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GREATERBALTIMORECHAMBER.ORG | 17%UDNH%u0003,QVSHFWLRQ(QJLQH%u0003'LDJQRVWLFV7LUH%u00035RWDWLRQ%u0003%u0009%u0003$OLJQPHQW2LO%u0003&KDQJHV0XOWL%u00033RLQW%u0003,QVSHFWLRQ>05;,9%u0007;(2,%u0007(%u0007;633&:7905.%u00070:%u000705%u0007;/,%u00079,7(09%u0008ffi%u0016%u0016ffi%u0003/LEHUW\\%u00035G%u000f%u00035DQGDOOVWRZQ%u02c7%u02c8%u02c1%u02b8%u0003%u02c8%u02c3%u0003%u02c6%u02b8%u02c5%u02c9%u02bc%u02b6%u02b8%u02c6%u0003%u02bc%u02c1%u02b6%u02bf%u02c8%u02b7%u02b8%u02ad %u02c7%u02c8%u02c1%u02b8 %u02c8%u02c3 %u02c6%u02b8%u02c5%u02c9%u02bc%u02b6%u02b8%u02c6 %u02bc%u02c1%u02b6%u02bf %u02c8%u02c3 %u02c6%u02b8%u02c5%u02c9%u02bc%u02b6%u02b8%u02c6 %u02bc%u02c1%u02b6%u02bf&$//%u0003%u0017%u0014%u0013%u0010%u001a%u001a%u0014%u0010ffi%u0013ffiffi>05;,9%u0007;(2 >05;,9%u0007;(2, >05;,9%u0007;(2, (%u0007;6 2,%u0007( ;%u0007 6 ( ;33& 6:7905. 0: 05 ;/, 9,7 5. 0: 05 ;/, 9,7 0: 05 ;/, 9,7(09%u02c8%u02b7%u02b8%u02adHEIDI BELL, OWNER, HEIDI MARIE BELL PHOTOGRAPHYHEIDIMARIEBELL.COMWhen and why did you start the business? I%u2019m a second career person. I spent almost 35 years as a healthcare CEO and, during the last four or five years of my career, I had the itch to just do something personal for myself. I%u2019ve always been a photographer and have had a camera in my hand since I was a kid. I was feeling a pull to pursue something creative, and decided to enroll in art school while still running a large orthopedic practice. About halfway through, I discovered that I%u2019m a people photographer and wanted to pursue that as a serious vocation. I opened the business in 2015 to coincide with my degree program and left healthcare in 2018. I was a full-time student for a year and wrapped up my degree and started my business full-time in January of 2020.What kind of work do you do?I%u2019m a solo entrepreneur and headshot and branding photography specialist, offering both studio and location services. I create headshots, personal and commercial branding photography, and website and social media image collateral for executives, service and consultant professionals, and businesses of all sizes. Individuals and small groups tend to visit my studio, and I generally support larger organizations on site. I also photograph high-end corporate events for organizations looking to maximize their event investments. I typically work with executives, industry leaders and entrepreneurs, speakers, models, actors and musicians, people who have a presence and identity that is tied to representing themselves in a polished, authentic and approachable manner.My business started out very generalized. I did a lot of family photography, graduating seniors, and have brought a bit of that back by way of exclusive commissions for families that would like portraiture and photo albums for their homes.What lessons have you learned in doing this kind of work? What I really love about it and gravitate towards is the way that I%u2019m able to work with people. It%u2019s vastly different than leading a corporation with a large group of individuals or even small teams. I%u2019m able to provide service on a very one-to-one, close-knit level. I%u2019m in problem-solving mode all the time. A client comes to me and they present a need and it%u2019s up to me to determine how to fulfill that need.SPOTLIGHTSelection of photos by Heidi Marie Bell PhotographyWhy is Baltimore County a good place for your kind of business?There%u2019s a ton of opportunity in this community. In my case, there are businesses of all sizes and iterations all the way down to sole proprietors %u2014 individuals that are either working on their own or pursuing a second or adjacent endeavor of some sort. The swath is wide, and it's a matter of connecting with people and building relationships. Getting in front of groups and sharing expertise is key. There are countless ways to do that, especially through sophisticated organizations like the Greater Baltimore Chamber of Commerce. The chamber has been a productive business-building pillar for me since early 2020.Selection of photos bHeidi Marie Bell Photograph