Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Julie Wilhite. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Julie, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Covid has brought about so many changes – has your business model changed?

Covid has significantly changed the wedding industry and it has made it more important than ever to pay attention to the market and adapt accordingly. All of our expenses have risen including products and labor. It is important to make sure you are charging your worth, but also that you are up-leveling your overall client experience to match your new pricing. How can I serve my clients even better? How can I sharpen my skills and learn new skills? Staying still is not an option anymore. Growing, reaching higher, making important connections are more important than ever.

My favorite way that I have overcome that covid has affected my business is working to diversify my offerings. Making sure I have multiple streams of income, including passive streams of income. Who doesn’t love making money while you are sleeping? I never want to be solely dependent on large groups of people gathering for my sole income. I had to dig deep in myself and my business and figure out other ways of creating income that were outside of large groups of people.

My other favorite thing that I believe covid has taught me is the idea that there is more to life than work. This might seem counterintuitive, but the break in everyday life gave me time to reflect and ask myself what is really important. Now that everything is back to normal, I’ve been more selective, more intentional, with making that I love what I do every day. And letting everything else go. Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do in your company is to say “no” to the things that you do not want, because it allows the space for the things that are a “hells yes!” to come to you.

Julie, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am a wedding photographer and business coach. I have been shooting weddings for over 14 years. I also capture brand photography and interior spaces. I have always loved photography (my Dad was a beautiful amateur photographer!) and I grew up with a deep love of the magic and memories that photographs can hold and pass down through generations. I never met one of my grandfathers, but I loved looking at an album that had him in it so I could see what his life was like and what brought him joy. It helped me to feel like I knew him.

Photographing someone is a deeply personal act. I think what helps to make me successful is my ability to connect with people and create a relaxed environment where they can truly be themselves. I don’t want to just capture a beautiful image, I want them to truly see themselves in it. And on the flip side of that, when I am capturing moments and events, I work to tell the full story of that day and capture moments not just how they look, but how they feel.

What else should we know about how you took your side hustle and scaled it up into what it is today?

I started my photography business on the side. I had a job I hated, so I spent most of my days scrolling around on the internet. This was when blogs were huge. I had always loved photography, but my cameras were all stolen while I was in college and I had left my photography behind. I was craving a creative outlet outside of my work, so I decided buying a new camera was a great idea. I started so small, photographing my cat to be exact. Then, friends who were getting married. Then, my own wedding photographer took me under her wing and invited me to weddings with her. I was scrappy and passionate. Nothing was going to stop me. It took me a long time of growing, getting all the equipment I needed and then eventually moving to my dream city of Austin, before I felt comfortable to leave my full-time corporate job and become full time. Which sounds a little crazy to me now. I moved to a city where no one knew my name and decided that was the perfect time to rely solely on my photography business for income. But it meant I had no other option than to succeed. I also was able to reinvent my business and my brand in an intentional way. Fast forward 11 years and I am still scrappy, still growing every year. What fulfills me as an artist? How can I create work that I am proud of? How can I continue to uplevel and grow my business?

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

My most effective form of marketing has always been the relationships around me. I call it building my “business family” because the people around me are not only colleagues, but they are my friends. I am constantly asking myself how can I serve and add value for others, which helps to grow strong connections that last. Those people recommend me to others and come back to me for my work again and again. I’m constantly asking how I can serve even more. It’s a win/win.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.juliewilhite.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliewilhitephotography/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/juliewilhitephotography
• Other: https://www.pinterest.com/juliewilhite/

Image Credits
Headshot image by Janeane Marie Photography All other images by Julie Wilhite Photography