Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in photography but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Kat MacDonald, Founder of TKM Photography, located in Port Perry, ON, Canada.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

I am a wedding and portrait photographer, photographing couples and families in Durham Region and beyond.

Tell us about yourself

I have always been interested in photography, learning way back when on film cameras and developing my own film in the dark room. Life happened, and it became a forgotten hobby until my husband became interested in it. We enjoyed photography together on vacations and photographed family and friends as favours, but in early 2019 decided to pursue it as a business. Taylor has worked part-time with me but plans to join the business full-time for our summer 2023 wedding season!

Photos have always been incredibly important to my family, and I can remember poring over our photo albums with my sisters as kids. As we get older, those albums have become more and more important to us. Being a documentary-style photographer, I get to freeze in time what my family or life looked like, but more importantly, it felt like at this moment in time. The photos we capture are valuable to our clients, but as the years' pass, they become even more valuable as they reminisce on each chapter in their life. Being able to give that to others is so fulfilling and special to me, and it makes me love what I do.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

We are being published in our first magazine in the new year for a destination wedding we did in September 2022, which is super flattering and amazing. More than external validations, though, it is really incredible to me that I built a business that can support my family doing something we love to do, that we can work together, and that we can impact other people's lives in such a special way. We've had a lot of help and incredible mentors, but seeing what we thought was a pipe dream become a reality has been amazing for us.

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

Juggling it all. You truly do have to wear so many hats, especially on the back end of the business, and it can be a lot!

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Just do it. There will never be a good time. Our first full wedding season was in 2020, which couldn't have been a worse time for the event industry, and it worked out!
  2. Get help! Investing in your business is huge, but investing in yourself is even more important. Get the education you need to fill in the knowledge gaps we all have. If you can't juggle everything, outsource where you can. It's hard when you're starting out to spend that money, but you will accelerate your business growth, and it will be so worth it in the long run.
  3. Don't beat yourself up. The most valuable lessons you learn will be from making mistakes, and you will make them. Everyone does. When it happens, learn from it, and move on.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://tkmphotography.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TKMphotography2015/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tkmphotographytoronto/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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