We recently connected with Renee Back and have shared our conversation below.

Renee, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.

I have never once done a model call. Even while building my portfolio initially When I need something for portfolio, I go to someone with influence and ask them privately to do a free session with my specifics in exchange for them sharing my work of them/their family. Because of this, everyone thinks every one of my sessions were paid and I was able to charge more right away. I didn’t shoot for a low amount that wouldn’t be worth it and I only worked with ideal clients. It was always win-win!

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 had been a photographer with a national studio for 10 years and always wanted my own business. In 2020, I decided to learn because even after all those years, I didn’t really understand how to get the photos I wanted with my own camera. Since that was the worst year to start an in-person business, I started helping other photographers with all their questions. If I didn’t know something, I found out. Slowly, I started gaining clients and realized that when you treat everyone with respect and you spread positivity, everyone is drawn to you. Clients loved how I made them feel and they spread the word. But I also found great satisfaction in helping other photographers build their own businesses. I was a cheerleader in several photo communities. And I also love helping businesses understand their brand and grow. I often give advice on social media, websites, CRMs, gallery services or anything else anyone needs. My brand is about empowering others with the tools they need to succeed. Many just need someone in their corner to tell them they’re enough. And I love being that for someone, whether that’s a business, a photographer or just another human. I just want others to know they are beautiful and they are enough.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

I wanted authentic followers, not ones I paid for, not ones that followed because of a viral trend. I built my social media by being myself and genuinely interacting with other accounts. I didn’t spam anyone. I tried to be positive and encouraging. Growth took place when I stepped out of my comfort zone. Stories, lives, etc. Especially when collaborating with others. I realized that consistency was the most important. And when commenting on others’ posts or dm’ing, be genuine. Social media is meant to be SOCIAL. And it’s ok to start over if your social media no longer aligns. It’s not about numbers. It’s about people.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

The absolute biggest impact in how I ran my business was being introduced to a mindset coach, Brad Bizjack. Before that, I wondered how to grow my business. I didn’t know why things that worked for others didn’t work for me. After working with him, even briefly, I realized I already had everything I needed to succeed. I was holding myself back because of perfectionism and fear of failure. I started taking risks, knowing failure was as an acceptable outcome. It made me realize that if I reached for a mountain peak but only got halfway, I would still have a way better view than if I safely stayed at the bottom. Now opportunities seem to just come my way, even from unexpected places.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kevinandrenee.co
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kevinandrenee.co/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/renee.back.35?mibextid=2JQ9oc
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/renee-back-4623b118a
• Youtube: https://www.YouTube.com/@kevinandrenee

Image Credits
Image of us: Becky Willard Photography All other images: Kevin and Renee Photography