We recently connected with Madison Gray and have shared our conversation below.

Madison, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love for you to start by sharing your thoughts about the pros and cons of family businesses

My thoughts on family business are simple. Communication and structure are key and when we are working, we are not family. That sounds harsh, but it’s true. To be able to separate family things like who pissed who off (cause we are human and people piss each other off) and focus on the business is one of the hardest things we have had to understand. I feel very fortunate to have worked for and as a partner and owner, with my mom.

I think in many ways a family business can be very strong, empowering and incredibly successful but on the flip side if there is not a solid structure separating the family from the business, I think it could be very difficult and in times fail. (but not us!)

My mom started Bad Kitty Photography when I was a little girl. I remember she used the spaces we had in our actual home as shooting areas in the beginning, then to the converted garage, then a studio space and now we are in 20+ cities with a full roster of traveling photographers!

I never really saw myself working for Bad Kitty until I was about 16 or so. Around that time I started hanging around the studio more, was around clients and the vibes of the active studio. It was then when I saw how awesome this place grew to be and wanted to be apart of it. Let’s just say I was not given the easy route as a photographer or now as an owner because “I was the owners daughter”. It was quite literally the opposite. She said no three times before she allowed me to even think about training to be a photographer and I was not 18 yet! Flash forward, 27 years old, now I am the owner. It seems surreal that I now am doing the same things she did.

Being an employee to a family business and owning a family business are two very different worlds but with time, energy, respect and team work, together she and I run this company as seamlessly as we can. We are always trying to come up with ways to reach new markets, inspire our photographers, inspire ourselves and with a few swear words and some serious creative process, we proudly stand together as a mother daughter duo that no body can touch!

Madison, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Bad Kitty Photography, a boudoir photography studio, hit the market in 1997 started by Cinnamon Gray (my mama) Twenty plus years later I, Madison Gray, now own and run Bad Kitty with her right by my side! Boudoir photography has been taboo for years, as if sexuality should be, but not for us! We celebrate all bodies in shapes, sizes, ages, tattoo’s or lack of, colorful hair or natural and all that comes with individuality. Along with celebrating all bodies we celebrate all women and those who identify as such. You want to be demure? Okay! You want something sultry? Let’s do it! You wanna be in that birthday suit? Yes ma’am!!!

Our company motto stands strong at,” A place where good kitties can be bad and bad kitties can be themselves”.

I have met so many different and interesting people over the years of being with Bad Kitty both as a photographer and now as the owner and the one thing that always blows my mind is how empowering boudoir photography can be. To see a shy, nervous person at the start of a shoot but leave as a powerful, excited, strong person?! I know the job was well done. We play many roles here at Bad Kitty. Not only are we here to dazzle you up, make you feel sexy, beautiful and powerful but we are also human and are here to listen to your story. The wonderful, terrifying, hysterical stories I’ve been told by my clients makes it feel like we are making a difference to people and if only one, that is one less person who hasn’t been heard.

I am most proud of our team. This show couldn’t go on without all of our CRAZY TALENTED, smart, creative girl boss photographers, editors and admin!!

We like to be a one stop shop providing our clients with hair and makeup styling, editing, props, lights, ideas and experience. We know our industry like the back of our hands. We as a team like to be as real as possible. You wont need to deal with crappy customer service voices when you interact with any of us. No ma’am, we are gonna be real with you and we want you to be real with us. I think that is something that sets Bad Kitty apart from other boudoir studios is that we want you to look and feel amazing but we always want you to walk away feeling like family because that’s what we are!

We are also very aware that photography can be wickedly expensive and we want everyone to be able to experience that model life! We have a full break down of FAQ’s and shoot/package prices on our website, www.badkittyphotography.com

The biggest and most important thing I want clients to take away from this is that not only can Bad Kitty spice up your pillow talk life or help drive that confidence back into your daily routine or give the best damn holiday gift ever, but that we are here for you. Without our clients, we wouldn’t have some of the best work days ever.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I believe the most rewarding aspect of being a creative human is being able to look at art on a daily basis. By that I mean, I oversee all shoots that come in for edit and for final sales. Each photographer we have is so talented but very different in how they shoot. For example, our New Brunswick and Philadelphia photographer was trained by yours truly. When I see her shoots come in, I see a lot of what I taught her, poses I showed her, lighting tricks, etc but now after about 4 years of her shooting with us, I get to see what she finds exciting behind her camera or what amazing outfit that weeks client brought in to shoot with. Style is personal and to be able to teach a style is very rewarding but I truly do believe the most rewarding part of being a creative and working with creatives is seeing what they do that makes them proud.

It really is so awesome to see creative people doing creative things and doing them so well we have returning clients annually to do it al over again.

Any advice for managing a team?

Treat them as equals and as humans. It can be so easy to over see someones personal lives as a manager or owner. Remember that we as humans need reassurance and assistance but also room to simply be. If they have questions, openly take them and remember that words have impact. There are respectful ways to teach someone versus scold them into doing it “your way”.

I can’t think of any photographer that we have ever had that was not treated with the same respect they gave us. At the end of the day, you can’t expect people to work hard with and for you when you are sitting around being a jerk for no good reason. Nah, we don’t do that.

Group chats are always fun too- it doesn’t always have to be about serious work things. I send GIF’s and Meme’s to our girls, just cause. Being able to personally relate to your people on a friend and family base is just as important as being able to turn boss mode on and get to that grind. Now I know you can’t always get away with that in the corporate world, but we aint corporate so it works for us!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.badkittyphotography.com
• Instagram: @badkittyphotography
• Facebook: Bad Kitty Photography
• Yelp: Bad Kitty Photography
• Other: Coming to TikTok April 1st 2022!! @badkittyphotography

Image Credits
Bad Kitty Photography