We were lucky to catch up with Heather Kirchhofer recently and have shared our conversation below.

Heather, appreciate you joining us today. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

I am very happy as a business owner, yes. I’ve been a photographer since graduating college 20 years ago and in that time I have worked “regular jobs” for other people/companies. I have a lot of experience to weigh the pros and cons of each. Because of personal life changes in recent years, I had given more thought about regular jobs and if that is something I should explore again. I came to need health insurance on my own again. I became a single-parent household living in a city where rent isn’t on the low end. Fearful thoughts about not being able to provide for my family as a solo entrepreneur running her own creative business started to creep in. My craft is a luxury for families. It isn’t a necessity. Creative purchases are often the first to be eliminated when times are tough. On the brand photography side of my business, we’re also seeing the increase of AI being used in place of real life human artists. This combination of personal and global life events led me to pursue a position outside of my personal business a couple of years ago. I was hired as the in-house photographer for a corporation based out of Phoenix. It was steady, consistent income. It had health insurance. But, I wasn’t happy. Toxic corporate culture is a real thing. Creative roles are often not appreciated. Work/life balance is nonexistent often. I had zero flexibility in a world where I need constant flexibility as a single mom with two school-aged children. My position was eliminated after 9 months. I took it as a blessing, an open door, not a closed one. They now hire me as a contract photographer on a monthly basis, which is ideal for me. I’m back to running my business on my own, making my own hours, creating the life I want to live. I’m not beholden to anyone else’s plan. I’ve come to the conclusion that being my own boss is where I am happiest. I like the freedom it brings. Sure, every path comes with it’s own set of ups and downs, but this is the path I want to be on. It allows me flexibility with my children’s lives, creative freedom, and the ability to work with joyful, likeminded people.

Heather, 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?

My name is Heather. I am the founder of Agnes Art & Photo, LLC. My career as a photographer reaches back to my college days in Santa Fe. While studying Fine Art Photography at the University of New Mexico, I worked developing film at the famous Camera Shop of Santa Fe for seven years – learning all about all sorts of cameras and film while photographing anyone and everyone who would allow me to take their portrait. I fell in love with faces and people, an obsession, really. To this day I am obsessed with portrait work. When I left Santa Fe, I moved back to the midwest, where I’m from, to run a wedding and portrait studio in Belleville, Illinois. I built a lot of my business management skills during my time at this studio. As many artists do, I spent a fair amount of time doing other things in between making art to make ends meet over the years such as bartending, retail, waiting tables. I came to Arizona 15 years ago. I had a couple of babies and spent 10 year raising them while simultaneously building my current business, Agnes Art & Photo (which is currently undergoing a much needed rebrand). A strong through line in my work is nostalgia. I love a good story, a good memory. I want to savor every single moment. I want to encapsulate life because it’s all so fleeting and fast and beautiful. I want to bottle it up. And for me, that’s photography. That is why I became a family photographer. To tell your story, encapsulated for generations to come, of who you are right now, right here, forever. Similarly, my brand work encourages storytelling as well. It’s compelling. We are storytellers by nature, us humans. A good story draws us in and if I can create a good story for your brand, I’ve done my work well. If I can give the viewer a heartfelt, emotional glimpse into your life as a family that makes them feel something – love, connection, joy – then I also feel like I’ve served my clients well. I think what sets me apart from some is my deep love for preservation and artistically telling the best story I can within the parameters of photography. It’s not about the trendiest new gear or the perfectly curated family wardrobe or how clean your house is or how much your product costs. I’m here to create. I’m an artist creating through my lenses a version of your story that you can tell today, tomorrow, and forever.

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

Transparency. Honesty. Truth. Integrity. Authenticity. These are all very important in building a strong, consistent community of supporters and clientele. Being my authentic self in all aspects of my business is the key to success. In the long run, your true colors will eventually come to light in one way or another. You’ll either burn out because you aren’t being true to yourself or your inauthentic nature will become evident to your clients and that is a big turn off. Your work will suffer, especially if you’re a creative. Creativity thrives on authenticity and honesty. Being a genuine person can take you really far in life; to a life you want to live full of things YOU love. Not someone else’s version of happiness for you. People will be naturally drawn to you and your services if they are met with these traits, even if you are just starting out and still finding your way and your voice, people will want to help and be a part of it if it comes from a place of authenticity and trust.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is the ability to help people see the beauty within them that I see when I take their picture. The smile, the light in their eyes, when they see what I see. Maybe they’ve never seen themselves in that way before. And if I can help someone love themselves just a little bit more, I couldn’t be happier. If I can help someone grow their business through the images I took of their product, I’m over the moon happy. Helping people feels good. It’s as simple as that. Helping people feel good through art I’ve created, it’s the best feeling.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://agnesartandphoto.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/agnesartandphoto/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-kirchhofer-79b945262/