ALTOONA, Pa. (WTAJ) — When you focus a lot of your energy on your business, it can be hard to keep up with the energy of a three-year-old.
“We call him a “three-nager”,” laughs Susan Cashner of her son.
But for Susan, this is life as a momtrepreneur.
“It’s a struggle, every day it’s a balance, he usually wins which is a good thing,” she says.
Susan owns SLY photography in Downtown Altoona.
“I specialize in weddings, boudoir, a little bit of fine art,” explains Susan.
It became a full-time job when she started renting her downtown studio a couple of years ago.
Right away, she and her husband Fred knew it was going to be a lot of work.
“110-year-old wallpaper that was peeling and needed to come off, like the floors were awful and there were rugs duct taped to the floor in spots,” describes Susan. “I was like I don’t think we’re gonna be able to do it and he looked around and he really examined everything and he says ‘no, I think we can do it’.”
“I just told her it will be okay,” said her husband Fred Cashner, “This is what it looks like now but give me a couple days and it’s not going to look like this.”
Now she’s got a beautiful studio and place for their son Dax to run around in.
“It’s been a challenge because you definitely get mom guilt,” says Susan.
Because sometimes it can be hard to balance both.
“I have to do basically everything for the business, and I’m a control freak to a certain extent so I’m trying to focus on all that and give him the love and attention he deserves,” she says.
However, Dax certainly feels the love from his mom as he kisses her on the cheeks and lips.
Susan is tackling both motherhood and business all with a smile and a laugh because she’s living her dream and wants other momtrepreneurs to know it can happen for you too.
“Just believe in yourself and you go this and you can do it and you will,” she says.
Believe it or not, Susan says 60% of her business is boudoir. WTAJ’s Amanda Kenney talks with Susan about how empowering these photo shoots are, along with the importance of a support system and contracts when it comes to business in the Momtrepreneurs podcast. You can listen to it HERE.
You can also check out SLY Photography on Facebook and Instagram.