Today we’d like to introduce you to Shay Boo.
Hi Shay, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I moved to the Twin Cities in December of 2017 after being recruited for a role at Target’s Corporate Headquarters! When I moved here I started attending a church out in Stillwater, MN and that’s where I met my future husband, McQuaid Boo. McQuaid and I started dating in May of 2019 and one thing we found we had in common was that he had a love and passion for videography and I had the same for photography. I had been doing photography as a hobby since I was in middle school and McQuaid owned his own videography company that he started in 2016. In late 2019, McQuaid and I decided to take his company and turn it into Boo Creative. I was still working full-time at Target so for myself this was very part-time and I worked weeknights and weekends.
In 2020, we were planning a wedding and growing a business all in the midst of covid and the really cool part is we felt God calling us to continue pursuing this business. The work kept coming in and never slowed down and that’s when we knew this was what we were supposed to be doing. I was still working at Target but started feeling like Target might not be my full-time job for the long haul so we started praying about the timing of when I should be done at Target and in July of 2021 I left to pursue Boo Creative full-time with McQuaid. Ever since we have been growing the company and haven’t slowed down! We do weddings, lifestyle shoots, small business, and ministry events!
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?
It has not been a smooth road, to say the least! When we first started Boo Creative it was tricky balancing a full-time job and devoting weeknights and weekends to working Boo Creative.
Another major struggle is being married to your business partner! McQuaid and I have very strong personalities and being in a creative role there is no right or wrong way to do something – it’s all preference based. Add in that we are husband and wife makes things tricky as well!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
We love capturing the stories of businesses and couples whether it be with photos, video, or both – we love getting to know the heart behind it all!
I lead the photography side and my husband leads the videography side. About 70% of our company’s business is video work for other businesses. My husband does a great job at providing videos for companies that help market their services and connect the business to their clientele. The other 40% is weddings and lifestyle shoots such as engagement shoots, family shoots, editorial-styled shoots, and ministry events!
Since this is such a passion for both of us we truly love connecting with our couples and building lasting relationships that go beyond our jobs! We believe that we can be professional and get the job done but also have fun while doing so! We strive to bring joy to other people and help them feel comfortable in front of a camera to get the best content possible!
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
Yes! We have taken a lot of risks starting and operating our business! The first and most apparent risk was choosing to take it full-time. There were a lot of people that didn’t necessarily understand why I’d leave a full-time corporate job that was guaranteed an income and consistency.
The inconsistency of the schedule and workflow can be hard to balance and we found we needed to make the jump all in to operate the business at its fullest potential! The biggest risk now is adding people to the team! Anytime you add more expenses it can put risk on the company! Now adding expenses that have personality is a whole other level! We can confidently say that we are at a point now where we work with people we trust and can deliver at the level we need!
Contact Info:
- Website: theboocreative.com
- Instagram: @boocreative.life & @boocreative.business
- Facebook: BooCreativeLLC
- Youtube: Boo Creative
