November 9, 2022

Today marks our first year anniversary! I launched Aurélie’s Gallery with just 3 photographers – 3 amazing people who trusted me with their work and decided to support me in this new adventure.

The road had been bumpy with a lot of false starts, delayed launch dates and website bugs. I was banging my head against the wall and thought the day would never come… and then, our website designer sent me a message saying the site was up and running!

I remember the moment clearly: I was out treat-or-tricking with friends’ kids up in Harlem in New York. Not the best moment to deal with work but there you have it – the life of a small business entrepreneur!

After years in advertising and fashion, organizing photo shoots, searching and hiring photographers for ad campaigns, curating photography portfolios and working on a photography magazine I had launched with a friend, I had met many talented photographers. I was looking for something new to do, a new challenge, a new project, a new way to work in photography, and the idea of having a gallery came naturally.

I thought at first of having a physical space, and although having a spot to call my own and model the way I saw fit was enticing, I also knew I would quickly hate having to go to a white cube, waiting for someone to walk in. Besides, the cost of renting a space was prohibitive for the self-funded start-up I was. The next best thing was to go online. (The covid pandemic only reinforced the need to have a virtual gallery, accessible anywhere at any time, free from time and space restrictions.)

Early on a friend of mine told me my job would be both art, commerce AND technology – truer words were never spoken! I learned so much these last 2 years! From SEO to social media, from e-commerce platforms to newsletters, from print on demand to shipping and sale tax… the learning curve before and during this first year has been steep at times and some topics remain quite obtuse despite my best efforts (I’m looking at you, SEO).  Technology constantly changes and evolves so there’s always something new to learn and try, which I enjoy. Work is never boring when you keep on learning new things!

• Create as much content in advance as possible: blog posts, newsletters (even if you only have 5 people to send them to), social media posts, website pages, product descriptions, … Have as much of them ready early on so you have a leg up and can schedule ahead of time.
• Contact everyone you know and invite them to follow you on social, sign up for your newsletter, spread the word, etc… Let’s be real here: your first few sales will come from friends and family, and that’s OK (big shout out to my friends and family!).

From the initial 3 photographers we started with, we grew to now 10 online exhibits! Our artists span genres and styles, from landscapes to portraits, from Black and White to color photography. I knew some of the photographers from my previous career, working with them on ad campaigns or on my magazine; others approached me to work together, while some were recommended by friends.

The artists we feature come from different horizons and have very different styles. Yet, one thing remains, I love their work. There’s not one image here I don’t care about.

Stay tuned for more!

If you missed it, read Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 of how the gallery came to be.

Follow the blog for more of my adventures in entrepreneurship land!

October 21, 2021

We’ve been busy rebuilding the website before the launch. As painful as it is and as frustrating the delay is, at least I’m getting to know WordPress quite well!

I have to say that, one of the things I enjoyed the most about putting this business together has been learning new things. I’ve never been a techie but I am starting to understand how it works and to be able to figure things on my own, and that’s immensely rewarding!

December 1, 2021

After the launch, the first results are in: we got a lot of positive feedback (and some orders!). I am very happy with the 3 exhibits we started with. I think it’s a great mix.

Lori Adamski-Peek’s images of horses are stunning and different from what you usually see in “animal portraiture” (is there such a thing? I’m sure there is!). Andre Baranowski’s nature photography couldn’t be lovelier – just looking at it you can feel the touch of the sun on the flowers and the breeze in the leaves. And Martin Adolfsson’s minimalist images of suburban development around the world are intriguing. His work raises many interesting questions about globalization and uniformity.

I’m forever grateful to them for trusting me with their images and believing in my project.

Here’s a little video presentation I shot early on that I am finally releasing. Be kind – don’t forget, being in front of a camera petrifies me! 

I (obviously) couldn’t do this without them! 

February 1, 2021

After all these months of struggle and turmoil, I announced today on social media the upcoming launch of the gallery!

The response was wonderful – so many people congratulated me and made the jump to follow the gallery’s page. I am truly humbled by the outpouring of support.

I am also freaked out! I started to worry people were going to be disappointed and that I was not going to live up to their expectations. And putting out into the world made it all too real; I can’t just take my sweet time anymore – I said the gallery will launch in the spring so it needs to be! The ongoing struggle to get their business to life just went up in intensity!

I spent the last few months working on this, learning a ton about marketing, social media, entrepreneurship, sales tax and all that fun stuff. Except for my close friends, no one knew was I was doing, I was flying under the radar in my little bubble. That time is over: people now know, and I’d better deliver!

Although I had a freakout moment after making the announcement, I know I needed to take that step. I had to dive in, otherwise, I would have spent the next 6 months researching and tweaking things ad nauseam. At some point, you need to go into the world!

February 19, 2021

The struggle is still here, but I’m focusing on going onward and (hopefully) upward. I’m busy working on the non-fun part of the business – the business plan, financial planning and other fine print stuff.

[2022 Insight: although I found financial projections utterly pointless since there’s no way to know or even guess how much sales you will do, listing all the expenses your new business will face is incredibly helpful. Sobering, but helpful.]

I looked for new online groups to join. As a producer, I was part of a few amazing groups that would freely share their knowledge and resources, no strings attached. So imagine my disappointment when the female entrepreneurs’ groups I joined turned to anything but.

First, it felt like 99% of the people there were business/ marketing/ social media consultants. How many consultants does the world need? (no offense to consultants, some are incredibly helpful and insightful, particularly the one we worked with putting this business together, Stuart Goldstein!)

Secondly, most of the posts were either motivational a la, “you go, girl!” (empty words when you’re looking for concrete answers on how to launch and run your business), or sale pitches!

What was most disheartening though was how unprofessional and amateurish so many people sounded like. From cutesy avatars to bad selfies, from dated graphics and imagery to emoticons overload, most people did not know how to present themselves properly, even said consultants!

It’s a shame because online groups can be incredibly helpful and uplifting. I’ll just need to find the right ones! 

PS: If you know any good ones, leave them in the comment below! Thank you!

May 25, 2021

Our developer works on a separate server, which got hacked yesterday. When she was able to finally go back in, the damage was extensive. A lot of her coding got messed up, images disappeared, links got broken. It’s a terrible setback and another delay.

I’m so upset, I don’t even know what to say. The struggle with putting this website together is never-ending.

I know in the long run it doesn’t matter if I launch in May or July or even in the fall. These are self-imposed deadlines no one is really holding me up to (I’m forever grateful to the photographers who said yes early and wait so patiently and graciously for me to get this website up and out). What matters is that people love (and buy) the photographs I’ll feature.

But it’s hard to not feel discouraged. When is this thing finally going to launch? Will it ever? Urgh…

June 3, 2021

Social media: the thing I enjoy and dread in equal measure!

I did a Story today on Instagram to announce a new post about a photographer I love, Gregory Crewdson. I felt sleek and smart… until hours later (hours!), when a friend sent me a screenshot of my Story, which was just a blank space. The image was not visible for whatever reason.

I was so embarrassed and upset. I know I’m not a digital native, but, come on! That was such a rookie mistake (but I’m after all still kinda new at Stories – I’m a late adopter, what can I say?). I felt so deflated, and thought I would never figure social media out… But then, something amazing happened!

I was so thrilled and giddy, I was jumping up and down (in my head at least).

So, here was, in a nutshell, my relationship with social media: terrible and wonderful, all at the same time!

*For people unfamiliar with Gregory Crewdson, he’s a fine art photographer who stages eerie scenes in suburban locations. His work is strange, moody and melancholic – I love it! Read my post here.

July 22, 2021

What do you do when things are different from what you had envisioned? I had to undergo a major adjustment while working on starting the gallery.

You see, as a producer on photo shoots, I was used to being in control and having backup plans for all contingencies that came my way. I work with a tight-knit group of people who I know and trust. We all jump through crazy hoops to meet deadlines and budgets… no matter how impossible they are!

But with the gallery, I had to give some of that control to people who can do things I clearly cannot do, like our fine-art printer who does beautiful prints, or our web developer who is painstakingly coding our site as we speak.

As a producer (and Capricorn), not being in control of all aspects of the gallery has been quite the adjustment! (read: I’m driving everyone crazy)

Am I the only one who has trouble giving away control? I can’t be, right?

August 20, 2021

Our server crashed, wiping out most of the site, the coding, images and text. The backup is buggy so we basically have to start from scratch. Our September launch date is now pushed to whenever.

To say this is devastating is an understatement. Maybe I should give up.

[Spoiler alert: I didn’t]

Stay tuned for Part 3. Will I be able to launch? Won’t I? (well, we’re on the website so you know I did, but it was not without some more struggles!)

If you missed it, read Part 1 here.

When I decided to start Aurélie’s Gallery, it was clear to me it needed to reflect who I was and what I believed in. That principle was my guide when putting the business together.

Here’s what is important to me.

C is for Curation – I knew early on I wanted the gallery to be personal (that’s why I used my first name for it!). The curation needed to be equally personal. I am starting with photographers I know and whose work I love, but even when I’ll expand to people I don’t personally know, the connection to the work and them will be important. If I love the images but don’t get along with the artist, I won’t sign them. Life is too short to deal with divas and jerks!

F is for Freedom – As my parents are getting older, I want to spend more time with them in France. That meant I couldn’t continue working as a producer in NY; I needed a new business that would allow me the flexibility to go back and forth. And with an online gallery, as long as I have an internet connection, I’m in business!

I is for Independent – Being independent has been the guiding force behind how I led my life. That’s why I left my 9-5 job in an ad agency to launch my production company at 27.

I want to work with other independent businesses and that’s one of the reasons I chose our printer. He is an incredible craftsman and artist in his own right, but I also love the fact that he works independently and carves his own slice of the world. I could have gone to some big printing company – their turnaround time was shorter for one thing – but I’d rather work one-on-one with someone I know and appreciate. I’m not just going to be a number with him. He cares… and so do I!

K is for Koala – Just because they’re cute!

S is for Small Business – Because that’s what Aurélie’s Gallery is!

T is for Tim – My husband and associate. He has great business sense and knows his way around websites (plus, you know, he’s a pretty good guy!).

U is for Unique – You will not find the images and related home and work accessories anywhere else!

V is for Variety – New exhibits will be coming regularly, along with beautiful images in the Print Shop. From landscapes to fashion, still life to portraits, sign up for the newsletter or follow us on social (or both) to see what’s coming next.

W is for Welcoming – I want Aurélie’s Gallery to be a welcoming space, where different people can find something to enjoy. Maybe you’re decorating your place and are looking for art for your wall? Maybe you want to read the blog and learn about photographers you might not know? Either way, I am happy you are here!

After years of working as a producer on photo shoots, I felt it was time for a new challenge, something that would reconnect me with why I fell in love with photography in the first place. I knew so many talented photographers that the idea of creating a space for them to show their personal work came naturally.

I toyed with the idea of opening a physical gallery but quickly abandoned the idea – too much overhead, especially in New York where rents are sky-high. Plus, I know myself: after years of working on my own in my apartment and enjoying the freedom of being a freelancer, having to go every day to an office (in this case, a gallery) was unfathomable. I’d been spoiled and couldn’t go back to a 9 to 5 grind.

Years ago I created with a friend of mine Resource Magazine, a publication dedicated to photography. We worked from her place or mine, with an army of interns squatting our sofas. Eventually, it became too much and we got an office… which I promptly hated.

With modern technology, we can work anywhere, any time. Why would I tie myself to a desk and chair? I love working in cafés (or, you know, on my bed with my dog curled up next to me). I knew the idea of having a physical gallery was not going to work. The next best thing was to bring my gallery online, so here we are! This year is the year when I make my dream a reality!

[Spoiler Alert: 2020 was definitely NOT the year when my gallery idea came to life!]

I started meeting with photographers I know and whose work I love. The response has been very positive and supportive – the idea is sound, but the way we implement it is what’s going to make or break it. We really need to make sure the website is both beautiful, with a great gallery experience, and easy to navigate (I can’t afford to lose people because where to buy is not easy to find!).

There are a lot of factors to consider – I really hope I’m able to make this idea come to life! Talking to the artists gave me so many new ideas, like doing pop-ups in different cities, or showing them on set during one of their shoots, etc. It’s all very exciting and inspiring!

Although I’m set when it comes to the printer for the fine-art works, I’m completely lost as far as fulfillment houses go for our Gift Shop products. Finding a company that does quality items at a reasonable price is no easy task!

That part makes me nervous as I know nothing about manufacturing – it’s a brave new world I’m discovering here, and a slightly intimidating one if I’m being honest (that being said, it is also super interesting to learn all these new things and get into the nitty-gritty of how things are made).

I can’t afford to buy large quantities of products when I don’t know what will sell (or not), so I have little room to maneuver: I’d better not mess it up!

As you can see, there’s a huge gap between today’s date and the first time I wrote – covid happened and wreaked havoc to my plans and timeline.

I have to say it took me a long time to get out of my state of sideration. The pandemic brought such an unprecedented break in our lives (at least in the western world which had been untouched by war and major upheavals in decades), that it paralyzed me (and I suspect countless others).

I’m going from a service-based business (working as a freelance producer) to a product-based company, and an online one at that! I’m basically starting from scratch – there is so much I need to learn! From sale tax to shipping, from manufacturing to marketing… It’s overwhelming and fun in equal measures, depending on my mood of the day!

One of the most interesting things has been diving into online advertising and learning how targeted your campaigns can be.

As a business owner working with a shoestring budget, I’m grateful I have access to these new tools. I would have never been able to afford an ad page in Elle Décor!

As a former ad producer, I’m dismayed to see how online platforms are siphoning ad budgets from print magazines, billboards and such. Even if I had the budget to put an ad in Elle Décor, would I when Google or Facebook ads are so much more targeted and trackable?

As a citizen, I’m also slightly freaked out by how granular online tools can be, how they can pinpoint people based on their interests, income, location, education etc… People give some of this info voluntarily, but a lot of it is deduced based on their/ our online behavior, using crazily smart computers.

It’s a brave new world out there, one filled with both possibilities and pitfalls.