We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kelly Johnson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kelly below.
Alright, Kelly thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s talk legacy – what sort of legacy do you hope to build?
This is an interesting question because I just mentioned this very thing to a client who is in the process of releasing his first book. My legacy…I hope people will say that I was a kind person. I also hope people I have worked with, be it a branding client or a headshot photo client know and feel I was for them and their small businesses or their next endeavor. Being a small business owner and having longevity is not for the faint of heart. Small business owners need to be supportive of one another, in our local communities and beyond. I hope what I do inspires others to continue.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I am a headshot & branding photographer. I love working with small business owners and entrepreneurs to bring their businesses to life through imagery. I love the confidence that people gain when they have professional photos they can use to market their business or a professional headshot to take the next steps in their career. I dig deep with people who want to work with me for branding photos. We have several conversations about them and their business before they even step in front of my camera. Most people are concerned about what to wear, how to pose etc, so that is part of how I also help my clients. I also provide high school senior photography. It’s heartwarming to capture a high school senior at this time of their life. They are about to become an adult, however, their parent(s) usually still see them as a cute little kid playing with their friends in the backyard. Their son or daughter has gone from 0-18 in no time and they can’t believe where the time has gone. This is a special time for parents as well. High School senior photos are important as this could be the last time they are photographed professionally until they get married. So for some that could be another 5-10 years. I always say that photographs gain value every day. It’s important to have photographs that you can look at and enjoy in different ways around your home. It makes the people in the photographs feel important. I am also expanding into product photography and creating a photography experience for Tweens (kids that are 9-12). I am most proud of myself for not giving up. I started rocking and rolling with my photography business early in 2020 and then COVID-19 happened. When the shutdown continued for longer than expected, I had an idea and made a quick decision to move forward with it so that I could continue to help my fellow business owners stay relevant while we were all stuck at home. I created a show called “Ask The Expert”. It was important to me to give my business friends a platform to talk about their business and that is what we did. It was so much fun! Over the past 4 years there have been seasons of Ask The Expert, however, now, Ask The Expert is exclusively on Sandcastle Radio every Friday at noon Eastern,
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
I feel that the most effective strategy for growing my clientele has been networking, creating relationships, and nurturing those relationships. Nurturing the relationship might mean different things, such as emails to check in to see how things are going, interacting in a meaningful way on social media, and sending birthday messages. This all has to be done with authenticity though. I want everyone to succeed in their business or endeavor.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of being a photographer is when the Mom of the high school senior cries because she can’t believe how much her child has changed right before her eyes. She knows that this person, her whole heart that is living outside of her body, is going to go to college, or another adventure very soon and she will miss them terribly. These photos are a way to feel close to her child. I also feel rewarded when a business owner, executive, or entrepreneur comes to me for photos and says “These photos are going to help me get to the next level or take the next steps in my career.” Then, when I see them using the photos on social media or in their marketing and getting results, that’s fantastic and makes me very happy!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kellyjohnsonphotog.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kellyjohnsonphotog/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kellyjohnsonphotog
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellyjohnsonphotog/
- Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/kellyjohnsonphotog/
Image Credits
Kelly Johnson