Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in photography but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Kaitlyn Johnston, Founder of Kaitlyn Johnston Photography, located in Chicago, IL, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I'm a wedding photographer based in Chicago, IL. My client base is people who value the art of photography & love to love.
Tell us about yourself
I grew up the kid who was obsessed with all of the Disney Princess movies and just in love with the idea of "true love," which has shown itself to me in so many ways in life. The first true love I found was my camera and photography. I picked up my dad's camera for the first time when I was eight years old and decided at that moment that it was all I wanted to do. I could show people the way I saw the world, and to little 8-year-old Kaitlyn, that was the coolest thing ever. It started off as capturing the things I loved, whether that was animals at the zoo, my friends, or siblings; I was ALWAYS shoving a camera in somebody's face.
As I got older, that grew into capturing the love that other people put into the world. I started working with local photographers in my hometown around the time I was 14 to learn what it meant to work in the field professionally & start being able to document the important moments in people's lives. When I was 17, I knew this was it for me, and it was time to start my own company and really seriously do this thing. Since then, I've been able to go full-time in this incredible industry and dedicate my time to capturing the love I see around me every single day, whether that love is a couple committing to spending their lives together, parents welcoming a child into their lives, the love between a family, or the love of someone seeing their favorite band on stage for the first time. The world is full of love and so many magical firsts; I'm so incredibly honored to be able to capture them to look back on forever.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Surviving the pandemic & still being able to do what I love every day.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
Having to self-motivate and keep things in order can be hard a lot, especially in the last few years. I'm incredibly lucky to have such an incredible client base that inspires me to push myself every single day.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
Find what you love, know it is gonna be really hard, do it anyway.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://kaitlynjphoto.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kaitlynjphoto
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaitlynjphoto/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kaitlynjphoto
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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