Today we’d like to introduce you to Anna Cook.
Hi Anna, 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.
I am originally from North Carolina, born and raised in a small town in the mountains.
I grew up with a love for the outdoors and taking photos. I moved to South Florida for college and enjoyed the beach for a while until I realized how much I missed the mountains. I came to visit Utah briefly for a work trip and met my now husband and fell in love with Utah. I moved in Feb. 2019 and haven’t looked back!
My husband and I both loved to travel and adventure in the outdoors so I naturally started documenting our trips and hikes. I started learning from a friend how I could make my hobby into a business and started working on that right before COVID hit.
That put a little wrench into the plans but Adventure With Anna has been going strong for a few years now and I am so grateful! I love sharing my knowledge of travel and Utah with others to help them plan trips, learn to hike and camp, and get the right gear.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
COVID presented some big struggles as travel was eliminated for a while, so I started focusing more on Utah activities since we were blessed with being able to still explore the outdoors here during that time. It also left a lot of businesses with low marketing budgets so I had a hard time getting contracts for work until everything picked back up in 2022.
Right as Adventure With Anna took off, I found out I was pregnant which was amazing but left me sick for the first 17 weeks or so. I fell behind on a lot of work and plans I had for the year, but from the end of 2022 to now, everything has been picking back up.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I specialize in outdoor adventure photography, which usually categorizes as a lot of different things. I love landscapes especially the vast and unique ones we have here in Utah, but I also like adding myself in the photo to show scale or add more detail to the shot.
That is where the red jacket came into play for a while, it was a great tool to stand out in photos. I am most proud of my growth, as I am fully self-taught. Granted, there is still so much to learn and so much I can improve on, but I love the feeling when I get such a great shot I have had on my list to get for a long time.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
To not compare yourself to others. Everyone’s journey is different, everyone’s craft is different. In the social world especially, it is very hard to not compare your work or your business to others.
But I have found it’s so much less stressful to just focus on my job and what I can do to improve, and I naturally grow without trying. Rather than chasing some trend or what someone else is doing.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.adventurewiththecooks.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adventurewithanna_
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/adventurewithanna/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6qAielz3XnItm-Iq3WYyfg
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@adventurewithanna_
