Meet Dewinta from Dewinta Dandot Photography

I’m a lifestyle and documentary photographer. I give clients a transformational experience that connects them with their loved ones and is portrayed in their artwork.

What or who has been your greatest influence in business and why?

My mum is my role model entrepreneur. She started off in housekeeping and opened the first laundry & dry cleaning business in Borneo with just a bare minimum set up. Over time she grew her small business in multiple cities. Sometimes I wish that I could turn back time to photograph her business story. These days I photograph her whilst in her much-loved garden.

What is one thing you have learned as a small business owner that has served you well over the years?

When you’re a small business owner and you’re just starting out, your family and friends are your closest support group and having them support you in your business is just as important as networking in your community. I am very grateful for having a supportive husband who helps me with my business as well as at home. He turned out to be better at cooking than me!

Are there any resources or tools you’d like to share with other small business owners that have helped you run your business?

There are so many people that I’d like to thank along the journey because they’ve been so wonderful in helping me in my business. I believe if you care enough to give your 100% & treat your customers with TLC, everything will flow…

Jen from Jenna Rae Designs
Amanda from Negotiis
Wendy from West Lawyers
Janice from The Floral Point
Kathy from Petite Blooms

Do you have any new projects coming up (or have you just completed a big project ~ reached a milestone, etc.)?

Last year (2017) I took maternity leave to focus on my family alone. No clients, no random gigs. I started to create a photo blog based on life with my kids, unfolding naturally, documenting our intimate journey together. As a result of this, I re-discovered myself, re-centered, my soul healed, my mind at peace and my life enriched.

So in 2018, I am extremely thrilled to be launching two photography services – Personal Branding as well as Wedding. I look forward to work with women in business seeking honest & authentic shots of themselves, as well as capturing love story between two romantics.

What do you do for fun/relaxation?

Lots! From entertaining guests over dinner parties, to movie dates, to a trip to the zoo. Time with family is both fun and relaxed at the same time. Well, it can be chaotic but it’s fun! I do enjoy some quiet moments too, but that happens when I’m editing or just pausing to absorb my surroundings.

What would you say are the top three skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?

Find your passion

When you find it, ask yourself why and ask again 3 times to understand your BIG Why This may already be obvious by simply listening to yourself & your loved ones. For others, this process may take weeks or months, but I believe you can easily work this out by starting with yourself. A mentor asked me once, “If you have everything under the sun, what would you like to do?” I told her that I want to travel around the world and capture moments in life, be it big or small because I don’t want to miss a thing! So whenever I feel down or I have just had a bad day, I will always remember why I’m doing this…your passion will always be there to fuel you, no matter what.

2. Planning

Every successful business needs a well thought out business plan. I cannot emphasise how important this is. You can have a passion but if there are no set goals, there’s no direction. Prior to starting out, my business plan was a bunch of stick figures, few words and numbers. There was no proper planning. The business was operating reactively. I became too overwhelmed. Find a mentor that you want to learn from and start there. Having a sense of direction definitely helps!

3. Networking

You need to have relationships outside those four walls & learn how to cultivate it. Do so with genuine interest. I’m not fond of big networking events of business card exchanging activities. I find that its more important to have one-on-ones, giving each other the chance to understand each other’s businesses in more depth. I’m up for cuppa at your local cafe, dressed in yoga wear anytime.

What is your greatest fear, and how do you manage fear?

My greatest fear…public speaking! I manage my fear by just doing it and It gets better each

What makes you happy?

Family. Love. Stories. Cheese. I exercise no restraint when it comes to cheese.

What sacrifices have you had to make to be a successful entrepreneur?

I don’t have an off button. I live & breathe photography, even in my sleep I hardly see my family and my health was deteriorating. 2017 was the much-needed break that I need. Away from social media (well as much as I could) and away from white noise. Don’t get me wrong, I truly love what I do but I could not go on like a hamster in a wheel, constantly spinning around, unable to catch my breath.

Find a way to work smarter without impact to your health and family. It works for me working parts of the day, prioritise and allocate a couple of hours to smashing my to-do list, have a break, be with my kids, and smash another couple more productive hours.

Where do you see yourself and your business in 10 years? 20 years?

Definitely traveling around the world documenting life & giving clients a transformational experience wherever we go. 🙂

Do you have kiddies if so how many? And what is their favourite activity to do with you?

A 5 years old boy who will be attending school this year and a soon to be one-year-old baby girl. Together we enjoy morning cuddles, stroll around the park and jumping on the bed!

Connect with Dewinta

Spotlight

Join us for the next WBS Event

WBS is coming to Boronia. Our launch event will be on the 9th March 2018 at the Zagames Boronia. Dewinta Dandot from Dewinta Dandot Photography will be your host for this event.

Book your tickets here: https://goo.gl/msH34U.