We were lucky to catch up with Chris Barnes recently and have shared our conversation below.

Chris, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

I didn’t build these brands to play the game—I built them because I was tired of watching people with real stories get ignored. Vision Studios Kentucky and Lions and Kings Lifestyle exist for the ones who had to earn every inch of respect, rebuild after failure, and keep showing up when no one was clapping.

Vision Studios is more than a photography company. We’re a strategic creative partner for brands, artists, and businesses who are ready to get serious about how they’re seen. We build visual identity, brand cohesion, and content that cuts through the noise. We don’t do trendy—we do timeless. And we do it with clarity, edge, and conviction. Our mission is simple: help the underdog look undeniable.

Lions and Kings Lifestyle is forged from failure. It’s a resilience brand, built for those who got hit, fell hard, and got back up different. We create from the fire—unfiltered, unpolished, and unapologetically real. The clothes are just the entry point. The message is what matters: you’re not broken—you’re being rebuilt.

Both brands are rooted in the same conviction: your past doesn’t disqualify you—it’s the proof that you’re ready. We exist to spotlight the misfits, empower the quiet fighters, and remind people that being underestimated is the greatest advantage in the world—if you know how to use it.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Chris Barnes, and everything I create—whether it’s strategy, story, visual identity, or message—comes from one place: earned experience. I’ve been building my brands for the past nine years, doing it all—from the front door to the back.

I started with a need—not a business plan. A broken laptop shoved off on a free desk in the corner of my bedroom. No studio. No design space. Just hunger and a refusal to quit. I offered free work to anyone who would let me—just trying to build something that mattered.

Now, we operate out of a 1,700 square foot home-based studio, fully equipped and built from the ground up. Every inch of it earned.

That seed grew into Vision Studios Kentucky, a full-scale creative studio trusted across industries. Our work has appeared in over 50 publications, we’ve helped shape and re-shape respected brands, and we’ve been trusted by major healthcare systems to capture entire teams of professionals. But this studio was never built just for corporations or campaigns.

We also serve the everyday moments. We document weddings, shoot senior portraits, tell family stories, and preserve legacies for the people living them. Whether we’re filming a commercial or photographing a new mom cradling her first child, our purpose stays the same: create honest, timeless work that reflects the soul of the story.

Through our BrandBuilt by Vision Studios service line, we go deeper—offering business owners everything from visual identity and merch design to digital strategy and video production. We take scattered ideas and turn them into a cohesive brand that actually works—on screen, on print, and in the real world.

And then there’s Lions And Kings Lifestyle—a brand that began as a clothing line and a podcast, but turned into something far more raw and real. Somewhere along the way, the words started speaking louder than the visuals. The designs were good, but the meaning behind them started taking shape.

What emerged was a resilience brand—a meeting place for the broken, busted, and beat down. Lions And Kings is now a banner for the ones building from the ashes. Yes, we still drop limited-run apparel. But the real product is the message—and it’s growing louder by the day.

Right now, two books are being birthed from that space:

“Everyday Angels Not Sunday Prophets” – a 365-day devotional for the misfits, the spiritually disqualified, and those who’ve been burned by the church but not by God

“Keep Walking” – a 60-day trail-born devotional pairing movement with scripture, grit, and journal prompts for those rebuilding themselves from the inside out

These aren’t feel-good books. They’re field guides for the ones walking through fire. And Lions And Kings Lifestyle is where they live—not just on shelves, but in the lives of people who need a reminder that they still have a calling.

What I’m most proud of isn’t the recognition or the resume—it’s that I never quit. I kept showing up, stayed in the fire, and kept building. And I’ve built this: two brands, one mission—to tell the story, honor the overlooked, and create things that actually matter.

If you’re looking for surface, I’m not your guy.

But if you’ve got a story that needs told—or a soul that needs reminded—it would be my honor to work with you.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

People don’t talk enough about the mental side of being a creative who also runs a business. You’re expected to be both visionary and operator—dream big and execute flawlessly. But the truth is, creativity pays my bills. This mindset, this ability to see something that isn’t there yet and bring it to life—that’s what keeps the lights on.

But here’s the part most people miss: that mindspace isn’t always clean, clear, or inspired. Some days it’s sharp and strategic. Other days it’s heavy, distracted, overwhelmed with invoices, deadlines, and client needs. And in the middle of all that, you’re still expected to be creative. Still expected to produce something meaningful out of thin air.

That tension is real. Some weeks, the business side drowns out the creative side completely—and when that happens, you start forgetting what got you here in the first place. You start operating like a machine instead of a maker. And that’s dangerous.

I’ve had to learn how to protect that headspace. How to keep the business moving without letting it bleed the passion dry. Because for creatives like me, the mind is the asset. If that goes, everything else follows.

So yeah—creative work might look fun from the outside. But on the inside, it’s constant mental navigation. Balancing clarity with chaos. Vision with volume. Passion with pressure.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Resilience ain’t always loud—but mine’s undefeated.

There’s been seasons where the bookings dried up, the noise got heavy, and I started questioning everything. Not just the business—but myself. There were weeks I was creating content for other people while quietly trying to hold my own life together behind the scenes. No spotlight. No sympathy. Just pressure.

But I kept showing up.

I kept building when it felt like no one cared. I kept speaking vision when my own mind was clouded. I created in silence. I served through heartbreak. I worked when I was tired, broke, doubted, and done. And still—I never folded.

That’s the part people don’t see. They see the gear, the brands, the finished product. What they don’t see is what it cost. What it took to stay in the fire. What it means to rebuild your name, your confidence, and your mission at the same time.

I’m still here. Still building. Still locked in. That’s not hype. That’s proof.

Resilience isn’t a comeback story. It’s a decision—made daily—to keep walking when everything in you says stop.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.visionstudioskentucky.com www.LionsAndKingsLifestyle.store
• Facebook: @visionstudioskentucky @LionsAndKingsLifestyle