We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Chris Hiltz. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Chris below.
Chris, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you recount a story of an unexpected problem you’ve faced along the way?
Our business was on a path of explosive growth, expanding rapidly for years. But this success was built on a flawed foundation: we reinvested everything to avoid taxes, never truly owning our bottom line. The decision to scale brought it all to a sudden, grinding halt.
The fallout was brutal. The hardest moment of my career was letting go of half our staff—people I had personally hired during our boom years. In the wreckage of our old model, I confronted a hard truth: I lacked genuine financial ownership.
This crisis became a turning point. Guided by mentors and the powerful framework in Mike Michalowicz’s book, “Profit First,” we found our new philosophy. We flipped our entire model. Now, we give 10% right off the top and then immediately take our profit.
This single change ignited a new passion and focus. We streamlined our operations into a simpler, leaner model. Today, we are 150% more profitable than we have ever been. We didn’t just survive the crisis; we were reborn from it, stronger and finally ready to scale the right way.
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?
For those of you who may not have read about me before, my name is Chris, and I’m the proud owner and visionary behind TLIC, a wedding photo, video, and planning company. I’m sometimes called the “Oz behind the curtain” at TLIC Media. My life is truly amazing; I have a fantastic wife, Lexy, two beautiful and healthy children, and I get to lead a talented and passionate team that serves the most amazing clients anyone could ask for.
My journey into the wedding industry was a mix of passion and serendipity. It began in 2015 when I was a missionary in Kenya. There, I rediscovered my love for videography and saw firsthand how powerful film could be at telling a story and inspiring people. When I returned to Maryland in 2017, I filmed my first wedding, and it was a revelation—I realized weddings were the perfect outlet for my creativity. By the end of that year, I had filmed over 20 weddings and built partnerships with local photographers, which marked the official start of TLIC.
At TLIC, we provide comprehensive wedding photography, videography, and planning services. Our mission is to transform the industry by making a couple’s entire journey to “I do” as joyful and memorable as the wedding day itself. The main problem we solve for our clients is stress. We create a seamless, transparent, and supportive experience from the very first planning stages to the final delivery of their photos and videos. Through constant communication, our clients always know what’s going on and feel completely taken care of.
What truly sets us apart is our deep-seated empathy. I believe genuinely understanding where our clients and vendor partners are in their life journeys allows us to serve them with pinpoint accuracy. My own life experiences as a missionary, a former D1 athlete, and even an avid gamer have shaped a unique leadership style that is joyful, driven, and logical. This allows my team and I to approach each wedding with heartfelt dedication, focusing on the couple’s unique story.
I’m most proud of the consistent, positive feedback we receive from our clients. Knowing that we have served over 300 couples, all with 5-star reviews, fills me with immense joy. Being in charge of the team that will capture memories to last a lifetime is my greatest honor.
The main thing I want potential clients, followers, and fans to know is that TLIC is more than just a service provider; we are your partners in creating cherished memories. Our entire mission is dedicated to innovation, heartfelt service, and ensuring your wedding day is not only beautiful but also stress-free and joyful.
Alright – let’s talk about marketing or sales – do you have any fun stories about a risk you’ve taken or something else exciting on the sales and marketing side?
One of my favorite and most recent marketing stories is also one of the scariest. It’s a perfect example of taking a huge risk that almost ended in disaster but ultimately led to our biggest breakthrough.
The backstory is that for two solid years, my team and I were in this constant state of deliberation and, frankly, disagreement about our brand. We were doing well, but we felt a disconnect between who we were internally—a company built on empathy and a deep sense of mission—and the audience we were attracting. We knew we had to evolve. So, in early 2024, after all that debate, we finally took the leap and launched a completely new brand identity aimed at a different target audience.
I remember the feeling of finally pushing it live. It was a mix of immense relief and nervous excitement. We had poured so much into this, and we were sure it was the right move.
Then, it just… flopped. Completely.
The silence from the market was deafening. Our inquiries slowed to a trickle. Watching the sales numbers felt like a punch to the gut every single morning. Within weeks, our sales had tanked by over 28%. It was our worst month since 2022. I felt this heavy weight of responsibility. I had led my team through two years of tough conversations, and for what? To make a catastrophic mistake? The self-doubt was immense. I started questioning everything.
That was our “dark night of the soul” moment. We could have panicked and reverted, but instead, we pulled the team together and went back to our foundations. We didn’t look at spreadsheets; we looked at our core principles. We laid out our HEART acronym—Having Heart, Empathy, a Positive Attitude, Ridiculous Hospitality, and Transparency. We reread our vision statement: to become the standard-setter in the wedding industry through tech-savvy solutions and excellent customer service. We revisited our mission: to leave a legacy of love and be unforgettably kind.
The problem wasn’t the new audience; it was our message. In our effort to be seen as new and different, we had overcomplicated everything. So, we combined all those core truths with a new mantra for 2025: Keep It Simple.
We stripped the messaging down to its most authentic core. We relaunched the brand, not with more flash, but with a streamlined, simple message that was just… us.
The change was immediate and dramatic. It was like a light switch had been flipped. The right couples started coming in—couples who didn’t just want a photographer but who resonated with our mission. We went from our worst sales month to our best month ever in just 45 days. The whiplash from despair to exhilaration was incredible. It was the ultimate validation that when you market from the heart and keep your message clear and true to who you are, the right people will find you.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
Building our reputation within the market has been a multifaceted process, but if I had to name the absolute cornerstone, it would be empathy. I believe that by genuinely understanding where our clients, and even other vendors, are in their life journeys, we can serve them with pinpoint accuracy, providing exactly what they need, when they need it. This starts with active listening and a true commitment to understanding their unique circumstances.
This empathetic approach has fostered a positive sentiment about TLIC and is the foundation for everything else. Building on that, a few key factors have been crucial for our reputation:
Exceptional Customer Service: We prioritize being responsive, transparent, and proactive. We want our clients to feel supported and confident throughout their entire wedding journey.
High-Quality Work: We consistently deliver high-quality photography, videography, and planning services. Paying attention to every detail ensures our work exceeds expectations.
Strong Industry Relationships: We’ve worked hard to build strong, positive relationships with other vendors and venues. This creates a network of trust and reliability that benefits everyone, especially our clients.
Positive Client Feedback: Our clients’ glowing reviews and referrals are a powerful testament to our service. Positive word-of-mouth has been one of the most significant contributors to our reputation.
Innovation: We are always looking to stay ahead of industry trends, whether it’s by incorporating the latest technology or offering unique packages. This keeps us relevant and competitive.
Community Involvement: Being active in the local wedding community and participating in industry events has helped us build a visible and respected presence.
In essence, our reputation has been built on a foundation of empathy, which then informs our exceptional service, high-quality work, strong relationships, and innovation. This comprehensive approach ensures we are not just meeting, but exceeding the expectations of everyone we serve
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mytlic.com
- Instagram: intagram.com/tlicmedia
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/tlicmedia
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-hiltz-680013219/
- Twitter: tlicmedia
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/tlicmedia
- Other: TikTok @tlicmedia
Image Credits
TLIC Wedding Photo & Video