We were lucky to catch up with Katrina Broten recently and have shared our conversation below.

Katrina , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.

I graduated from Bemidji State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Design, emphasizing in Exhibit Design, multimedia design, graphic design & design marketing. I was in a mentor/mentee program that connected me with a company in Oregon called Classic Exhibits; they specialized in trade show manufacturing and had a small design department. My mentor’s name was Kevin Carty and he is a co-owner of this company. Over our early times together in this program I was able to meet with him on a trip to the Exhibitor Show in Las Vegas! I was so nervous but it turned out to be an excellent opportunity. When I graduated from Bemidji State, he offered me a paid internship that I took! I packed up my belongings and headed out west. That internship turned into a full-time design career and I was there for 4 years, then some unfortunate turn of events happened in my personal life that were very dangerous, so it forced me to make the hard sudden decision to leave Oregon and move back to Minnesota. This was a very traumatic time in my life. I loved my position but unfortunately life had other plans. When I moved back to Minnesota, I wasn’t able to continue designing for this company, industries weren’t open to working from home options yet because this was pre-covid, so I started searching for what I was going to do next as I took my time to transition into a life that I wasn’t planning for. This was hard and things were very unstable for me for over a year.

It was during this time that I began starting my business. Since early college days I had learned how to use a camera and had done a few photo sessions with some friends but when I chose the design career, photography was only just a hobby of mine. I have a very close friend that was on a similar path and had started a photography career on her own too, so with some of her insight I decided to give it a try. I started taking pictures for $35 a session and offered lots of give-aways to start building a portfolio. I still have regular clients that started seeing me right from this humble beginning which is really special to me.

Obviously I couldn’t live off of this income at the beginning, in the background I did work as a bartender and started a little misson I called “Uplift”, where I designed, sewed and made heat packs. Anyhow, I was on the search for other career options and my life led me to taking on a position as an Early Childhood Teacher at a local Head Start. Kind of an odd direction some might think because I was a designer but there is obviously more to this side of the story. Before I moved back to Minnesota I adopted a wild mustang; a horse. She was not trained and needed work so I began learning how to train her and in learning how to train her I began teaching myself about development and how working with animals can be very similar to working with people, especially young children. Since she was a wild mustang she had endured trauma in her early life, being corralled in from the wild lands of south eastern Oregon into a holding facility where they kept the horses. Learning to work and build trust with this horse turned into a very rewarding passion, and at the time in my life when I found myself back in Minnesota living through one of my very real traumatic experience, searching for a new career path, I wanted to find something I could do that would influence and assist me in learning more about Trauma, development and how to better connect with my horse. Early Childhood Education was a perfect fit at the time. I worked at Head Start for 2 years and then was offered a position as an Early Childhood Intervention Specialist for the local schools and communities. I did this for another 4 years, so during this 6 year span I also continued to build my photography business on the side. Reflecting on the 2021 year is when I knew I was at a crossroads and needed to make a choice to continue with education or give my business a full-time chance. Approaching the fall of 2021, I was burning out in the school systems and in my position as an Early Childhood Intervention Specialist. I loved the kids and my work but I was struggling, so as 2022 started and we began approaching the last months of the school year I had almost 90% decided that I was going to be resigning to focus on my business but with a plan. Then another life changing event happened. Life took another twist. My dad took his life on March 2, 2022, the day before my birthday. This completely turned my life upside-down once again. Yes, this is a very recent part of my story and I am still very much working through this.

I was not able to return to work after my dad passed away. Everything I had left to give was needed to take care of myself, so, I decided that I would be on leave for the remainder of the school year and would focus on my business and myself and my family. This was a BIG risk but it was absolutely necessary for me and it’s the best choice I could have made for myself at that time and I think that is very important for others too. You CAN make selfish decisions sometimes because you can’t help anybody else if you can’t help yourself. Photography and continuing to build my business during a time of bereavement and complicating loss was and is hard but taking pictures for others does give me a joy that is hard to explain in the midst of struggle. You see, I could give others memories and I could create special moments for people and that gave me an outlet, which was a powerful thing for me during this year and the months that have passed since we lost my dad. It’s been a joyful distraction when I needed it and, even though it’s been one of the hardest years of my life, my business has done well and is thriving. It continues to grow and that makes me really proud.

The risk was to choose me and having the courage to do what I needed to do and although it was scary and uncertain (still is) it has been the greatest blessing.

Katrina, 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 Katrina Broten (soon to be Blocker; I am engaged as of July 30, 2022). I was raised in Tower MN and I own Katrina B Photography and Design. Tower is a proud mining town in Northern MN, it is small and everybody is connected in some way. I now live on 5 acres out in the woodsy country of Embarrass MN, not far from my hometown. I am very involved with the Tower community and surrounding towns through my work and my history. I serve clients all over the range and beyond. My style is true to life but more vibrant, and magical. I have years of experience with Adobe software, I have studied how to pose people in the most flattering ways and how to find the perfect light in any situation. Indoors or out! I LOVE to do sessions outdoors most but I also love being creative in my studio and capturing people in the comfort of their homes or favorite places. Being able to capture life in the most beautiful way for my clients is my ultimate goal! One of my most treasured experiences thus far was doing a wedding in Cancun but, also, just being part of all the big milestone times for people is very rewarding. I have many clients that see me every year, sometimes more than once and it is special to see them grow through my lens and their photographs. I also believe doing a photo session gives my clients the opportunity to just spend time together. Playing and being happy, even if it was stressful to pull it all together. In those moments I want them to enjoy the efforts they made to have a great session, one where they are able to see themselves how I see them; special, unique, beautiful and together.

I have a Bachelor’s degree in Design and have invested in more education over the years. I have learned from many other photography teachers; my favorite teachers being Amy and Jordan Demos. I have over 14 years of experience in photography & design. I can safely say that I am an expert but I also believe that in this industry and in any wake of life you can always continue to learn. There is SO much to learn and as time goes on things continue to change and adapt, new software, styles, poses, trends are just the obvious things that change. Being in business also comes with a lot of things to learn but I love it! So I will ALWAYS continue to learn how to be better and to do better. I have a successful business but I also want to see it continue to grow and to grow we must continue to learn. Keeping up with trends and an evolving world is key to success.

I truly find joy in my work as a photographer and a designer and I’m dedicated to being of service. I genuinely want to help others see the best sides of themselves and if I can do that through pictures that is so wonderful! In design, in business, in most areas of work, in teaching and our personal lives, it is taught over and over again that experience matters. Experience is everything! How you make people feel, matters! The experience you offer people, matters. So I really try hard to ALWAYS keep this in the back of my mind and regardless of where I am at in my life I continue to offer a service with a smile and kind understanding.

I am passionate about Mental health and during the 2022 year, after losing my dad to a mental health crisis, I got certified in Mental Health First Aid. Me and my business support Mental Health awareness and I will continue to try and advocate for Mental Health. Life can be hard and unfair but I do want to bring hope to the ears of my clients, friends, family, followers, readers and just remind EVERYBODY that you are not alone. Tomorrow needs you! I have a Mental Health platform in memory of my dad, Daniel Broten, I designed hoodies, apparel and hats and I plan to continue to be an asset for support in the small communities of the Iron Range through my business and social media platforms.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

I built my business from the ground up. My business was a side hustle for many years and I invested my personal monies to create the funding I needed to grow my business. It took me 6 years to get to a place where I could transition to a full-time business.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I took time to better my communication skills and to learn how to understand people in general. I pay attention and think outside myself to better my relationships with people, this helps me become more aware of their situations and what they need from me. I also believe in kindness, patience and offering a good experience above all else. These continue to play a huge role in my reputation in the business world.

Over the years I have tried to design ways to be more efficient and to offer my clients more resources. Having a website and marketing materials that send a message and begin a connection is a big asset.

I want to help others have a great experience because this helps them have one. I also want to help educate others so they understand where the value of the investments truly derive from. I still have many ideas that I want to create and get out in the world to assist people in planning for sessions and designs.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.katrinabphotographyanddesign@gmail.com
• Instagram: Katrinab_photography
• Facebook: Katrina B Photography and Design