Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Laeti Golden. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Laeti, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Taking care of customers isn’t just good business – it is often one of the main reasons folks went into business in the first place. So, we’d love to get a conversation going around how to best help clients feel appreciated – maybe you can share something you’ve done or seen someone do that’s been really effective at helping a customer feel valued?

One of the best things that I’ve done for my clients is giving them a thank-you gift. Especially when it comes to weddings. Couples are stressed about getting married with all of the to do’s to complete before the big day. One thing that I actually learned from another photographer, was to give my wedding clients a gift card ( prior to the wedding day ). Giving my wedding clients a gift card from Caribou or Starbucks ( if they’re into coffee ) or, if they’re health conscious, I will give them a gift card from Whole Foods. Not only does the couple appreciate the kind gesture, it takes some of the pressure off of planning there big day. They can go and get coffee and sit and relax for a bit after a busy day of planning their wedding or, go and grab a quick lunch with there gift card from Whole Foods so they don’t have to worry about making something for lunch or even dinner. I also give my wedding clients a thank-you gift after the wedding to show my appreciation for them allowing me to capture there beautiful day.

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’m a Lifestyle Photographer & Business owner in Minneapolis/Twin cities who specializes in couples and families. In the past I’ve also done weddings however, I’m no longer doing weddings as I’ve decided to move away from weddings and really concentrate on couples and families. I adore working with fun loving families who have a lot of energy, love and joy as I love creating their story in a more laid back style . What do I mean by that?, In short, I like to capture the moments between family members as opposed to a lot of posed images. Now, I make sure to do a couple of posed photos for families ( to share with friends, Parents, Grandparents etc. ) However, I really like to capture the realness and the true emotions of the families that I have the privilege of photographing. I like watching families interact with each other, I learn a lot from the families that I work with and seeing them all together, enjoying the moment, is what brings me joy! I’m a storyteller so, my lifestyle approach to photographing families is how I can really capture their story!

When it comes to couples, I also use a lifestyle storytelling approach. I like to capture those intimate moments of love, joy, fun and laughter with my couples. I let them just have fun and enjoy the moment which allows me to really capture their story. When you work with me, you will laugh, have a lot of fun and maybe even dance a little ( as this is something that I encourage in order to get my couples to feel comfortable and relaxed ) so that they enjoy the photo session and it doesn’t feel like work. My goal is to make sure my couples and families feel so comfortable in front of the camera, that they forget that I’m there.

The short version of how I got started in photography is, I picked up my first camera when I was 16 years old and I’ve been taking photos ever since. My Grandfather gave me my very first camera ( a Kodak 110 camera with the horrible blue flash tube ). Over the years, I practiced my craft using any camera I could get my hands on until I was given my very first 35mm film camera that my cousin Frank gave to me ( he was a photographer for over 30 years until he retired ). I practiced, studied, read lots of books, practiced some more taking pictures of any and everything and then, I decided I should go to school to learn more about photography. I attended MCTC ( Minneapolis Community & Technical College ) and graduated with a degree in Photography & Digital Imaging. After that, I continued to practice my craft ( shooting the occasional wedding, graduation, and portrait sessions ) all while working full time in corporate america until 2019. In 2019 ( right before the pandemic hit in 2020 ) I made a decision to leave my corporate job to pursue my career in Photography full-time by starting my own photography business. I decided that life was too short to continue to work in a cubicle doing something that was not fulfilling or satisfying and it was hands down the best decision that I ever made in my life! Despite the ups and downs and challenges that I’ve experienced since I started my own business, I know that I made the right decision and I haven’t looked back.

I like to keep my business pretty simple not only for myself but for my clients. From start to finish, I guide my clients every step of the way of the process when you book me for a photo session. To make my clients life easier, I make sure to walk them through the process by giving tips on how to prepare for a photo session with me, tips on posing, what to expect and I delivering there final images in a beautiful photo gallery where they can review there images and see there story unfold through a slideshow that I provide as well.

My goal is to make the process simple and easy. Everything from the contracts, model releases and payment is all in one place. I like to get to know my clients by having them complete a quick questionnaire ( and set-up a quick call ) so that I can find out what they need before a photo session. Every client is unique, so I want to make sure that the services that I’m providing for them are what they want and need so that when they walk away from the photo session, they feel great!

I’ve been told by families ( usually Mom ) that I have a way of making sure everyone has fun ( even when the grandkids don’t want to have there photos taken or the hubby is crabby ). I have a way of remaining calm when there’s chaos and I bring my positive energy to the session and that’s what keeps the kids and hubby happy.

When I work with couples, I’ve been told that I make them feel at ease, never leave them feeling awkward or like they don’t know what they’re doing because I guide them into fun loving natural poses. My couples have told me that they’re amazed at the images that I provide after a photo session and they can’t believe that’s them. It’s such a great feeling. I really have a blast with all of my couples and families because I have a passion for what I do and I want to make sure that everyone enjoys themselves. You never have to worry about things like where’s the best place for a photo session, what to wear, how to pose, what happens if the weather changes or anything like that. I really mean it when I say that I walk my families and couples through the process every step of the way. I don’t want my families to worry about what will happen if my kids are crabby and they don’t want to be there or my couples to worry about what to do next.

We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.

After I’ve worked with a client, have delivered their photo gallery and made sure that they’re satisfied with their delivery of images, I ask them if they’d like to sign-up for my email list. This allows me to keep them up to date on what’s going on in my business as well as letting them know when I’m running a special ( like mini sessions ) that they may be interested in. When it comes to families, a lot of the time, they want to have a family session every year to document the growing changes in the family so, if they’re on my email list, they’re the first to know when a sale or special is coming up ( before the public knows ). This allows them to have more flexibility when it comes to booking their next photo session with me plus, my V.I.P’s ( Very Inspired People ), get first dibs on sales and discounts. But, you have to be on my mailing list to get the special deals first.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Something that I learned from one of my photography coaches and mentor ( Natalie Jennings @photobizhelp ) Consistency! If you want to build your social media presence, you must be consistent. You can’t post one week and then not post again for 2 weeks ( unless you’re taking a break like I do from time to time when it comes to social media and if you are and you have a large following, make a post about your break so that when people come to your page, they no you’re on a break) . People need to see that you’re consistent as this builds trust. Also, don’t just post about sales. If the only time you post is when you have a sale or special, people will not trust you and think that all you want to do is sell them something. Social media is here for you to be social, not to sell, sell, sell. Also, people really want to get to know you, so show who you are, meaning SHOW YOUR FACE ! Now, I’m not saying show EVERYTHING you do when you’re not on social media but, you should show things like, the behind the scenes of your business, how you got to where you are today, and share some personal stories. People want to get to know you so, if all you show is sales or just your photos or photos about your business, then they don’t know the real you and don’t know what to expect when they work with you or choose to purchase what you’re selling.

When I first started on social media ( Instagram in particular ) at first, I just showed my photos. No photos of me, no photos of what I do, no photos of my behind the scenes so, I didn’t get the engagement that I do now. Now, I show more behind the scenes of my business so that people get to know me a little bit better. I also like to laugh and make people laugh, so sometimes I will post myself doing a silly dance or something like that. However, I make sure that I’m also providing my followers with information about my services, what it’s like to work with me, and what to expect if they choose to work with me . Basically, I like to share what my business looks like so that if they choose to work with me, they already have a little behind the scenes look of my business.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://laetiphotography.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laeti_1photography/?hl=en
• Linkedin: https://www.instagram.com/laeti_1photography/?hl=en
• Other: https://www.alignable.com/minneapolis-mn/laeti-photography