Anamika Singh is the Founder and Chief Photographer at Anamika Singh - The Memory Keeper
My mom quotient (MQ):
I am a work-from-home mommy to a super active toddler! I am a complete hands-on mom and I do not follow any particular text-book parenting style. I have learnt along the way, that there are no right or wrong ways of parenting - each child is unique so should be the parenting style. I focus on developing a strong emotional bond with my son to help him develop into an independent being with a social connect. Rest everything will fall in place at its own appropriate time.
My Mom Inc. Story:
I am a contemporary wedding and lifestyle photographer. I had been a hobbyist photographer for years .After a corporate stint of over a decade with a leading IT company, I ventured into professional photography which I realised was my true calling. My world revolves around my little one so he has been my greatest motivation for starting this business because it gives me lot of time around him and is fulfilling and rewarding both at the personal and professional levels.
Currently I am based in Mumbai but I do take up shoots all over the country. I shoot around 10-15 weddings a year and about the same number of baby/kids/family or maternity portfolios. I've been in this business for over 3 years and have shot 100 plus assignments. I have also been featured multiple times on wedding portals like WeddingSutra and other online magazines.
Who inspired/ supported me:
For me, social media has been both an inspiration and an enabler. I was highly inspired by the work of some contemporary self-taught photographers and that is how I started to pursue my passion for photography and eventually turned it into my profession. My husband has been the wind beneath my wings. He is extremely supportive and offers me encouragement to excel and manages the logistics for me whenever required. Our little man has been the other source of inspiration. We share a very special bond with him and I feel I owe him beautiful memories of his childhood in the 'picture perfect' times we live in.
Advice/tips:
My advice to new mom entrepreneurs is to assess your strengths and focus on reinforcing them. Every new venture has its gestation period so keep patience and keep striving. On the personal front, make sure you build a good support system for work-life balance and do take time-out for the kids and yourself. Remember going out and working opens up your mind, connects you to the world and changes your perspective to life, so work hard without guilt. Your kids will respect you for that.
This was originally published in BabyChakra.