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The HoneyBook Awards
The 2025 HoneyBook Award Winners
Troy Barnes
Orlando Whigham
Liz Gonzalez-Lara
Tiffany Tate
Henry Tieu
Jordan Basham
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We're celebrating the inspiring stories of independent business owners in the HoneyBook Community.

Over 1,600 of you raised your hand to share your story with us.

We invited 5 businesses to meet us in San Francisco to meet the HoneyBook team, connect with fellow entrepreneurs, and have an unforgettable experience together.

And we can't wait for you to get to know them.

Over the coming weeks and months you'll have the opportunity to hear more about their business, how they use HoneyBook, and what really sets them apart. And it's going to be fun!

After meeting winners in person, we can tell you that they are resilient and innovative. They easily move from personal anecdotes to industry shop talk to how systems have allowed them to invest in the human network that is the lifeblood of serving their clients and living their life with passion and purpose.

They are so much more than just a business success story. They’re real people whose passion and purpose have a multiplier effect in their homes and their communities.

Spending time with them often around the table with good food and laughter has been a reminder of why community is so important to us at HoneyBook. We would not be here without them. We are all part of something so much larger than ourselves.

Troy Barnes and Orlando Whigham
Troy Barnes & Orlando Whigham
Mirror Image Photo Booth
Established 2021
New Orleans, Louisiana
“We didn’t come from money. We didn’t have investors. Just passion, people skills, and a commitment to making every event meaningful. In less than four years, we’ve grown into a multi–six-figure business, trusted by brands like The Saints, GQ, and the NFL. When brides told us we felt like family, or guests cried over the memories we captured. I knew we made the right choice. But the moment I knew we made it? When major brands started landing in our inbox. Not just finding us, but wanting us. That’s when I knew, we were building something bigger!”
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Liz Gonzalez-Lara
Liz Gonzalez-Lara
Beauty on Location Studio
Established 2007
Denver, Colorado and San Francisco Bay Area
“What sets me apart in this industry is my story and the values that have shaped the way I run my business. I’m the proud daughter of Mexican immigrants and was raised watching my parents lead with resilience, humility, and an unwavering work ethic. From an early age, I understood the value of hard work and gratitude. I used to help my mom clean houses on my days off from cosmetology school, and it was during that time I met my first mentor, Monina Wright. She was a client of my mom’s and owned a successful hair and makeup business in the Bay Area. She saw something in me and gave me my first opportunity in the beauty industry.”
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Tiffany Tate
Tiffany Tate
Career Maven Consulting
Established 2018
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
“The spark for Career Maven Consulting was lit during a major life transition. I had just become a new mom and found myself working under a boss whose leadership was toxic and misaligned with my values. I was burned out and questioning everything. But in that tension, I had a powerful realization: I had spent over a decade coaching students and professionals through career transitions with tools, strategies, and a people-first approach that worked. But outside of academia, that kind of support wasn’t widely accessible (especially for women navigating complex, mid-career pivots or trying to grow without burning out). I realized the gap wasn’t just personal, it was systemic. So, I decided to build what I couldn’t find.”
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Henry Tieu
Henry Tieu
Henry Tieu Photography
Established 2017
Seattle, Washington
“I was a Cardiac ICU nurse when one of my young patients passed away. I saw myself in him. His death shook me awake and left me asking, “When was the last time I truly lived?” I realized then that we all think we have time, but life is fragile, and fleeting. That moment sparked a journey. I started hiking, picked up a camera, and tried to capture the beauty I saw. One thing led to another—baby photos turned into couples, then weddings, and eventually, elopements.”
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Jordan Basham
Jordan Basham
Wheretogeaux225
Established 2024
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
“Before Wheretogeaux 225—I was just someone who loved storytelling, connecting with people, and exploring my city. But what I did bring was a background in marketing and working in restaurants, where empathy, communication, and adaptability were everything. One of the most valuable skills I carried over is the ability to really listen—to ask deeper questions, understand people’s “why,” and turn that into meaningful content. I also learned how to build relationships, not just audiences. That perspective shaped the way I run this business: it’s not transactional—it’s personal.”
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TLDR: in their own words.

Award winners were also there to represent the broader HoneyBook Community.

They spent a day sitting with a product team dedicated entirely to member satisfaction. With their insight, input, and feedback the team was able to develop 24 updates to the product to decrease friction and frustration.

This was feedback that benefits their own businesses and workflows, but will have the ability to impact many more beyond those in the room that day.

We're excited to share deep dives on how Troy & Orlando, Liz, Tiffany, Henry, and Jordan are using HoneyBook throughout 2025.

How we selected winners
Community Group Photo

Learn about the selection process.

    An internal selection committee representing: community, content, office and experience, communication, product design, and education worked together to review applications. We were looking for:

  • Compelling journey stories that could motivate others.
  • Creative problem-solving in overcoming challenges and growing their business, including a willingness to adopt new tools, process, or grow teams.
  • Demonstrating a commitment and ethos of caring for people; people come first is so central to who we are at HoneyBook.
  • Approachable vulnerability and authenticity that invited us in to know them more.
  • Stories and individuals that represent the wide range of backgrounds, industries, perspectives, and experiences of our community.
Check back for more updates on 2025 HoneyBook Award Winners.
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