Back in 2019, when the Society of the Good Shepherd first met Carlos and Stephanie Estrada, they were still newlyweds. She had applied for a loan to enable her to expand her wedding photography business. The income from her photography enabled them to meet their family budget. Her husband’s job was slow at the time, so he was also working part-time with her in the photography business. Carlos and Stephanie used the loan from the Society to purchase an additional camera and other equipment.
After receiving the loan, their business was just taking off when the Covid pandemic hit Honduras. Because of the pandemic, Honduras was basically shut down for 18 months. Few weddings took place, and most other events were canceled. Carlos’ job temporarily closed down as well. Instead of despairing, they relied on God’s guidance, and they focused the photography business mainly on doing family portraits. Although times were hard for them, they made it through the pandemic. They were grateful to God for providing for their needs during this difficult time.
Furthermore, because they survived solely off the photography business during the pandemic, Carlos and Stephanie realized that it could be their primary source of income once the pandemic was over. As the economy opened up after the pandemic, more clients asked them about studio family portraits. As a result, Carlos and Stephanie remodeled an upstairs room in their house to turn it into a photography studio. This now accounts for a considerable amount of their business.
Stephanie had previous experience in the field of media advertising. So during the pandemic, another business opportunity opened up for this couple. The Savoy, a popular bakery and restaurant in Siguatepeque, launched an enlarged location on the main highway that skirts the edge of Siguatepeque. The Savoy wanted to expand its business to include both travelers and local clients. They turned to Stephanie to manage their webpage and all their social media advertising. The attached pictures show some of the advertising content that Stephanie has produced for the Savoy.
Because of her success with this bakery, Stephanie began to attract other clients interested in using her digital marketing services. She and Carlos offer four different packets for clients who would like to publish Stephanie’s photos and other content she creates for their client’s brand or product. These packets range from $120 to $300, depending on the client’s needs. The first level is mostly providing photographs for marketing purposes. The highest level includes a full-blown marketing campaign and brand publicity.
Stephanie spends a lot of time listening to her clients so she can understand what they need in the way of advertising and publicity. She then offers them original and fresh content for their businesses. Afterward, she follows up to see how the marketing campaign was received. She says she learns so much from each client and is amazed at how each business owner puts so much love and energy into what they do. She feels honored to be trusted by each of her clients.
Meanwhile, Carlos’ work had remained slow, so six months ago, he decided to join the advertising/photography business full-time with Stephanie. Working together provides more flexibility and freedom for both of them, and it has eliminated the need to hire an assistant (at least, for now). The two make an amazing team, and Carlos is quickly learning much about editing, marketing and administration for their family business. Despite the travails of the pandemic, they had faithfully paid off their original loan, and they approached the Society about a new loan to meet the needs of their expanding business.
Digital technology has continued to change since the original loan, and their clients are now seeking more video content. So Stephanie and Carlos have been forced to grow in this area, and they needed to purchase a camera that could adequately meet their video needs. They are so thankful for this second interest-free loan, as they know they could never afford the high interest rates charged by the banks (if they could even qualify for a loan).
One of the ideal things about Carlos and Stephanie’s business is that it provides them with three separate avenues of revenue, so they are never totally dependent on a single avenue. They still regularly photograph weddings, and their family studio photography continues to grow. Probably the avenue that has the most potential ahead is that of digital advertising and media publicity.
Honduras is filled with individuals and couples like Carlos and Stephanie—people who are hard-working, resourceful, and resilient. Sadly, for most of them, they are never afforded the opportunity to use these qualities to their full potential. We have been overjoyed to help Carlos and Stephanie—not just because they work hard in their business—but because of the fine example they set as a Christian couple. They are not shy about sharing the gospel with others, and their godly marriage has served as a fine witness to their clients—both Christians and non-Christians alike.
Julie Nyhoff de Valladares
The Society of the Good Shepherd, P. O. Box 122, Amberson, PA 17210 • (717) 349-7033
Click on the following link if you would care to make a donation to the work in Honduras: Honduras Donations
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