Today we’d like to introduce you to Dolly Newberg.
Dolly, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’ve been a photographer for over 30 years and while I still love capturing life’s special moments, I was ready to do something different with photography. I had faith that when I saw what was destined to be my new venture, I’d know, and boom! It happened!
One morning, I was browsing social media and came across an advertisement for a giant “mirror” that was interactive, could be customized for events, and took “selfie” photos I couldn’t believe something so perfect could be that simple to find. A mirror that takes photos? Hello? I’m in. I did an extensive search of the company, the product, and local competition, and the more I learned, the more I was convinced this was it. I contacted the company to discuss the next step and I took a leap of faith and ordered my first mirror photo booth.
Perfect reflections photography is my photography business. My husband’s landscape company is landscape perfections, so the mirror me perfect selfie photo booth was the perfect addition to our family’s business legacy. I have a bs degree in marketing, so I know the ins and outs of networking, customer service, and marketing, but this new venture was uncharted territory, and I was ready for a challenge. I started contacting local wedding venues, joined every social media group for engaged couples, started following event planners, and corporate marketing teams, signed up for 2 local bridal fairs, and reached out to local foundations to introduce myself and our new venture. I had zero marketing materials on hand, but I did have 10 photos and a video from the company and by the end of day 3, I had 5 events on the books.
Ten days later, a huge crate arrived bearing my company’s future and my first reaction was a moment of “holy moly” excitement with a side of nerves. I knew this was going to be amazing with my family by my side and a knowledgeable technical support team as a backup but at that moment, it felt like my leap of faith was more like I had bungee jumped off a cliff. I had to keep the faith and just keep breathing… But I was finally off and running. My favorite sayings are ‘laughter is good for the soul’ and ‘you’re never too old to learn something new’ and boy am I living both of these to the fullest.
Learning the ins and outs of photobooth technology was never on my bucket list but I found out quickly that I could catch onto something I never knew I could always learn. Techy catchphrases are now a part of my repertoire, I know all the social media jargon so I can Facebook, tweet, or Instagram with confidence. Mirror me perfect has become a booming family business. I’m so very thankful for my husband, Russ, my sons Steven and Brian, my daughter-in-law Shelby, and my friends and family as they have been my biggest cheerleaders. I know I would not be where I am without their constant support and help.
We’ve been blessed to help celebrate some amazing organizations, charities, and events around MN and the surrounding states. We’ve hobnobbed with local celebrities and sports superstars; we’ve taken photos of unlikely “selfie” seekers like a llama and a tortoise, and we make new friends daily with clients who invite us along to capture their special moments! When I said yes! To a mirror me perfect selfie photobooth, I never imagined all that would come our way! I’m proud that in 5 short years, I am the only woman-owned photobooth company in MN, I own 4 mirror-me selfie photobooths, 5 iPad photo booths, and a 360 video photo booth. I also offer gorgeous marquee letters and just added audio guest books to our lineup to round out our event services. I was born to play, love to laugh, live to make people smile, and cherish the new friends I’ve made along the way.
With a mirror-me-perfect selfie photobooth experience, guests will remember our events with a photo memory & a smile and that’s a gift that will never go out of style!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I started this business in 2017 and it didn’t take long to mirror me perfectly to gain fans and followers who booked us for every life event possible. From baby showers, birthday parties, weddings, quinceañeras, proms, and graduations to corporate events, holiday parties, and foundation fundraisers, we were there, capturing memories and making new friends.
When the pandemic hit, we changed our business parameters and brought our “selfie” experience virtually and that was our saving grace. But while we were thankful for the continued business, we were beyond ecstatic when we were finally able to bring our photobooth to a live event and that was a moment I will cherish. Life rebooted and we were doing what we were meant to do… Bringing joy and laughter to a world that needed it badly.
The photo booth industry is predominantly male, so the learning curve has offered unique challenges since day one. But I grew up working at my parent’s gas station, pumping gas, changing tires, and getting my hands dirty, and learned that hard work pays off. I didn’t understand they were instilling a solid work ethic in me starting at age 5 but I’m thankful for the life lessons they taught me. When I bought our first photo booth, the scope of the technology was an eye-opener. I could tell you the ins and outs of all my photography equipment, but this booth was a whole different animal. From that first day, my family worked as a team to get the equipment set up, but I’ve never been so thankful for my husband and sons and their tech savviness.
My sons are in their 30s and like most people their age, they understand advances in technology that will continue to boggle the imagination. I remember setting up the computer system for our very first event and while I struggled to comprehend the software, they jumped right in and got it all set up like it was the easiest thing to do. I’ve learned so much from them. My husband is a master landscaper but also very talented in seeing a problem and knowing what needs to be done to correct it or make it better. He set up my equipment to make everything easier from retrofitting my trucks and trailers for transport to welding a special hand truck to make handling the larger equipment easier, he has thought of everything, and I wouldn’t be where I am without him.
The technical part of a photo booth business is ever-changing and can be nerve-wracking if not prepared for a disruption of service from the internet going down to a power outage. There is never a good time for a system issue and some things are beyond our control, but when you have a line of people wanting to get crazy, it pays to have backups for a quick fix to keep the laughs rolling along. Updates, new software, workflow issues, and glitches in the software are to be expected but should be planned for from extra setup time to a great tech support team.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Mirror Me Perfect Selfie Photobooth?
My vision for mirror me perfect is to leave a trail of smiles, laughter, and joy everywhere we go because what we offer is beyond compare. We gift a little slice of perfection with each photo experience because in that instant, our guests’ cares and worries disappeared and they are 100% enjoying life’s precious moments while making memories with family & friends. They say laughter is the best medicine and that’s what we offer. Our unique approach to photobooth fun is 100% hands-on interaction for every event. When guests step up to our mirror, our attendants are suggesting props, yell posing options, and sometimes jumping into the shot causing uncontrollable laughter.
Our mission is to add excitement and a one-of-a-kind experience for each client, and we are good at it. Our photobooth animations and special effects walk our guests through the adventure and the result is the perfect guest gift that will be shared and treasured for years. We offer onsite, larger prints that grace refrigerators and desktops with the option to share via social media for hashtag digital marketing to get each event noticed. Corporate clients can brand their experience with logo and event information while capturing customer data for marketing purposes and that’s an extraordinary tool to help build their business while offering an exciting new experience.
Personally, I love weddings because the photographer in me loves romance but when I bring a mirror me perfect to a wedding, it’s a totally different experience. The romance is definitely happening but add in hilarious hats, giant dog heads, googly eyeglasses, Thor hammers and princess tiaras, and signs that say “best day ever!”, “I’m with stupid” or “I’m kind of a big deal!” Well, my laugh lines get bigger, my cheeks hurt from smiling, and my stomach is sore from laughing and that’s how I know my leap of faith paid off. Looking through the lens of a 5-foot-tall selfie mirror has given me a new perspective on humor and what it means to really have fun. We hold the photobooth record for 36 people in one photo which is the highest ever recorded and I’m thankful to the Hubbard broadcasting staff for helping make that possible. But I can’t wait for the record to be broken.
My son and daughter-in-law were the first to showcase our marquee letters when they got married in 2018 so those photos hold a special place in my heart. And each event my family does together whether it’s a friend’s wedding or the Race for the Cure cancer walk, it’s a new memory that I cherish because we did it together. How blessed am I?
I’ve won a few awards over the years, and I appreciate the acknowledgment of a job well done. But what keeps me going are my happy clients and guests who refer friends and family to us because they see their keepsake photo on their fridge daily, or a memory popped up on their social media and they remember that moment of pure enjoyment with a smile. Referrals are the heart of our business.
That’s why I have the best J-O-B EVER!
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
Every new business venture is full of risks, especially in the post-pandemic event and wedding industry but I was at a point with my photography that I needed a change, and this just seemed like the natural progression into something bigger.
I joke that the only part of my college degree that I use is the “BS” part because businesses can’t survive without a solid customer service background and a willingness to go the extra mile. Sometimes a situation has you doing the palm slap trying to figure out how you ended up where you did but that’s where good communication and great customer service background can turn even the worst situation into a WIN.
My husband has a successful landscape company and I’ve owned three successful home-based businesses. I own Perfect Reflections Photography, I sold Partylite Candles for 19 years earning trips and awards every year, and I had an in-home daycare for 12 years, so I know what it takes to lay the groundwork for a new business.
Was I 100% confident this was going to be as big as it is? No! But faith and hard work is 95% of any business with 5% Luck to top it off. So, while I’ll keep my Lucky 4-leaf clover in my pocket, I’ll continue doing what I’m doing to grow the Mirror Me Perfect Selfie Photobooth to share the Gift of Laughter and Make Memories to last a Lifetime!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mirrormeperfect.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mirrormeperfect/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MirrorMePerfect/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mirror-me-perfect-selfie-photobooth/?viewAsMember=true
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/MirrorM45424130
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@mirrormeperfectselfiephoto2535
- Yelp: https://biz.yelp.com/biz_info/gfFE3Zd2ZpQ_CEDHdJEBXA
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/mirrormeperfect/
Image Credits
Little Saints Photography and Mirror Me Perfect Selfie Photobooth
