We were lucky to catch up with Kimber Greenwood recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Kimber thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us 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.

The old adage, “anything worth doing is worth doing poorly” still holds true today. Some risks we take are low stakes, and others can alter the course of our life. When I first set out to do underwater photography, I heard a million reasons why I couldn’t do succeed, how I’d never make money, how it was best to play it safe and keep it as a hobby…but I knew I wanted to give it a solid try before I gave up and went back to my nursing career. So with the support of my partner, I decided I’d give myself a year to get this business going. And boy, am I so glad I did.

Betting on yourself can seem natural to some, and beyond daunting to others. Lots of factors can play into whether you trust yourself or not. When I decided to start my business, I didn’t even know how to operate a camera! However, I knew that I was a. desperate b. willing to learn and put the work in, and c. very teachable. In the past 8 years, I’ve failed my way into success and built a business I’m truly proud of. It didn’t happen overnight, and it didn’t happen without some blood, sweat, and tears…but it still happened. The most amazing part is, is that when you start to take those calculated risks by betting on yourself, each one gets a bit easier along the way. Be afraid, but take the chance on yourself.

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’ve wanted to be in/near/under the water for as long as I could remember, but growing up in Ohio, that wasn’t really an option. At 15, I became a lifeguard at my local YMCA and got SCUBA certified to dive in some cold quarries. At 18, I moved across the country to Texas A&M where I majored in Marine Biology. They helped me become a Scientific Diver, Cavern Diver, and Master Diver…and I met my partner there! Will and I studied underwater caves for this graduate work, and our love of cave diving brought us to live in Gainesville, Florida. I started my photography business with the birth of our child, and have since grown it into both an underwater media company that works B2B and Water Bear Photography, which caters to clients who want to celebrate their pregnancy or wedding underwater.

I love the challenge of working in the water, as no two days are ever the same. The water keeps us humble and perpetually learning. In addition to the benefit of continually growing my education, I love to be surrounded by my team! We’ve built a culture of kindness and safety that I’m immensely proud of. I also run a Facebook group for underwater photographers (and those who want to try it!), called, “Underwater Portraiture with Kimber”. We focus on fun education, growth, and creating a collaborative community of underwater photographers!

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

We really are only as strong as the people we surround ourselves with! I’m incredibly proud of the team that we’ve built, and everyone who started with us, is still with us. First, we made it clear from the beginning that there isn’t a set hierarchy- that can impede communication. I need every team member to feel comfortable raising concerns, because we’re often in high stress and potentially dangerous environments. We also have a rule that I’ll never ask anyone to do something I’m not willing to do myself. This keeps me accountable to my team and helps them know that I care about their safety. We’ve built a culture of safety, open communication, and high morale by being available to talk and open to ideas.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to unlearn that I could do this on my own. When I was initially discouraged from starting a business by those closest to me, I wanted to shut them out and try to do it independently. However, that was an exercise in futility. As a business owner, we wear a lot of hats each day- but it can be impossible to wear them all. We need to surround ourselves with people that we trust to do their jobs and pry our fingers off of every single control button. Otherwise, we’ll never grow….and, even if you do initially have success on your own, what happens when you’re sick? Injured? Want to pass off the company? Better to have a team of people around you. “If you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, go together”.

Contact Info:

• Website: waterbearphotography.com, kimbergreenwood.com, water-workshop.com
• Instagram: @waterbearphotography, @kimbergreenwood
• Facebook: Underwater Portraiture with Kimber
• Linkedin: Kimber Greenwood
• Youtube: waterbearphotography

Image Credits
Headshot: Kristi Sherk, Shark Pixel Models: Veronica, Astrid, Kristy, Felicia, Jasmine, Annali