Expat Entrepreneurs: Lindsey from Pictours Paris

In this series, I feature expats who started their own business abroad. From food to fashion to tour companies, these women had the guts and confidence to pursue their passions and turn it into something bigger. Check out previous interviews here.

Today I’m featuring Lindsey from Pictours Paris. Lindsey was a friend I met through Kristen, and if her name sounds familiar, it’s because she took the photos at our Paris Bloggers party back in June. This year she started a business that combines photography with a walking tour — and she’s so talented I can’t believe she didn’t start earlier! Read on to find out how moving abroad helped Lindsey pursue her passion, the hardest part about photography in Paris, and how it’s all impacted her expat experience.

1. Hi Lindsey — tell us a little about yourself. What was your life before Paris?

I was living in Denver with my fiancé, Justin. I worked in business development for a commercial video production company, and Justin was in the process of a career shift – from corporate to culinary.

2. Why did you move to Paris?

Justin’s mother is French, so he has dual citizenship. Since we first started dating, I knew he had an interest in living in France at some point. Once we got engaged, we decided to move to Paris after our wedding and spend life as newlyweds discovering a new city and new country! Justin’s pursuit of a career in the culinary world also made a move to Paris seem like a good idea.

3. What was the hardest part about moving to Paris?

The hardest part for me was leaving my community of personal and professional friends in Colorado – what was I going to do in France? The thought was overwhelming. I told myself that I wanted Paris to speak to me. I wanted to see if I could find my own passion to pursue. So initially, I was struggling with trying to catch my bearings, learn the language and get used to not having much of a social life. I considered applying for jobs at advertising agencies, and even taught English for a couple of months, but it just wasn’t for me. And then, photography became the answer!

4. Tell us a little bit about Pictours Paris. Why photography? Why tourists?

Pictours Paris is a lifestyle and portrait photography company. We specialize in photographing the people that come to Paris for holiday or special occasions like marriage proposals, weddings, honeymoons and anniversaries. During the photo session, we have a lot of fun walking through the city, and the professional portraits make for wonderful memories that last a lifetime.

The idea for Pictours Paris came to me while friends from Denver were visiting Paris on their European honeymoon. I “toured” them around Paris for several days and took photos of them all along the way. One afternoon, we got to talking: this could be a really unique business idea, and potentially fill a niche market for tourists in Paris. Photography had always been a hobby and passion of mine, so the potential got me really excited.

Pictours Paris was launched in April 2012 and seems to really be taking off. Right now I focus on one main walking route for the photo sessions, but I’d love to offer different routes that go to different monuments and districts of Paris. It’s been an incredible experience to come up with an idea and see that idea come to life.

5. What was your biggest fear in starting your company, and how did you overcome that?

I had a lot of fears going into this — like, Am I good enough? Can I really be successful as an entrepreneur – in France?! How will I compete with all of the other amazing photographers in Paris? Etc etc. But now that I have faced my fears and followed through with my vision and my dream, I am much more confident and feel like I’ve created a really unique service has a surprisingly high demand! Fear no more – onward and upward!

6. What surprises, either positive or negative, have you encountered in running Pictours?

I’m so pleasantly surprised at the amount of inquiries I’ve had since launching the company. People really like the walking tour aspect of the session, and at first I wasn’t sure if people would want to walk for more than two hours. But it’s all done at a leisurely and fun pace!

7. What’s the best part about running Pictours?

Meeting so many great people!

8. What’s the worst/hardest part about it?

Mother Nature! It rains a lot in Paris, so there’s always a potential that we’ll get rained out. Luckily we haven’t had to cancel any shoots yet, but there has been the occasional re-schedule.

9. How has Pictours Paris improved or impacted your expat experience?

Without a doubt Pictours Paris has given me a true purpose to a life abroad for me. I don’t think my own photography business would have been something I would have started in the States – I’d probably be at the same job doing the same thing forever.

Moving abroad wasn’t easy, and being an expat in France is a daily challenge (both good and bad). Having my own business that I’m so passionate about keeps a smile on my face and my feet moving forward. I had many reservations coming into a new and different kind of life in France, but today, looking back…I wouldn’t have it any other way!

10. What advice would you give for future entrepreneurs in Paris or abroad?

If you’re passionate about something, pursue it. Geography or nationality shouldn’t limit you. I’ve met several American, Australian and English entrepreneurs in Paris, and they’re all following their dreams while living an expat life. It’s wonderful to see and I’m glad I’m not the only crazy one!

To learn more about Lindsey or to check out her gorgeous photos, visit the Pictours Paris blog, twitter and facebook.