Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Heather Kinkel. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Heather, 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 was born and raised in Phoenix, AZ to entrepreneurial very young parents. My dad worked in the construction industry and started his own company when I was a toddler. Starting your own business from scratch is one hell of an undertaking and my dad did it with the heart and soul of someone who knows a hard days’ work. We struggled financially for most of my childhood but our home was full of love and care, I hardly even noticed our lack of creature comforts. I wasn’t raised with an allowance or a parent’s credit card. Anything I wanted outside of basic (VERY basic needs) had to come from my own hard work. My first job was babysitting at 14 and by the time I was 19 I was helping my dad run his business. When my husband and I were in our mid-20’s we embarked on a very similar career path and started our own electrical engineering and manufacturing company. The first couple of years were financially super challenging and we were growing our little family at the same time. I ran the back end of the business and my husband was the go getter forward facing element. We worked constantly around the clock to grow the business into the multi million dollar enterprise that it is today. Eventually the company outgrew me and I began dabbling in photography, taking my work ethic with me.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
My job as a commercial food and brand photographer started out as a hobby, coming from a career background in accounting and business management. I started tinkering with digital cameras in the early 2000’s and by 2012 I was shooting literally anything and anyone that would step in front of my lens. My passion for the art grew and by 2016 I found what I loved taking photos of the most: food and brand photography. In 2020 I opened my first stand alone studio in the heart of Phoenix and built an incredible team of stylists and other creative powerhouses. I had amazing opportunities to work with some of the most talented chefs, entrepreneurs and business owners across the nation, and by 2023 I was able to build out my own custom studio with a full kitchen, prop room, meeting space and photography studio that I currently work out of now.
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?
I think the three biggest things that I called upon in my journey were my ability to work hard, be humble and know my own limits. The amount of shoots that have gone many hours beyond schedule are innumerable and if you can’t stay on your feet and keep working your ass off for 15+ hours, someone else will. I’m also never the most important one in the room. Brand owners, other creatives and agency figureheads and their opinions are just as valuable as mine and working together to make their dreams come true is one of the greatest pleasures of my work. I also know when to say no. I’m not a graphic designer or master photoshop queen and some of the tasks that are required to make things come alive require those skills! Enter my in house graphic design and photoshop superstar, he’s got us covered. I’ve come to embrace the fact that I don’t have to know everything and doing what I’m best at (and consequently staying in my own lane) always brings the biggest benefit to a photoshoot campaign.
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
If I’m feeling overwhelmed, I take a break, I talk to a close friend, I go for a run or a walk, I spend some time in the kitchen. Walking away from an overwhelming situation for a brief or extended moment is the best way to come back to it with fresh energy and perspective.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.heatherkinkelphotography.com
- Instagram: @heatherkinkelphotography
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-kinkel-874002149/
Image Credits
All photos by Heather Kinkel Photography
