Recorded at MAME in Zürich
Aly comes from Utah, U.S.A., she arrived in Switzerland about 9 years ago when she was only 18! When she first visited the country with her husband she instantly loved it and decided to leave everything behind and follow her heart.
She started working as a nanny but to her, it wasn’t creatively fulfilling. She felt like she needed to grow but felt stuck, so she undertook any kind of creative hobby. What she felt most drown to, was photography, and one day, with all the money they had, her husband got her the camera of her dream and the rest is history!
She tried a bit of everything: podcasting, make up videos, filming and of course photography and even different kind of photography (see below).
Her creative endeavors – she was undertaking after her work days being a nanny- were fulfilling her. And with time, passion, creativity and talent, she now has a full-time business in Switzerland!
Today she does Personal Branding Photography for Female Entrepreneur in Switzerland and helps women connect with their audience online.
She lives is Zürich and on her terms!
The drive behind it all:
The discomfort with the job and being in a new country.: every moment of her life was outside of her comfort zone. She felt that she had to fight for her own happiness otherwise this whole experience was going to be miserable.
How she expressed her creativity when she was younger?
Growing up she was really into performing (in plays and singing)
Fun fact:
She could have been an actress and loved it or a jewelry maker and loved it, as long as she pursued and expressed her creativity.
What does a regular day looks like?
There is no regular day!
She wants to do everything intuitively: take a slow morning if she wants to, edit photos when she feels creative: she lets her creativity be the boss.
It is part of her self-care practice to work and live how she feels like.
She is an introvert so when she needs rest, she takes it. Being alone recharges her.
The rest of her self-care practices: laying in bed without any input / Sometimes journaling sometimes not/ Nature time / Therapy / Expressing her needs to her husband (being self-employed can feel so lonely that she started turning towards her husband and ask for help to friends and family).
Her future projects:
She goes where she feels called
She is adding events pairing up with make-up artists and stylists (like the photoshoot on November 1st) and videos to her portfolio (like the Dreiland Yoga Festival video that we are so excited about!)
Why do you think you got successful?
She focuses on the connection with her client
She feels like she has a new friend every time she walks out of a photoshoot
She wants to make everybody feel good and comfy in front of the cam
What would you do with more time?
She wants to have time with her fam and travel, be free!
What would you do with more money?
She would travel more
Visiting the fam in the US
Traveling is freedom
What is your fav thing to do during your time off?
- Having long deep conversations with people who are open (just like on the podcast!)
It’s a special connection to open up to someone and the person opens to you too
- Taking pix (She makes the photoshoot longer without raising the price because she loves it so much)
What did you learn on your journey to entrepreneurship?
- Being an entrepreneur is like holding a mirror up to yourself: you cannot hide from your struggles, you have to take care of yourself cause if you don’t, you crumble.
- How to connect with other women
- How to do communication that helps others feel comfortable
- So much about herself : She used to be so introverted and scared of everything when she moved to Switzerland and now she is rocking it being a photographer
- She feels comfortable opening up and sharing on social media
If you could write a note to your younger self in 2 words:
Growing up, she was the black sheep of the fam and felt like she didn’t belong there, so she would pray to god and ask if she was supposed to be there. And the answer she always got was (since the age of 4): Have hope for the future
What would you recommend to creative entrepreneurs?
- Trying out many different things. At the beginning ‘season of yes’ : she tried family pictures and wedding photography, tried everything! And she quickly realized that she liked to work with female entrepreneurs and not brides!
- Then you gotta niche down like her coach recommended a couple years ago. She had asked her what was her favorite thing out of all the photography she was doing. It was scary for Aly at this moment because she thought – as we all do: ‘but then I will have less customers!’. But exactly the opposite happened and now that she’s earned a reputation in her specific niche, it allows her to:
- start new things again like filming!
Where you can find her online:
Facebook: @AlyAesch
IG: @aly.aesch
Youtube: Aly Aeschbacher
Her website: www.alyaesch.com
The Gems:
Creativity is a way of connection like souls connecting. It’s all about connection!
I had to create the life I envisioned moving here.
Being self-employed is like getting into a relationship with someone you just have to work on it
Consuming other people’s creativity is like a peak into their souls
Slow & Blissful Living 