Today we’d like to introduce you to Beth Ewing.
Beth, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Born and raised on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, I lived that small town USA life for a long time. It was a great childhood, filled with camps, youth group and canoeing around the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. When I graduated from college in Virginia, I immediately moved back to Maryland to work at a nonprofit. Once that nonprofit made massive budget cuts and I (along with multiple others) lost my position, I took the camera skills that I developed by making silly videos with a bunch of friends in college to launch my own photo/video business for the next several years. I had a lot of failures and a lot of successes, plenty of time for growth and exploration.
A family tragedy took over and I closed up shop to help my parents and grandmother. I ended up going into retail for a short while, landing the perfect job of working at a toy store. Everyone walks in happy. A few toddlers cry walking out. It was a lot of fun after dealing with some very heavy personal stuff.
In late 2017 I was talking over the phone with a few friends and mentioned that I had felt like I was at the end of where I could go in my career in this small hometown. Both lived in Atlanta and talked about the opportunities available here if I was up for taking a chance. In early 2018 I hopped on down and crashed in a friend’s spare room in Norcross while I got my bearings.
Has it been a smooth road?
I moved down with a verbal promise of a job working for a studio, but that evaporated once I actually arrived. So cue a month of job searching, film background work and dog walking. I later worked two sales jobs that were so wrong for me. I stopped functioning in any normal capacity. Insomnia would hit and I got sick a few times from the stress. But once I was able to save up enough to move into my current home, I got to network a lot more and leave behind those corporate positions. Deliberate, considerate, and slow has been my experience leading to my current success.
Alright – so let’s talk business. What else should we know about your work?
This year I’ve kept my business under my own name, as I work often in Indie film as either the Script Supervisor or Behind The Scenes Still Photographer and it’s one of the favorite things I do.
I’m also building a new side business which I hope to launch this summer featuring live plant art. I became known for wearing succulent crowns (that I made myself!) last year and would love to see other people enjoying them as much as I did. The demand is there, I’ve just been hesitant to go full force when any new business is a risk.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Atlanta is amazing for small businesses! There are so many networking events and opportunities to jump into and to meet like-minded people who will help you reach more potential clients or customers. The key is to pick a direction and show up consistently. Don’t overwhelm yourself by going to every single event you see or trying to force relationships with every person you meet. Your people will start to sort themselves out and your community will grow once you jump in and put down roots.
The biggest gripe I have with Atlanta is the traffic issues. Be aware that it can dictate your schedule and some really odd things happen on the road here. Be safe when spreading yourself around the city, and plan for an extra 20 minutes on the road when going on major routes.
Contact Info:
- Website: elizabethewing.com
- Phone: 443-786-0711
- Email: beth@elizabethewing.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hellobethewing/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HelloBethE/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/hellobethewing
- Other: https://vm.tiktok.com/nnKbWM/
Image Credit:
Elizabeth Ewing, Passion City Church (pineapple skirt image)
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