We’re looking forward to introducing you to Katy McAvoy. Check out our conversation below.
Hi Katy, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
When I left a structured office environment to work for myself, I very specifically re-thought my mornings. After 15 years of getting up early to workout, rushing to get ready, long commutes, and arriving at whatever time someone else had pre-determined, I wanted my mornings to be something I looked forward to.
Now my alarm goes off an hour before anyone else’s in the house, which gives me time to sit quietly on my couch with a book, a cup of coffee, and my dog. I read until my daughter’s alarm goes off, then get ready for the day, make a smoothie for breakfast, and take her to school.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Katy McAvoy, a food and drink photographer, food stylist, and the content creator behind MittenGirl.com. I spend my days creating and photographing recipes for the novice home bartender – those who have maybe never made a cocktail in their lives but really want to try it. I teach in person beginner cocktail and mocktail classes in my home city of Grand Rapids, Michigan and published my cocktail book “Homemade Happy Hour” in 2021.
I am always striving to create a welcoming space – be it on the website or in person – where anyone can gain the confidence and skills to make delicious drinks. I mix with liquors you know, build recipes with ingredients easily found at your local store, and take beautiful pictures of each step in the process so it’s easy to follow along.
Everyone deserves a delicious drink, whether or not there’s alcohol involved, so I’ve also created lots of mocktail options. I often switch back and forth between alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks myself, which means I’m frequently developing new mocktail recipes that are much more than a glass of juice.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
The number one thing I got in trouble for in elementary school was talking too much. I’ve always been told that I talk a lot. As a kid, I was taught that I needed to be quiet. All that talking was something I should apologize for. As an adult, I don’t believe that. Talking a lot makes me a good communicator. Using my voice to speak up, ask questions, and express my opinions makes me a leader and good contributor to projects. Besides, if I don’t talk, my thoughts will just show all over my face instead.
What’s something you changed your mind about after failing hard?
I have been wanting to start a photography business for years. It started out in 2005 with nature photography. I built an HTML website by hand and a friend designed a cute porcupine logo for me. I opened up a business checking account with $100. I printed business cards. I was so sure it was going to take off in no time. I mapped out all the steps I thought I needed to take right down to the day I was going to hand in my resignation letter.
I took nature photography workshops and courses, I bought long lenses and special filters for them. I spent lots and lots of time in the woods and wetlands stalking bird and wildlife. I got up early to catch sunrise after sunrise. I set up my website to sell photo prints. It was a very “if you build it they will come” mentality.
This was when blogging was in its infancy and Etsy was just getting started. I knew nothing about marketing or selling online. A few friends and family bought some prints from me. And other friends hired me to take their family pictures. But the whole venture went exactly no where. None of the steps I’d written out worked. Eventually I gave up on turning my photography into a business. I closed the bank account. Removed the website. Recycled the business cards.
Nearly decade later, when blogging started becoming popular and easier to set up, I started one for sharing my photography again. This time with no theme or restraints or any thoughts of a business. I posted at random – sometimes nature, sometimes food, sometimes food with recipes, sometimes the new baby I’d just had.
A colleague I met along the way introduced me to the idea of blogging as a business. She showed me her site, the ads she ran on it, the affiliate programs she was a part of, and the money she made with this side hustle. I was blown away and immediately started researching what she’d told me. I restructured my blog layout, and started planning out posts.
When I got laid off from my job in 2019, I used the time between my next job to work on my blog and photography. When I was laid off a second time in 2020 due to Covid, I doubled down on my site, determined to make it a business. Along the way, my food and drink photography skills grew. As I shared those images to Instagram, companies began reaching out an hiring me for photography.
Two decades after my original plan to turn my photography into a business, I have. Not in the way I originally set out to, but in a very organic way where I’ve learned a lot and made a lot of friends along the way. Where photography is part of a bigger business picture that makes the work more satisfying.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What important truth do very few people agree with you on?
That why someone is choosing to skip alcohol is no one’s business and you shouldn’t be asking about it.
Working with alcohol, this is something I see so often. People politely passing on alcohol only to be pushed about it. “Why not?” “Why aren’t you drinking” “Why? Why? Why?” Stop it. You are not owed an explanation just because someone turned down a drink you offered. If you are hosting people in your home, you should always have a non-alcoholic option (besides water) to provide for those who don’t want to drink alcohol or want a break from drinking alcohol all night.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. Could you give everything your best, even if no one ever praised you for it?
This is what being a solopreneur is all about! You HAVE to give everything your best even when no one praises you for it. Part of being a business of 1 is learning to be your best cheerleader. It’s learning to be proud of yourself, celebrating wins in your own way, and taking yourself out for a way-to-go iced coffee. Because there is no supervisor to come along and tell you “good job,” or a boss to give you a raise for your good work, or a manager to take you out to lunch for landing that sale. If you’re someone who needs praise, it has to come from within.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mittengirl.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katymcavoy
Image Credits
All images: The Wild Phern
