Today we’d like to introduce you to Madalyn Dobbs.
Hi Madalyn, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
In the middle of 2014 as an up-and-coming high school freshman, my family and I moved to the Austin, Texas metropolitan area. At the time, I had an ever-increasing desire to create something and share my experiences and interests with others but I didn’t quite know what that thing was yet. I had an interest in starting a YouTube channel but I soon realized that videography was not exactly what I was wanting to get into. Soon after, I came across the blogging world and found blogging to be the medium I was looking for. I created a Blogger account, edited a simple website, and posted my first blog post. Looking back now, I can say that I definitely did not know what I was doing but I was excited to see what would come of my newly-discovered hobby.
When I started blogging, my posts were focused on my own personal experiences and they were intended to be read by my friends and family. However, once I started posting about other topics of interest such as lifestyle, faith, and beauty, and began finding other blogs and bloggers, I discovered that there was a whole blogging community that was much greater and more exciting than I had originally anticipated. As a result, I started connecting with other bloggers, got more involved in the online world of blogging, and saw brands and creatives begin to reach out to me for collaborations and other endeavors.
Fast forward a few years of posting, learning, collaborating, branding, finding new blogging friends, and many website redesigns, my blog My Life As Madalyn now garners a larger audience and showcases a wide variety of posts covering topics that are important to me and my life. My blog (which I call a hodgepodge blog) covers topics such as Christian life, lifestyle, simple and healthy living, fashion, beauty, photography, business, college, and fitness, among others. My focus with my blog is on fostering a tight-knit community of readers that support positive, meaningful, and Kingdom-focused lives. I hope that whenever someone reads a post, they feel invited in as if catching up with a close friend.
In 2018 I also started another project–an online store selling Christian gifts such as jewelry, mugs, tote bags, t-shirts, home decor, and digital products. This was my first experience setting up and running a business which I got a lot of enjoyment out of. From web design to sourcing products, customer service to product packaging, I learned so much about the behind-the-scenes of running a business and the business venture gave me another outlet where I could allow my creativity to flow. During that time I also gained an interest in digital art and digital planning and began creating custom digital portraits for customers and spent a couple of months creating a digital daily Christian journal called the Abide Daily Journal. Even though I have since closed the business which was named Adorned With Delight, I learned so much about running a business and would not trade the experiences that I encountered.
Around the same time, I also began offering creative services to individuals and business owners alike including event planning, branding, website design and management, and social media design and management. It has been a fun experience meeting new people and helping them bring their ideas to life. It is always a joy having the opportunity to learn about someone else’s story and how they got to where they are today.
In 2020 I opened my photography business Madalyn Dobbs Photography. I had always enjoyed photography for as long as I can remember so after I invested in a nice camera and remembered how much I enjoyed taking photos, I decided to formally turn it into a working business. I started building my portfolio, created a website and social media accounts, and began spreading the word about it. Now, I specialize in portrait, family, couple, and event photography, among others. Even though I am based out of Buda, Texas, Madalyn Dobbs Photography services all of central Texas and beyond. As I have come to realize, there are two main influences in what continues to bring me back to the camera: the enjoyment of getting to know the stories of those that I get to work with and helping my clients reminisce over memories of past, years later. With this photography business, I want each session to be specialized to my clients’ differing tastes and comfortability levels so each finalized photo that my clients receive is captured with their individual styles in mind.
Currently, among my other creative endeavors, I am a senior in college at Texas State University studying communication and mass communication. My time is also spent between my family, friends, two cats, church, and the Delight Ministries chapter at Texas State University. Ever since I started these journeys, I knew that things would change. Minds change, new ideas start to sprout, and life happens. I soon may be in a totally new chapter of my life but I am constantly reminded of how far the Lord has brought me and all of the blessings that I have been given. Looking back I can see His hand over everything in my life and I’m excited to see what He has planned for the next crazy ride.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Though the road hasn’t been the smoothest, I wouldn’t change my experiences. As with life, there are highs and lows. There have been times when I have been discouraged about what I am doing in life or have gone through periods of burnout and a lack of interest. However, despite differing circumstances, I have been fortunate enough to have a constant in my life that never changes: Jesus. Because of His promises, I can make it through difficult situations knowing that the bad times make way for the better.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
With my blogging, photography, and other professions, my goal is to create meaningful content from the heart. There is so much screaming for our attention in life and I don’t want my posts or content to add to the mix. I want to stand out from others in what I share and how I share it.
Instead of going along with the crowd, I want to walk the other way. Practically speaking, this goal presents itself in my work through the quality controls that I have in place. Whenever I post, share, or create anything, I want it to be for the good of others and be an encouragement to only focus on what matters in life. I want to share my experiences and encourage others to live life well, focused on the only thing that matters for eternity.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
The good things in life are usually harder to obtain. Anything in life can be done void of intention but what’s worth our time usually requires an effort for it. Risk-taking is often a prerequisite for positive outcomes. During all of my creative experiences, risks were taken. Some were riskier than others but they all required a mental understanding and commitment to see them through. If everything was easy or we did not have choices in life, how would we appreciate the outcomes?
Pricing:
- Portait Photography Session – $75
- Couple/Small Family Photography Session – $200
- Large Family Photography Session – $350
- Event Photography Session – $500
- Sponsorships/Creative Services – Contact for details
Contact Info:
- Email: hello@mylifeasmadalyn.com
- Website: mylifeasmadalyn.com, madalyndobbsphotography.mypixieset.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madalyn_dobbs/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009640086364
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/madalyn_dobbs
