Today we’d like to introduce you to Mary Blank.
Hi Mary, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My growing up years were rather unique. I was born and raised within the Amish community, in a small town located in Chester County PA. Grew up with no electricity, no TV or cell phones, and drove horse and buggy all my life. I never questioned anything about my lifestyle until I was in my early twenties.
I decided to go on a cruise to Hawaii with two of my girlfriends. We took a 3 day train ride to California as we weren’t allowed to fly at the time (a strict rule within the community). This trip was the best thing that could’ve happened to me! It opened my eyes to a whole new world filled with culture and beauty…creating an awe and wonder inside of me. I left the community two years after that and started my photography journey. I had never owned a phone until I was in my early twenties. (had to hide it in my room at the time) I quickly came to learn technology and I got along VERY well and getting a camera early on only felt right.
I started out my photography journey as a “go-getter”, a thriving wedding photographer, always on the hunt for a new love story. 🙂
In 2020, during the pandemic, I sat down to think through my business, and realized in the long run, I didn’t see myself being in the wedding industry. This made me transition into something I had always been super passionate about..hotels, experiences and travel, something I never dreamed would actually happen. I had always been someone who loves adventure, travel, and would always try to find secret spots no one knew about. This is how I came to start Windborne Co., a photo and video company who focuses on capturing hospitality experiences, as well as tourism & travel.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has been very challenging, especially having to re-learn everything in a whole new way. I’ve tried so many things from mentors to online classes, just so I can learn quickly or have someone else do it for me. I have learned the hard way, sometimes you just can’t speed up a learning process… this is when you need to give yourself grace and lean into it. And sometimes you just need a nap in order to keep going. 🙂
Building relationships has always been something I enjoy and is something I will continue to go after in my business.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
At Windborne Co. work with hotels, tourism and travel brands from all over the world. I am very passionate about storytelling and capturing experiences in an authentic way. A lot of that takes place through directing and having models on set, whether it’s local influencers or we are working with a modeling agency.
I am naturally a “people person” so directing is one of my favorite things about the day of the shoot. Making sure people feel like themselves in front of the camera is extremely important to me and something I pour a lot of energy in to.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I believe everyone has taken risks in their life, whether they know or not, in business or in their personal life. And I think risks should be a normal part of our lives, as they can either teach us valuable things or make us better people.
I’ve heard this saying, “I want to be comfortable with being uncomfortable”, and I love it!
When there are times that I feel stuck, it’s often when I was too comfortable in life and just doing the day-to-day.
Something I’ve tried over the years is to simply force myself out of my comfort zone, whether that’s starting a conversation with a stranger, or traveling solo to a place I’ve never been.
This has also helped me in feeling more prepared when big risks come up.
When 2020 came around I saw the transition that was coming my way and dealt with so much stress that year. From having to re-learn everything in a new way and getting no after no as an answer, it felt like I had made the biggest mistake of my life. I would cry my eyes out, get back up again and do it all over again. It felt like I had nothing left except for a tiny piece of hope I was still holding on to.
Finally, I was at a point where I threw my hands up, and knew I needed to dive in head first or start doing something else. So I did what I knew to do when I felt stuck, get myself out of my comfort zone and just get my work in front of potential clients.
I started going to networking events, attending meetings, and planning meetings. I had to force myself to let go of the intimidation I felt, and rather show up with confidence and just a desire to build relationships. That’s when doors started opening.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://windborneco.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/windborneco/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WindborneCo
Image Credits
Windborne Co.
Mary Blank
