If you’ve ever wondered how another solopreneur actually runs her business, this episode pulls back the curtain.

Not the highlight reel.

Not the polished advice.

The real decisions.

In this first installment of our new How I Run This series, Marcia sits down with photographer Elle Yeon to talk about what it looks like to build and lead a one-woman business with intention.

Elle didn’t ease into entrepreneurship. She launched full-time from the start. She invested early in mentorship. She leased and renovated her own studio space.

Not because everything was perfectly mapped out.

Because she made clear decisions about how she wanted to lead.

This conversation isn’t about copying someone else’s blueprint.

It’s about perspective.

Listen to the Episode

Marcia and Elle talk candidly about what leadership means when you are both the CEO and the entire team.

Elle shares how she thinks about being her own boss, why she challenges herself to focus on revenue-generating work instead of busywork, and how she protects her time and energy as a mother and business owner.

They also unpack how investing ahead of where you are can accelerate growth, why clear systems reduce constant back-and-forth with clients, and how community has shaped Elle’s confidence and leadership.

You’ll hear how boundaries, structure, and intentional decision-making allow her to deliver a high-touch experience without being constantly available.

This episode is about running a business on purpose, not by default.

What We Talk About In This Episode

• Why Elle launched her business full-time from day one

• Investing early in mentorship and business education

• The decision to lease and renovate her own studio

• What leadership means in a one-person business

• How she protects her time and family life

• Creating client systems that reduce overwhelm and back-and-forth

• Hiring out weaknesses to stay in your zone of genius

• The power of community and peer support for solopreneurs

Key Takeaways

• Clear decisions create sustainable businesses.

• Leadership in a one-person business starts with how you lead yourself.

• Boundaries protect both client experience and founder energy.

• Investing ahead of where you are can accelerate growth.

• Systems reduce pressure and allow you to focus on what only you can do.

Continue the Conversation

If this episode made you think differently about how you run your business, we’d love to hear from you.

Inside the free Solopreneur CEO community, we’re talking about:

• What decision most shaped how your business runs

• Where you’re still leading reactively

• What would change if you were more intentional

• You’re invited to join the conversation.

It’s a low-noise space for solopreneurs who want honest discussion, thoughtful leadership, and a business that runs without burning them out.

🌿 Join us at thesolopreneurceo.com

Episode Transcript

Solopreneur CEO Show Episode 9: Below is the full transcript of this episode for those who prefer to read or want to revisit specific parts of the conversation.

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Marcia
Hello, welcome back. We are so excited to share with you a new type of conversation that we're going to do on the podcast, and it's called "How I Run This".

With the focus of our podcast being solopreneurs, we wanted to reach out to women with successful businesses.

We want to have a conversation with them and see how it is that they run their business. They're not going to be about giving you direct advice, but it's just going to be conversations about how other people lead their businesses and the systems they use and the boundaries that they put into place so that they can run their successful business.

We're hoping that you'll get some insights out of this and also fall in love with Elle like we have. She's the one that did the 40 Over 40 campaign that Carin and I were in.

Elle I would love for you to introduce yourself to anyone who is new to your work. How would you describe your business and what it is that you do today?

Elle:

Hi Marcia. Thank you for having me. My name is Elle Yeon. I'm based in the Northern Virginia and DC area and I am a photographer. I have two arms of my photography business.

On one side I work on visual alignment and elevation. I work with a lot of professionals and small businesses in the area to elevate their visuals through editorial photography, and I do a lot of mindset work as well.

It's not as easy as just showing up to the studio and taking photos of you. But really getting to know who you are in your business so that your visuals show a different side of you than they would usually get.

I think that's one thing that makes me stand out. And the second arm of my business is photography for the sake of photography for what it is. I see it as a way of healing ourselves, of seeing our true selves and uncovering all the different layers that we've been hiding behind or not being true to ourselves.

A lot of that comes out when I do those portraits. Women haven't been aware of all that they've been holding onto, and it's been an amazing journey for me as well, because I am also one of those women.

Becoming a photographer has really opened up my eyes to the things that I've been holding onto, the things that I've been hiding behind, and just stepping out, being vulnerable, and really recognizing who I am has been incredible. And so I love going through that journey with other people as well.

Marcia:

So beautifully put, and I love that you see that for the work that you're doing. That you recognize that you're encapsulating a moment in a woman's life, but you're also helping her get to the point where it's a true encapsulation.

It's not necessarily, just show up and look pretty or show up and look like how you think you should look. You're getting to know the actual client and to give them images that help them see themselves in a different light.

With the 40 Over 40 campaign, you had us fill out a form that asked us what did we want to be when we were younger?

I thought that that was really cool because it helped me to look back at my whole life. It validated what I'm doing now and the impact that I want to make. And it also helped me realize that things change. So your idealistic ideas when you're young, they can evolve.

Last year is when you opened up the studio in Fairfax, Virginia. How did you get to that decision?

At what point were you like, you know what, I need an actual physical location. This isn't working for me. Did you start to go full-time then? Were you full-time before? Or just walk us through that process because that was a huge investment.

I'd love to know how you got to that decision.

Elle:

For sure. I started this business full-time from the beginning because I needed to put my children into childcare and to pay for that childcare I had to really fully invest into the business.

How can I make this move as fast as possible, grow as fast as possible.

So from the beginning I invested in mentorship and classes on the business side as well, not just photography, because I knew that there was a big gap between what I know and what I need to know. And I was like, I want to learn from others and get there as fast as possible.

I don't have time to be testing different things because if my business doesn't do well, all the kids are coming back home and then I will have no time to do this.

As I was taking classes and learning from others, I saw the value of having your own space of having a studio.

Before I had the studio, I was meeting people on location or renting out other studios, renting out other spaces to do the photography and it took up a lot of extra time to be able to take all my gear, make sure I have everything, set it up, take it down, put it away, and just the physical exertion was one part, but then also I saw the time that went into it and how much easier it would be if I just had my own space to be able to have everything set up the way I want and show up and really focus on the client.

I was really thinking about that client experience because when I'm kind of, okay, okay, now I'm ready to shoot. It's not putting me in the place to really serve my client. And so I wanted to create this space where people can come in and they feel like, oh, I can relax here. I can kind of like open up.

And that's really critical to my photography as well. As long as the money was there, it's a no brainer.

Marcia:

I love that you invested so early on in your business and yourself. That's awesome. So as a one person business, what does leadership mean to you?

Elle:

What leadership means to me, I have found as a one person business is that I am my own boss and I need to be a great boss. And if I am a boss that lets me do whatever I want, roll out of bed, undisciplined, lazy, without a clear direction, then my business isn't going to move forward and I'm not serving myself as the boss that I need to be.

Sometimes I need to do pep talks with myself and stop myself in the middle saying, is this activity you're doing now essential?

Is it something that will generate revenue? Or is this something that's just keeping you busy?

And so I'm learning more and more. I'm still not perfect, but I'm learning more and more to be a better boss with myself. I can't be a good boss to someone else until I learn to do that well for myself.

And so that's the leadership aspect that I'm definitely learning and hopefully getting better at.

Marcia:

We do have to be good bosses. That was something that I shared on Instagram before the holidays, it was like, you're an entrepreneur, you're a solopreneur, you're the boss. If you were working full-time, the expectation would not be for you to be available 24/7.

It's so hard and the fact that you're so self-aware and you know to take a pause and ask am I actually doing things that are going to generate revenue? That's amazing.

And yeah, I mean, way to go like right out of the gate. I have a lot of admiration for you.

What are some of the decisions you've made that protect your energy and capacity, even if they weren't the obvious choice?

Elle:

My business from the beginning was very centered around my family and having boundaries and having time for them. That was the whole point of why I'm doing this, not to ignore them and pursue my passion blindly, but to make sure that this was sustainable. I think one thing that was important to me was to try to keep my hours between when the kids are at school.

From the beginning I knew wedding events were not really for me because that's on the weekends and I wanted to save those as much as possible for my family. Even when I want to respond to clients and people in the evenings, I just cannot even get to my phone because I'm busy trying to wrangle kids, get dinner, bedtime, and all those things.

I felt guilt at one point, and I felt a little bit like, oh no, like I'm going to miss out if I don't respond quickly. But then later I realized it's not the end of the world if I reach out to them during business hours, and that's actually what I should be doing. I think I was forced to be a little bit better with my boundaries than I would've if I were just a single woman starting out.

Marcia:

I say this pretty often you train people how to treat you. And so if you're constantly available, that's so bad for your nervous system. Your life becomes this whole entire experience where you're just like, okay, I need to make sure that everybody else is doing okay and it's at the detriment of your family, your loved ones and you, your psychological safety.

You and I have gone back and forth a lot during the whole 40 Over 40 campaign, and coordinating the recording of this podcast and I've never thought, oh my god, Elle didn't respond within five minutes, she's the worst. She's so unprofessional.

If anything, you have been so professional throughout every experience. Because there weren't any questions that I had. Carin and I talk about this a lot, it's creating the systems so that people do feel like, okay, I know what the next step is. I know what I need to do.

How do you do that? Was that a lens from your professional career before you became an entrepreneur?

Elle:

Possibly. I had a career in graphic design for about 10 years before jumping into photography, and a lot of it was circling back with clients and making sure they receive their proofs and making sure they have deadlines if we need to get something by a certain time.

I think that going back and forth on emails and making sure that you've said everything and making it clear for them so they're not coming back to you with questions. I think that's something that I was a little bit trained on, and so I try to preemptively think of everything that they would be asking themselves.

Marcia:

You do that really well. Because there weren't any questions that I had, but I knew that if I did have any questions, that I would respond to you and then I would get the answer. It does come through in your work that you anticipate that and you've created the client experience to assist with that.

Running a business alone can be very isolating and sometimes we can get in our heads so what kind of support do you have now? Are you in any communities? Do you still have a mentor or a coach?

Elle:

I'm not currently with a coach or a mentor right now, but I have had masterminds in the area like the Made for Mothers Masterminds.

A lot of those women, we still are in a group chat to this day and we celebrate each other's wins and we meet up one-on-one. And so that has been really amazing. I try to find different networking groups, different places.

Normally I'm pretty shy and I get introverted and I'd rather stay home than meet anyone but after starting a business, it just becomes more exciting to talk about business with other business owners because they understand the similar things that we go through.

It has been more than isolating, it's been a time of much more community than I had before.

I feel like when I was working my full-time job as graphic designer, I was just on my computer doing the work, but now I have a reason to go out and meet new people, try to get involved in the community. And so it's really been life-giving for me.

Marcia:

The first networking event I went to, I think it was in 2013 it was for bloggers and entrepreneurs.

I could feel it in my body. I was like, oh my God, I love these people. I got laid off when I was pregnant with my second son. We couldn't afford to put both kids in full-time daycare.

So I was at home with the kids and my husband was working like six days a week because he had that ability to, and it was so isolating and so I tried like a couple mom groups and I was just like, oh my God. I just couldn't handle it. It was so overwhelming.

When I went to the networking group, I was like, oh my God, these women are so amazing. They're doing amazing things. They're living their passion, but they're also so humble and they're like, this is what I need help with but they're also so generous with this is what I can help you with.

It does make it so different. And for anyone who is a solopreneur and they're like, I don't know that it's important to get out and network or join a mastermind or whatever. You're doing yourself a disservice because AI is all the rage now, but I'm like, it's the people connections.

I have always believed that it's the interpersonal connections that we make. And there's people that you don't vibe with. There's people that it's like, oh, okay, nice to meet you. But there are people that you meet and it just becomes this whole multidimensional relationship.

So, I'm glad that you guys in your mastermind, you still do like the one-on-ones because that's like candy for the introvert's heart right?

The final question that I want to ask you is if someone's listening and they've been in business for a few years and they are successful, they're making a living wage, even more than a living wage, but they're really tired and they're trying to do everything themselves but are just like, I don't know man. I'm just doing the same thing over and over again and I'm really tired, do you have any suggestions or advice?

Elle:

I got a good piece of advice at the very beginning of my business that I think could be helpful. Someone said, imagine that someone gave you a million dollars to use in your business to move the needle. What would you do? What would be your next steps?

That's the kind of advice that gave me the courage to lease and renovate a studio. If I was thinking small and thinking about what I can afford, what's okay for me right now, I wouldn't be here.

If you're going to invest that money, that money's going to come back to you. It's not money lost. I use that for a lot of things.

I think when we are on our own doing business and we're tired, we're trying to save money by doing it on our own, but that's actually slowing you down. Things like working on your website or a logo, like you could spend hours and hours trying to perfect that or you could write a check or pay online and have someone else do that for you.

Someone who does that so easily and someone where that is their strength. And so I think if you hire out the things that are weaknesses for you, it gives you more time to do what only you can do.

Marcia:

It keeps you in the zone of genius instead of being the operator and yeah, that's such good advice.

I did want to thank you so much and ask if you have anything, any campaigns going on now? Are you going to do a second 40 over 40? I can cut that if you want me to, but like what do you have going on at the studio or what do you want local women in the Northern Virginia DMV area to know about the services that you're currently providing?

Elle:

I would love to do another 40 Over 40 in the near future, probably not this coming year. This coming year, I would really like to focus on something called “Come As You Are”.

I see it as the next level of 40 Over 40 where you come in and it's not about the outfits, it's not about the hair and makeup, but just you raw. Captured the way that you are.

This requires a lot more inner work to be able to face yourself and just see, Hey, I don't have all these things on me, but I am still so beautiful and I'm so worthy of being photographed. And here I am. This is my life.

And so I am really excited to start that up.

I always have my branding and portrait photography services. I have my signature package that is the whole shebang with a design consult, the mood board, shot list, professional hair and makeup.

I am also rolling out a mini version that's subscription based to help women achieve greater visibility throughout the year.

A lot of times we put off doing things in front of a camera. If you are someone who wants to show up more online or in your marketing, this is a great option. Having a smaller package forces you to come out a few times a year and get fresh photos. And once you start doing it, you see, oh, this isn't that bad. I actually like it.

And so I think that's going to be really cool for a lot of people.

Marcia:

You're taking on a lot, but that seems to be your modus operandi. You're handling it so beautifully and having those boundaries that family time, is family time and work time, is work time, that's amazing.

I did want to say thank you so much for the work that you're doing because for women you're providing them with an opportunity to truly see themselves as others see them.

I didn't learn how to love myself until I saw how my husband loved me. Sometimes you need to take a step back and look at yourself as other people do. And I think it just is so beautiful what you're doing.

Because if you're a business owner, if you're a realtor like you, you are your brand and people want to connect with you. Nobody cares if you look different, like we're all freaking different individuals. Every single person is different.

Use that to your advantage. Let people get to know you and then when you actually do meet them in person, or if you have a one-on-one or whatever, they feel like they're talking to someone they already know because they've seen your images, they've seen you on social media, they've read what you've written, whatever.

I think it takes, especially for introverts, it takes away that fear of judgment. Because you've already put it all out there. That's my, that's my take on it.

The work that you're doing is absolutely amazing. What it is that you're doing, covers everything.

It's business, it's mindset, it's visibility, it's courage. I just think it's beautiful. I see what you're doing and I love it, and I can't wait to see how our relationship evolves. So thank you so much again for being here. Do you want to share your social, we'll put it in the show notes too, but how can people connect with you?

Elle: My Instagram is @elleyeonphoto