Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Amanda Kay. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Amanda , thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?
I believe my work ethic comes from my parents and the struggles they went through to allow me to be the person I am today.
From a very young age my dad taught me that nothing in life is given to you, you must earn it. At eighteen years old, he got a job at an oil and gas company, slowly working his way up the ladder to support my mother and older sister. Knowing the only way to climb higher in life was to get a degree at the time. My mother worked two jobs to be able to put my dad through college. He did end up getting his degree in Civil Engineering from Texas A&M. By 26 they had two kids to feed. Each working their butt off to support us and give us the life they never had.
It’s their journey that inspires me to work so hard. That if you apply yourself, wake up, try, do it all over again, then eventually you’ll reach your goals. It’s that every day struggle of asking yourself, “What can I do better?” and actually doing it.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
Hi, I’m Mkay! Owner of Photos by Mkay Wedding Photography business. I’ve been capturing weddings for almost 5 years in Austin, TX and surrounding cities.
My belief is every wedding should feel unique, not every style fits every person. I utilize color, laughter, and emotions to bring my couples one of a kind love story to life. Each wedding album is perfectly curated towards the couples colors, setting, and personality. I’m a big believer in not throwing the same “filter” on every wedding. Each person is unique and your photos should be too.
Big things that are currently happening with Photos by Mkay is the launch of my new website. https://www.photos-by-mkay.com It’s taken me years to upgrade and really promote myself to the fullest. I’m excited to up my game and really become a contender in the Austin market.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
The three most important skills for running a successful wedding photography business are Networking, Marketing, and Communication.
Network. Meet as many people as you can that are already in your field of work. Do as many open houses, trade shows, meet & greets as you can. This will help with not only word of mouth advertising, but these people will actually give you free advise on how to help your business grow.
Marketing & Advertising. We all hate it, but we all need it. Set up all the social media accounts you can, hire an SEO expert for your website, and be ready to put money into your business. The hardest lesson is, you have to pay to play.
Communication. Now, I mean actually speaking to people. Learn how to become comfortable with selling your business, which is yourself in my case. If you’re not naturally good at it, take a class on direct marketing sales.
All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?
The number one obstacle in this business is standing out on social media. We all know the major players in social media, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. For the people like myself who started their business 5 years ago or less, it’s been a tough road socially climbing and being noticed. Even with original content.
The market is flooded and we all need a life boat to navigate these muddy waters. This is the part where I tell you I’ve got it all figured out and you should do this to get “noticed.” Well I don’t, I can only say that it’s a monetized game at this point, and like playing a slot machine you can put your money in and cross your fingers that it hits.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.photos-by-mkay.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/photos_by_mkay/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PhotosByMkay
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/photos-by-mkay-austin
- Other: https://m.weddingwire.com/biz/photos-by-mkay/754e7e5d22e6d0ca https://www.theknot.com/marketplace/photos-by-mkay-austin-tx-2028418
