We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kristin Silliman. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kristin below.

Alright, Kristin thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

I am extremely happy to be working for myself. Previously, I was a manager at a dental office overseeing 2 offices in the Houston area. The upper management team talked down to us and belittled everything we said and did. I was with the group for several years but as time went on I became more and more unhappy. We were not appreciated and it really got to me. I knew I had always enjoyed taking pictures and had heard about a friend of my sister who had built a photography business from the ground up, completely self taught. My husband and I knew we would never start a family while I was working for the dental group because the stress would be too much and the hours not conducive towards a happy work-life balance. I wanted a job where I could contribute to our family, while also being present for my kids and being able to do the sort of activities a stay-at-home parent can. I wanted flexible hours and I wanted to work for myself. I called up my sister’s friend and got a solid starting foundation. I knew the next steps: I enrolled in a half-day class on photography, and spent all my time over the next 1-2 months pouring over different facebook groups, teaching myself what I liked, my style, and how to run my own photography business. The rest is history! Seven years later I have grown and thrived in this environment and I can not imagine going back and working for someone else. All the decisions I make are the best I can make for my business, my sanity, and the well-being of our family. I am so fortunate to be a  working member of our family and to also be present at class parties, soccer, dance, etc. Plus, I absolutely love my job and I know I am one of the lucky ones that is able to honestly say that!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I have always been a creative person, even as a girl. From scrapbooking, to hand made presents, I thrived in these activities. This led to my love of taking pictures. When I was little, I would bring a little point and shoot camera to all our family vacations. I even brought one to my aunt’s wedding when I was about 9 or 10, and then made her an entire scrapbook with the pictures after the wedding day. I also have a long history in babysitting. Ever since I was 13 years old I would babysit little kids in our neighborhood, and continued to do so until I was 22. I would even babysit during college breaks! I realized quickly after starting my photography business that my niche was photographing children and families. I loved interacting with the kids, saying silly things to get them to smile, and building a genuine relationship during our session time together. Over the years I have had so many parents share with me that they love the connection I build with their kids, that they are so happy I can get even the shyest of kids to warm up and smile for me. And after we had our first son, I could totally relate to these parents, for example, the stressed out mom whose kid is grumpy about being forced to take pictures, since I had that experience many times! Having that experience with my son allowed me to use my parenting/past babysitting skills to turn it around, and still come out of the session with more than enough smiles to fill a gallery. I am proud of the standards I have set and the skills I bring to my sessions. I have enough tricks in my toolbox that I feel confident I will get those happy faces captured, and create a gallery of memories for families to have a lifetime.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I would say social media has played a huge role in my business. A mom who is looking on Instagram for a family photographer will look and see who took her friend’s pictures, hunt down the photographer, and scroll their Instagram feed. The pictures I choose to post and share represent me and my brand, and it is what draws families to me. Word-of-mouth also goes a long way! I have been doing this long enough now that several families will tell their friends about me and it just grows from there!

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

I post on Instagram, Instagram stories, and will email my client base periodically with upcoming mini sessions! I have been doing this for so long now that I can even call some of my clients my friends, and they are so sweet to support me and share with others the pictures and memories we create together. That way, others can see the images, see which photographer took them, and usually I will get a referral from it! Plus, I try and share about my mini sessions as early as possible, that way it gives all my current clients first dibs and they are not worried about scrambling last minute or anxious about not being able to book a session.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.kristinsillimanphotography.com
• Instagram: Instagram.com/Kristin_Silliman_Photography
• Facebook: Facebook.com/KristinSillimanPhotography

Image Credits
Kristin Silliman Photography LLC