We were lucky to catch up with Kelly Harper recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Kelly, you’ve got such an interesting story, but before we jump into that, let’s first talk about a topic near and dear to us – generosity. We think success, happiness and wellbeing depends on authentic generosity and empathy and so we’d love to hear about how you become such a generous person – where do you think your generosity comes from?
My generosity comes from my faith that Lord always provides. I recently saw a post that went something like this…I want to be wildly successful, so I can be a blessing to others. Honestly, it immediately made me squirm and I really had to reflect on why I was put off by the sediment, being a blessing is a good thing right? So why did it make me uncomfortable? As I reflected, I realized it was because I don’t believe I have to be successful or rich or a superstar to be a blessing to others. I want to be a blessing not only when I am in plenty, but also when I am in need. How easy is it to give out of abundance, anyone can do that. But rather sacrificially giving is the purest form of giving. In that moment the parable of the Widow’s Offering in Luke 21 came to mind. And I told my self, I want to wildly give to others, so I can be blessed with success. And, success for me is eternal.
I want to point out that giving is different for everyone. Seriously, you don’t have to give money to be a blessing. Blessing others can be absolutely free. For instance helping someone carry their groceries cost you nothing but may mean the world to the person you helped. Volunteering your time at a non-profit can have huge impact. In my twenties, when I was broke and didn’t have much to give, I volunteered to feed horses at a horse recue on Saturday nights. It was something I was able to give even when I felt like I didn’t have a lot. So please, if you are reading this, don’t buy into the “I need to be successful to make a difference”, you can make a difference right now.
I own two businesses, the first, Harper Photography, was born out of a calling to bless people through photography. It was placed on my heart to offer free photography services to client’s of the local pregnancy center. At the time I was a hobbyist and didn’t even have a business. As I somewhat wrestled with God on the calling, I asked why would anyone trust me to take photos of their babies, would anyone really take me up on the offer, how do I even do this. Slowly the answers were presented to me and the business was started. Through the business I have not only given free services to the clinic’s clients, I have also take photos for a number of non-profit events and donated photography packages to many fundraising silent auctions. I have even hosted my own themed mini sessions where all the proceeds when to a local charity. And, even though I do a lot of charitable work through my photography business, I have been blessed with many paying clients that have allowed me to invest in furthering my photography education and upgrading my equipment. I like to say it is the generosity of my paying clients that allow me to pursue so many philanthropic activities.
Fast forward a few years and I had a dream to start a studio/event space. A space dedicated and designed with photography in mind, but also a space for the community to use for small/micro events. I went into thinking, the worst case would be to take a small loss every month and the best case would be to break even. If I am providing a space that blesses others, that is worth it. And, the next thing you know I was opening the doors to the Collective in downtown Howell in fall of 2023, not the end of the story, but the beginning.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
The Collective is a blank space perfect for content creators, photographers, and micro events. We keep it bright and neutral, allowing others to use their own creativity to build the perfect space for a photography session or event. Picture a 1,000 square foot space that can be used for many things. Although it was created with a content creator in mind, we like to say that it can host workshops, personal events, client meetings, business mixers, or even fitness class such as yoga. Seriously, if you need space for just about any reason, you can use the Collective.
What sets us aside from other venues or meeting rooms is that the space is perfect for small/micro events and we don’t require a minimum head count, catering or anything like that. Many clients say they were excited to find us because they were running into spaces being to large for the size event they wanted to host. They had too many guests to fit in their own home, but not enough people to fill a banquet hall. So we are kind of the Goldilocks, our space fits just right for these clients. Further our space is welcoming and aesthetically pleasing. You are allowed to bring in your own food and decorate as little or as much as you’d like, really allowing for personalization.
Since we opened on November 1, 2023, we have hosted a pop up market, a wreath class, a charcuterie workshop, cookie decorating with Santa, a photographer meet up, and a number of holiday parties, on top of the photography sessions put on by local photographers. We have even had a local boutique use our space to capture photos for a new launch they are planning. Upcoming events that are open to the public are a mixology workshop, personality mini photo sessions, and a Mother’s Day English tea. The great news for the small businesses hosting open or ticketed events like this in our space is they tend to sell out! That is great news for them and for us! Outside of these open events, we have a number of bridal showers, baby showers and birthday parties already on the books for 2024.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Well I am still in the business world. Aside from the two businesses I own, I still work full time as a CPA in the corporate world. My business experience really helped me when thinking about all the things it takes to start a business like how to start an LLC, get an EIN, finding insurance, filing sales tax, and even the dreaded accounting side of things. When I tell people I still work in the corporate world, I always get the same two questions. 1) How do you have time for all this? and 2) Do you plan to quit your job? The answers are this…Regarding time, I don’t have children. I am not saying you can’t do all the things if you have children, but since I don’t have any, that allows me to focus on my own businesses on nights and weekends. I am very good about compartmentalizing and keeping each thing separate. I am also getting better at setting boundaries. For instance, I only schedule photo session on certain days, or I only meet with bridal clients on Friday nights. As far as the Collective, I respond to emails at night and set up all walk through on Wednesdays. Clients access the space with an electronic key pad, so I don’t even have to be present during their rentals. Being able to block my time really helps. It lets me know what I need to be focused on and when. Regarding quitting my job, heck no! As weird as it sounds, I love accounting. It allows a different part of my brain to work and I find it satisfying. Also, because I don’t rely on photography or the Collective as my main source of income, it allows me to enjoy those two aspects of my life. It also allows me to be generous through those business too, since it is not all about revenue. I think of them as hobbies more than I do careers.
Something that has impacted my journey is my love of learning. I am a lifetime learner. No matter what I am doing or how good I may think I am at it, there are always to improve. We have never lived at a better time than this for learning. We have so much access at our finger tips to knowledge and development, why not take advantage. My advice to anyone starting out on their journey is don’t be afraid to try and keep learning.
To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
My father passed away on Christmas Eve in 2021. In the two years since then, I have really reflected on the impact he had on me, my childhood, and how thankful I am to have had him as a role model. First and foremost, my dad gifted me a foundation in faith and Jesus. My dad wasn’t a fire and brimstone kind of guy, yes he would speak truth, but the foundation he gifted me in faith was through his love in action. Though not perfect, my dad strived to live a life pleasing to God, to love his wife and children sacrificially, like Jesus loved His Church. To be kind everyone. To meet people where they were and invest in them. I will be honest and say as an adolescent I rebelled against faith, but when I was ready and started seeking for myself, I had a foundation of Jesus to build on and what the life of Christ follower looked like. This is the most priceless gift. I think about my dad often and miss calling him for advise. I wish he was her to see the Collective. I know he would have been all in and would be cheering me on. He would have wanted to help build things for it or work on its renovation because he was the guy who loved to help. But, I carry his voice in my heart and I hear him saying good job.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.collectivehowell.com
- Instagram: collectivehowell
- Facebook: Collective Howell
Image Credits
KB Event Co Reed & Co Santa G
