We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kalysta Kuebler a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Kalysta, appreciate you joining us today. Folks often look at a successful business and imagine it was an overnight success, but from what we’ve seen this is often far from the truth. We’d love to hear your scaling up story – walk us through how you grew over time – what were some of the big things you had to do to grow and what was that scaling up journey like?

Scaling up… goals aimed to be reached. “Be happy but never satisfied” -Bruce Lee. Starting a business is not easy. Your mind has to be ready for what your body might not be able to accomplish. Pushing through the difficulty to get the the first checkpoint. Then the next and the next. I started Thru Kals Lens off as an idea. Then, decided to pursue that idea through knowledge of the business world and experiences of others. Podcasts, note taking, assisting other photographers and not coming up for air when asking questions. They say knowledge is power. I took every source I could get and started to build. Created a website, that took over a year, from scratch, spent hundreds of dollars from my swindling funds to build my portfolio, and advertised the way this modern world has transformed. Social Media. The main strategy point was to never run out of content to post. Always have things lines up. Seem busier then you actually are, that will bring the consumers right in your lap. “If you want something done, ask a busy person” – Benjamin Franklin.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

In the photography business, resilience is a key component in your every day work. Things don’t always go as planned, and people are unreliable. If you are not on top of the ball, you, and by default your business, could not reap good benefits.

A specific example of me showing resilience in my business was when I hosted a content retreat in the state of Utah with 10 photographers, 3 well-known educators, and over a dozen models. This took about 6 months to plan. A lot of effort and faith that it will be a success. But sometimes you have to roll with the punches. While in Utah, it is my job to make sure everything runs smoothly for all of the attendees and people participating. Having backup models is a part of that job. The night before one of the following shoots the next morning, one of my models completely bailed and left me in a situation to find a replacement. Being as it was a studio bridal shoot, I was able to take the bull by the horns and step into action. There I was throwing on a dress, getting my makeup and hair done, and stepping in front of the camera. Even with having backup, sometimes those aren’t even reliable. So again being resilient in a business like this can make her break you. But not this time.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

The best source of new clients for me has been through Instagram. Instagram has helped me grow my business to where it is today because there has been so many new connections, new friendships, and ability to share my work. People find my photos on their explore page, through hashtags, and through Instagram reels. Most of my clientele has either been through word-of-mouth or Instagram.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://thrukalslens.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thru.kals.lens/

Image Credits
Kalysta