015: Starting A Senior Business From Scratch | A Studio Secrets Case Study With Kelly Hite
/If you’ve been listening to the podcast lately, you know that we are right in the middle of our Studio Secrets launch. So I wanted to sneak in another interview for you guys on a not so normal release day. Today I’m talking to my friend, Kelly, who went through Studio Secrets with me this last round. You are going to love her story!
If you don’t know what Studio Secret is, I’m gonna sum it up for you real fast.
This is my business mentoring program that only opens up once a year & I am so stoked to welcome in a whole new group of photographers this week!
If you're tired of the overwhelm, tired of the fall insanity, tired of not having time for your family and want to set your business up for success, then this is for you.
Studio Secrets is a 6 month business coaching intensive. Well, what does that even mean? That means that you get me guiding you through setting up systems for your business so it’s not so stressful anymore. That means you get a 15 module course with everything you would ever need to run a senior photography business. I’ll go through those in a minute just so you know what they are. And it also means that you have all of my templates, tools, and resources that I personally use in my own business to use as your own - senior inquiry & prep magazine, emails, questionnaires, workflow, marketing plans, spreadsheets, consult scripts. You name it, it’s in there.
Here are the modules. I’ll try to go fast:
Your dream business
Branding & Messaging
Systems
Productivity
Workflow
Pricing & Products (plus my in person sales system)
Website
The Client Experience (from inquiry to the order delivery)
Marketing
Model Teams (with an entire done for you model team launch plan)
Instagram
Blogging
Pinterest
Becoming The CEO
Overcoming Fears & Excuses
See what I mean? EVERYTHING! And I hold your hand through the whole thing with hot seat coaching calls and a private FB Community full of other photographers going through the exact same process at the same time as you. If you listened to Robbye & Amanda’s interviews last week, you heard us talk about that community a lot. Kelly talks about it a lot today too.
I built Studio Secrets on a 4 part framework focusing on these core areas of your business - Branding, Pricing, Workflow & Marketing. With systems inside each one of those core areas, we will build the business of your dreams.
Maybe you’ve tried the $35 memberships. Maybe you’ve tried the pretty templates. You may have even tried the one subject courses out there or asked all your questions in the free Facebook groups. I’m guessing here because I did all of that too, hoping for those quick fixes for my business. Sadly, not a lot of that worked. So I went to work to figure it out. I became obsessed with systems & learning how to run a business. I invested thousands of dollars in experts outside of our industry & little by little, I started getting the right things in place. Now my business fully supports me & I want that so badly for you too. I see the struggle, especially right now in the fall. I hear the pain pouring through the Facebook posts when you are deliriously tired from all the late night editing. It doesn’t have to be like that, you guys.
How would it feel to save for retirement? To go on a guilt-free vacation? To close your laptop at 5pm? To not work nights & weekends? It’s doable, you guys. And I would love to help get you to that place in your life and business.
So this is what I hear from you guys.
Yeah, but Jena . . .
"I’m not ready."
Hey, it’s not a matter of how ready you are.
It’s a matter of how committed you are to your businesses & your goals. You'll never be 100% ready.
"I'm swamped. Not sure I have the time."
That’s the whole point, to go through the process & set up your business in a way so that you aren’t swamped anymore.
"I’ve bought courses & programs before & they didn’t work."
This isn't a bandaid for your business.
This is 6 months of intensive coaching to get to the root problems in your business, set up your systems & fix it once and for all.
"I’ve only been in business a few years."
If I could go back to the beginning & have someone help me completely set up my business to be successful, I would jump on that opportunity & give anything to have all those wasted hours of my life back that I could have been spending with my kids.
"I’ve been in business for 15 years. I just need to tweak a few things."
I hope you’ll listen to Kelly’s interview today and go back to listen to Robbye & Amanda’s too. They thought all of these things too. And now they are on the other side of all those fears and all the excuses.
If I’ve peaked your interest just a little bit, stop what you are doing to go grab a seat inside one of my BTS tours of Studio Secrets or just come join us now for another 6 months of awesomeness! I’ll be there waiting to give you a big virtual hug and invite you inside.
You can go to www.seniorstudiosuccess.com/studiosecrets to get all the details.
Alright, let’s officially start today’s episode with Kelly Hite of Kelleen Hite Photography. She joined Studio Secrets last year and was kind enough to let me interview her so that you guys would actually know what the Studio Secrets experience is all about. I can give you lots of details, but these girls tell their stories and I just love that. So, here we go with Kelly . . .
Jena 0:00
Hey, Miss Kelly, thank you. Thank you so much for being here with me. I'm so excited to get to chat with you today. I love having you inside studio secrets, I loved mentoring you. And I just want to ask you some questions today about it. Are you so excited?
Kelly 0:17
I'm so excited that I have such a plethora of information to share.
Jena 0:25
Ah, you get bonus points already. Let's, let's do this. Let's start with tell me about you. Your business, um, how it has maybe grown through the last couple of months. And you know, if you enjoy studio secrets being in it, tell me a little bit.
Kelly 0:46
So I started photography in 2007 and I was a family and wedding portrait photographer. I retired in 2018. And was never going to shoot again. I was actually 17. And then right before the pandemic, I decided maybe I’ll go back, which was just great timing on my part. And when I first started, after I came back from being out of the country, right when COVID happened, I started Googling senior photography and came across Jena. And even before studio secrets in all honesty, when I met Jena and started talking to her, it was life-altering for me as far as my business. I do not think I would be where I am right now if it was not for you. And I mean that from the very bottom of my heart. I mean the good, the bad, everything that I've been through, you have been there for me. So, I, studio secrets is just an extension of that. I think it's hard for me to answer just about studio secrets because I feel like my journey in senior photography has been with you. And I was blessed to find you it started with just the information you're willing to share on your website was unreal, it was also introducing me to Trello and yet, I still don't use it correctly, but I really try and without it, I can't even imagine why it would be, something as simple as that. So for my business, it was a culmination I feel like we had touched on so many things and mentoring and then when I got to Studio Secret, it was like all of it was put into a box and organized by file. And it was the perfect way to go through it. And it just was really what I needed. At the time when I needed it.
Jena 2:41
oh, that's, you know, I’ve never heard it described like that, like put into a file box.
Kelly 2:49
It really is and it's just, it's organized and it's funny because I will find myself getting to something ahead and I will refer back to what I did. And I think the other thing which is you can cut this part out why I'm so excited to do again, is I feel like there was so much information that I breezed over that now I get to go back through and the other thing too is I feel like I know myself in this business better like it's weird because and I said this to you when I started, having done it for 15 years before I met you. Um I felt like I knew but it was such a different genre that I picked up that and things had changed in the time that I took off, like I was kind of like what is going on here and just not being brides but now being seniors, it's just a little bit different and that having all that information and being able to kind of refer back I would I saw my own growth through it and I can't even imagine as I continue to be able to refer back to that how beneficial it is.
Jena 3:47
No that's the whole point and we have lots of photographers who will, you know, come back to something, you'll work on a piece and then you'll come back to it and something will change in your business and you need to rework something it's all about just going back, falling back into that system having those little steps and tweaking them for you.
Kelly 4:12
Well I think realizing too that it's never perfect even when you think you've finished it and you're like okay, I'm not going to have to go back to that again, you still have to go back to it which is very hard for me. I like to be able to finish it wrap it up in a box and put it away not that I ever finish in the box but I like to think I am and so I like knowing that there was an evolution, that I can, that it was okay to come back and figure out okay, I'm going to get there, I'm gonna get there and I know that, that will continue and I'm okay with that.
Jena 4:39
Well, the world is ever changing this, you know.
Kelly 4:42
Yes, especially when we do something like this where we have, like I even think of the changes in Instagram from when studios secrets ended to now and I can't even imagine by the time we start again and then end again what they'll do and that's just one factor of it. You know, we obviously just Instagram being one thing, so.
Jena 5:00
Yeah, absolutely, yeah. Um, it's crazy how fast things change. But the foundational pieces, you know, the vision for your business.
Kelly 5:11
That’s exactly it and I feel like that solid. I feel like the way we started it made you think that through Where do you see yourself and I will be honest, I feel like even if I answer my questions now for one, five and 10 years, it will have evolved some because I've evolved too not just as a photographer, but as a parent, and as a wife and where my life is has changed from where I was a year ago.
Jena 5:34
Yeah, and it will. But it gives you something to strive for.
Kelly 5:38
Yes. And honestly, it's like that safety net under a tervis, you know, that you're like, I can get up there and get flying, but I've got a place to fall on and be like, Okay, what would I do? And I think that's kind of where these systems come into play. And it just you feel like, you know how you want to take those steps to continue it to get back on track?
Jena 5:59
Yeah, I love that. That's really cool. Kelly. Well, um, so let's do this. And you said, um, you know, before studio secrets, everything was brand new and fresh in the senior world because you were, you had been established in the family and wedding industry. And yeah, starting seniors is a, It's a whole new beast. Right? So describe.
Kelly 6:23
A whole new and different than it was a couple of years ago before I took a break like this whole generation is completely different than before.
Jena 6:32
Yes, they are. Um, so they do this describe your business at the very beginning of our journey together, and, and maybe how it is now and where you think it's gonna go, if you want to tackle that part of the question.
Kelly 6:51
So when I started, obviously no clients, I did have a senior last year, which I did not recommend starting your business to hear you have a senior, you may think it's great because you know, lots of kids, but it was very stressful for said senior parent. But on the flip side of that, I feel like I learned a lot about what to share with parents this year, I feel like I'm a wealth of knowledge. I mean, last night, I had a call and I was on with a girl who is applying to colleges, and I was giving her advice because I obviously watched my daughter just do it. And so a lot of that I think it's beneficial. But at the same time, it was really stressful. I feel like I missed out on some things that she'd been doing. But that's a part of it. So I didn't really have many clients. And I remember talking with Jena, and she's like this is going to take off for you, this is going to take off for you. And I feel like one of the best parts about having a business and coming back is knowing I'm not going to start in a place where I'm selling my stuff for $100 or $200 or $300. And making that and working my fingers to the bone. And you were very good about reminding me about it on a regular basis. So it was kind of working through that blend of being in a new genre, but still completely being able to shoot, I wasn't learning how to take pictures, I wasn't learning the camera. But I was learning how to work with a different genre, even though I have that same age range in my house, but to work with ones that are not my kids, and to work with the parents of those kids, which to me was a lot like working with a bride's Mom, I still love the mothers. And then on the flip side, it was also trying to balance being a new business when I wasn't really a new business. And that was I'll be honest, I think that was the hardest part for me. And as I continued to evolve through the class, she, you were right. I mean, I ended up with Well, I mean, I have 14 times the amount of clients this year, and all that I have last year is four, Wow, that a great improvement.
Jena 8:48
Already.
Kelly 8:49
But it also allowed me to decide how I want my business to be and honestly from finishing the class and finishing the class of 21 at the end of June, whatever that was, to now my business has evolved for what I want. And I think the greatest part about it, and you preach this all the time is to scale your business for where you are in your life. You said that to me a year ago, and you continue to say it to me, and it is probably the best, I think it needs to be a bumper sticker. And it's the beauty of what we do. And it's the beauty of systems and it's the beauty of where you are once you get your things set up. Don't keep changing them like I do, that you feel like I can evolve based on where I need to be. If right now I'm at a place where I'm really busy with family or life or whatever it is I'm going to scale back a little bit. But at the same time, it's something you can push forward and say no, this is where I want to be because I want to do this full time and I want it to be the business that supports my family. Um, and so for me personally, if you'd asked me six months ago, I was all in crazy. As I said to you, it's been an emotional week because I dropped my first kid off to college this week, and I don't want to miss any of that. So I've made a decision, I still comply, my, a, that will not change. But I want to do less clients more because not I have something else going on. That's workwise, I have something going on, that's personal. But I need to choose what that is. And I feel like the way my pricing structure is and the way my systems are, it allows me to step away and come back. And as I continue to refine it, based on what I learned, I know that that will get better and better. And to me tha,t that's huge for my business growth and, and work-life balance and personal growth as well.
Jena 10:32
One in a present that, it's awesome for your family, right. And that is such a beautiful lesson to learn is that you're in charge of your business, you get to run it the way that you want to, the world doesn't run your business.
Kelly 10:47
And also knowing you can run it as you evolve. But the way you run it for this path may it's like as you know, I don't have a model team, I would like to add when my goal was in 23. But I decided for 22 it was not what I was going to do, because I had, it would have been during the time that I was enjoying my seniors time with my 21 graduate my own graduate. So I put it off. And I know that eventually, I will add it because I did have a mock team and I loved this goal so much that I want to have that. But I liked that I could make changes and you constantly remind me that it's my business, I need to work it the way that it's best for me, not the way that it's best for anybody else. And it's the right season of your life, you have to do it with your own season of life. And, and respect and give yourself grace for where you are.
Jena 11:36
100% and you know, we talk a lot about that the very beginning of the course with setting or talking about our priorities, our values, our boundaries are non-negotiable. Like Yeah, you're a mom, you have a senior go into college.
Kelly 11:55
I don’t want to miss it, don’t make you cry,
Jena 11:58
Don’t miss it. Okay, we're not crying, okay.
Kelly 12:00
But I would say that that's the other thing too, is that with the course and the way that you can refer back to your workbook, you can go back and it's like I said to you, I feel like I would change how I answered some of that six months later. And I think that's the good thing is it gives you the questions to ask yourself. It's like having a therapist to say where is it that you want to be? And it makes you have to, you know, you have to do the work, you have to look at yourself and say what do you want, but it allows you to evolve and know why you're making the choices you're making instead of just willy nilly doing things.
Jena 12:32
Yes, you have to know the why. And then you know, we talk towards well throughout the course but a lot there at the end once we have the pieces in place about really becoming not just the photographer, right, not just the business owner, but the CEO of your business and running it like a business owner. And that is a hard place to be.
Kelly 12:35
If you want to get stuck in the minutiae.
Jena 12:58
You do. But learning how to and I know that this is a process right? learning how to let go of some control and outsource and delegate and do those evaluations like you're talking about know that you can make better decisions, but that is ongoing right that is it's such, it's a hard process.
Kelly 13:22
But I think anyone that runs a business has to do that. No business stays the same. Nothing is black and white. So I think any business has to do that. It's just, I feel like that's what studio secrets does is it gives you a roadmap for how to go through and make those choices and then refer back to it and make those choices again, it's kind of like having a business advisor that says this is what you need to look at. And that way you can refer back to it to know where the changes need to be made.
Jena 13:51
That's cool Kelly. That's awesome. Um, let's do this. Let's uh, let's talk about maybe the favourite area of your business that you got to work on.
Kelly 14:05
Not pricing,
Jena 14:07
Not pricing. Yeah.
Kelly 14:09
Not pricing. I think the biggest thing for me I'm looking at it over here as I look at it, I love the marketing side which is so funny I feel like that was really what I wanted to get the most out of it was marketing. And I do feel like it gives you again as we talked about using Trello and laying out for my clients, their workflow and knowing I've hit every part of the marketing scheme of what I needed to do and having that organizational instead of like oh my gosh, I love this person. Oh my gosh, I have to do this. I feel like there's a bit more organization to it which I really hope to refine for class of 22 so that by 23 it's a smoother system. I would say that and then I feel like the building the foundation and building your brand. I feel like it evolved even more after I finished. And I'm actually looking forward to referring back to those two again because I feel like I'm more sure of who I am. And this leads into something we talked about when we started and whether or not I would recommend studio secrets. And I'm just going in because I'm going to say it right now on here. So the beauty of what I found for studio secrets, and this refers back to exactly what I keep saying, as I say, I'm going to go back to it again, is that I'm a new photographer, but an old photographer, I think it works no matter where you are, because we're changing parts of our business because we evolved as human beings as well. So the person that I was when I started studio secrets is not the same person that I am now. And I love that I get to go back and see it. So for me, I feel like no matter where you are in your business, it gives you this, this entry point to assess where you are, and go with the system and add it on what you need now, you know, it's not saying it has to be this way, saying, look, if you set it up like this, then you can come in and you can do these things. And I feel that way, like with a brand. I mean, who starts off and says this is exactly who I am. And I feel like last year when I first started, people were saying to me, who is your ideal client? And I can honestly say I had no idea. Because I hadn't worked with enough clients to know, a year and a half later, I can very much see my ideal client. It's much easier now. So referring back to that information helps me and I'm a very established photographer, and I'm, I'm I feel like I still all relevant. So an answer to that question. I think it's literally every single person that shoots a camera and has a business need something that is a roadmap. And that's what I'd be like this did for me, I don't know that I told you what my favourite part was, oh, also, I'm getting productive that we did with Trello. My least favourite is overcoming fears and excuses. Because I'm not good with mindset.
Jena 16:57
So we're working on that. We're working through it. Kelly, that is, that is something that you have to work on daily, right?
Jena 17:07
I do, too. Yes, a 100%.
Jena 17:09
it's so hard to get your head straight sometimes. Because one little thing can happen, one whole thing can pop up. And man, it will turn you upside down, right. And that's where you have to really just stay consistent about, about training your brain, right? To stay on track. Um, I will own that, too. It is very difficult for me too, um, let's, let's switch gears. Let's talk about the community aspect of it. And how have you enjoyed having that group of women to do business with?
Kelly 17:51
Well, I'm very shy. So getting.
Jena 17:53
You’re not shy.
Kelly 17:57
I have to say, I mean, it's so funny, because I've been in other groups, it's the one group that I still have friends with. I mean, I don't know all these names. But there's one girl that we talk to every single day about everything. It's not just this, we talk about everything. We talk at least four times a day on either FaceTime or on phone. And there's quite a few that I'm like that with. And I just, I think that was probably the greatest part. Because it really is good. We work by ourselves all the time. And to have it's like having other people that you can bounce an idea off of and having that conversation or for them doing the same thing to say that it will be best do it this way, or being able to do that is it's huge. And well our zoom calls would get off track, always because the group of people and you start talking. I also feel like it allowed us to connect. And to put a name to a face and to feel like we could share what our frustrations are we could talk about where we were, and just communicate with other people that are in the same situation. And some are a little bit ahead of you or some you know like I have one girl that I talked to that has a killer model team and what she does with the model team and then I have another one that I talked to you with what she does with Trello and you know she struggled with sending them of,f some of the same mindsets I do so she and I talk about that and just knowing you're not alone but also having somebody that is maybe further ahead of you than something else I can say why don't you try this is it's just awesome. Yeah, I would probably say that that is the best part. Like I don't know that there is another educational thing I've done, that was done with a community in mind and I feel like you should change the name to this studio secrets to community and therapy.
Jena 19:53
And therapy. Don't make me cry. You know, it's always at least once on every zoom call there was somebody crying.
Kelly 20:01
Yes, yes and I think that's what makes you feel like you're getting somewhere like, yeah, there's so much I feel like I do on a daily basis that I'm like, am I even getting anywhere and so that I would feel like I get off. And I feel like it was a refreshing thing. And I always hate when I had to miss one because I felt like I was missing out on the best part of the module. And not that there isn't a lot of education. And I would say this because I don't think we talked about this as anything we were going to discuss, I'm going to put this out there to your behalf to slice me to death. But what I loved about the modules is that you could read them, and you could watch them, I am a reader, I am not a watcher and love that I could read it. And then there were other people that I knew that loved watching it. So I'm the antithesis of Gen Z, who loves to watch everything. I like to read everything I read and also I watch. And when I start watching something, I start doing this. When I read, I pay attention. That's why I can't do audiobooks. I can't do any of that stuff. I enjoy the podcast, because all of a sudden, I'm like, what's happening over there. So I loved that with this system, it was huge for me that I could read it, instead of just watching it, I got a million times more out of it than I have anything else I've ever been. And so I love that part of it. But I do think the community is huge. And I would say one of the things that I hope stays, is that there is a maximum amount of people that are in it. And that's it. Because I think we had just enough that I feel like everyone kind of knew each other. People kind of definitely had people they still feel like they know. But I literally think I had a side conversation with every single person that was in that group. I just, I love the community. There's nothing you can do to improve that. It was amazing.
Jena 21:54
Yeah, it's very close-knit. I love that. Yeah, we didn't. We didn't just talk about business.
Kelly 22:00
No.
Jena 22:01
No, we didn't get like crazy off track. But we knew where everybody went like, there was a girl in there who was having problems getting pregnant, and now we're getting to celebrate that she's about to have a baby, right? I mean, like, it's just really, stuff and women who get you to if you're having a really crappy day, you know, you can call.
Kelly 22:28
Yes, huge. It was huge. I can't. I felt like I had that in my wedding groups. And a lot of more were local. We had a lot of wedding photographers getting together and when I started in seniors, I felt very out to the side. I had no, it was very established groups. And I was like, where do I go with this? And I still struggle with that because I took the time away. Um, but I feel like this group made up for a lot of that, and I'm thankful for that.
Jena 22:54
That's awesome. Oh, that makes me so happy. Kelly. I'm so so let's do this. What? What do you feel like maybe had? What part had the biggest impact on your business?
Kelly 23:12
I don't know. I feel like there was such little bits of sprinkled confetti everywhere. Um, that I feel like, you know, and it's funny too because I feel like when I went through it, it's the busy season it was. It started to be my busy season. Because I'm in Florida so I'm almost the exact opposite of everyone else. So you know where everyone else is busy through the summer. We're not shooting in the summer. It is raining here every day and be it's so awful. We don't want to be outside. So that was the hard part for me is I felt like I was constantly trying to make sure I was on top of it.
Jena 23:52
Yeah.
Kelly 23:53
And I think it's being the system's will probably be the biggest thing because every time I was in that situation, I would think but if I had my system set up, I wouldn't feel so overwhelmed. And that was really my goal through this summer. Did I mention I had a kid who graduated and a year-round swimmers. So unfortunately my summer was spent doing those things. Um, so I really would like to, that's my goal as I go through 22 is to really decide. I think the other thing I figured out too, in the systems part is that it has to be based on your own path. And it's no, it's just like figuring out your own client and figuring out your own path. But it's good to have a template to say at least I can see where I need to be. That was beneficial and I didn't have any of that before that so I have to take that and do it but I think between Trello and systems that was the biggest part for me.
Jena 24:46
Yeah and see it's somebody else's.
Kelly 24:48
Yes.
Jena 24:49
It kind of puts a little light bulb moment in for you like yeah, might not be able to do it exactly like that, but it gives you information to stage up your own work.
Kelly 24:55
But it makes you think it's about, Okay, if you, You're doing that this is why it wouldn't work for me. But this is why this would yeah, it really helps to see it in action and, and make it flow together. And I think that's the other thing that goes back to the community too when you have that many different people, nobody's doing it the same way. So just hearing somebody else's idea and thinking, Oh, my gosh, that would be perfect for me. Or I can take that idea and expand on it and do this, is just, it's just huge. So I would probably say systems, Trello and the community were the three biggest impacts but I have.
Jena 25:34
That’s huge. That's really cool. Yeah, I'm just thinking about different seasons of life that way, like, okay, yeah, you have high school kids in sports. So maybe you couldn't do it this way. And somebody else has a newborn, and they can't do it this way. But this other way will work. Yeah. So that's cool.
Kelly 25:54
And we're all going through, even if you don't have kids, like or if your kids are at the house, there are other things that come along all the time.
Jena 26:01
We have parents that were taking care of everything. Yes.
Kelly 26:05
It's not just parenting.
Jena 26:07
And some are working full-time jobs, too. Yeah.
Kelly 26:11
So I mean, it definitely is a, it's definitely a trying to figure out how to put all the puzzle pieces together, it's good to have a guide that says, here's where I would start from.
Jena 26:23
Yeah, that's, um, so playing off of that, um, do you think that systems, setting up systems, setting up habits and routines, does that help you keep like, work, work and life, life, like keeping them separate and not? Not letting them hopefully get in the way of each other too much or overlap too much?
Kelly 26:50
I think it's always hard when you have your own business, and we have a very personal business. Yeah, we and, I'm a very, like hard on my sleeve, personal kind of person. So that's probably my biggest struggle which goes back to mindset that I have to work on and really figuring out that the problem is not a big problem. And that's, that's a Kelly issue. Um, but I do, I feel to the, my core, that if I do my systems, the way that we've talked about in the program, that it will reduce my stress in my life, and make my work and life balance, so much more insane. I’m 82 so for me, the working on things when I don't want to work on them like you're so good about things, Sunday is the day that I sit down, and I do this, I do not do anything on Saturday and Sunday. I'm adamant about that. But there are times when I'm like, I just wish she did and I did it yesterday, I wouldn't hate myself so much. So some of that is working through making it fit, which is, a, me thing, not a systems thing. But I do feel to my core that when my systems are where I need them to be, or at least a better flow, especially my automated systems. And you know, I don', I don't use the same automated system you do, I use the one that has calculus. And so I do understand it better now than I did. That was another big breakthrough I had when I was doing it when I figured out how to solve my calculus problem. But once I have that flowing, and I know how it all comes together because that's something my ADD brain struggles with is putting all that stuff together, that once I really get there, I do think that it will be magnificent for me. And my goal is by the time I start shooting my first 2023 student I said by the time I started shooting 22, but it was an unrealistic expectation with the season, and a new kids during high school and all that it was not realistic on myself. So that's my mindset of giving grace. But if I have it, by the time I start 23 I think I'll feel really good about that.
Jena 28:59
Yeah, and you can do it and it'll give you so much more control. And when you have that the stress just kind of is when it runs itself. You don't have all those little tasks going through your head all the time, and they become a burden and stressful and when it just does it on autopilot.
Kelly 29:23
But I think it’s not that for sure. But then I also think of knowing what to do with it. Like I still procrastinate posting to Instagram, I still procrastinate making my reels from behind the scenes. I don't know why. I mean I have 1000s of hours of coverage from last season that I hit something. But at the same time, I feel like at least it gives me a roadmap again, this is how you're supposed to do it. Like when I go to blog. I mean I'm not gonna lie yesterday I went to go to blog, a senior and I was like www.JenaGolden.com. What is her most recent post and I was like I am going to do exactly what Jena does. And it's great to have a mentor, and a person who has shown you this roadmap and know that it's working for them, it can work for you. It's just, It's huge. So for me, that was what I that it all of those things, knowing now that the path that I'm supposed to take, I don't take it every day, there is something that I know that I'm supposed to be doing. I still start every day going. What should I do?
Jena 30:35
Okay, were, that is number one on our list. Next, go-round, we're gonna work.
Kelly 30:43
It’s not like I don't have a list. I've got it written on this. I've got it on the Trello board. But I'm like, it's really pretty out the window.
Jena 30:52
It's really pretty outside.
Kelly 30:55
What is the bird doing there. Oh it’s getting a worm. So again, squirrel. So when I do get started, and I make progress in it, it feels really good. So I know for me, that is something that I want to work on. As I go through the class of 22, because I do feel like by the time I finished 22, I've had a good solid, one and a half to two classes under my belt. And I really feel like if you answer those questions, and that goes back to my own personal struggle, feeling like I did this for so many years beforehand, and I ran a successful business and six-figure wedding industry, business and all that other stuff when I should be like, this is a piece of cake. But it's a totally different thing when you change genres. It's and I don't shoot weddings anymore. So it's very different when you change and you're marketing differently. And your clients are different. And your purpose is different. And all of that changes. It is harder than I thought it would be.
Jena 31:51
Yeah. Yeah. Is it totally different?
Kelly 31:55
It's hard. It's hard. It's good hard. And I feel much better now than when I started talking to you in March of 2020. I definitely feel like I have I can answer those questions. I like I said I cannot wait to do the building a strong foundation again because I and I don't want to look at what I did before. I can't wait to do it and then go back and compare and see where it was. I'm looking forward to do it.
Jena 32:19
That's gonna be exciting.
Jena 32:22
It is like looking back to an old journal.
Kelly 32:25
Yes, yes. And even because I feel like having had my own senior when I started with you. She did not graduated yet. I had not finished. I couldn't answer the questions that now I answer for parents. When I'm sitting there talking to them, and I say things, it was, it was a very big year for me, personally, professionally, everything.
Jena 32:43
Yeah, once you go through your own kids senior year, the way that you relate to the parents in the industry, you know that you get an increase that totally different ballgame.
Kelly 32:55
Yeah, totally.
Jena 32:56
You feel things and know things and have experienced things that they are currently going through. And so there's an instant connection. I do business so differently now, having had a senior than I did 5 years ago.
Kelly 33:14
Yeah, Maybe that's a benefit for starting you have a senior I mean,
Jena 33:16
Yeah.
Kelly 33:17
Maybe that is it. And I do feel like I was more immersed in her year because I was talking to so many kids that were going through all of the same thing. And it was it because it was friends, some friends she had, kids and friends kids, I felt like I got a lot of detail that I may not ever get again. So that part of it was was really good. Um, it will be hard for me to love a class the way I love the class of 21 ever again.
Jena 33:44
Yeah.
Kelly 33:45
Really hard.
Jena 33:45
Very personal for you.
Kelly 33:47
And it's very personal. And that part makes me a little sad. Because it was such a personal year for me. Um, but at the same time, it was also exhausting because it was personal. So I feel like that allows me to step away from it and be more business-centric instead of and that I think is a healthy thing. I think that's very healthy and a good mindset for me.
Jena 34:10
Yeah 100%, Yeah, I think you can focus on your business. But how cool having those experiences?
Kelly 33:45
Yeah, I'm thankful for it, but I'm glad it's done.
Jena 34:21
Yeah, yes. 100%. Well, um, so so let's kind of wrap up with this. Okay. So we know the struggle, right is real. Going through this business being in this industry, it can wear you out. There are long days sometimes there are a long nights sometimes. So what kind of advice would you give either a brand new starting photographer or somebody who is just in the craziness of building you know, what, what kind of advice would you give have them to keep them going keep them motivated on those long days or night?
Kelly 35:05
My first advice is to find a mentor, find, find a community and people that you can talk to, because it's great when we feel like we're not alone. I have to say, for me, personally, seniors are lightyears less stressful than weddings, who, um, it's stressful in a different way. Because you feel like you have an impact on someone for the rest of their life. So that part is a positive good thing. I think if you love knowing that, and really interacting with teams and feeling that that's what makes our job really awesome.
Jena 35:40
Yeah.
Kelly 35:41
But I have to be honest, I don't edit late at night like I did with weddings, I don't, I don't, I don't have the amount of photos, I don't do any of that stuff anymore. So for me, I feel like I don't do the late nights, I just refuse. You know, I've really I think that's the biggest thing is I took control of my business. When I came back in. When I first started in 2007, I, my husband would tell you, I worked around the clock, but I was also so fascinated with the morning, I was 30 I felt differently, long and naive. I am not 30 anymore. So I definitely am like, I'm not giving anything that much of my time anymore. And I also my brain is like you're done walk away. So I just feel it more now. But I would say the biggest thing that in the last year and a half I've learned is, is making a plan and trusting it. That at the end of the day, and you preach this to me all the time, at the end of the day, it will work out the way that it needs to. Actually, the best piece of advice you gave me and I have back could be a cry was you said it to me last week. And I have thought about it every single day since you said it to me when I posted this was in a different group. But I posted about being frustrated about something in my own my own life, myself. And you said is that the advice you would give your kid and every single thing that has come out of my mouth as my daughter's going through her first week of school and the stuff she's going through. And I think about everything that I say to her and how positive I am and how I want to learn and how I want her to do that. And even having this conversation right now what I would say to somebody sitting here, and what I've said to other people in the community to keep it positive, but I don't talk to myself that way. So my biggest piece of advice is talk to yourself while you talk to other people and you will be in much happier, healthier human being. That's me last week. And it, it resonated probably other than respect the stage of life you're in. Those are probably the two best pieces of advice that both came from you last year and a half I received. And I can't tell you how many times that has crossed my mind in the last week and a half. I mean, from the very bottom of my heart it, It was huge for me. And anytime I start to feel negative anytime I start to think that I'm like, wait a minute, or if I'm saying something positive to someone, I'm like, why am I sharing this with them? But not myself? Yes. So it was huge. So if there's any piece of advice, I would say is give yourself some grace and talk to yourself with love and kindness because anything else is a waste of your human body.
Jena 38:13
Well, well said, Oh my God, did we end there. Oh my gosh kelly. You making me cry over here. Yes, we got to be kind to ourselves.
Kelly 38:24
We do.
Jena 38:26
Yeah, I struggle with that, too.
Kelly 38:28
I think we all knew, I think we're carrying a lot on our plates. And I think most of us carry a lot of emotion. And we're not very good about compartmentalizing it. And as we start to have it pile on and pile on and pile on, you will and the other thing too is that you're talking to yourself all the time. You're not talking to other people all the time. So it gets very easy to change the path of thoughts to something that's more negative. And I never thought anything about that until you said that to me last week. I mean I will honestly say to you outside of this video recording like it was life altering it was, it was huge. If I was a senior it would be my senior quote. Like what, it was huge. It was huge like it just and I wait for my kids to be old enough so I can say that to them to like think about that when you're talking to somebody else and you're telling them all these good things, but then you're tearing yourself down you need to remember you, you're talking to and it's just it was perfect. It was perfect.
Jena 39:31
Awesome. Well, I think we'll end there. Maybe cry three times I think in this whole.
Kelly 39:44
Well, looking up here it's not right down your face, you still look beautiful
Jena 39:46
It's not it's not uncontrollable, right. So I'm super excited to get to do this 2.0 Round of studio secrets with you, and, um, and for us to dive back in to the content and, and just continue on a whole another layer of growing together. So thank you Kelly so much.
Kelly 40:21
You’re welcome, I love you.
Jena 40:21
I love you, bye
See you guys! Did I tell you she was amazing or what?! I’m so inspired by her story and the fact that she completely started her business over from scratch and is turning into something beautiful for her family. You can do exactly what Kelly did. If you want to massively change your business or just tweak it a little here and there to get you more streamlined, it’s possible. And I’d love to help you get there.
The doors to Studio Secrets are tomorrow for a few more days and we are ready to welcome you in. If you want a live tour of what’s actually inside this 6 month program, sign up for one of the upcoming webinars. And if you need to talk to me one on one, set up a clarity call, so that we can make sure you’re a good fit. You can do that at seniorstudiosuccess.com/studiosecrets.
Ok guys. I hope you enjoyed that. If you know Kelly personally (I know some of you who listen definitely do) reach out & give her a virtual high five. She deserves it! I’ll see you over in the Senior Studio Success FB Group or on Insta! Have a great rest of your week y’all!
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Studio Secrets is a 6 month business coaching intensive where we dive deep into your business together. It’s not a DIY course on one or two topics. This is EVERYTHING you could ever need to know (and all the tools & resources) to run a senior photography business - branding, messaging, websites, pricing, sales, marketing, social media, senior model teams, systems, workflow, automation and SO MUCH MORE! And bonus - you get me to lead you through it in our hot seat calls and a private community to bounce ideas around with.
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