About

 

 

Hey guys, Mandy here! The fact that you cruised over to this page means a ton. So here goes: my elevator speech...

 

I am not a photographer. In fact, I had ZERO photography or styling experience prior to starting a backdrop company. I’m a Dallas girl, former Canadian television actor, and someone who unexpectedly needed to take professional-quality photos on a budget. But let’s back up a bit.

 

I got my first job when I was five years old: delivering newspapers door to door with my parents’ help. Remember newspapers? No? Alright, I think my age is showing. Four years later (at the ripe old age of nine) I started my first jewelry business, selling handmade beaded necklaces to kids in my class for $4.50 each. Because it was 1995, that covered my costs, labor, and time spent biking to the bead store.

 

Providing a service felt incredible and, over the next few years, I also dabbled in lemonade stands, yard sales, and babysitting. By sixth grade, I apparently felt it was time to convert my years of experience into content for other young people with entrepreneurial leanings. Adorable, right? That year I launched a monthly newsletter called “Young Entrepreneurs.” I charged $5 for each subscription and made a whopping $35 (shout out to Becky Abshoff for the support)! This experience showed me just how difficult content-creation could be and what it meant to have an obligation to your customers.

 

Over the next twenty years, I put the entrepreneurial stuff on the back burner to act in a number of Canadian kids’ television shows (YouTube “Monster Warriors” for a laugh) and pursue a career in healthcare.

 

 

Then something completely unexpected happened. I invented a gadget (that barely worked, but that's another story) and needed to photograph the prototype. Let me tell you, it was a struggle! I didn’t have a lot of natural light in my apartment and my kitchen countertop wasn’t the right texture. I needed a lightweight, realistic backdrop to photograph outside or next to a window. I scoured the internet but couldn’t find one that was rigid, realistic, AND stain-resistant. That’s when I got the idea to scrap the gadget and create the perfect backdrop instead! And here we are.

 

Thanks to a successful Kickstarter campaign in late 2018 (we were funded in under an hour and raised over 10 times our funding goal, by the way), I am so excited to bring you Replica Surfaces! My favorite part of running Replica is hearing your stories and seeing how Replica has helped your brand, your business, or your blog grow. 

 

 

 

Alright people, that was one long elevator ride! If you have ANY questions (or just want to say hi), email info@replicasurfaces.com. And if you're looking for photography and styling tips (and a whole lot of pretty pictures), pop over to the Replica Instagram page and hang out awhile.

 

All my love and gratitude,

Mandy