Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kailey Edwards. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Kailey, appreciate you joining us today. Almost every entrepreneur we know has considered donating a portion of their sales to an organization or cause – how did you make the decision of whether to donate? We’d love to hear the backstory if you’re open to sharing the details.
Something that I began this year as a new initiative is called the Memories Fund. When a client books a photoshoot, wedding, anything, a portion of those proceeds are put into a fund to give back a free photoshoot to someone in the community who needs it! It’s been such a blessing to myself and my clients who know that the cost of their photoshoots aren’t all going towards my wallet, but rather giving back to those in the community who deserve to have their memories captured for a lifetime.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
My business was literally born out of the pandemic and being a 2020 college graduate (on Zoom!) whose entire career had to shift! I was a musical theatre major whose contracts lined up for the rest of 2020 were then null and void, and I needed a new hobby to shift my focus. I bought a used camera off of a guy on Facebook Marketplace in Philly on May 3rd, 2020 and taught myself how to shoot. It was the perfect socially distanced activity, since most camera lenses won’t focus within close proximity anyway, and most of my first photoshoots were free during that time. However, my career spiraled in the best way possible and within a few weeks, I was shooting 5-7 times a week and booked my first wedding for 2021 within 2 months of picking up a camera.
In 2021, I made the decision to go full time and I also started leasing an indoor studio less than 5 minutes from my apartment, which still to this day is the best business move I’ve ever made.
Now, almost 5 years later, I offer every type of photography you can imagine, and I still average 5 regular photoshoots a week with 2-4 weddings a month! I’m most proud of the fact that I’ve made this a sustainable source of income for myself, while also navigating the art form itself. Oddly enough, the theatre-to-photographer pipeline makes sense: you have to advocate for yourself and your brand, be outgoing with clients, and be able to make decisions/improv when needed. It’s weird how it all came to be, but I’m sure glad it did!
For a more in-depth look at my story, you can read this blog post here: https://www.kaileyedwardsphotography.com/blog/one-year-anniversary/
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
Coming from the theatre world, you’re told everyone is your competition. Rather than make close friends, it’s best to make surface level connections because, in time, they may beat you for a role or vice versa, or otherwise drop that connection the second they get ahead. I never liked to subscribe to that way of thinking and have always believed that kindness will get you further than anything else; however, it’s hard not to think that way when you’re so involved in the culture.
One of the first things I learned in the photography industry was “community over competition.” I think a lot of that had to do with a family friend who became my mentor and who I owe a lot of my success to. He had been in the wedding industry/overall photography space for about 8 years at that point and truly divulged any piece of knowledge he had with me. I quickly learned that those at the “top” are there because of the connections they’ve made and the networking they’ve done, with no other intention than to have a group of likeminded professionals to call friends.
Since unlearning the competitiveness (of course, healthy competition is still always great and what keeps me striving for new opportunities), doors have been opened for me that I never would have thought possible and I’ve made some of the most amazing friends!
How did you build your audience on social media?
My entire business structure is built on social media and word of mouth, and I don’t pay to advertise! I think from the get-go, I knew that Instagram was going to be my main forum. Well, that, and a great website. Having a landing page where you take the guess work out of what you stand for is essential to a strong brand.
When I first started out, I just invited anyone I knew personally to “like” the page. I got a handful of people from that, and then it turned into more and more because of their own connections.
I think I’ve also priced myself extremely fairly. I never want to be so overpriced (for both regular photoshoots and weddings) that people cannot afford my work. Now, I obviously have to pay the bills and my prices reflect that; but, I also don’t nickel and dime my clients. What they see is what they get, and that transparency is widely respected.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kaileyedwardsphotography.com/
- Instagram: @kaileyedwardsphotography
- Facebook: Kailey Edwards Photography
Image Credits
Credit for Pink Backdrop photo: Tiffany Lantz Photography