Today we’d like to introduce you to Asher Carlson.
Hi Asher, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
The idea for Duluth Creative Co. (DCCO) was born at the same time I decided to pursue a career in Photography and Filmmaking. Back in 2021, I had been working at a 9 to 5 that just wasn’t getting me to where I wanted to be in life; financially, in fulfillment, and growth-wise. I decided to begin to plant the seeds of my new creative biz and started educating myself on how to start and grow a sustainable photography business.
One of the educators and creators that I learned the most from was Eric Floberg, a photographer and filmmaker out of Chicago. He works in a shared studio space called, Creative Club Chicago, with lots of other photographers and creatives. As I was learning how to start my own photography biz, I knew that Duluth needed a space like this. Since one didn’t already exist, I could either complain and wait for something to happen, or I could be the one to bring this space to life for our community.
At that moment, growing my own photography business and opening a collaborative studio/co-work became part of the same mission. Throughout 2021 and 2022 my photography business was seeing much success, and alongside that, I was putting out into the world my idea for a shared studio space. I waited and waited for it to hit the right ears, and after lots of meetings that didn’t particularly go anywhere, it finally hit the right ears.
In June 2022, I was attending a Twin Shores Wedding Association monthly meeting (a social group for wedding/event professionals) and got to talking with Mariah McKechnie of Northland Special Events. I was explaining my idea and she looked at me with excitement and said, “we need to talk more about this, I may have the perfect place for you.” Turns out she was in the process of purchasing a building in Downtown Duluth that was going to be the new home for her business trip, Northland Special Events (event planning), Superior Blooms (florals), and The Vault (event decor).
To make a long story short, we had found our future home, and renovations began in October 2022. Over the next few months, the idea that was a shared studio space grew into a studio and a full-blown co-working space as well. The idea began from my lens (pun intended) as a photographer and filmmaker, so there was an inherent tunnel vision that I had about serving our creative community exclusively. But the more I grew an audience on Instagram, I started to see that the need in our community for a co-working space extended past just our creatives.
There is a whole community of remote workers, solo entrepreneurs, side hustlers, as well as creatives who long for a space to come together and chase their dreams. By March 1st, 2023, we opened our doors and our memberships began. Today we are up to about 10 members and will have more availability starting in April 2023 as we open our second dedicated desk suite!
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?
The reason this project took so long to bring to life was simply due to the finances. I’m not some big corporate entity that can just plop down a new biz out of nowhere. I knew from the get-go that this was going to be a non-traditional process. The biggest challenge early on was finding a space. Once we found a space, the biggest challenge was securing funds for a renovation. On top of paying our contractors, we also needed to then furnish this space and make it a beautiful, warm, and inviting place to be.
Luckily, I got connected with the Entrepreneur Fund, a local organization that helps small businesses secure funds for their next business project. I was fortunate enough to be approved for a 25K loan, that was able to get us started on renovations and furnishings. Our future depends on our community and our members to keep this space open for us to keep giving back to serving our amazing group of members.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
As I’ve mentioned, I’m a photographer by trade, my passion lies in capturing moments and bringing our experiences into a medium that documents our visual history. Most of my work exists in the wedding and couples space. Portraiture, photojournalism, and documentary filmmaking are how people recognize my work. Away from client work, I also have a passion for film photography. This is my chosen way to document my own life.
I got started recently through the film’s resurgence in popularity. I love shooting films because of the process. Yes, the tones and vibes of the film are great, but all of that is secondary to the tactile and slowed-down experience of burning light onto a film negative. A physical reaction happens with every click of the shutter, the purest form of bringing a photograph to life. My film negatives are usually filled with images of my fiancé Kaylee, our cats: Shrek, Potato, and Bug, and our family and friends.
What makes you happy?
What a question. “What makes you happy?” I think this is the question that we will all contemplate for our entire lives, right? I’ll take a simplified approach to answer this question. I believe I’m at my happiest in that small moment when my camera is lifted up to my eye and the world goes silent. When it is just me, with a lens in-between me and the rest of the world, that is probably when I’m at my “happiest.”
That is all to say that my life would be absolutely meaningless without the love of my friends, family, cats (of course), and most of all my partner and fiancé, Kaylee. These relationships are truly what bring me the most fulfillment and happiness in my life.
Pricing:
- Avg booking for Weddings: $4500
- Avg rate for business/brand: $400/hour
- Tier 1 DCCO Membership: $150/month
- Tier 2 DCCO Membership: $250/month
- Tier 3 DCCO Membership: $350/month
Contact Info:
- Website: duluthcreativeco.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/duluthcreative.co/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/duluthcreative.co/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/asherjames/
Image Credits
Dave Herrera Photography, North Shore Photo Co., and Asher James Creative
