“I love you not because of anything you have,

but because of something I feel when I’m near you. “ ~ the Love Bits

I’m gonna start this blog with a little secret…. I LOVE to learn. I am constantly geeking out on photography lectures and youtube videos on how to better my business and technical skills. I loved to learn so much that I pursued a career of teaching other people HOW to learn. I still can’t escape it, as I am still teaching other photographers on the daily. So, If you have ever taken ANY class on sales, business, branding, or just business in general, you have probably heard the instructor say “ Who is your IDEAL client?”

The idea behind this is, if you know WHO you want to sell to- you’ll magically know HOW to sell to them.

Let me just come out and say that… it is NOT the case, well not always.

My business has grown through a mixture of God’s grace, my mistakes, and sometimes just pure magic and weirdly timed fortune. I do not always know what I’m doing or how best to do it… can I get an “Amen”?

The one thing I know for certain is WHAT my ideal client looks like/talks like/ shops like/ thinks like. WHY?

BECAUSE SHE IS ME!

Not in a creepy “same/same” kind of way… but they hold the values, interests, geographical location, and lifestyle that I do. They are the person that attracts me to them, makes me feel inspired, stirs a need to create in my soul. Wondering just who that is?

Without further ado… here is the profile of my “dream” client.

Now, sweet reader- please notice not what is on this list, but what is left OFF of it.

I have no need for “cookie cutter clients”.

I am not only interested in pencil thin, long haired, Instagram shiny, perfectly skinned mamas. {Well - i would never turn them away if their heart was as pretty as their body…} Your children DO NOT need to fit MY version of perfection. Your husband does not need to be 6’6” and beautifully fit. What I am in constant search of is something so much more…

I am looking for REAL, RAW, HEART STOPPING LOVE.

I am looking for the connection that draws you in, pulls you close, and makes you cry.

I am looking for the beautifully broken,

fabulously flawed,

messy kind of love.

THAT is what pushes me forward as an artist.

I want your mess, because I can turn it into BEAUTY.

I want your high spirited kids, because I can turn it into JOY.

I want your rawness, because I can create P U R E M A G I C with it.

As I grow in my career, I find more and more that I want to capture people’s stories and spirits, not just their faces. I’m looking for the quiet in the moment as you comfort your grouchy toddler. I’m searching for the giggles of joy as your children race around you. It doesn’t matter if you’re 75 pounds or 275 pounds, if you love your life, and you love your family… you’re my people.

My heart shatters when I hear this from a future client,

“ I’d love to book a session with you once I lose the baby weight/

color my hair/ the kids are older and can behave.”

I want to appeal to the hearts of the mamas here for a second:

~ You will never lose enough weight.

~Your children will never be perfect.

~ Your hair color will never look perfectly amazing, no matter how many roots show through.

Once you accept that fact, it is sooo freeing! We are our harshest critics, I know. However, these things are absolutely true…

~Your babies will grow up.

~ Those minuscule wrinkles you worry about will deepen.

~ Your family will change, grow, and morph before your very eyes and you will be left WISHING you had more photos of them when they were tiny.

Sweet, sweet friend (and client)… I am shooting for the heart of your family. I am shooting for those moments that slip away faster than your second margarita. I am shooting for the feeling you have when you look at your babies, grasped in the arms of your husband. That will never change, no matter how much padding you put around it, or how dark the circles under your eyes are right now.

Now, don’t get me wrong here~ being photogenic is great. Owning a Free People dress is wonderful. Having a beautifully coordinated home or family is lovely.

However it is SOOOOO NOT NECESSARY for beautiful images or a photography experience we will never forget.

Ya wanna know something that feels like a secret? I’m NOT alone. There are TONS of amazingly talented, huge- hearted photographers who are searching for clients exactly like that.

People with REAL lives, REAL love, and REAL families.

Don’t be shy about booking with me {or someone else} because you don’t feel like you’re good enough, or cute enough, or sweet enough, or photogenic enough… I call BS!

If you desire to preserve this fragile time in your children’s lives, or want to document the love between you and your spouse, or have a need in your soul for images that make you FEEL SOMETHING… Book that session.

I promise you, you are MY ideal kind of client.

I value my clients so much that, I even wrote a love letter to them, you can read it here:

https://www.kellygogginphotography.com/blog/a-love-letter-to-my-clients

IF you loved what you read, stay close because this is the SECOND post in a series called “How to Be the Ideal Client” . We will cover many more topics such as:

~ How to plan for success in your session

~ How to communicate your desires perfectly

~ How to style your family

~ How to impress your photographer

~ What to do with your art in your home

and so on. Thanks for hanging with me ;-) I truly appreciate you taking the time to read this! If you have any follow up questions, or need help… email me!

KellyGogginPhotography@gmail.com

My {DREAM } Client, who that is...