We were lucky to catch up with Kelly Lynn Welsted recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Kelly Lynn, thanks for joining us today. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?
What does it take to be successful? I believe the meaning of successful is different for everyone! For me, it is coming up with a way to smash a goal you have and making it happen. Whatever that may be! To be happy, healthy and financially stable is what success looks like for me. I work out regularly, treat my body right with what goes inside of it mentally and physically and try to stay positive no matter the situation at hand. Not every day is easy, especially running your own businesses but a positive attitude goes a long way.
Happiness. Sometimes we lose ourselves in life and to get back on track in one way or another. Thoughts are what fuel your fire and make you go forward or can set you back. I recently had to drop people in my life that no longer served me as a person and it was hard at first. Not in a financial or monetary way, but in a healthy mind way. Although it took me awhile to fully let go, and some days are harder than others, this has made me so much happier in the long run. Letting go is a process but neccessary in life and in my case letting go was hard, but I knew I would come out on top. And here I am.
Health. I do my best to work out every day and I don’t stay still for too long. Whether it’s yoga at home, the gym or going for walks outside…. You gotta move! I believe taking vitamins are huge in health and supplement daily. Having a healthy mind is huge as well and your happiness has a lot to do with that.
Financial success. I am a photographer and house cleaner. To be honest, I dug myself into a debt hole and am climbing my way out of it. That’s my fuel. Tho I don’t believe having money creates happiness because that comes from within. Not having financial stresses or burdens goes a long way tho. Living within your means is huge. I started my photography business and cleaning company at the lowest parts of my life and made them become what they are now due to long days and nights of working my butt off, coming up with new ideas to make shit happen and guess what else?! A positive attitude! No matter how bad I wanted to hide under my sheets some days , cry (tho there were crying times for sure) and tell everyone to leave me alone, I woke up and took care of what needed done, stayed focused and positive :) We have all been there in some way or another and we all struggle at some point. Get up and go. You cant make “it’ happen, whatever your IT is, by lying in bed feeling sorry for yourself. I call that “TCB” Taking Care of Business, like the King himself, my pal (if I were alive when he was any way) Elvis Presley. Even he struggled! I know own two successful businesses, a photogropahy company, Kelvis Pinup LLC with myself and a house detailing partnership with my sister Kara.
Success is different for everyone……. It is what you make it. Work hard:)
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
The name Kelvis comes from my love of Elvis Presley and my real name, which is Kelly Lynn! Kelly+ Elvis= KELVIS! Genius right? Hahaha! I have a love for the great outdoors, traveling, to sleeping under the stars, riding motorcycles, antiques, taxidermy, Halloween, tattoos, vintage anything, German Shepherds, Bigfoot… My list goes on as I am a collector of all sorts! I am originally from Buffalo, NY. I am 35 years old and have been modeling for fun since I was 19. Photography has been a passion of mine and I decided to give it a go about 4 years ago! I am loving being behind the camera and am loving my client’s (turned in to friends) reactions to their photos!!! I get a serious sense of satisfaction knowing each lady who books with me leaves here feeling 150% about themselves. I am constantly thinking of new ideas and concepts and love to style and create my own sets! Believe it or not, we all have something we dislike about ourselves, mentally and/or physically. Growing up I was the youngest of 7 children, 5 of which were boys, and I love my brothers, but boys are mean LOL! I dressed like a boy all the time, I was always with my dad on his motorcycle or in the garage trying to help, I loved playing any sport with my siblings, my best friend was a boy and I would never let my hair down until 8th grade! I was a little chubbier than my siblings and it didn’t help that I was not the “skinny” one out of the 2 girls in the family (that was my sissy) and then there is the fact that my name rhymes with smelly, jelly, big fat belly!!! Sounds ridiculous doesn’t it? A grown woman still thinking of these things….. No one is perfect by any means and that is PERFECTLY ok! I grew up, I shoved that mental crap aside and decided with modeling- it was my out- I can be anything I want to be! I always loved to model because I was “acting/modeling” to be something I truly was not…. Which to me is actually pretty awesome. I am a Tom Boy at heart, so for me to wear makeup, heels and dresses isn’t so much in my cards usually. My point? You can become whatever you want in these photos….. Want to be a filthy rich Hollywood vixen? We can do that! Want to be a Rockabilly Pinup babe? We can do that!!! A bum? Let’s make it happen. Ok, I may be exaggerating a bit but I think you see where I am going with this. The ladies who book with me leave here feeling amazing, I can see it in their eyes and it makes me so happy…. That is my why. If I can have one lady come to me and say “That is the most beautiful I have ever felt”….. I sleep well at night because that is important to me, for everyone to love themselves. They go home and their loved ones see them and say how awesome they look!!! When they see their photos they have a sense of beauty and accomplishment. I am convinced EVERY woman should do this at least once in there life! For yourself….. Because IT’S ALL ABOUT YOU, at least for the moment! There is too much hate in the world, let’s shine some light!
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
Building on social media now is pretty easy. Do it! Social media makes is pretty simple to post and follow people of your “kind” if you will. I try not to put my personal life on my business pages. Post things related to your business or something that will catch peoples eye while not being too pushy. I have been lucky enough to model for years before actualyl doing photography so I had a major follwer base and built from there.
Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
Being real. People can’t relate to others who arent real or who seem extremely fake and over the top. When people meet me they usually expect some brown haired Barbie looking pinup model and that is not that case. I am always wearing jeans a a black shirt typically with my my motorcycle boots on:) I never wear makeup and I tend to swear alot and crack jokes;) Tho doing the photos is fun, it’s fake, its not real. It’s ok to laugh, joke, not have your hair and makeup done and even have lipstick on your teeth! Making my customers feel comfortable in front of the lens is super important. I try to talk about them and their lives, kids, jobs and families, not myself! My slogan is even “It’s All about You”… Because they are shooting for themselves! So I try to get to know them on a one on one basis. I love my job because it allows me to make new friends from all walks of life!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kelvispinup.com
- Instagram: @kelvispinup
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KelvisPinUp