With a passion for capturing authentic stories through photo and film, Vickey Steed has built her career around timeless visual storytelling.

After graduating with a First-Class Honours in Film Production from a London university in 2021, she has specialised in documentary-style wedding photography that focuses on candid, unposed moments.

Her work preserves the emotions, connections, and in-between details that make each story unique – creating images and films that don’t just show how a moment looked, but how it truly felt.

It goes without saying that you are *quite* the woman! Tell us a bit about your business journey so far…

Last minute, I ended up going to university to study Film, TV and Digital Production during the pandemic, which was interesting to say the least. But what it did do was turn my hobby of photography, films and digital creation into a passion and something I could build a career around.

I started photographing weddings whilst I started working as a video editor and videographer, and left to go full-time just over a year ago.

I started to branch into corporate jobs, leaning more into my audio training and working on gender campaigns and found I could couple my love for digital creation with my passion for women’s rights.

Voices & Visuals and the podcast production is in its infancy at the moment, I knew that I wanted to do something bigger than what I was currently doing- and give people, specifically women, a platform to be able to have conversations that mattered in a safe space and allow them to connect with others less reachable. So I’m still figuring all that out, but I am very excited to see where it goes!

What inspired you to set up your business and what have been the most significant steps in growing it to where you have to date?

I don’t know if anything inspired me necessarily, I hadn’t really seen any ‘adults’ that were self employed, everyone around me had a ‘job’. I just knew that working a 9-5 and with someone else calling the shots would fry my brain eventually. Once I’d taken the photo & video full time, I wanted to create something more meaningful, that helped and connected people. Something that made an impact, and Voices & Visuals was born.

Did you dive straight into entrepreneurial life, or did you take your time planning?

I only take very calculated risks, starting the business on paper made no sense. We were 18 months in paying our mortgage, just over a year away from getting married, it really wasn’t the time or part of the plan to throw away my relatively secure job and jump but hey! Unfortunately I wasn’t left with much of a choice and it was sink or swim but a year on I couldn’t imagine having not done it.

Business support comes in so many forms – accelerators, mentors, finance, and networking, to name a few. What support have you found the most significant in helping you to start and scale?

Initially I took everyone’s advice, I’d ask anyone who would listen ‘what on earth should I be doing’ and I got such conflicting advice that I was more overwhelmed and confused than before.

I think the most significant thing I found was finding a few people who were headed to where I want to go and asking their advice, and really taking that on board. And also having self employed friends that understand the pressures and stresses that others don’t.

What’s on your vision board this year?

To grow and scale both my podcast and podcasting business, to connect people in a way that they feel empowered to have conversations that really matter and that people need to hear.

And getting married, I can’t forget that.

They say “if you don’t ask, you don’t get” so what’s the magic bullet that will help you scale and who do you need to make it happen?

I’d love to be accepted onto the next cohort of the Female Founders programme 😉 and a million pounds.

Apparently, a founder’s morning routine says a lot about them. Talk us through yours…

I can’t stick to routines to save my life so I wake up around 6:30 most days, but that’s the only thing that stays the same. Coffee always, of course, but then sometimes gym, sometimes dog walk, sometimes early emails, sometimes reading, sometimes editing. It really depends on what the rest of the day looks like.

What are your non-negotiables, in both business and life?

My accountant, my noise cancelling headphones, coffee and quiet time.

As a successful founder, how easy do you actually find it trying to have work/life balance?

I think balance is a myth, I spent the early part of my career trying to balance things and failing miserably and feeling worse because I wasn’t able to do it. I’ve accepted now that some weeks are manic with work and I won’t get a break, but to schedule in the week after. I definitely haven’t figured it out but I feel I’m getting closer.

Are there any go-to resources you’d recommend to fellow founders – be that books, podcasts, memberships, or something else entirely?

I think it’d be my community, I find if I’m wrestling with anything that chatting in it over, especially with people that are going where I want to be, is massively helpful.

On the subject of advice, what’s the most BS advice you’ve ever received? Did you ignore it straight away or learn the hard way?

I’ve had some bad advice, but I think the worst is ‘never say no’ or working for free. I definitely did both and still do both, it’s something I’m working on.

Finally, we believe in the power of celebrating your wins. What are you most proud of?

The confidence I’ve gained. If you’d have told me what I’d be doing even a year ago I think my jaw would be on the floor. I’ve come a long way and hope to keep growing.

WHAT. A. WOMAN!

Do you know a founder that will inspire The 51% Club community?
Get in touch with us and tell us a bit about her story: girlpower@the51percent.club