At the beginning of the year, I was intentional about what I thought would be important for me to accomplish within my business over the next 12 months. Ya know, goals. One such goal was to invest more into my biz in the form of new gear and a mentorship. I’m here, just over halfway through the year, to report that I can place a checkmark by both. WHOOP!
This post is solely dedicated to my experience with my first photography mentorship under Columbia’s own, Katie Wilson. Yep, this queen right here:
When Katie launched her mentorship packages, I immediately knew it was something I wanted to do. We had hung out before and I promise it’s not an exaggeration when I say that I felt so coached and encouraged with every single conversation I’ve had with her. Knowing how great of an investment this would be for my business, I began saving.
Disclaimer here – Katie’s mentorship packages are VERY reasonably priced considering the value, but I launched by business just a few months before COVID hit the US so I was basically at a standstill for a few months. Besides, I wanted to invest in her premier package because #gobigorgohome.
We casually texted back and fourth to get all the details straight such as location, models, etc. It was expected to take about three hours – One hour to meet and chat about the areas I wanted to grow in, one hour to shoot with models, and one hour for post-processing/editing.
The weeks leading up to our mentor/mentee date, I prepared myself to explain to why I was doing this, what I was hoping to get from it – All the things. I felt like I was prepping for a job interview. Katie, bless her, was great about asking me the right questions to get to know more about my business, like where I am currently and where I want to be. I was truly grateful for that because sometimes there’s so much I want to talk about that it can easily turn into word vomit. She was patient in answering my questions, offering advice, and encouraging me every step of the way.
Y’all, Katie is truly gifted in her art form. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little intimidated, but not for one second did she make me feel less than, unprepared, or unqualified. If anything, I left feeling more empowered than I did at the start of our day.
I learned a ton from her within those three hours. From advice on how I could expand my business, to posing tips, to editing more efficiently (honestly, she’s helped me cut my editing time IN HALF), and so so much more. If you’re a photographer, I highly encourage you to book a mentoring session with her. Yes, even if you’ve already done a mentorship before! Each of us brings something unique to the table so you never know what you might learn from someone else. If your business is more established, Katie offers different packages that correlate with where you may be in your journey.
Investing in your business (and yourself!) is unavoidable if you wish to grow. I encourage you to have a heart-to-heart with yourself to evaluate your goals for your business. Did you make any this year? If yes, where are you with them? If no, what values do you have that you can make goals out of? It’s not too late in the year and it’s not too late in your business journey to evaluate, invest, and even pivot if you feel led to. You got this, friend.
I’m cheering you on!!
P.S. Keep scrolling for some more peeks from our shoot!
