We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Katie Fletcher a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Katie, so great to have you on the platform. There’s so much we want to ask you, but let’s start with the topic of self-care. Do you do anything for self-care and if so, do you think it’s had a meaningful impact on your effectiveness?
Self-care is so, so important to me and my ability to serve my clients well and not completely lose my mind! I do a few different things for self-care that have made a big difference.
One of the most important things I try to do is set aside time for myself each day to do something that brings me joy, that isn’t related to any work or business topics. For example, reading a book or journalling. This is so important so I have time to recharge.
I am also religious about a bed-time. Getting 8+ hours of sleep is so crucial for me in performing my best! I would rather wake up early, well rested, than stay up late finishing something. So I just know to go to bed on time.
Those are all very feasible for everyone, but another thing I do that has made a huge impact but at a higher cost is getting a monthly massage. Wedding photography does take a large toll on the body, especially carrying 15+ pounds of equipment on my shoulders. Before doing monthly massages I was actually in a good deal of pain, and now I feel so much better with consistent work!
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I started my photography journey with landscapes and wildlife, and doing senior photos for my friends in college. Now, I’m a wedding and elopement photographer, which lets me be a part of such a special chapter in people’s lives! I love getting to know my couples, and not only capturing their wedding but really being a teammate through the planning process.
I love combining the style of landscape photography with weddings and elopements, which helps me create really epic images showing off amazing love stories in Colorado’s landscape, but also the small, intimate moments of the wedding day. Each wedding or elopement has its own set of challenges, and really pushes me to better my craft each and every time I pick up the camera.
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?
One of the most important skills in any journey is being coachable. I learned this initially with sports, but it has proven to be I think the MOST important skill as a business owner. Acknowledge what you don’t know, and find someone to coach you into being better. I credit coaching and mentorship to be one of the best investments I have ever made, and you have to be willing to listen and implement what coaches tell you to be successful.
Persistence is another important quality. I think knowing that success isn’t overnight is huge, and it helps you stay positive on the ups and downs in the journey. If I gave up after my first “no”, difficult session, or client who ghosted me, I never would have found success in this industry.
The third thing I feel was most impactful in my journey was being being more honest with myself, and saying no to what wasn’t serving me. That could be saying no to opportunities I didn’t think would best serve my growth, and outsourcing things I simply wasn’t good at or were not bringing me any joy.
Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?
Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert was a really inspiring book, and even though it is geared towards creatives, I think others could benefit from reading it.
One thing that has always stuck with me from that book is listening to our intuition and being open to things. For example, she talks about how if you get an idea, you should welcome it and nurture it and see where it goes. Otherwise, the idea and the inspiration will leave and find someone else to nurture it instead.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.katiefletcherphoto.com
- Instagram: @katiefletcher_photography
