We recently connected with Mikayla Bronkema and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Mikayla thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your business sooner or later?

If I could go back, I think I would have started my business sooner if I could have! But, many parts of life have played out to beautifully that I’m not sure I would change much of it!

I started photography back in high school, sometime in 2014. Photography became a really fun creative outlet for me and a nice way to make some money while in high school. The only thing that felt “legit” about my work was that I had a Facebook page for it- I mean, come on… that just screams professional-ha!

After a year and a half of college, I decided to add a minor in photography to my degree in Media Communications. I thought it would be the perfect compliment to my self-taught talents.

In 2018, I really began to pursue my “business” and marketed myself as a wedding videographer. As a collegiate basketball player, I basically had no time to do anything besides schoolwork and basic social gatherings. Each time that summer rolled around, I was able to dip my toes in more & more weddings. After a year and a half of college, I decided to add a minor in photography to my degree in Media Communications. I thought it would be the perfect compliment to my self-taught talents.

When I graduated college, I was looking high and low for a job that I would love! Everything I found just seemed “OK”. However, I finally accepted a position as a Marketing Manager in May of 2019 at an adhesive company in Rockford, MI. I was feeling really torn because I was working weddings on the weekend while still working 8-5 during the weekdays. I desperately desired to quit my job and pursue photography full time, but me and my husbands financial situation stood in the way as I was the primary source of our income.

As 2019 was coming to a close, my husband and I began to talk about what it would take for me to be able to quit my job- This was where the Lord really worked in my business! We decided that I would quit if I could book enough weddings to match what I make at my (then) current job. However, if I could first transition into being part-time that would be sufficient for the time being.

A few months later, I was preparing to have my first employee review with my boss. In this meeting I proposed that I go part-time, believing that I could handle all of my work responsibilities in 20 hours rather than 40 hours a week. When the answer to this proposal was “no”, I had to make the tough decision- quit and take a risk or keep my job and continue to daydream about photography. I had two weeks to decide. Within those two weeks, the Lord filled my inbox with so many wedding inquiries and I booked 10 more weddings!

In March of 2020 (yes, the infamous Covid year) I was able to step away from my 8-5 desk job and pursue a full-time career in photography! Once I went full-time, I hit the ground running and started to grow my business exponentially.

Since then, I have found creative freedom, doubled my income while taking on fewer projects, niched down to photograph what I’m most passionate about, led other women in photography and even started my family!

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 specialize in photographing Michigan based weddings and brands. I have a deeply client-centered, personal, and artistic-focused process. I love ensuring that my clients feel known, heard, and valued throughout the entire experience from first hello to gallery delivery.

I believe in storytelling, documenting the beautiful and honest and photographing moments and feelings that would otherwise go unseen. I provide images that people are truly excited and proud to share!

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Back in the spring of 2021, I found out that my husband and I were expecting our first baby. Though my excitement to be a mom was at an all time high, I had no idea how to balance being a mom and a self-employed creative. Little did I know that it was just what was needed to help me balance all areas in my life. It has taken me a lot of time (and still adjusting as I now have two children) to figure out how to create boundaries in my business to allow myself to still be creative and successful while simultaneously prioritizing my family.

The year that I was pregnant with my first, I profited the most in my business to-date. From that season to being a mom and photographer, there were many moments that I felt like a “failure”. However, after time, I realized that I was comparing my work and work-load to that of other photographers who were not in the same stage of life as I was. I was also placing an unrealistic expectation on myself for what I needed to accomplish. This was a time I really needed to pivot all parts of my business.

One of the first pivots I made was to set true boundaries around my business to support my family well. I did this by limiting the amount of weddings I would take on a year, not going over my limit of how many sessions I would take a week and increasing my prices. These changes have made my business sustainable and so enjoyable!

How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?

I find social media to be a fantastic way to stay up to date with my clients in a unique way! I love following them through their engagement season on that platform. Other than that, I make sure I follow up through email with my clients often during our time working alongside one another! I make sure my couples have the resources they need, any questions answers, etc. Knowing that my clients are seen and helped is really important to me! I think it’s so vital that they trust me during the full process so that when it comes to their wedding day, they have no reason to not fully trust me to do my job as well as I can!

Contact Info:

• Website: mikaylajean.co
• Instagram: @mikaylajeanco
• Facebook: Mikayla Jean &Co