We had the good fortune of connecting with Colleen K and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Colleen, what do you attribute your success to?
The most important factor behind my brand and my success are my clients. I wouldn’t be able to do this without them. They come back year after year, share posts on their social media, refer me to their friends and family, and just genuinely support everything I do.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Photographers are a dime a dozen. You could make a post on social media today and get hundreds of referrals. So it’s hard to feel like you stand out when it seems like everyone is doing what you do. About 2.5 years ago I started following one of the top educators in the industry and she would constantly say how her brand is all about her clients, but is about her and her life, too and that stuck with me. This is a service industry and I have to serve my clients first. They are hiring me for some of the most intimate, amazing moments in their lives and I take that to heart every single time. I think I stand out mainly with my clients because I share my life with them so openly. My feed isn’t perfectly curated. You look at my portfolio and you see someone that looks like you, not someone photoshopped and modelesque. I talk with my clients about anything they want to and let them know that there is someone always there for them, no matter what, because they are my family. I love my clients with all of my heart.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
We would go on a horse-drawn carriage ride through the Temecula Valley vineyards. Tasting all of the different wines, enjoying the fresh air and company, while taking cute photos of each other. Later, we would go down to Old Town and have dinner at one of the many restaurants down there.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My mom and my husband! My mom was the first person to ever invest in my business by buying cameras for me when I was a kid and for buying my first professional-grade camera 5 years ago. My husband is my rock. He pushes me when I’m feeling down, calls me out when I’m being stupid about something, and just wants to see me succeed in my business because it makes me so happy.

Website: www.colleen-k.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/colleenkphotography

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