Today we’d like to introduce you to Lyle Peterson.
Hi Lyle, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
After my worst year in real estate sales ever — and way too many months living off credit cards — I knew I had to do something different. I’d been taking all the photos for the family brokerage I worked with for almost ten years, and somewhere along the way I started noticing that even though I wasn’t getting listings or buyers, a lot of other realtors still seemed to be doing just fine. So I started offering my photography services to other agents and just kind of went from there.
I remember sitting on my back porch reading business and motivational books trying to figure out what I was supposed to do next. It felt scary and overwhelming and kind of impossible even just to get started. But I had a family of four depending on me so I just kept doing one uncomfortable thing after another until I finally got my first client outside the brokerage. YouTube helped a lot too — just seeing other people who had been in the same spot and found a way out. There was one podcast in particular that really stuck with me.
I think what really pushed me over the edge was just how miserable it felt to stay where I was — a job I didn’t even like, never knowing when the next paycheck was coming, and a ton of debt hanging over everything. That got uncomfortable enough that I finally had no choice but to move. So honestly, I think racking up all that credit card debt might be one of the best things that ever happened to me.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I’ve been really fortunate so far in this whole thing. Most of the hard stuff has come from my own head, which I think is pretty normal. I knew what I needed to do, I just didn’t really want to do any of it. I remember working up the nerve to start cold calling other realtors and almost feeling sick about it — what if it completely doesn’t work and I waste a ton of time, or worse, what if someone yells at me. Just a bunch of what ifs rattling around making everything feel harder than it probably needed to be.
The business logistics side was a mess to figure out too. How do I bill people, how do I deliver the photos, what do I even charge, what are my standards — just this endless pile of questions with no obvious answers. What I found though is that as long as I just picked a direction and started moving, I’d eventually figure it out.
The other big one was just deciding to actually invest in myself. Like I said I was pretty broke when I started, so even buying the equipment I needed felt like a huge deal. But once I made the decision that I was going to bet on myself, things started opening up in ways I didn’t expect.
So to maybe encourage other aspiring entrepreneurs — I’ll just say that in my experience, there’s this Terence McKenna quote I always come back to, something like: when you throw yourself into the abyss, you find out it was a feather bed the whole time. That’s for the most part how it’s felt for me. Also the Mark Twain quote comes to mind “I have been through some terrible things in my life, some of which actually happened.”
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a real estate photographer. I’m known for good photos, fair prices, and because I was a Realtor for years, I actually know what buyers want to see when they’re scrolling through listings — which I think makes a pretty big difference.
The thing I’m most proud of is that I’ve built this thing to the point where my son works with me now, and maybe someday he could be running the show if he wants it.
I’ve got a ton of real estate sales experience so when I’m shooting a home I’m not just thinking about getting done and on to the next job — I’m thinking about it like it’s my own listing. What would I want to highlight? What does the buyer need to see? What’s the seller going to think when they see this shot? I’m always trying to make my clients look good because reputation is everything in real estate. I hear it’s pretty important in other areas too.
What matters most to you?
My relationship to the creator and taking care of my family are the things that matter most.
My son is married and out of the house now but my wife and I still have a daughter living at home. She is disabled due to a birth injury which requires extra care and additionally my wife has health issues that need to be managed, so obviously I’m always thinking about the future and that’s the number one motivation for growing my business.
Music/art gets 3rd place.
Pricing:
- $150 full house photoshoot any sqft
- Very reasonably priced bundles
- Some of the best prices in town
Contact Info:
- Website: https://pinkhousepics.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pinkhousepics/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Styryfyme
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/styryfyme
