Trish Alegre-Smith
Owner and Principal Photographer of Photography by Trish Alegre-Smith
Service Member's Branch - Air Force
Service Member's Status - Retired - 27.5 years
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What has been your military spouse career/entrepreneur journey so far?
I'm an accidental entrepreneur whose lifelong hobby turned into a business seemingly overnight. I found myself unexpectedly transitioned from my own military career and a stay-at-home mom of three young kids. It wasn't the life that I pictured for myself on a vision board. I missed working with peers and the feeling of accomplishment that came with having a career. When the opportunity came up for me to help friends out with meeting contractual obligations with photography, I went ahead and jumped at the chance. I didn't quite understand though how to take this and turn it into a career until I found the National Military Spouse Network in 2013. From that point, I made a conscious effort to turn freelancing into a business that would fit my military family lifestyle. And here I am, over 10 years later and still in business.
Tell us about yourself.
My name is Trish Alegre-Smith (UH-LEG-RAY Smith) and I am originally from northern Virginia. I enjoy natural light, dancing, and walking through beautiful indoor and outdoor spaces. I have three children (with our eldest getting ready to go to college) and have been a military spouse for over 20 years.
Tell us about a "typical" day in your professional life.
This is a typical day when I'm not on-location or on the road for a photography assignment:
6:00-6:30 AM: Catch up with news across multiple outlets (domestic and international)
6:30-8:00 AM: Spending time with family
8:00-9:00 AM: Workout and get dressed
9:00-10:00 AM: E-mail
10:00-2:00 PM: Photography appointments
2:00-4:00 PM: Administrative tasks and editing
4:00-6:00 P: Family and household tasks
If you've been stationed overseas, how did this affect your career and or business?
This felt like starting a business over again—new location, new rules, new market, and new target audience. It was the hardest pivot that I had to do. I couldn't keep the photography business operating full-time with the restrictions that we had. I learned to diversify my earnings by taking on other freelance “gigs” and eventually a government contract.
What has been your biggest military spouse career struggle and how did you overcome it?
Being comfortable with defining my own measure of success in my career and business has been my biggest military spouse career struggle. It is difficult to not compare yourself to others who don't share your circumstances but who are your peers in your professional space. I have to take time each year (usually as I'm preparing my annual tax return) to take a look back to see how far I've come to overcome the self-doubt that creeps in. I'm always surprised that I'm still around when many photographers that I know have moved on to other careers.
What role did mentors and sponsors play in your journey?
I have had great mentors and sponsors from as far back as high school. Somehow, I had enough forethought to recognize and appreciate what both had to offer at each stage of my life—personally and professionally. Mentors helped me outline a path forward; sponsors offered the means to travel down that path. I continue to have them today and I credit this network with my success.
How does your career path differ from what you imagined for yourself?
I never would have thought that I would be running a business let alone one in the creative space. I always thought of creative pursuits as a fun hobby funded by a lucrative, stable career. I imagined using my undergraduate business degree to work in corporate America when I was ready to transition out of the uniform. But sometimes, not getting what you want gives you what you need—and clarifies what's truly important to you.
How did military life (PCSing, deployments, trainings, etc) factor into your career decisions?
Our priority has always been keeping our family together and giving our kids a sense of stability no matter where we lived. It was important to us to have one “flex parent” that could adjust schedules to accommodate our family's needs at any given time. I became that parent—the workload that I took on, the clients that I worked with, and the services that I offered had to allow me to be flexible as needed. I had to learn to pivot as necessary and to react to changes quickly. It taught me how to keep the business going through the pandemic and how to restart after pausing to be a full-time caregiver for a dying parent.
Have you ever had to geo-bach due to your career/entrepreneurship?
Not as a military spouse—we did this our first year of marriage when we were both active duty (and before kids).
What resources have you found to be useful in your career/entrepreneur journey?
The most useful resources that I have and continue to use are professional peer networks (like NMSN and the Professional Photographers of America) and the Community Business Partnership which is an umbrella organization of SBA resources that includes the Veterans Business Operations Center, Women's Business Center, and Small Business Development Center.
If you and/or your spouse have transitioned from active duty to your current status, what resource or tool did you find to be the most helpful?
Transition resources offered outside of TAP from non-profit organizations and other government organizations, such as the Leader Transition Institute, the Hiring our Heroes Skillbridge program, and information and events offered by state and local veteran agencies and support organizations.
Final word: what are your top tips for other military spouses about navigating a career within the military lifestyle?
Don't give up! Learning how to start again after a setback requires courage and discipline and is more of an indicator of future success than your current earnings. This will not sink in until you see the transition into post-uniform life. You will realize that the skill sets that you have developed (from the constant moves, unexpected changes to your plans, and “reframing” you have had to apply to your mindset to move forward) sets you apart and in a better position for the transition. You will have already developed a professional and personal network to lean on for support—you shouldn't hesitate to use it.
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