We recently connected with Katharine Witt and have shared our conversation below.

Katharine, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Parents play a huge role in our development as youngsters and sometimes that impact follows us into adulthood and into our lives and careers. Looking back, what’s something you think you parents did right?

My parents are truly the best. They are the reason I am the woman & business owner I am today. In 2016 my mom left our hometown & followed her lifelong dream of working on Mackinac. My dad retired early to follow her & help her achieve this dream. Seeing the risk they took to do this & how it turned out so successful for them was truly inspiring. It taught me that it’s never too late, or too risky to follow your dreams. They also taught me the importance of hard work & incredible customer service. Growing up my grandparents owned a restaurant that my mom worked at since she could walk. From the minute us kids were able we were all helping there. Whether that be cleaning tables or sweeping the floors. This taught me the importance of hard work & that no job was above or below you. I learned that for your business to be successful sometimes you have to do things you may not enjoy. I take my work very seriously & know that if I work hard that anything is possible. At a young age I would always see how my mom would interact with customers & it was just remarkable the level of service she would give each & every person. I watched this transpire into her career on Mackinac as well. She treats each & every guest as if they were family. She goes above & beyond to give people the best experience. My dad is the same way. He will see people on the street & offer them a hand whether that be directions or dinner recommendations. He always goes above & beyond to help others. Having a first hand look at how to treat people & customers has been so influential to me & my business. I treat each & every client as if they were family. I strive to give them not only incredible photos, but to make the experience fun, memorable, & enjoyable. I truly owe all my success to my parents. I can’t thank them enough for everything they’ve taught me & continue to do in helping me achieve my dreams & be successful in my business & my life.

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

Hi everyone, I’m Katharine! A photographer on beautiful Mackinac Island. At just 6 months old my family brought me to Mackinac Island on my very first trip & I’ve been in love ever since. As a child I’d vacation to the island every year & always dreamed of one day working on Mackinac. In 2015 after my freshman year at CMU I had the opportunity to come to Mackinac & work for a season. I worked for what used to be Martha’s Sweet Shop, The Leather Coral, & I waitressed evenings at The Mustang Lounge. After that season I truly thought that I’d never be back to Mackinac again other than for a vacation. A few months after returning to CMU my mom, Rose, who always dreamed of living & working on Mackinac got offered a job & my dad retired early & they made the move to Mackinac to run a B&B. While they were on Mackinac, I visited any chance I got. In 2018 I graduated from CMU with BAA in Public Relations & started doing some freelance social media work. During this time I’d visit my parents & decided I was totally missing out on living an incredible life on Mackinac. In 2019 & 2020 I worked alongside my parents running two B&B’s on the island & started doing social media & photography work on the side. During this time I not only fell in love with Mackinac living, but I also started talking to an island boy & I completely fell in love. In 2020 I unfortunately had a horrible bike accident & had to put my photography & social media work on the back burner while I recovered. At the end of the 2020 season I was feeling great again & I couldn’t fathom leaving Mackinac or my boyfriend for the winter so I ended up staying. My first winter on Mackinac was beyond magical. At the beginning of 2021 my mom made a move & started working at the incredible Bicycle Street Inn. With my parents & boyfriends support I was able to pursue my dream of doing photography & social media work full time. In February of 2021 I started Katharine Rose Photography & it completely took off, like I mean better than I could’ve ever imagined. I am currently heading into my 4th year of being a full time photographer & I am happier than ever. I truly never thought this was possible. I am so thankful for this little business I started & so blessed with all the opportunities it has brought me. Life is so short & it’s so important to love & take in each & every moment. That’s why I love photography so much, it allows you to capture priceless memories that one day you’ll share with your children & grandchildren. For as long as I can remember my mom was always taking photos of me & my family. Today, being able to look back through those photos is something I’ll always cherish. I feel so honored that I get to help create these everlasting memories for my clients.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I built my social media audience by posting as much as possible & being myself. For a long time I was scared & intimidated to put myself out there, but when I did everything changed. I get about 90% of my clients from Facebook & Instagram alone. I try to post daily whether that be photos of the island, clients, or myself & my family. I also utilize posting in Facebook Groups. Being in a tourist town, Facebook groups are a great way to reach people that may be traveling here. Social media is a huge game changer for my business & I am so thankful for it.

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

I will never forget the first few photo sessions I had. They were for so little & I worked so hard, but loved it so much. I had a full time job at the time & I would take a session here or there if someone reached out to me from word of mouth, but I wasn’t marketing or anything like that. After the first wedding I did for a family friend I saw the potential I had to actually take this seriously & do this, but at the time I was still so scared to take that leap. After my bike crash my life completely changed & I knew I had to live my dreams because life is so short. I finally took the leap to go all in & just started posting on social media & booking clients. I took on a part time job as a financial backup to be safe at a gift shop if things didn’t work out, but within the first month I ended up quitting & going full time. I truly never thought it was possible. Each day I was booking more & more. I just wrapped up my third year being full time & this year I was booked out completely. My business has more than tripled since my first year & I just still am in shock over it all. I am so lucky & blessed to be doing what I love every day.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.katharinerosephotography.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katharinerose.photography/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KatharineRose.Photo

Image Credits
Katharine Rose Photography