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

Robin, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear how you think where to draw the line in terms of asking friends and family to support your business – what’s okay and what’s over the line?

I often hear people talk about how their friends and family do not support their business. Most people think of support when it comes to business as “did they purchase my goods or services”. I often tell my friends and business associates that “most of the time your friends and family are not your clients, and guess what? That is okay.” Support doesn’t always come in the form of money. It comes in sharing with others what you do, texting, calling or emailing referrals. Speaking your names in rooms that you aren’t in. Support can look like listening, encouraging, think tanking and reviewing. Support can be them knowing when to tell you to take a break or helping you stuff packages. Support can be as simple as them seeing a social media post of someone else needing something that they know you can provide and tagging you. There are so many ways our friends and family support.

I think expecting our friends and family to purchase something and they have no use for (because they really aren’t our target market) is a waist of resources. It also hinders us from really finding and speaking to our audience. It can make the relationship seem monitized and support can look like so many more lucrative things.

I’m blessed to have such supportive friends and family. They cheer me on, refer people, bring whiskey and wine when I need to slow it down and share information they think that I could use. To me that is support.

Robin, 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?

I have been a photographer since 2015, I have always enjoyed taking photos of people, places and things. People would always tell me how nice the pictures I took were. Someone (Shout out to Kelly my good friends sister) suggested that I really should look into photography. I bought a camera was determined to know how to use it without rely on auto, hit the streets of DC and started taking pictures of everyone and everything. I taught myself photography on the streets, I took pictures of DC’s unhoused citizens and anyone walking by. I just wanted for people to see them how I saw them. I just kept taking pictures, Eventually it became a business. I am a founder of a full service Branding Agency, The Reflective Edge which is a team of creatives and we provide full scope branding services, from brand creation and guides to full video and commercial production. We are set apart from other branding photographers and videographers in that we are able to provide complete services for branding. Each member of The Reflective Edge is an expert in their industry from our branding consultant to our professional stylist.

I am also Co-Founder of The Vision Board Media Collective. We use the power of media to promote social change and educate and train other creatives in the art of heart centered story telling. We are currently working on a documentary and photo-activism project called “Reclaim and Rebuild: The Stories of Returning Citizens”. We are working with state and national organizations to help change legislation that would change the way people re-enter society after years of incarceration.

As Robin Kenyetta the photographer I shoot portraits and travel with retreat hosts to tell the story of transformation, selfcare, relaxation and fun/turn-up on national and international retreats!

I think because I do have a business using my creativity, that it is equally important, if not more, I use my creativity as an offering of love, activism and support.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I think what helped me build my reputation as a branding photographer, well a photographer all together is my desire for people to feel seen and for them to see themselves through the vantage point of others and not the narrative and story that they have created about themselves. From the client feedback that I receive they speak more to the experience and how they felt than they do even about the end result of imagery. Many have said that they have been changed by their session. That they have been motivated by it and come out more confident. Yes, I deliver beautiful professional images but the impact is in them leaving better than they walked in. Focusing on that, focusing on their experience and not just the deliverable keeps it authentic and a love filled interaction while getting what they need.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I would say one of the biggest resources that I wished I would have leaned into years ago, even a couple of businesses ago, is community. You really can’t do anything alone. It is very hard to go far alone nor do you have to. Self made to me is not a badge of honor but an unnecessary struggle and a complete illusion. There is nothing you can do alone in business. Whether that is getting referrals or gathering information. We need someone else for it all. Even if you don’t personally know the people helping you, it doesn’t take away from the fact that someone is helping, whether that is paid information, free knowledge or game. Someone telling someone about your service or even sharing your social media content, nothing happens without someone else. Once you start embracing that and leaning into that, things shift. Your gratitude shifts and ultimately your clients and business do too. Having a few people in your corner who understand your current challenges (peers) , also having a few people in your corner who have gone where you are working to get to can be life saving. Not everyone gets this journey. Seeking counsel from those who have gone past and through your struggle and are now on the other side can bring perspective that you can’t get from your peers. It is a big investment in yourself and your business. I don’t think your community has to be large but having someone who understands where you are now AND someone who has come out successful can be a vital part of your supporting line up.

Contact Info:

• Website: thereflectiveedge.com, thevisionboardmedia.com, robinkenyetta.com
• Instagram: the.reflective.edge, robin.keyetta.photog, thevisionboardmediacollective
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheReflectiveEdge, https://www.facebook.com/robinkenyetta/
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/robin-kenyetta

Image Credits
Profile image of myself (photographer) – Photo Credit: Courtney Ramsey of Courtney Ramesey & Company The attached images of my body of work were all taken by me. Robin Kenyetta