Inspiring Conversations with Victoria Genin of Annnd…Action! Photo Booth

Today we’d like to introduce you to Victoria Genin.

Hi Victoria, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in Northern California wine country and gravitated to Los Angeles in the early 90’s to hit the rock and roll/sunset strip scene. (I love music) I graduated from Cal State LA in 1997 with a degree in communications – film and television which led me to a 25-year career in and out of the entertainment industry. I’ve worked in various capacities, from crew to producer of six fitness videos, but generally in marketing and publicity. I started my current business in the summer of 2016. We threw a party for my husband’s 50th birthday and hired a photo booth. I had been in them before, and they’re always alot of fun, but I had never hired a company to do it at our house. Essentially, the team who showed up to our place weren’t super professional, and their presentation was generally so-so – not really what we expected. They didn’t have really fun props, and we didn’t get too many photos at the end of the night, which was disappointing. In fairness, the photo booth was sort of competing with a live band called the Big Knobs, who were cranking out excellent Led Zeppelin tunes in the same backyard, but still, we felt we didn’t get value for money…and so it dawned on me: “Hey! I’ve got camera skills…I know how to market a small business…I can do this!” and with that, Annnd…Action! Photo Booth LLC was soon born.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Building a business isn’t the easiest task. What stuff would I buy? How will I get clients? How do I navigate the bureaucracy? Where am I going to put the equipment I buy? I did alot of research. I surveyed the competition. Like any other endeavor, there are many different directions to go- so I reached out to friends who know more than me about the technical specs of cameras and computers – for advice on what would work best for the need. I looked up turn-key solutions being offered by booth supply companies to see if a package or an ala carte equipment buys would be best. In the end, I settled for a mix of turn-key and ala carte. I just followed my gut and curated what I thought would be the perfect set of tools for the job.

For exposure, I started placing small ads on local boards and some social media. I have taken advantage of every free placement on the internet to get my business exposure and build SEO. For the business side, I used a well-known service to handle the legal parts. It was easy enough, but then I realized there were things I was being overcharged for, or perhaps better said, I was being charged for convenience. In retrospect, I don’t think I needed to pay that business to get established, but it was possibly quicker. There’s quite a few things as the business has evolved, that I’ve come to realize I didn’t need to begin with, but there’s always a learning curve. So all told, I think I’ve spent some money that I didn’t need to spend to get established – and I’ve of course, made mistakes. I consider it all part of the evolution.

We’ve been impressed with Annnd…Action! Photo Booth, LLC, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
My photo booth business is a premium service we offer at backyard parties, fancy weddings, private and for corporate events all over greater Los Angeles. We pride ourselves on providing an excellent experience with unique and fun props, and beautiful photo outputs annnd…we’re nice people! We like to have fun. We don’t slump around in the dark corner of the party texting on our phones during your time with us: we remain engaged and smiling throughout the entire event.

I want our client photos to be perfect. I want our client’s friends and family to have a happy memory of the event and from spending time with our photo booth. We don’t try to oversell the service or tell guests that they need more hours than make sense for the size of their group or other activities going on during the party. After the special occasion has passed, I want our clients to look back through their photos feeling like they got their money’s worth. I’m proud to be one of the “honest people” out there. Contrary to many sales techniques, in my first conversations, I will actually encourage prospective clients to take the information we provide them and shop around – make sure they compare apples to apples…and whichever company they end up working with – make sure the offering is exactly what they had in mind. I try to express all of the things that the company I originally hired (the one that inspired me to build this business) never told me. I guess sometimes it’s alot of info to take in – but I think more is more when it comes to hiring someone to come to your house and provide a service. I’d rather it be too much than too little.

What makes you happy?
Dogs make me happy. Our crazy yorkie pups bring me and my husband much joy. We love riding motorcycles together and traveling when we can – but business-wise, I’m happy when my clients are happy. A major part of the business is going to people’s celebrations: be it a wedding, anniversary, coming of age like a Bat Mitzvah, 21st birthday or quinceanera…people are there to celebrate. It’s not a chore; it’s not money that needs to be spent on a basic need; it’s time and money clients want to spend to enjoy these milestone moments. Being able to take part in those events makes me happy. Going to work isn’t that bad when everyone around you is smiling, laughing, and living their best lives.

Pricing:

• Pricing starts at $475 for up to two hours of photo booth service

Contact Info:

• Website: www.annndactionphoto.com
• Instagram: @annndactionphotobooth
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnnndActionPhoto
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/annnd-action-photo-booth-los-angeles-3?osq=annnd+action+photo

Image Credits
IMAGE CREDITS V. Genin / Annnd…Action! Photo Booth, LLC Photo with other person and peace sign = Victoria Genin, Owner, and Alyssa Sonora, Booth Attendant