Hey! I’m Kay. I’m a newborn & family lifestyle photographer working in beautiful outdoor locations and families homes.  (Kay Dawn Photography)

I was lucky enough to nab a ticket to Gather to Grow in 2022. I’d been working in photography for many years but I was missing the knowledge of how to take my business to the next level and I couldn’t wait to hear how some of the leading photographers in this industry had made this leap. I came away feeling validated and clear that with some little (but crucial) changes I could achieve the client journey and work life balance that I’d been craving.

Let me share with you some of the changes I put in place to propel my business to the next level…

CLIENT JOURNEY

I took away so many tips on how to level up my client journey. I knew I wanted to make each and every one of my clients feel like I valued their choice to work with me. So from the moment clients book with me I have added all the extra little touches like small thank you gifts and professional beautifully branded packaging. As lovely as gifts are, I also knew a positive client journey went beyond this.

One of the invaluable pieces of advice shared from last year’s speakers was to anticipate your clients’ questions and to never assume they already know something. With this in mind I filled my client with welcome guides, session guides and emails with all the information they would need to make the most from their session with me and clarifying any potential queries they may have. Staying one step ahead of each client now allows them to enjoy the whole experience, not just the photoshoot itself.

PIC-TIME

I had already been working with Pic-Time for a few years but I knew I wasn’t making full use of all the features available to my advantage. I was finding it frustrating waiting for clients to view their galleries and deciding whether to upgrade to one of my collections. After some time watching the built in tutorial videos I decided to set up the Simple Sales System.

It was a game changer!

I was no longer chasing clients to make their selections and I instantly noticed an increase in clients upgrading to one of my collections. It took some time to set up but once I’d invested that time I now sit back and let the automation run its course. Once I have uploaded the images to a gallery the Simple Sales System sends automated emails, reminders and selection requests for me. I believe one of the fantastic features of it is that the client doesn’t need to know which images they want to purchase, they just need to know how many. After choosing their collection and paying I instantly receive their payment whilst they then take the time to select the individual images included in their chosen collection. 

CRM

By taking the time to set up reliable workflows within my CRM software I can now rest assured that from the moment a client completes my online contact form I can track their journey from start to finish. I’m not the most naturally organised of people and setting this up has allowed me to know what I’m working on from day to day. The checklists keep me accountable and the automated onboarding of new clients allows me to be more productive with my time. 

WORK LIFE BALANCE

I am a mum of 3 little people and like so many I craved the work life balance. I took onboard the calculations Mel shared and worked out how much I wanted to earn and how many sessions I could realistically manage each month. With some adjustments to my pricing and a realistic aim on how often I could work I have finally found my sweet spot in this last year. It has been the first year I haven’t experiences burn out but still been able to provide for my family. 

MY VISION

After listening to all the amazing speakers in 2023 and chatting to all those who attended it was clear there was no one way to be family and newborn photographer. We were all encouraged to be ourselves and find our own unique perspective on the style of photography we offer. I had been led to believe that to be a family photographer that I needed to have a client wardrobe of beautiful flowy dresses and to only shoot at golden hour but for me I knew I wanted to introduce a more relaxed, personalised style to my photography. Breaking away from this box of what I believed I needed to be offering has allowed me to connect more with the clients I work best with offering a more no-nonsense, story-telling approach to my photography that works for each individual family.

Going into 2024 I can’t wait to attend the next Gather to Grow meeting. Being a self employed photographer can be a lonely business but Gather to Grow is like a huge family and I can’t wait to see some familiar faces along with meeting new one. 

I know that all the new speakers are going to inspire me in ways that will only propel my business further. Here’s to all the new knowledge and lightbulb moments to come.

Where can we find you:

Instagram: @kaydawn.photography

Website: https://kaydawnphotography.com/