Kelly Warkentin of https://kindredphotography.ca/ and www.kellywarkentin.com is a Canadian-based family and newborn photographer, photography business coach, and mother of three.

Although she's coaching other photographers, shooting makes up 90% of her income and brings in over $85,000 in revenue.

She said in an email to me, as much as I love photography, running a business while raising young kids left her constantly torn — working late nights, saying yes to too much, and still not earning what she needed.

Then she restructured her business to serve her life.

Fewer clients.

Higher sales.

Better systems.

And the freedom to be present with her kids without sacrificing ambition.

Today, she's also coaching photographers on the system she uses with clients to hit regular 4-figure sessions to work less and focus on family.

In this interview, I was hoping to learn how photographers can earn more while working less, even with young kids at home, and Kelly didn't disappoint when she shared how to turn $150 photography sessions into 4-figure clients and a life you love.

Here's some more of what we covered in the interview:

• How Kelly went from $150 shoots to $2K clients — and what really made the difference
• The surprising way she finally found freedom in both motherhood and business
• The bold move that shifted everything — and why SEO coaching changed the game
• What happens on that very first call that gets dream clients saying yes
• The pre-session secret that builds trust and makes sales feel effortless
• Why albums turn out to be the easiest “yes” you’ll ever get from a client
• How to sell without saying a word — the quiet power of artwork on your walls
• The unexpected marketing mix that actually works when others don’t
• Why a simple coffee chat can turn into a premium booking
• How to attract high-achieving clients who happily pay more
• The flexible, empathetic way to handle tricky client moments
• The hidden growth drivers most photographers overlook — outsourcing, automation, and support
• The one investment that always delivers the biggest return

What is your big takeaway?

Following this interview, I’d love to know if you're taking anything from what Kelly shared. Is there something you heard that excited or motivated you to the point where you thought, yeah, I'm going to do that! If so, let me know by leaving your thoughts in the member's FB Group. What are your takeaways? What do you plan to implement in your business based on what you heard in today's episode?

I continued to explore ways that I could increase my income, and I kind of stumbled upon just making myself more valuable by adding a luxury experience. So at that point, I transitioned to IPs, and my income per client jumped pretty much overnight, from 750 to $2,000. – Kelly Warkentin

If you have any questions I missed or a specific question you’d like to ask Kelly or if you want to say thanks for coming on the show, feel free to comment inside the Members FB Group, too.

iTunes Reviews and Shout-outs

I check for new iTunes or Google reviews each week, and it's always a buzz to receive them… for several reasons.

Firstly, it confirms that I'm on the right track with the interviews and that they are helping you improve your photography business. That's awesome!

The system that I use is a la carte, because I don't like to put a ceiling on anything. – Kelly Warkentin

Secondly, iTunes and Google are the biggest search engines for podcasts, and your reviews and ratings help other photographers find PhotoBizX. More listeners mean more interviews and, ultimately, a better show.

If you have left a review in the past, thank you! If you haven't and you'd like to, head to https://photobizx.com/itunes or https://photobizx.com/google. You can leave some honest feedback and a rating, which will help both me and the show. I'll be sure to thank you on the show and add a link to your website or blog if you let me know the URL of your website and your name.

Most of my clients are actually very impressed that I found time to get on the phone with them… I think it sets me apart, right? – Kelly Warkentin

Alternatively, if you've left a review for PhotoBizX and are looking for more backlinks to help your SEO, leave a review for the new Photography Xperiment Podcast. Email me your keywords or phrases and where you'd like me to link them.

Links to people, places and things mentioned in this episode:

Kelly Warkentin Website

Kelly Warkentin Photography

Kelly Warkentin on Instagram

Kelly Warkentin on Facebook

The IPS Reboot: For Photographers Who Are So Over the Hustle Facebook Group

QT Albums

People trust people who show an interest in their lives, right? The number one way to get somebody to be like, “Oh, I really trust this person and believe she's going to be the best for me” is to show that you really care about what they're talking about and what they care about. – Kelly Warkentin

Thank you!

Big thanks to Kelly for sharing so openly in this episode. What I love about her story is how honest she is about the reality of running a photography business while raising young kids — the late nights, saying yes to too much, and still not earning enough. Then making the decision to flip things around and restructure her business to actually serve her life. Fewer clients, higher sales, better systems, and the freedom to be there and available with her family without losing ambition.

There is nothing I want less than to someone get to, you know, their image selection and be like, I love all these images and I can't afford them, and now I'm upset because I didn't understand that this was going to cost me that much. I don't ever want to feel like people haven't bought in by the time we get to choosing their images. – Kelly Warkentin

That’s it for me this week; I hope everything is going well for you in life and business!

Thanks, and speak soon
Andrew

 

The post PBX631: Kelly Warkentin – Turning $150 Photography Sessions into 4-Figure Clients and a Life You Love appeared first on Photography Business Xposed - Photography Podcast - how to build and market your portrait and wedding photography business.