Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristin Hardwick.
After the birth of her first child, Kristin knew she could not spend the rest of her days sitting in a windowless cubicle, 40+ hours a week, missing out on life. She resolved to create a business that let her create, and also be there for her family. Fast forward 2 years and Kristin had mastered her camera, once a hobby, to a level of a professional portrait photographer. However, she quickly realized that she needed more than just camera skills to run a business, and spent the next two and half years learning about small business management. Before her first child turned 5, Kristin resigned from her 8-year career in Corporate America and launched Kristin Hardwick Photography full time.
It was thrilling and terrifying, and she quickly realized that being a jack of all trades with a camera, meant she was a master at none. She also quickly realized that by trying to service the entire photography market, she had no workflow systems, was burnt out, and saw her kids even less than she did when she had a corporate job. Something had to change.
After some soul searching, mentorship and yet another leap of faith, Kristin relaunched her business as a Branding Photographer and Strategist. Now, she helps entrepreneurs tell their story, stand out in a crowded market, and connect with their dream clients, through beautiful photographs that capture their energy and their expertise.
She and her husband renovated a window filled, yet dusty, space in the historic mill buildings in Nashua, NH. On the NH/MA border, it is the perfect spot to allow her to service both her Boston clients, as well as her NH and Seacoast audience. Surrounded by creative artists in town, she works with hair and makeup artists, stylists, as well as website designers and more, to create beautiful imagery to elevate her client’s personal brands.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
One of the biggest challenges of starting this business was having the faith to niche down. Every entrepreneur feels like they need to offer something to everyone, or they are leaving money on the table. The struggle with that, though, is if you’re trying to be the general practitioner of your industry, you never get a chance to be the specialist. By being a specialist, you get to do only the work you really love, you get to do it really well, since it’s the only thing you offer, and you get to charge a premium for it, as you’re the best.
Another challenge has been educating my audience about what ‘branding photography’ is. Branding and Brand was such a big buzz word in 2017, and a lot of people didn’t actually know what it is. So, communicating that Branding photos include your headshot, your website photos, your social media photos, etc, and that you get to choose how you show up in our incredibly visual world, has been a challenge and a blessing.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Kristin Hardwick Photography – what should we know?
KHP is a proud supporter of small business dreams! I thrive off seeing other people go for their dream, building something new, and helping them figure out how they want to be seen. “What do you want to be known for?” is my favorite question to ask, because it reminds us that we get to choose! WE get to decide what impact our careers and our businesses will have, and we get to shape that intentionally. Photography is a wonderful tool for conveying that to your audience and creating the photoshoots that make it happen to bring me endless joy.
We are the only photography studio in NH to offer such a comprehensive photo shoot for small business clients, that includes: a branding consultation beforehand, wardrobe assistants, hair and makeup styling, and then assistance actually using the images afterward. It’s no good to create a beautiful portfolio of images if they don’t meet your business goals.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
The confidence to be myself, and to trust my gut instinct. It’s not easy to stand up and do things differently, but I’ve never regretted the decision to do so.
Pricing:
- Headshots – $300
- Social Media Mini Shoots – $500
- Lifestyle Branding Photoshoots -$2400
Contact Info:
- Address: 1 Pine Street Ext,
Nashua, NH 03060 - Website: www.kristinhardwick.com
- Phone: 603-718-0094
- Email: info@kristinhardwick.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/kristinhardwickphoto
- Facebook: facebook.com/kristinhardwickphotography
Image Credit:
Kristin Hardwick Photography
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