EQUAL Katelyn alsop recalls, she came across the hobby that would make her a millionaire before she turned 30 by accident.
Alsop, 35, is a wedding photographer and mother of four — soon to be five — in Richmond, Virginia. Her online education and wedding photography business brings in nearly $240,000 per month, according to financial documents reviewed by CNBC Make It.
Growing up, Alsop was “not passionate about photography,” she says. “I didn’t take a photography class in high school or college…. That was never something I considered trying.”
However, Alsop is artistic and business minded. She started her first business at the age of 15, called “Katelyn’s Krafts”, painting and selling decorations, bowls, plates, etc.
During her sophomore year at Christopher Newport University, one of Alsop’s friends asked if she wanted to take pictures of students around campus together.
“I think it’s fun to try something new, even if I’m not good at it,” says Alsop. That semester, she bought her first camera, a Canon Rebel XSi, for $700 and took it everywhere. She loves capturing rare moments of pure, pure joy: her friends playing snowball in the quad, students crossing the stage at graduation.
In 2008, after six months of photographing people and events for fun, Alsop turned her hobby into a full-fledged business, Katelyn James Photography (James is her middle name), which she runs since his dorm room.
In 2016, shortly after her 28th birthday, Alsop made her first $1 million profit. Here’s how she turned her hustle and bustle photography into a multi-million dollar business:
Build a strong personal brand early
In Alsop’s first year of business, she was still a full-time college student, but she managed to spend at least 40 hours a week developing her fast-paced photography business: driving away. Take, edit photos and share finished albums on your blog.
That blog turned out to be a huge asset to Alsop’s budding business.
“I started sharing personal stories about my life on the blog and people were really drawn to it,” she says. “I think sharing openly about my life with people has really helped me build trust with potential clients because people see me as transparent and genuinely care about others from within. content I share.”
There were some nights at university, where Alsop stayed up until 3 a.m. to write a blog post or update a photo on her website – but, she said, it was never work because it helped her. track her progress and she loves seeing the positive impact. Her words or photos will impress those who see them.
“I might not have slept in a few years, but at the time I didn’t feel like I had to make sacrifices because I loved it so much,” she said. “You never want to push yourself to the point of exhaustion, but when you’re really passionate about something, you feel energized for it and the time you spend on it goes by quickly.”
In 2010, when Alsop graduated from college, photography became her full-time job. When she started accepting “any and all” shoot requests, from engagement celebrations to professional portraits, she quickly realized that she loved wedding photography best and decided to make it a professional. his subject.
During her busiest years, Alsop photographed 40-50 weddings. Her website captures it all: the first look between the bride and groom, the candlelit ceremony, the excited crowd performing the Electric Slide on the dance floor.
Driven by the success of its blog, Alsop started selling online technical courses for photographers on its website in 2015. There are tutorials on retouching, posing, and techniques. and lighting, as well as business courses, such as how to market your photography business and build one. personal brand.
To this day, Alsop maintains an active blog, writing on a variety of personal and professional topics, from how she decorates her son’s nursery to the best photography gear to buy.
‘It takes a village to build a business’
Alsop credits much of her success to the people around her since starting her side job: her college roommates cheered her on when she got her first paycheck. , her family and friends in the industry.
She said: “I have always had incredible support and that has kept me going through the days when I wanted to give up. “It takes a village to build a business.”
Alsop’s husband, Michael, quit his job in 2013 to help her run Katelyn James Photography. Alsop’s sister, sister-in-law and other relatives now also work for her.
Early in her career, Alsop organized a series of meetups for photographers she met through friends or her blog, hosting dinners at Chick-fil-A and parties in her backyard.
Networking has helped her build valuable professional relationships that have since strengthened her business: Other photographers started recommending Alsop for events they couldn’t shoot themselves, as well as her online courses for beginners in the field.
More hustle is not the answer, and it is not the path to fulfillment or balance, she said. “I’ve allowed myself to ask for help…. As a business owner, you have to outsource your help instead of wallowing in your day-to-day business by thinking to yourself, ‘Everybody That’s all there is to it.'”
She also learned valuable negotiation tactics from her friends. Alsop’s rates started low – $750 for six hours of photography and editing – but as her skills improved and she learned what other photographers were charging, she increased her rates, which helped her earn six figures in 2013.
Last year, Katelyn James Photography brought in about $240,000 in sales per month. Much of that, around $230,000, is passive income from her online trainings and courses.
The rest is from her photography business: Alsop typically shoots four weddings a year, charging at least $12,000 per event.
“My greatest achievement is the financial freedom I have created for myself and my family with this business,” says Alsop. “Nothing can overcome that feeling.”
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