Raised in a small town and trained as a competitive golfer, Abigail Hartzler went to university for finance, only to end up running two creative businesses after the pandemic caused a change in plans.
Abigail grew up on her family’s farm in her hometown of Carstairs, about an hour away from Calgary.
“I grew up there my entire life. I never moved,” Abigail said. “I still live out there; my whole family lives on the same piece of land. I’ve literally been there my whole life.”
She spent most of her free time staying active, including a variety of sports like figure skating and golf.
“We’re an active family,” Tracey Hartzler, Abigail’s mom, said. “It was just a natural thing.”
Long before she had clients, her sister modelled for her as she experimented with lighting, angles, and framing.
Growing up with a mom who was passionate about entrepreneurship later in life motivated Abigail to start her own photography business.
“We’re both in the corporate world, we kind of assumed with her business degree she would go and work for somebody else,” Tracey said.
After attending Carstairs High School, she transferred to Edge School, a private sports school in Calgary, to further develop skills in her competitive golfing career.
Lessons learned
Abigail worked at Carstairs Community Golf Club as a pro shop assistant for four years, where she developed people skills that prepared her for business ownership.
“Having a good, customer service-based knowledge is really good for having your own business,” Abigail said.
It allowed her to improve her communication with people while also learning to work with and manage different personality types.
After high school, Abigail was offered the opportunity to play university golf in B.C., but she instead made the strategic decision to pursue her Bachelor of Business Administration at Mount Royal University (MRU).
Abigail majored in finance because it felt like the most logical choice. However, in her third year, she declared a minor in marketing, in which she excelled.
“A lot of our projects in marketing were like real-world kind of experiences. One project we did was for Luke’s Drug Mart, where we created a marketing campaign for them. And I feel like that prepared me really well,” Abigail said.
Studying finance gave her a strong understanding of how businesses operate. She took the real-world experiences she gained in her marketing classes to develop her confidence as a future business owner.
The pandemic pivot
During Abigail’s first year at university, COVID-19 caused a setback for her and many others, but she saw it as an opportunity to develop her photography skills.
“How can I make a difference in this moment?” Abigail asked herself.
The graduating class of 2020 was unable to walk across the stage, so Abigail offered graduation photos taken in a field at her family’s farm for $20 per session.
“I wanted to give these grads an opportunity to have something special and to make them smile,” Abigail said.
She didn’t view this package she offered to grads as a way to make money. Instead, she viewed it as a way to serve and connect with people.
Building two creative businesses
Abigail’s businesses both stem from the same core values.
“If you don’t believe in yourself, how can you expect anyone else to?” Abigail wondered. “If you truly think you can, and you’re willing to work for it, growth will follow.”
From a young age, Abigail showed her interest in entrepreneurship by baking cupcakes for birthday parties and selling “hair flowers with golf ball markers in the middle.”
When she started her first professional business, however, she admits she didn’t feel qualified.
“I had no experience other than just being a girl who likes to post on Instagram,” Abigail said. She follows the advice to “always say yes and learn how to do it later.”
Now, Abigail is the founder of Abigail Faith Photography and Feeling Friday Creative.
Branding and lifestyle are her main focuses with her photography business.
“It’s just super special and an honour to be trusted with those special moments,” Abigail said.
She genuinely loves being a part of people’s lives and never takes that trust lightly.
“Abi cares more about all the people she works with than she cares about herself. And that’s what she puts into her business and why I feel her businesses have been very successful, her care factor is so, so big,” Tracey said.
Kenzie Howe, who’s known Abigail since they first met at a Seint Makeup workshop hosted by Jordan Gallais in April 2022, agrees.
“She is the most genuine, sweet, kind-hearted person; she thinks about everyone above herself,” said Howe.
Branding photography helps businesses find their voice and market their services.
“These people are working to bring their dream idea to life,” Abigail said. “And I just want to cheer so many people through that.”
Through her digital marketing business, Abigail believes that connection is the most important aspect of marketing because it helps build trust in the company. Therefore, she has noticed that focusing solely on trends, views, follower counts, or going viral will ultimately lead to a loss of connection.
Abigail works with a variety of businesses, such as realtors, boutiques, startup brands, and the iconic Irvine Tack & Western Wear.
“You don’t have to be the client for everyone or the business for everyone, but you can be for someone,” Abigail said. “If you’re just authentically trying to be yourself, you’ll find your people.”
Through a makeup class, Abigail became close friends with Howe, who helped model for her clients. It demonstrated that by being her authentic self, Abigail was able to connect with like-minded people.
Running her businesses has also meant learning structure and boundaries. To Abigail, this means not replying to emails at 11 p.m., setting a to-do list every day, staying active, and having a solid schedule.
“It’s important for me to be the best business owner I can be if I set those boundaries,” Abigail said.
In the end, Abigail never wants to be known just for her businesses, but for who she is, how she makes people feel, and the way she shows up to serve.