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

Hi Kim, thanks for joining us today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

One of the main reasons that I started Wild and Found Photography is that I want to empower couples to celebrate their relationship, and the most important moments in their relationship, in a way that truly reflects their values, interests, and who they are. My mission is to create a safe space for people to be themselves, where society has typically told them they’re supposed to do something else instead.

For example, while big weddings can be a lot of fun, they’re not right for everyone. Not everyone loves to be the center of attention, or maybe they have family or friend drama they want to avoid. Some people can’t afford to throw a huge party, which is actually usually more focused on the experience of all the guests rather than the people getting married. Or maybe the couple just truly believes the commitment they’re making to each other is so special and intimate that they don’t want to share it with 200 other people.

It’s so common for us to feel these days that we have to act a certain way, live a certain way, or accomplish certain things in life. The expectations of society and other people can permeate our whole lives, including the really special moments. But I believe it shouldn’t be that way and you should get to be who you are, every day—but especially on your wedding day.

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

My name is Kim and I’m the owner and photographer at Wild and Found Photography. Most of my work centers around photographing couples in the beautiful outdoor spaces we have here in Colorado where I live. I moved to Colorado to pursue my passion of seeking adventures in the outdoors, where I can spend time doing the things I love. But as much as I love planning my own adventures, I also love helping couples plan their own unique experiences for the special moments in their relationship and their life.

Elopements, microweddings, proposals, and engagement/adventure sessions are my bread and butter. But my work with couples goes much deeper than just taking the photos. Most couples planning these types of special events have never done this before, and I want to make sure every couple has the most amazing experience to look back on.

From location assistance, to logistics and vendor recommendations, and much much more, I spend tons of time working with every single couple to make sure their day is unforgettable. In fact all of my photography packages include this planning help so you have a partner and friend in creating the epic day your love story deserves.

Do you have multiple revenue streams – if so, can you talk to us about those streams and how your developed them?

I went full time with my business just a few months before COVID started for us in the United States, of course not knowing what was about to happen in the world. The wedding industry, like many others, was hit particularly hard. Very quickly I learned about the importance of having multiple revenue streams for your business. Diversifying your revenue streams is definitely not an easy thing to make time for, especially when you’re the only owner of a small business, meaning you wear all the hats. But I’ve been working on it ever since. The past few years I’ve been working on integrating affiliate marketing into my blogs and I’m currently working on a landscape print shop to add into the mix.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

Over time I’ve found the most effective strategy for growing clientele has been not focusing too hard on any one specific marketing channel, but focusing most of your energy on a few channels. As a small business owner, it’s impossible to do everything, but I also have struggled in the past with spending too much effort on one marketing channel. Currently I focus most of my efforts on my website/blogs and Instagram. I just started on my TikTok account as well and hope to add that as a third main marketing channel.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://wildandfoundphoto.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildandfoundphoto/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wildandfoundphoto/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/wildfoundphoto