Meet Alexandra Gushard-Edwards, Owner of Marie Rose Photography. Alex recently graduated the 2022 FCOED EmPOWER Mentorship Program.
Q: What is your business and what goods/services do you provide?
A: My business is Marie Rose Photography. I am an empowered photographer in the Frederick area providing imagery and content to allow you to love yourself and grow your confidence in front of the camera through posing suggestions and empowered photography sessions!
Q: What inspired you to start your own business?
A: I started my business when I had my daughter at 19 years old. Photography has always been my passion and I knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur. The comfort of a 9-5 stalled me from pursuing my passion and it shifted to more of a hobby. I started investing in myself and my business during the pandemic.
Working in hospitality, I was the first one to get cut from the company and started to realize how much I could do with my photography. My name changed to better represent my business and mission. The name Marie Rose came from my middle name and my daughter’s middle name. Marie is my daughter’s middle name and I wanted to incorporate her because she is a huge reason why I am pursuing my passion. Rose, which is my middle name, represents the beauty that we all have in us (the petals) and the way we try to cover ourselves, mask ourselves, and the walls we put up (thorns) that stop us from appreciating ourselves in the now!
Q: What is your background and how did you develop the skills to start your business?
A: Photography has been a passion of mine since middle school. After learning about the process of developing film and capturing images, I fell in love. It has always been a passion, but the business aspect really started picking up as I got older.
I have worked in hospitality and customer service most of my adult life, and I always took work experiences with me to better run my business and serve my clients.
Q: What inspires your work and what sets you apart from everyone else?
A: My work is inspired by my self-love journey. I struggled with seeing myself in front of the camera for so long, that it made it hard for me to build anyone else's confidence in front of the camera. Now that I have worked on my confidence and perception in front of the camera, I aim to create confidence in all clients and/or their products, in front of the lens.
Q: Why do you enjoy doing business in Frederick County?
A: I enjoy doing business in Frederick County because it is my home. I have grown up here and watched our community grow. The way they have empowered businesses in Frederick gives me hope that I can strive as a minority-owned business and serve my community.
Q: Where can people learn more about your business? (website, social media, etc.)
Website – www.marieroseshoots.com
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/marieroseshoots
Instagram - @marieroseshoots