Today we’d like to introduce you to Al Tearjen.
Hi Al, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I have always felt like an entrepreneur – I wanted to find ways to generate value. When I was a kid, I would mow lawns and sell girl scout cookies. I knew that someday it would be my full-time job, but it was important to generate more knowledge in one of the most innovative industries – technology. This was always in the back of my mind when I was in university. While pursuing my B.S. in Chemical Engineering, I started tuning into entrepreneurial seminars and courses. After my third year in university, I had an internship at a chemical refinery (a very good internship if you wanted to be a career chemical engineer). As I tried to introduce more technologically advanced solutions to the myriad of problems in the plant, I was met with fear of technology and a need for an understanding of how much more efficient the plant would run if the technology were upgraded. This was a turning point for me. I wanted to pursue something other than my career in an industry where innovation was discouraged. I decided to be a software engineer. I knew a bit of code but needed more to become a software engineer post-graduation in one year. Then, I decided to teach myself how to code and began taking computer science classes in parallel. Getting a software engineering position would be easier with a Computer Science Degree. I decided to go for it, and in 5.5 years, I completed a B.S. in Chemical Engineering and a B.S. in Computer Science. I completed two software engineering internships at Zillow and Goldman Sachs during this time.
While at Zillow, I met Dana, an incredibly talented engineer and a great friend to get lunch with. She told me about her dreams of being an entrepreneur but has yet to really settle on an idea, and I told her I felt the same. We stayed in contact while we were completing school, and one day, we exchanged ideas for features that we wished some of our favorite technology companies had. When she shared the idea of an on-demand photographer – I thought it was genius. For the following months, we spent days ideating on what it would look like to have an on-demand photographer. We started validating our solution and building software, looking for options to get a bit of investment on Seize. After my first year as a Software Engineer at Amazon Web Services, Dana and I decided to go full-time on Seize upon getting accepted into a major technology accelerator – Techstars Seattle. Seize is now operating in Washington D.C, New York City, and Austin (with more cities coming this year!)
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Not, we have had to deal with customer issues, investor rejections, bugs in production code, contractors/employees needing to be a better fit, and Dana and I had to reshape and pivot what Seize looks like in the short term. Dana and I have always agreed on what Seize would look like in a long time, but the short term has often changed—figuring out which metrics matter and which do not was a struggle for us initially. We have now organized more short/medium-term goals that align with the long-term vision, which has helped us greatly.
Thanks for sharing that. So, you could tell us a bit more about your business.
Seize is the future of personal photo and video content. We envision a world where Seize will capture your life well – in any medium, anytime, anywhere. With Seize, you can affordably book a vetted and background-checked visual content specialist, capture the content, and post the content, all within 24 hours. We capture content while the client is in the moment and deliver the content while the moment is still fresh. The industry’s most pressing problem today is women booking affordable photo and video shoots conveniently and safely, so that is where we are starting.
What makes you happy?
Happiness has two sides for me. I am a business owner, and it is a part of my identity – I have never thought of it as a job. With that being said, the first side is customer satisfaction. Nothing makes me happier than a happy customer enjoying their experience with Seize and the photos/videos they received afterward. The second side is capturing my life well (which also happens to be Seize’s mission!) Photos and videos make you remember the best parts of who you are; the people you love and the places you have been.
Pricing:
- $65 for 30 minute photo session (receive all unedited photos within 24 hours)
- $80 for a 1 hour photo session (receive all unedited photos within 24 hours)
- $99 for a photo pass (receive all unedited photos within 24 hours)
- $11 per edited photo
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.seizetheapp.io
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seizetheapp/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seizetheapp
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/seizetheapp
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@seizetheapp1929
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@seizetheapp/
Image Credits
Seize the App Photography
