On Monday, we announced Melodee Fiske as the winner of our commenting raffle.
It turns out Melodee has a very cool business. She teaches people how to become professional food photographers.
During the week, we caught up with her to find out more about her, her business (Pretty Focused), and see if we could get some insider tips on taking better pics…
What inspired you to start a business teaching people how to become a professional food photographer?
I fell into this career accidentally. I was a stay-at-home mom trying to start a portrait photography business and was looking for anything and everything to photograph. At the time, I had a friend who was a food blogger and needed help updating some of the photos on her blog. Wanting the experience, I jumped in to help her. But it turned out I LOVED IT. So I started pursuing working with other food bloggers and left the portrait and wedding industry in the dust.
It wasn't long after that I had a friend reach out to me asking if I could teach her how to do what I do. She had a 4-month-old son and wanted so desperately to stay at home with him, but she still needed to bring in some income. I started to teach her what I did, and it snowballed from there. Within 2 months, she was working with clients and was able to leave her 9-5 behind. (She now has 3 boys, homeschools and still photographs on her own schedule!)
Pretty Focused isn't just about food photography. It's about equipping women (and men) with the ability to provide for their families while working at home. They are pursuing freedom and, in doing so, are changing the world around them.
What were the biggest challenges you faced when you first started your business? How did you overcome them?
I have a degree in elementary education. From my earliest memories, I wanted to be a teacher. Never in a million years did I think I'd own my own business. Thankfully, I am still teaching people, but it's just not a room full of second graders like I had imagined! Because of that though, the thing I have had to overcome is self-doubt.
I think that's something I'm still working to overcome, even 6 years in. But you keep showing up every day, not for yourself, but because someone else needs you. Your ordinary is someone else's extraordinary. Just keep being you and serving the people you've been called to serve.
Who are your typical customers?
We have a lot of women in our course but also have some pretty awesome men as well. They are all looking for a way to provide income for their families doing something they love! They love cooking, photography and being creative in the kitchen.
Then together as a community, we serve food bloggers by providing them with recipe development and food photography services for their blogs.
Are there any secrets to taking good food photos you can share with us?
First, don't be afraid to invest in good gear because it makes all the difference.
Next, I would say to always make sure you're using the best lighting. I'm a natural light shooter, so I use a south-facing window during mid-day.
The last is to set a custom white balance on your camera. Newer cameras are getting better at auto white balance, but old cameras especially need help. I use an expo disc to set a custom white balance because it measures blue, yellow, pink, and green, whereas kelvin just measures blue and yellow.
How long have you been in the ClickFunnels world, and how did you come across it?
We started with ClickFunnels back in 2017, when we first started Pretty Focused. At the time, I had a business partner, and we locked ourselves in her basement for 3 days using Russell's perfect webinar format to create our first webinar! We ended up switching platforms along the way but just made the switch back to CF at FHL!
What recommendations do you have for people who are just building their first course or membership?
Just put pen to paper and do it. It's okay if it's not perfect. That's what updates are for.
Are you currently implementing anything particular from FHL?
Oh, just about EVERYTHING. It confirmed to us that we have everything in place to be successful. We just need to have a better structure! So that's what we are working on putting in place.
Will you be at FHL 10 in Las Vegas?
We don't have tickets yet, but that's the plan! Fingers crossed we will be walking across the stage!
Finally, you get to go back in time to meet yourself at the start of your entrepreneurial journey. You are allowed to give yourself 1 lesson or piece of advice. What do you tell yourself?
(seriously, why do you make me cry?) I'd say, "Melodee, you will not please everyone, so don't try. Just show up and serve the people God has called you to serve and do it well."
Check out Melodee's site, Pretty Focused, here, but be warned, the food pics are incredible! 
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