We were lucky to catch up with Felice Kimbrew recently and have shared our conversation below.

Felice, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

So I actually started learning video production and photography way before my undergrad years. I was interested in capturing moments with my camera because for me, I thought they were special. I thought that everyone deserved to have their moments captured so they could look back on them. When I found out about a media studies program teaching students professional video production not far from me, I knew this was the avenue to take charge.

The really cool thing about technology is that.. at any time things can upgrade. Back then (over ten years ago), search engines like Google and Youtube were around, but not many people used them to teach and show others their craft. Now, you can go on Youtube and practically learn anything! I used that to my advantage before school to perfect my craft. I wanted to be different from the rest. I spent a-lot of time learning how to edit, write and record with free resources before upgrading to the softwares that put me in the position now. Im extremely happy with the pace I learned my skill and practice! I wouldn’t trade that for anything!

The most essential skills for me was applying what I learned and expanding. I started loving taking photos of people, then realized moving pictures was even better (movies), so then I learned the art of videography. Alot of people think they are similar (although they have similiar aspects) but they are very different. The only obstacle that stood in the way was learning how to do this on such a limited budget. I was working three jobs before finishing undergrad.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers?

I started taking pictures and filming videos in high school for my friends. And shortly after that, I taught myself how to design blackplanet and myspace pages for my friends, using html. I always knew my field would relate to media in some sort of fashion. I never knew it would expand into my own business.

My name is Felice, I’m the CEO/ Owner of FMK Media LLC. I am a digital media specialist, I help brand small businesses, and entrepreneurs when starting their business journey! I offer a wide range of services: photography, videography, website design and development, graphic design, print marketing materials, business coaching and more! Although I do offer event photography, I specialize in professional headshots and portraits and I do this mainly because I stress to my clients the importance of professional headshots. My clients know that I stress that “presentation-matters”! And that it starts with your image.

My goal is to be a one-stop shop for young entrepreneurs. I know when I started my business I had no idea how important branding and being consistent in marketing/advertising was. I knew that I needed to show up, that was it. As time grew, I learned how important social media and being present was when owning a business. So I decided that instead of just offering photography and videography services, I wanted to learn eventually how to get entrepreneurs started with the right tools, marketing materials and presence. I taught myself how to create websites, the most effective advertising & marketing solutions and how to assist in getting your audience invested in your brand.

One of the things I will say I would hope sets me apart from everyone else in my industry is that I strive to keep the relationships moving forward. My brand is always growing. So I always look for an opportunity to assist even existing customers the best way I know how. For example: most website designers design graphics and place them on your website, tell you to load your products and never speak to you again. My goal is to not only design your site, but to show you how to manage it yourself so you can bring in more traffic to your webpage. There’s no use in having a website and not learning how to use it to make more money. Not to mention, when you develop a great relationship with your clients/customers, they always come back!

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

Initially when I started I thought capturing people’s moments were important to people. Personally, I couldn’t go anywhere without my camera. I wanted everyone to know what I was doing, for several reasons. One of them being that I wanted to inspire others like myself.

Another reason, is that I enjoy working for myself. Never an easy task.. I have easy weeks, I have bad weeks. But I never stop showing up for myself and I think thats really important.

My last and most important reason, is for my son. I just recently gave birth to a boy (4 months ago, February 2022), and he is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I couldn’t imagine working a corporate job and being away from him for too long now. Or better yet, not being able to spend these important quality moments with him during his developmental stages. The transition is an adjustment, but the adjustment is worth it. I want him to grow up knowing that he can too, become an entrepreneur and make a living doing what he loves!

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

The most effective strategy for growing my clientele has to be to remember that although social media is important, so are personal one on one interactions. I never stray away from an experience thinking that our relationship is over. I take pride in following up with my clients via text/phone, connecting with them on social media, and keeping a positive relationship overall.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.fmk.media
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fmk.media/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fmkmediaLLC/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fmk-media-llc/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/fmkmedia
• Other: https://linktr.ee/felicemonet