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

Katrina, appreciate you joining us today. What’s the best or worst investment you’ve made (either in terms of time or money)? (Note, these responses are only intended as entertainment and shouldn’t be construed as investment advice)

Brand Photos & Copywriting course – Best investment!

I knew how to create my product, and that part of my business was really strong! HOWEVER, I didnt know how to talk about my brand in the written form, and I had not cohesive visuals to tell my brand story.

Brand photos and my copywriting course went hand in hand. HANDS DOWN.

You need both the visual context and the written word to reach your ideal client. You can’t have one without the others. I had so many beautiful photos from my clients, but they all had their own style (in a good way because they were for a client!) but I couldn’t explain to people what I did and why I did it with those photos. Plus, having some nice shots of myself was amazing.

Copywriting was something I did not want to do. I wish I had enough money to just hire someone to do it for me. BUT, pushing my way through the copywriting course definitely helped me see the gaps I needed to fill in my writing to reach the people I want to reach.

Katrina, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

It all started with books…

I’m Katrina—a woman who is excited about almost anything art related. Growing up, my parents always had lots of books in the house— history, music, and art. That’s where my love of art and creativity came from. I used to have prints of old paintings in my room when I was just 12 years old, and my mom used to pack colored pencils on every road trip during every military move.

I’m a huge fan of illustration, watercolor, graphic design, and interior decor…Oh and the enneagram—Hello fellow 2w3’s out there! I graduated with a degree in Graphic Design, but I’m also a lover of the fine arts, and have come to appreciate the art of working with your hands more and more.

My superpower is helping photographers and artisans elevate their work and make it look creative, artistic, and consistent.

After my 3rd child was born I despirately wanted to get back into art and have a side hustle (which definitely turned into more than I side hustle!) My sweet friend Sarah Bradshaw and I were chatting one evening and she and I started to talk about styling mats, and that was something I would love to try, because I LOVE painting, and this was something practical I could sell to many photographers in the wedding industry.

Lindale Studios is an art studio that provides backdrops and hand painted pieces. We hand paint backdrops, styling mats, and event decor with a deep knowledge of color theory and materials for photographers, brands, event planners, designers, and stylists. We take new ideas and use hand painted pieces to elevate their events, portfolio, and brands.

My custom work, rentals, and branding packages helps to create cohesive visuals for your wedding or brand, and is secretly my favorite. (I guess it’s not a secret anymore!) I take joy in serving my clients with the process and materials I use, in order for their investment to last and be used for years to come.

For those creatives who want to uplevel their work, and are ready to invest in their brand, You need someone on your side who understands power and limitations with one and two dimensional photos, and how they can be upleveled even through just changing color and texture. Sometimes I feel like everywhere I looked, I saw the same colors, the same ideas, the same shops. Where were the people who wanted to try new ideas?

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I love owning a business and being a mom. As hard as it is sometimes to balance my life, I feel like its a part of my journey, and I need to let my artistic business be apart of my life.

I love having more income to bless my family, and others. I truly desire to add to our family through adoption someday, and I feel like my business will definitely play a part in that.

I want my daughters to see that you can do something for yourself, and run a business while also having a family.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

Yes! Oh my goodness this is such a good question. So many people start businesses thinking they will do something they love and make money doing. You quickly discover that there is so much more to running a business than just doing the part you love.

I learned this first hand….

Some of my favorite resources are listed below. I have learned so much from listening to these women and their thoughts on business, time management, routines, running a business as a mom, and just doing the hard things that you don’t want to do in order to grow your business.

1. Ashlyn Carter – Copy for brand and website
2. Abby Grace Photography – Branding and business
3. Sarah Bradshaw – Business and motherhood
4. Branded by Bernel -Branding

Contact Info:

• Website: www.lindalestudios.com
• Instagram: @lindalestudios
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lindalestudios/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katrina-hadnot-73aa0818b/

Image Credits
All photos were photographed by Abby Grace Photography