Meet Khayla Kanitz

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Khayla Kanitz. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Khayla, thank you so much for opening up with us about some important, but sometimes personal topics. One that really matters to us is overcoming Imposter Syndrome because we’ve seen how so many people are held back in life because of this and so we’d really appreciate hearing about how you overcame Imposter Syndrome.

In the photography world, it is very easy to get sucked into imposter syndrome. There are so many talented artists with a wide range of different styles and techniques. What I have learned over the years is that when seeing other people’s work, their work doesn’t validate my work. People book me because they like what I provide and create. Photography/art is subjective and is viewed by everyone from their own individual perspectives. I’ve learned to stay true to my work and not try to morph into something that I’m not just because I might view it as being “better” than my own.

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?

I am a photographer and I truly feel like I have the best job in the world. I was once a dental hygienist in Minneapolis going through the motions of the 8-5 workday working under a boss who was indeed great but whose goals and dreams were different than mine (rightfully so!). I dreamed of a schedule that I was able to curate based on having a future family and where I only had to answer to myself while being as flexible as I wanted. I bought a mid range camera with a kit lens shortly after we got married. It was a huge splurge for us at the time. I had this idea of teaching myself how to use it before we started having kids so we didn’t have to hire someone for photos. Our only experience with ever hiring a photographer was with our wedding and it didn’t leave us with the best experience. I started by taking photos of my friend’s daughter, followed by family friends, and it just continued to snowball. We moved to the Green Bay Area soon after having our first son, camera in tow. I continued to book jobs here and there and word of mouth snowballed into what is now a successful career and more than I ever could’ve dreamed of. I have had the honor to capture weddings, families, newborns, seniors, last photos of family members and pets. Literally providing images of some of the core memories people will have from their lifetime. It is an honor and I am always grateful when I am invited to capture someone’s journey.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

I think the most impactful things on my journey have been perseverance, time management, and the ability to naturally evolve. It is easy to get discouraged in a career that has thousands of people around you doing the exact same thing. If you keep providing a product/service that is true to yourself and your own values, the business will always follow. Time management is so important. When you are your own boss and love what you do, it is easy to overbook the calendar to a point of it ready to burst. Over the years I have learned the hard way by missing events of my own family because I was always trying to hustle to keep the busy going. I’ve learned that I can say no and also create boundaries that allow me to continue doing what I love without burnout or guilt. Having the ability to naturally evolve has been the biggest asset to my professional growth. I look back at my work and business from 13 years ago and it is mind blowing at how far I’ve come. I haven’t allowed myself to feel rushed to reach certain milestones or styles. It has been a natural progression of loving what I do and wanting to learn more along the way without feeling pressured to be something other than myself. The art I am now able to confidently deliver has been a byproduct of that.

Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?

The most impactful things my parents have done for me is being amazing role models of what it looks like to be hardworking and successful.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Myself 🙂

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