We recently connected with Kailee Wanek and have shared our conversation below.
Kailee, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?
There’s actually a few things that influenced the name of my company. When I initially started my business, I just went with my name – Kailee Wanek Photo. I didn’t totally love it, but people knew who I was. I eventually realized I wanted to rebrand my business to be more, “me.” Now, those close to me know I have a huge love for the ocean. My fiance has always called me “Kai” for short, and “kai” actually means “sea” in Hawaiian, along with a few other beautiful meanings in other cultures and languages.
Kailee, 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?
I first became interested in photography when I was in high school – so about 10 ish years ago. It started as a hobby, and I was always taking pictures of friends or family. I went everywhere with my camera. I eventually got into taking senior portraits, and a lot of my business was through word of mouth. At first, it was just something I made some side money doing, and it wasn’t full time. When I moved to Florida for college, I randomly found interest in wedding photography. I shadowed another photographer for a wedding and absolutely fell in love. I started offering my services as a second shooter so I could grow my portfolio, and I was booking my own weddings in a very short period of time! I’m now about 3 years into shooting weddings, and was able to quit my teaching job this year to run my business full-time.
Networking and utilizing the resources at my fingertips were game changers for taking my business to the next level. I joined tons and tons of local Facebook pages to get in touch with other photographers, videographers, wedding vendors, and wedding clients. Unscripted is an amazing FB group to join for any new photographers in the industry that want advice and tips. I’m always taking advantage of online workshops and education offered by successful photographers in the industry and truly believe there’s always something new to learn. I try to set aside time every week for education, whether it be for marketing, creating a client experience, or new editing tips and tricks.
I’m really proud of myself for embarking on this journey at my own pace. The industry can be really competitive and it’s easy to compare yourself to others. I see photographers that grow more in 3 months than I have in 10 years, and that can be intimidating and discouraging. But I’ve created and grown my business out of true love and passion. My goal is to give my clients an authentic and genuine experience from start to finish, and that doesn’t happen overnight. When potential clients look at my work, I want them to think of adventure and story telling. I want to create a safe space where I can capture clients being their true selves.
What’s been the best source of new clients for you?
Word of mouth has definitely been the best source of new clients for me. It all goes back to creating an amazing client experience that will continue to be talked about and shared.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is seeing my ideas and visions come to life. Since going full-time with my business, I’ve been building time into my schedule to brainstorm new ideas and find inspiration. Watching those ideas become reality and adding my own little twist is so much fun. Seeing my own final product is super rewarding, but it’s even more fun seeing how clients or models react to a final vision they helped me create.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kaiphotoandfilm.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaiphotoandfilm/