meet the founder of clickin moms Kendra Okolita

We'd like to welcome to the Savvy blog the founder of the wonderful Clickin' moms forum, Kendra Okolita

Thank you for being a part of our "Inspiring Women" series!

How long have you been a professional photographer?

I was a professional photographer for a little over 2 years.  I am currently on hiatus so that I can spend more time working on ClickinMoms and just being a mom and photographer to my own kids.  To be honest, I'm not sure I'll go back to taking clients full time.  All too often I see women jump into business because they feel like it is the necessary next step after they have mastered their skill and have invested in all the greatest gear.  I think I fell victim to that without realizing it.  I love my clients and love taking pictures, but I was not very good at time management or business management.  I didn't like the business end of the business - haha!  Ordering, packing, delivering....I dreaded all of that.  I know some people love it though!

Did you start off as a success or spend some time figuring it all out {how to make the money}?

I was lucky enough to be surrounded by successful photographers when I started my business.  They were so generous with their experience and advice, so I was able to make a profit in my first year.

When you first started photography, did you have a mentor that was instrumental in your success?

I didn't have one mentor, but I had some very good friends in the business at the time and they really helped me along.   Kristin Brown (http://www.kristinrachellephotography.com/) and Lisa Harrison (http://www.lisaharrisonphotography.com/) were my lifelines!  I think I will owe them margaritas for life

We love Clickin' moms and think you have created an amazing community of women photographers. Tell us how you came up with the idea for it? Are you amazed at how successful it has been?

It started because I had a handful of friends (some professional and some not) who wanted a place to chat about photography.  We wanted anyone to feel welcome to chat about their love for photography, no matter what level they were at. One of the most amazing things about photography (or any art) is that you can find a common ground with anyone.  Even the most novice photographer can render me speechless when they shoot from their heart.

I am incredibly amazed by it's success!  It sort of took on a life of it's own and I can't take credit for that.   Our members are such generous and kind people - it really is amazing!

It must be a full time job running Clickin' moms, are you still photographing clients?

I am not photographing clients right now, although I do plan to take on clients again on a very limited basis someday.  ClickinMoms is a full time job for sure, but I have a ton of help! Sarah Wilkerson, Kristin Brown, Lisa Harrison, Lynne Rigby,  Kathryn Page, and Megan Moore all help manage the site and keep it fresh with tons of new ideas.  We also have an incredibly talented team of mentors who are devoted to making ClickinMoms great and helping our members.

We'd love to hear your top 5 list of advice "to inspire" other photographers...

1) Be yourself!  It's fun to explore the latest trends and techniques, but try not to loose yourself in them.

2) Just because you are a great photographer does not mean you have to be in business.

3) Just keep shooting!  Don't get distracted by fancy gear or competition.  The more you shoot, the better you will be. Even the best photographers constantly strive to refine their craft.

4) Surround yourself with people who love and support you.

5) Be yourself.  Art is subjective! People want to see YOU in YOUR art. That's why they hire you! Because only you can "do what you do".

We all have our special family traditions for the Holidays, will you share with us a few of yours?

Our kids (8,8,5 &3) all earn enough dollar bills to go to the dollar store and buy gifts for our immediate family.  I set them loose in there and they fill their little baskets with very thoughtful treasures.  They wrap and tag their gifts themselves and are BEYOND excited to give them on Christmas.  My favorite gifts are the sponges, earrings, and night lights that came from the dollar store

Please help all of those photographers struggling to keep up in this busy season...how do you maintain a "happy" life during the Holidays?

For working photographers I always recommend to start booking Christmas sessions early (July) and end early.  I never booked clients after November 15th.  This gave me time to complete outstanding orders so that I wasn't in a total panic throughout the month of December.  Holiday orders take longer than regular orders because of card design and gift prints.  It's also hard to coordinate with clients during November/December because they are busy too.

Thank you Kendra for joining us!

If you are not a member of Clickin moms, now is the time to join! Kendra is offering Savvy readers  20% off any subscription. Just use coupon code SAVVYNEWYEAR. Such a sweet deal from such a generous lady. They are also having the amazing affiliate contest going on now until Jan 31st...you can earn great prizes for referring others {click our links below to join if you are interested :)}

Guess what else Kendra is offering Savvy readers...a chance to win TWO LIFETIME MEMBERSHIPS to Clickin moms! I told ya she was a generous lady.

How to enter...

"like" us on Facebook...follow us on Twitter...and spread the word about our site...we love it when you gossip about us...good gossip that is! Then come back here and leave your comments to win!

Two lucky winners will be chosen Wednesday, January 12th at midnight...and we will announce the winner on Jan 13th. Good luck...and join the fabulous ladies over at Clickin moms!