We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kira Goff a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Kira thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

While my photography business name is pretty generic since it’s just my name (Kira Whitney Photography), I really wanted people to see my face pop up in their heads when they thought about photographers that they knew. I know several photographers who had more creative names, but I could never think of the names of their businesses OR their actual names when I went to try and refer someone to them.

My second business, however, I was able to get a little more creative with. I started by writing down my “why” behind the business. Then made a list of words I felt like had appropriate connotations and evoked the types of emotions that I wanted for the new endeavor. Then I just did a lot of brainstorming, narrowing down, and Thesaurus-reading in order to come up with the name, “KINDLE.” I wanted my studio/event space to be a place that was the avenue by which people’s spark of an idea could be brought to life (aka kindling). And I wanted it to be a place of community. Since for me, some of my greatest bonding moments with people have happened around campfires and I know I’m not alone, KINDLE fit both buckets perfectly. Then I added “Photo Studio & Small Event Space” as part of the name so it was incredibly clear what we offer and who we exist for, not to mention it’s been super helpful for Search Engine Optimization!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

In my photography business, I mainly focus on helping small business owners up-level their online presence and grow their personal brands through bright, modern imagery. By creating tons of unique content with them, they are able to connect with their audiences more personally and grow their businesses!

While I do use it for many of my shoots too, with the photo studio, I provide a space for other creatives to work and create without having the commitment of overhead on a space or all the supplies and experiences we offer. We provide several different sets throughout the year that photographers in Colorado Springs will often use for mini sessions with their clients to provide incredibly unique images. Our biggest ones are always a Christmas set that is available all of November and December, a Mother’s Day set for mommy & me photo sessions, and a Valentine’s Day boudoir set.

We also host small events at KINDLE that are too big for someone’s home or they just need a more elegant experience, but are too small for and don’t want to pay wedding venue prices. These have been everything from baby and bridal showers, to church worship nights, to birthday and retirement parties, to cookie decorating workshops, business coach or photographer-led workshops, and networking events. Really, versatility is our middle name and the sky is the limit when it comes to what you can host here!

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

I never needed any additional capital to start my photography business since it was such low overhead when I was just shooting on location all the time. However, when I went to open my studio, I knew I would need a little extra help in the beginning to fund some building updates, furniture and prop purchases, and just to have a little security with lease payments saved up a few months in advance before we got enough business rolling in.

I had worked with the Small Business Development Center here in Colorado Springs to finalize my business plan and get connected with my commercial real estate agent who helped me find the space. He then connected me to the Colorado Enterprise Fund, who provides loans to small, Colorado based startups – specifically if they are minority-owned, which was perfect for me! After reviewing my business plan and interviewing me, they graciously provided a $25,000 loan, which, amazingly, I was able to pay off completely in the first year of opening, instead of taking the full 5-year term. It definitely helped my nerves in the beginning to have enough in the bank to rely on in case things didn’t go as well as I had hoped.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

My best sources for new clients for both businesses are consistently Google (SEO on our websites and Google listings) and Instagram. However Peerspace is a site that provides creative space options to people and our listing there has gotten me some amazing new clients for the studio/event space as well!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.kirawhitney.com and www.kindlecos.com
• Instagram: @kirawhitneyphotography and @kindlecos
• Facebook: facebook.com/kirawhitneyphotography and facebook.com/kindlecos

Image Credits
Kira Whitney Photography
BSPK Creative (the sketch of our 2023 Mother’s Day set at the studio – available from April 22-May 21)