Daily Inspiration: Meet Tiffany Hoskins

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tiffany Hoskins.

Hi Tiffany, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My passion for photography began as a five-year-old little girl watching my mother use a video camera documenting our everyday lives. I rewatch those videos today and you can see me asking Moma, “can I video, let me video” multiple times. All throughout high school, I captured each class day, field trips and all my friends. My classmates always thought it was “annoying” but the memories captured are priceless. The summer before my jr year of high school, I knew I wanted to pursue photography as my career; I felt the Lord tugging at my heart. My senior year, I worked inside a local studio for two months before they closed their doors. I started taking a few pictures of my friends for their “senior photos” and actually had a few people inquire about hiring me.

I went on to Wayne Community College to pursue a degree in business. 2016, I had my first wedding inquiry – I can still remember meeting the bride and her mother and having her sign notebook paper where I had personally written a contract and underlined where she should sign. The entire wedding + bridals were $500… At least I had some type of contract, though, am I right? – I believe in 2016 I shot 4-5 weddings and I instantly fell in love with meeting so many new people, the adrenaline of the day, watching two people so in love make a promise to each other in front of God + all their closest family and friends. There just isn’t a way to truly describe the way I feel on wedding days!! December of 2016, I took a job at a local travel agency where I found my second passion – Traveling. I worked there and learned so much about the travel industry, all while making my photography my “side hustle” – My photography business grew and grew over the next two years, so much so that I was staying up til 2-3 am to catch up on editing and emails. It became a lot.

The very beginning of 2018, I made up my mind that I was going to quit my job at the travel agency and go full time with photography. The very week I was going to quit, another lady in the office put in her two weeks, my heart sank. I was mad that she just came in randomly stating she was moving; that was going to be my week to quit… I told myself I will wait till things cool down and in the meantime, take the advantage to travel to one place each month. 2018, I traveled my little heart out (so I thought). In January of 2019, the Lord really put going full-time heavily on my heart; I prayed and prayed. It made me nervous to leave a good paying job and go out on my own. I had become comfortable and the Lord was wanting me to trust Him… February came around and Kat Schmoyer opened up registration for her conference “Creative at Heart.” – I told myself I wasn’t going; I didn’t need to spend that money. While at a supper with some friends, I asked my parents to pay for it instead. My friends told me I was crazy for wanting to spend that much money… still, the Lord was pulling at my heart. I got up quickly and said, “I am going.” I paid the deposit and registered.

Not even 10 minutes later, I had an inquiry in my inbox for a family session that was down the penny the same amount I had just spent on that deposit. Oh the chills; I teared up at how good God was. As I sat at work the next day, afraid to even ask for that time off, I thought God is telling me to TRUST HIM. I knew then I was going full-time this year! I told my moma what I wanted to do and on March 1, I put in a three months notice at my job. May 31st was my last day at the travel agency. I was told by so many people, “you are making a mistake,” “you won’t be able to travel as much,” “are you going to be able to pay your bills with this hobby?”… I knew God has a plan! You can go back to May-June of 2019 on my Instagram account and see the difference in my work almost instantly. The happiness and accomplishment I felt were just unreal. The end of June, I went to Creative at Heart – I stayed in an airbnb with a random group of nine other ladies. We all stayed cooked supper together, watched the bachelor and stayed up all night, laughing, crying and ultimately forming lifelong friendships.

From the connections and friendships I made at Creative at Heart, I was able to travel to Hawaii with a wedding planner – visit PA for the first time, attend another conference in DC, and my biggest accomplishment and most favorite – Book a wedding across the US in Washington State. WOW! I have since then booked two more out-of-state weddings, sessions in FL, made so many more friendships, coached and mentored other photographers, created a #travelingwithtiff account, been privileged to serve so many wonderful bride and grooms and now being interviewed for a local magazine? I mean, what?!? Tears are filling my eyes, thinking about how truly amazing God is! His hand in my life is so evident in every aspect of my story. I look back at who I was in high school, throughout college, after college, working two jobs and now a full-time business owner who has a lot of other BIG goals and dreams for life! I am entering into new seasons and always trying to remind myself, climbing the ladder may seem hard when you are at the bottom but each day, take a small step and one day you’ll realized how high you’ve actually climbed, so much so that climbing, even more, doesn’t scare you, it excites you!

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I have my days just like any other person. Some of the struggles I have faced are managing my time, learning how to say no, realizing my worth, learning what my weaknesses are and how I can overcome them; comparison can be a really big one. I struggled a lot in 2018 with balancing my photography business, the travel agency and my personal life. I saw what others were doing and I felt stuck. I wanted what they had. Ultimately I am so thankful that God told me “no” because I truly was not ready to go full time. I wasn’t mature or goal-driven enough to handle the task of going full-time. I truly believe I would’ve failed.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a 25-year-old wedding photographer based in Goldsboro, NC. I am known for traveling anywhere and everywhere to photography stunning moments. I have a true passion and heart for others – when my clients hire me; they are not just hiring a photographer for their wedding day – they are investing in someone who truly wants to see their marriage succeed, someone who will pour into their life for years to come and ultimately wants to be their friend, alongside of capturing the most amazing images to pass down to future generations.

Photography and traveling are two of my biggest passions – I am always up for an adventure, whether that be mountains, beach, city or country. Let’s go! I am known for my “go with the flow” mindset and always being ready for the next adventure. My photography/editing style is known for it’s colorful and bright tones with a little more warmth. A true -to- lifestyle.

In addition, I love fostering a strong community and nurturing the relationships that are important to me. I love to see my fellow small business owners succeed and truly do whatever I can to support them through their journey.

Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I’d say quitting my job at the travel agency to pursue my photography business full time was a pretty big risk. Especially since I only had a little over $100 in my name at the time. I would like to think I am a risk taker but also a true “mom” at heart. I can sometimes tend to worry and think about the “what if’s” but as I get older, I have found myself being more of a “go with the flow” type of attitude.

Thoughts on risks: You won’t know until you ask – the worst someone can say is no. If I have something I want to do, I would rather do it and either enjoy it or learn from it and not be able to look back years down the road and regret not taking the risk.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: tiffanyrosephotography.net
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tiffanyrosephotography/?hl=en https://www.instagram.com/travelingwtiff/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tiffanyrosephotography.net

Image Credits
Tiffany Rose Photography Megan Morales Photography – headshots of me