emory University in Atlanta. I then held several corporate positions for the following 9 years in the software industry, first as a software developer and then as a development manager. I managed teams both locally as well as remotely (some of my recent teams were in Shanghai, China).  My most recent position was with a large CAD software company (Autodesk).

DD: What made you leave the job? When did you realize that you wanted to be an entrepreneur and why?

OH: In January 2009 my company has chosen to close the Atlanta office as part of a series of downsizing efforts.  I have two children under 6; my husband and I met in Graduate school. Relocating may have been an option, but we didn’t feel it was the best move for our family. I was laid off at that time.  I then decided that instead of seeking another managerial or technical position, I will go full steam into developing my own photography business, primarily specializing in boutique child and family portraits. I was ready to be fully in charge of where my energy was directed, and to decide my own priorities and ways to define and pursue fulfillment and achievement. I remember telling my husband that I wanted to spend my time doing something I felt I can be the best in the world at.

DD: What did you do to break the corporate jail? How did your prepare yourself for the employee to entrepreneur transition?

OH: Throughout the past few years I had been pursuing photography part time, in parallel with my physics/corporate endeavors. I have had my website since 2000, got a Professional Photographer degree in 2003 from New York Institute of Photography, and had a few clients a year for weddings or portraits.

Once my decision of directing my full effort into my business was made, my main challenge was to further define my niche, my unique offerings, and find ways to reach out to the people/families who would be the best match for my style of photography.

I started being active in social media, especially Facebook, and sought to provide photography for causes I believed in. I revamped my website and increased my blogging activity.

Replacing my corporate benefits was (and in part still is) a challenge I face.

Also, working from home, the boundaries between work and family life are even more blurred. I was used to late night conferences and long hours, but after the transition it is even easier to seamlessly slip into work mode every weekend and late into the night.

However, the fact that I get to implement my own vision as well as the genuine love I have of photography and the joy it can bring to families, is helping a lot with how I feel about the long hours and almost constant entrepreneurial mode.

DD: What are your top tips for employees who want to be entrepreneurs but are hung up on something?

OH: 1) Life is not something that will happen in a year from now, or when you retire — it’s what you do each day. Your priorities are reflected by how you spend your time. Is it meaningful to you? Are you bringing to the world something only you can? Do some soul searching when you decide to own your business, and make sure you don’t end up owning just another job.

2) Have your family’s support. They will have to share you with your business in different ways than they used to share you with your corporate job, so it needs to be a pursuit that makes sense to them as well.

3) Read a lot. There is a wealth of information available to entrepreneurs of all levels, make sure you do a lot of reading and pick the pieces which resonate with who you are and what you’d like your lifestyle to be.

4) Avoid paralysis by analysis. Move forward daily, even if with small steps. You will never be completely perfectly ready to make the leap. You will not replace your previous income right away. Growing a business takes determination, focus and action. Be a little better every time.

5) Enter relationships with people in complementary businesses, as well as with more established successful business owners in your field and unrelated fields. You can learn from everyone you meet.

6) Remember your uniqueness, don’t try to be someone else. Aim high, aim to transform what people expect of your industry, bring all your skills to work together.

7) Once in a while take a fresh look at what you’re doing and where you’re going and don’t be afraid to change course and follow your passion where it might take you; don’t let your business become stale; your clients will thank you for that, and your life will be better all around.

DD: How are you now? Are you still in the same business and how do you feel?

OH: It’s been over a year since I left the corporate world. My business brought in four times more than in my previous, part-time year, and it is still growing fast. I don’t see a glass ceiling, and I love this. I am very thankful for doing what I love, and blazing my own path; everything I learned in all my past experiences is very valuable to me in my business, creative and spiritual pursuits, and as such I have no regrets. There is a time for everything and this, for me, is my time to grow as an entrepreneur, to offer my talents to my clients and hopefully change their lives for the better.

DD: So that was Oana Hogrefe, a truly heart-warming story about a woman who pursued her passion to find the seamless balance between family life and work! Remember Oana’s wise words: “Do some soul searching when you decide to own your own business and make sure you don’t end up owning just another job”.

Success to all!!