We recently connected with Dakota Berghuis and have shared our conversation below.
Dakota, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?
I am a full time photographer. I started when I was only 16 and in my sophomore year of high school doing senior portraits and weddings. Each year from then on I got more and more clients. After quitting my full time marketing job in 2021, I went full time in March of 2022 and have been able to make a full-time living with my earnings. I have now surpassed my marketing salary and make more now than I did working 40+ hours a week.
I definitely could have sped it up and not gone into marketing or to college, but I am thankful I did and learned what I know now. Not only relating to photography, but life, business and creating relationships with people.
Quitting my full time job, and going full time with photography has given me more time for sessions which in turn, makes more money. I have also leveled up my business since 2015, which has led to being able to raise my prices and make more money.
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?
I started when I was little, running around taking photos on my parents ranch. I made so many of my friends and family be models for me, just for fun. I loved setting up “sessions”. When I was 16, I photographed my first wedding. From there, my little side gig, took off. From seniors, families, babies, more weddings, I was busy! In 2017, I went to college in Moorhead, and hung up my camera for a bit. I ended up moving in 2018, and was feeling down one day, I ended up buying a new camera off of Ebay and started doing senior photos again. I focused solely on seniors that year and grew my business. After graduating from marketing school, I moved back into the area that I grew up and planted roots with my husband. I went on to work a full time marketing job that I loved. In 2021, I had our first child, and was fully expecting to head back to my job once my maternity leave was up. I started to get some postpartum blues and my husband mentioned starting photography again just to get out of the house. I posted on Facebook looking for some models to help grow my portfolio and was booked until the rest of the year. About 3 weeks before I had to go back to my full time job, I put in my two week notice and decided to go full time with my photography and make it an official business.
I believe my story, experience and love for all my clients sets me apart. I treat every client like they are old friends of mine and help with the booking, prepping and delivery process of the whole experience.
I am most proud of myself for staying true to myself throughout all of these years and never giving up on photography. Even though I have been in different stages of my life, photography has always been there and steady for me. Kota Rae Photography was the name I called my side gig all the way back in 2015, and to this day, I have built Kota Rae Photography into what it is now.
I could not be more proud of this brand, my clientele and my business.
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
The most effective strategy for growing my clientele has been to stay true to myself, have respect for all of my clients, give them an amazing experience, and make them want to recommend me to all of their friends and family.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
My main goal that is driving my creative journey is to just keep having fun. Once the fun is gone, all creativity halts. I want to show my children that creatives have a space in business and that it can be fulfilling, rewarding and treasured by many.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://kotaraephotography.com
- Instagram: @kotaraephotography
- Facebook: Kota Rae Photography
