We were lucky to catch up with Kristen Beck recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Kristen thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Any thoughts around creating more inclusive workplaces?

Creating an inclusive workplace and a business that is an ally to the LGBTQIA+ community has always been a top priority for me. The wedding industry is, at its core, an industry that is based on love. If you are in the wedding industry I feel it is paramount to be accepting AND to celebrate all love stories.

My parents owned a business for twenty five years and I can remember when one of their employees came out as transgender. This was in the 90’s, so public opinion was far less accepting of it than we see today (which, if you can image, was not great considering the hate we still see and hear about). My parents treated him with respect and made sure he was comfortable. They didn’t know a lot about being transgender, but they knew about human decency. Because I was lucky enough to be raised in a household that openly celebrated love in all forms and welcomed diversity, I was able to carry those lessons on when I opened my business.

At Beck Photo Co. we want to be loud and proud about allyship. On the footer of our website, on every page, we remind couples, families, and other businesses what we stand for.

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

I am Kristen Beck and I own Beck Photo Co. We are a small team of passionate creatives that document weddings, engagements, families, and businesses. We started in 2006 and rebranded in 2019. While photography was how we started and is still the main focus of our business, we have now added on videography services as well. It is important for me that we grow as a company in an organic way. I never want to sacrifice the exceptional quality that we offer and our customers have come to expect to make an extra buck. This work and this business is my life’s passion and it is important that we go things the right way, even if it takes longer.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

I bought my first DSLR camera with savings bonds my grandfather had purchased for me when I was a baby (hello 1980s!). I then worked 2-3 jobs for ten years to support my family before I was comfortable solely relying on my business income. I actually have two degrees and I joke that I have lived multiple lives before I went full-time with Beck Photo Co.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Making people happy. We document some of the happiest moments of people’s lives (getting married, having a baby, starting a new business) and when we deliver the photographs to them the response never gets old. Hearing how much people love the photographs is why I work tirelessly at this job.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://beckphotoco.com
• Instagram: www.instagram/com/beckphotoco
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beckphotoco
• Other: https://www.pinterest.com/beckphotoco