If you’ve noticed how beautiful our photo content has been this year, it’s all thanks to our talented photographer and friend, Bailey Wilson. What you don’t see, is that most of these beautiful photos we have on our site and feed were taken with her youngest strapped to her chest and her oldest nearby with the funniest commentary.
And she makes it look easy.
Bailey truly embodies everything we love about mompreneurs. Not to mention, she is just fun to hang with and we have absolutely loved getting to know her this year.
Not to mention her IG feed is so dreamy!
- Name: Bailey Wilson
- Age: 29
- Children: Two girls, Q is nearly five and B just celebrated her first birthday!
You founded a business! Tell us about your company.
My goal when I started taking photos as a hobby after becoming a mom myself was to always to create photos that help to tell a family’s story. As a mom, I feel like I understand the precious value that photos can hold. It’s so much more than looking pretty- I want photos of my own family that make me feel something, and I want to provide that for my clients as well.
Why did you want to start your own business?
I stumbled into this business by honoring my role as a mom first. After having our first daughter, I felt incredibly passionate about birth work (and still am) and became certified as a birth and a postpartum doula.
During that time, it felt natural to offer birth photography services to the families I was assisting. I found that the photography and editing was one of my favorite things about attending a birth!
After two years, we got pregnant with our second daughter and I realized I’d need to step back from birth work during my own postpartum period. It was during this time that I realized that I could continue to offer maternity, newborn, and photography services to clients without the obstacle of remaining on call for births. I plan to continue with birth work more in the future, but I love being able to offer these services for now.
Tell us a little bit about your family!
My husband, Cody, and I met in Flagstaff in 2012. I graduated from NAU and returned to Washington (my native state) for a year before moving back to Arizona in 2014. We have a full house with two little girls, two dogs, cat, and my daughter’s beloved chickens.
What was your motivation to pivot your career to being an mompreneur?
My husband’s career often has tough hours and a lot of travel so it’s natural that I am home with our kiddos. Sometimes this is really tough, but our circumstances have created the drive for me to choose a career for myself that allows me to work around his schedule and still be the primary caregiver for our girls.
Were you able to take maternity leave? Tell us about that experience.
Yes! I attended my last birth as a “doula-tog” when I was 7 months pregnant with our second and then stepped back from that role. After her arrival, I was able to choose to limit the sessions I booked and then decide when to jump back in more fully.
How do you make time for self-care in between all that you have going on? What do you do to unwind after a long day or week?
In all honesty, I love photo editing in the dark with a beer and catching up on trash TV. My guilty pleasures often include Bravo or TLC.
What do you teach your children about success and failure?
I hope to teach them to replace “I can’t” with “I can’t figure this out right now, but maybe a different time.” I had no idea I’d be doing this ten years ago, and I want them to understand that fumbling around some is totally okay!
How has motherhood impacted you personally and professionally?
Every reason for how I ended up in this career begins and ends with becoming a mother.
Is there a promo code or discount code you can offer readers?
$20 off a full session with the mention of East Valley Moms!
For some fun chit-chat, now!
Coffee order?
Double shot over ice, add coconut milk and 2 pumps of whatever sounds good that day!
Favorite restaurant in the East Valley?
I love Liberty Market in downtown Gilbert
Greatest challenge in your career thus far?
I think figuring out the balance of how much I can actually take on and still really feel present as a mom!
Last Netflix show you binged?
Selling Sunset or Schitt’s Creek!
Favorite family tradition?
I set out seasonal books for my girls and I hope they love it as much as I do!
