We were lucky to catch up with Lindsay Kreighbaum recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Lindsay with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
My work ethic is from both of my parents – my dad runs his own business, and has since before I was born. My mom is one of the hardest working people that I know – she and I are also so similar personality-wise, we are both very type-A and have very high expectations of ourselves.
I am a perfectionist at heart, so I have always had that internal drive to push myself to success for as long as I can remember. I worked hard in school, worked hard at every job I ever held, and now work as hard as I can running my own creative business.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I have the best job in the world – I get to create the imagery that you see in ads, social media, and billboards for food and product brands! There is not any other job that I would want other than this one.
I get to work with a team to bring a vision to life – and that process is sometimes really difficult, but it’s also just as equally, if not more, rewarding. I am so grateful to be trusted enough to create work to represent a brand’s hard work on their product.
My favorite brands to work with are plant based brands, or really any brand that does something to contribute to the greater good of humanity/the planet. I’ve worked with clients of all sizes, and just knowing that I was chosen to create their dream images makes me feel so lucky.
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’d say staying true to yourself/your work, organization, and communication have been the most impactful for me.
If you’re constantly chasing trends and not creating work that you really love and want to make, the right clients aren’t going to hire you. You’ll always attract those that are chasing a trend rather than being trend-setters, and the most successful brands are trendsetters. You’ll also feel much more whole and complete if you are able to stretch your artistic muscles every once in a while and just make something the way that you want it!.
It’s super important to be organized – especially when it comes to business tasks, such as finances, taxes, marketing, and planning. If you are disheveled and unorganized… it’s very easy for a client to see that. You want to maintain your professionalism for both your client and for yourself and the peace of mind it brings – or you’ll have quite a headache down the road!
Communication is key. I find that I bring a great quality of customer service to my clients because of my communication skills. I respond promptly, ask questions when I need more clarification, and make sure that I am available to answer any questions or concerns my clients have. I never want them to feel left in the dark or not taken care of, so I pride myself on bringing a real human experience to every project that I am hired for!
As far as advice – 2/3 of these came to me through previous job experience (waiting tables, assisting, etc.) – and I think that communication and organization are things that you learn as you grow, it’s not really something that happens overnight. We are all improving everyday, so if you find yourself struggling with either of these, I would definitely suggest just trying to be aware of the things holding you back and creating habits that just become second nature over time. Staying true to yourself may be daunting, but it’s something that is so, so important in a creative career. You can tell when a photographer or other visual artist puts something out that they are truly proud of – it comes through in small ways. Clients and potential clients can see that as well. The more you stay true to yourself and enjoy what you do, the better your work is going to be, and the more work is going to come to you in the future.
Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?
I am a true believer that when you feel overwhelmed, the best thing to do is to just step away for a bit. If you’re constantly piling on stress on top of stress, no good will come of that. You need to step away, put your mind elsewhere (meditation, go for a walk, exercise, take a yoga class) and come back refreshed.
It’s always a journey for me, but I am constantly working on my work/life balance – which is extremely difficult to do as a freelancer. My therapist once told me “no one is ever on their death bed wishing that they worked more” – and I think about this all the time. I don’t want to miss out on experiences with those I love, and I also don’t want to ever begin to resent a career that I just love so much.
Contact Info:
- Website: lindsaykphoto.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/lindsaykphoto_
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsay-kreighbaum/
