We were lucky to catch up with Kaci Mohagen recently and have shared our conversation below.
Kaci, so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
Imposter syndrome is a tricky phenomenon that I think a lot of new entrepreneurs face. It is tough to break into a community of such talented and experienced individuals that are seasoned in their craft. I always thought it was a bit of a puzzle, because you have to get experience in order to become established in any field. However, in order to gain any experience you have to have clients or customers that trust you enough to hire you! Also, many times it is more likely that you are questioning yourself a lot more than your clients or colleagues are.
The way I overcame imposter syndrome was to accept that it is a natural feeling! I think it especially happens when you’re going off on your own and starting something new. In my case, I felt like there was so much riding on the success or failure of my new photography business! I sometimes needed to push away the ideas of incompetence and keep telling myself “you can do this!” At the beginning, I often even said words of encouragement to myself out loud.
This is not to say that I didn’t feel completely nervous before any type of session or wedding for a long while. I just kept practicing and shooting over and over again, pushing through the negative feelings. I always found that once I showed up and met my clients, it all felt like a breeze and we’d have such a fun time! Eventually, I was able to work through this initial anxiety, but it took a long time. Now, five years since starting my business, I can confidently say that I feel like a professional in the field.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I’m a wedding and lifestyle photographer based out of Duluth, Minnesota! I serve clients all over northern Minnesota and Wisconsin. I mainly shoot weddings and elopements, as well as sessions for couples, families, and grads in the area.
Over the last five years I have been largely focused on photographing weddings! I would say most of my marketing was directed towards finding amazing couples that were looking for their day to be documented as they remembered it. I love doing a mix of candid shots, as well as the more traditional ones that couples want for their wedding photo albums and gallery walls. I always encourage my couples to let me know if they have specific ideas in mind for a certain photo, or if they have any special mementos they want me to capture as a part of their day.
After the pandemic, the type of weddings I started to shoot changed a bit. I saw more and more couples that wanted a small, intimate wedding with only their close family and friends in attendance. I have had the honor of capturing many of these smaller “elopement” type weddings, and I absolutely love it! Moving forward, I see myself photographing a lot more of these tiny weddings in the future.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
One of the first qualities that made an impact on my journey as an entrepreneur was the willingness to take risks. This is probably the scariest one because it felt like so much was on the line at the beginning. Sometimes, I felt like I just had to keep carrying on and try not to worry too much about the future. I found it helpful to look forward to the next session or wedding, but try not to stress about how many were on the calendar. I had to trust that if I was providing excellent service, my clients would spread the word!
The second skill that helped me throughout my entrepreneurial experience was curiosity. I always want to learn more and to become more skilled at my craft. I love to learn, so this didn’t feel like a chore for me! I believe there is always something that I can improve on. Personally, I think that investing in education is one of the best things I can do for my business.
The last quality that I believe helped me tremendously as a business owner is adaptability. As an entrepreneur, you have to be willing to change and pivot your business and skills as needed. Specifically, photographers are always having to adapt to the constantly changing wedding trends, shooting styles, equipment, among many other things. I’ve learned that it works out in my favor to be flexible to this, instead of trying to fight against it!
How would you spend the next decade if you somehow knew that it was your last?
Currently, I am learning to navigate the challenge of balancing my personal and professional life. We were very happy to welcome our second child in January of this year! I’m very thankful that my job allows me to have very flexible hours so that I can be home. The biggest thing I’m working on is time management and finding a good work-life balance.
Sometimes it feels like there aren’t enough hours in the day to fulfill all of my roles! I’ve found that having a routine and holding to it helps to make things feel a little less chaotic. I’ve also been trying to make sure I schedule specific times that I know I’m working, so that I don’t feel like I’m trying to be “on” all the time as a business owner. I strongly value the time I get to spend with my family!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kacijanecreative.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kacijanecreative
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kacijanecreative
- Other: Tiktok: @kacijanecreative
Image Credits
Profile photo: By Janine Leigh All other photos: Kaci Jane Creative
