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

Hi Cassie, thanks for joining us today. Often outsiders look at a successful business and think it became a success overnight. Even media and especially movies love to gloss over nitty, gritty details that went into that middle phase of your business – after you started but before you got to where you are today. In our experience, overnight success is usually the result of years of hard work laying the foundation for success, but unfortunately, it’s exactly this part of the story that most of the media ignores. Can you talk to us about your scaling up story – what are some of the nitty, gritty details folks should know about?

In the world of high end photography, it can be impossible to “scale up”. Unless I can figure out how to clone myself or pack more days into the week. Boutique photography is a time heavy service. Clients are often shocked that I only book 1 session per day and only 2-3 per week. What so many people don’t realize is that, for every session, your photographer spends about 10 additional hours on your session from booking and planning your session to culling, editing, and delivering your portraits. Even with an increase of clients vying for my services, I sometimes I just can’t fit more families into my schedule. And unlike other most business models, my clients hire me for the personal touch that only I can give them. They book for my creative eye, my passion, py patience, and most importantly, my skill in posing and working with babies. Because my skillset is so fine tuned and my approach is so personal, I don’t have the option to hire employees and open additional locations. And that’s ok.

Instead I constantly have to find ways to be more efficient while still ensuring not only the same incredible experience for my clients but by enhancing to my client experience time and time again. When I’m not shooting or editing (or doing one of the 10 million tasks I do each week), I am working to give my clients a more relaxing and luxurious session. Whether it’s providing lactation bars, breakfast snacks, and even post partum essential for my clients or curating custom gifts for them. I want every aspect of my business to be thoughtful, personal, and exceptional.

Cassie, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Hi, I’m Cassie Clayshulte. I’m Bluffton, South Carolina’s premier newborn photographer. My newborn clients call me the The Baby Whisperer and others simply just call me Miss Cassie.

I specialize in studio maternity, newborn, and children’s portraits. I do more than just take baby photos. I create portraits that my clients will look back on with tears in their eyes for decades. I help women see the true and astounding beauty of their growing bodies and instill confidence and self esteem in the children I photograph.

Photography is a career I’ve dreamt of since I was a little girl. But it was a career I though was so far fetched, I never considered it a possibility. And then it just kind of happened. It was like a force that I couldn’t stop even if I wanted to. That being said, not a single minute of it has been easy. But even through every road block, every sacrifice, every moment of doubt has been absolutely worth it.

Not only am I committed to building my business, I’m passionately committed to helping all small businesses thrive. I take so much pride in being a strong and independent female business owner and I truly want to see everyone succeed.

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

Though photography seems to be flourishing on social media, our industry has long been in a downward spiral but not for the reason you might think. Many people think that advances in technology like cell phones and AI will hurt the industry but to be honest, these small threats will never compare to the damage coming from within. The photography industry is like a sinking ship but instead of evacuating, photographers are lining up to jump aboard ready to poke more holes into the hull. Every day, more an more photographers start offering cheap sessions with nothing more than a brand new camera and a lot of passion. But passion isn’t what keeps a business afloat. It’s difficult to constantly compete with photographers who price at a fraction of a profitable rate because they don’t have business licenses, insurance, or even back up gear. And to be completely honest, I made those same mistakes in the beginning too. I am so thankful for the photographers who reached out to encourage me to take myself and my passion seriously and I am committed to passing that advice on.
every year, it gets more and more difficult to compete with the flood of photographers who view their business as a fun hobby. But I refuse to give up the career I love. The career that provides for my family.
In the 9 years I have been in business, I have watch countess photographers hang up their camera and it feels almost surreal to outlast them all. As with running any business, there is always a looming fear that it could all crumble. But every day I wake up and give my clients every piece of myself. I market with honesty, integrity, and passion. At the end of the day, I can only hope that my love for my clients and my career shines through and so far it has.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

There are countless photographers in my market and to be honest the answer to how I have built a reputation of being the best came from hard work. And A LOT of it. It came from tirelessly putting my best foot forward, giving my all to every single client, and letting my passion for photography shine. I have skipped all the tik tok dances and gimmicky advertising fads. Instead, I lead with openness, honestly, and compassion. My clients get the real me. When I first started, photography mentors were encouraging new photographers to “fake it till you make it” but that never felt authentic to me. Instead I shared my journey with my followers on social media. From editing videos to moving into my new studio, I have shared it all. There are times I have cried with clients going through post partum depression, mourned with them over infant loss, and celebrated the rainbow babies born after years of IVF. I still remember the day I shared my own infertility struggles. The outpouring of love, support, and compassion was unforgettable. I truly feel that when you lead your business with authenticity your passion resonates with people in an immeasurable way.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.cassieclayshultephotography.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cassieclayshultephotography/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CassieClayshultePhotography/
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@blufftonbabyphotographer

Image Credits
Cassie Clayshulte Photography