This week I got the privilege of interviewing Kamia, owner of Kamia Portraits. She impressively balances being a wife, a mother, and an entrepreneur! This is literally the epitome of a girl boss!
I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I did.
Getting to know the CEO!
Let’s just start with you telling us a little about yourself!
My name is Kamia. I am a 20-year-old mother and wife. I was born and raised in Fitzgerald, Georgia. After graduating high school in 2015 I started attending Darton State College in Albany, Georgia. After three semesters I chose to quit school and pursue my career as an entrepreneur by starting my own photography business.
What is your biggest fear? My biggest fear is failure in life. I’m passionate about everything I do, and I’d hate to not accomplish any of my goals and succeed in every last one of them.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years? In five years I see myself living “the city life”, still married, probably another child and working full time as a professional photographer with the hopes of becoming a famous author.
Who are your biggest inspirations? My biggest motivators are my family members. When it comes to my photography business they were the first faces and are always the first to see my work. I trust their judgment and they’ve been my cheerleaders every step of the way!
(Photos were taken by Kamia)
All about Kamia Portraits!
How did Kamia Portraits get its start?
Kamia Portraits got started with my savings of $500.00 I went to my local Walmart bought me a Nikon D3300 and I went for what I knew. I officially got my business licenses around December or November, and I began establishing my business plan, goals and all the other small details.
Has being an entrepreneur always been a dream of yours?
Becoming an entrepreneur has always been a dream of mine since I was in middle school. I first wanted to do self-publishing of short stories and poems until I got into high school and then I wanted to open a daycare.
What has been the toughest part of your journey with Kamia Portraits (and any of your other business endeavors)? What is something you tell yourself to keep going?
The toughest part of my journey as the owner of Kamia Portraits has been finding my niche. Learning what type of photographer I want to be has been hard for me because it’s like finding yourself all over again. Something that I tell myself that keeps me going is “I’m going to be great one day”. I have to constantly look at my work the before and after and it motivates seeing how much better I’ve gotten.
What has been the best day as an entrepreneur?
The best day as an entrepreneur was July 13th, 2017 (I believe) but Kamia Portraits brought the very first women’s Business Expo to Fitzgerald, GA where we had around 12 vendors and the community came out and talked with us. I was able to do an interview with WALB and it made me feel as if my hard work was paying off!
Have you noticed any hardships along your journey strictly pertaining to you being a woman entrepreneur that you don’t think you would’ve experienced if you were a man?
I’ve haven’t experienced any hardship far as being a woman that’s an entrepreneur YET. I mainly face hardship as being a black woman who’s an entrepreneur more than anything.
What is something that you didn’t know about starting your business that you wish you would have known when you started?
I wish I would have known about 1. How long it takes to actually get your business out there and 2. The technical parts of running a business such as filing taxes, having a business ID, registering for certain licenses to sell.
How do you juggle college and Kamia Portraits?
While I was in college I honestly didn’t juggle being an entrepreneur and a college student well especially being a new mom and doing my courses online it was hard for me to manage my time. So, I’m taking a break to focus on my business and then I plan on going back changing my major to a form of Art and hopefully earn my Associates.
With 2018 being right around the corner, what are some goals that you have for Kamia Portraits the upcoming year?
My goal for 2018 and for my business (Kamia Portraits) is to better my retouching skills and learn more than I learned in 2017.
Do you see yourself branching out into other areas of business?
I do see myself branching into other businesses such as publishing as I mentioned earlier. I also want to branch off into body paint/makeup while also doing public speaking to young girls.
(Photos were taken by Kamia)
Fun Questions!
If you could have a photoshoot with any person in the world, who would it be?
If I could do a photoshoot of any famous person it would be Adele. I’m in love with her music, I’ve actually been a fan since her very first album 19. So just to be in the same room with her I think I’d lose my mind!
If you received the chance to open a studio anywhere in the world, where would it be?
If I could open a photography studio anywhere it would be Augusta, Georgia. I’ve always wanted to live in Augusta.
What has been one of your favorite photo shoots so far?
My favorite shoot so far has been a young lady named Avia out of Douglas. We did an outdoor shoot and she was just overall great to work with. She knew what she was doing we got great pictures and it didn’t feel like business. If felt like I had known her forever.
Give a shout out to your top 3 supporters!
I would like to shout out to my family, my husband and of course my daughter Samiya. They’re my top supporters and they keep me going.