Steffany Fleming is the owner of Mobile Memories Photo Booths, a traveling photo booth company that entertains guests at corporate and social events in the Twin Cities.
As a kid, Fleming went to school at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis.
“Most people don’t know that that was a school back in the day,” Fleming says of the iconic Twin Cities building, but due to her father’s propensity to move, Fleming attended several other schools.
“Wherever I went, I was always the new girl, and it was hard to make new friends. I was extroverted, but only once I felt comfortable,” she adds.
After high school, Fleming did a stint at community college before enrolling at Mankato to study business and marketing.
Soon after graduating, Fleming got married and had kids, because that’s simply what most women did back then.
Not that she was complaining.
“I loved raising my kids, but eventually they got older, and being a college-educated woman, I had professional ambitions, so I started volunteering more,” she mentions.
Fleming then became very involved in her community, leveraging her intelligence, amiable disposition and uncanny ability to befriend everyone to head committees and be an overall net positive for society.
While she was pouring herself into her volunteer work, she continued to refine photography skills that she had already developed.
That skill, coupled with her community engagement, proved to be the foundation for Mobile Memories Photo Booths, a company that today is hired by corporate entities and many other businesses/people who want to infuse some lighthearted fun into their events.
After all, who doesn’t love a good photo booth?
With nearly a dozen years in business, Mobile Memories offers not only a mobile photo booth, but also top-flight props and excellent customer service that often attracts practically every patron at an event.
“Most people see what’s going on at the photo booth and then they want to come and take a photo,” Fleming says.
“Taking photos is a fun thing to do, and whether you’re a kid or an adult, most likely you’re going to want to grab a friend or colleague and snap a photo together.”
Weddings, company holiday parties, grand openings, bar mitzvahs.
Mobile Memories arrives at virtually any event one can organize.
“The photo booths work great for keeping kids entertained because once they see their peers doing it, then they of course want to be a part of it,” Fleming says.
“I suppose that applies to adults as well,” she adds with a laugh.
Plus, hiring Mobile Memories Photo Booth won’t put a dent in your party budget.
For context, Fleming requires at least a two-hour minimum for her to come out, and at present those two hours cost $600.
For each additional hour, the price increases by $100.
“Usually around 3-4 hours is sufficient, and that works for most people’s budgets,” Fleming says, then noting how the price for Mobile Memories’s service increases only if people choose to tip her and her staff.
“We actually get tipped pretty well because people appreciate how difficult it can be to work so intimately and intensely with the general public for 3-4 hours.”
Intense is the operative word here because if 300 people ultimately line up to be in front of the camera, that can be a lot of work, not only to help orchestrate the seamless capturing of a variety of faces, but also to immediately deliver those photos.
“Right after the photos are taken, we print out copies for everyone who is in the photo,” Fleming explains.
“Even after eleven years in the business, I still get joy out of seeing how happy people are when they get their photo seven seconds after it is taken.”
Adds the jovial Fleming, who may be the first person to ever feel the weight of seven seconds:
“Seven seconds seems very quick, but when people are standing there, it actually feels like an eternity.”
Mobile Memories Photo Booths also has technology that allows them to send photos directly to people’s mobile devices, if they elect to add that service.
“Photos can simultaneously be emailed or texted, and with the events that we do, there’s always a line longer than the Mississippi, so I’m always trying to find innovative ways to get that product to the people faster, and give my customers an amazing experience,” Fleming outlines.
As we talk, the quiet traffic of Starbucks setting the backdrop for this conversation, it’s clear that Fleming is a professional.
She doesn’t see Mobile Memories as simply a vehicle for snapping photos, but rather an opportunity for her to leave a lasting impression on all her guests.
“Everything we do is designed to show the people at these events a good time. We currently have over 100 props to choose from,” says Fleming, who some have anointed The Prop Queen.
“My particular photo booths also use a DSLR camera, which means the quality of the photos are immaculate.”
Fleming is also punctual.
“I’ve never not shown up for a gig, which should be the standard, but sometimes in this industry people do not follow through on what they say they’re going to do.”
Looking ahead, Fleming would like to expand her operations, but like most businesses discover, aligning a vision with a refined SOP (standard operating procedure) isn’t easy.
“Because I’ve been doing this for so long and I know what is required to carry out an awesome event, I have high standards, and I want to be able to onboard people who care as much as I do,” Fleming explains.
“I’m also trying to secure more corporate contracts and work with more athletes and professional sports organizations. It’s hard to predict what will happen in 2025 and beyond, but I love what I do, and I’m excited about continuing to have Mobile Memories be part of making memories for other people.” QS
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