Today we’d like to introduce you to Kizzy Williams.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I wanted to be a natural hair YouTube guru after going natural in 2008. I purchased my first camera, in 2009 – 2010, which was a Canon T2i. The agent at Best Buy showed me a few cameras and I picked the T2i because of a photo he took. It was a photo of a nut bolt, nothing fancy, but I loved the beauty of the photo. It was soft, creamy and sharp. LOL! I did one, maybe two, YouTube videos because I fell in love with photography. I started off by photographing family and friends. One of my aunts got married and I brought my camera with me and took some pictures during her wedding.
I laugh about it now because she had professional photographers there and they were watching me take photos. At the time I didn’t realize how unprofessional I was. I was just enjoying taking the photos. I took photos of everything – church pews and chandeliers, cars that were passing on the street, table top settings, people, the wedding cake; it didn’t matter because I was having a good time.
Before I discovered photography, I was already designing websites using MacBook’s iWeb application, so that’s how far I go back lol. I was always intrigued with web layouts, but soon realized iWeb was limited. You couldn’t do certain layouts and I didn’t understand why. I was just infatuated with certain designers’ layouts. I eventually discovered HTML and CSS. So I started taking courses on lynda.com website which is now rebranded as linkedinlearning.com. So that’s how I got started with photography, branding, web design, etc. It was just my love for beautiful online homes and branding. My family and friends, who were aware of what I was doing, contacted me for pictures, logos, websites, and before I realized it, this became my side hustle. I would soon realize how important it is to have multiple streams of income.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It hasn’t been a smooth ride because while developing myself as a photographer and later as a brand specialist, I experienced unemployment and divorced. The divorce is what really motivated me to take my brand more seriously because I had to move back home with my mom because I lacked financial resources to move out on my own, even though I had been independent before that marriage.
Through self reflection, I was asking myself what was I doing with my money that I could not move out on my own? During this transition, close family and friends were still contacting me for personal branding needs. That’s how my second brand, Divalopher, pronounced “develop her”, was created.
I was thinking “I’m always developing myself, always sitting in front of a computer learning something. I was really fussing at myself. LOL! The name Develop Her just kept coming to mind, it wouldn’t go away even though I tried to dismiss it because it was not available. No domain, no social media handles, they were already in use. So I had to get a little creative with the spelling for obvious reasons because I felt like this is what God wanted me to name my brand. Divalopher means a woman about her business, a woman determined to grow and overcome her circumstances, a woman who supports and encourages other women, a woman dedicated to learning and evolving.
Even though starting over was challenging, it was also an eye-opener and motivated me to better myself financially and help other women avoid unnecessary financial struggle through personal branding.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a photographer and brand specialist. My photography specialties are headshots, personal branding and portraits. You can find my work on my website kizzymichelle.com. Divalopher is my secondary brand that focuses on brand strategy because I noticed, and it happened to me, women were coming to me for logos or branding images, but with no strategy behind it. I developed a brand strategy program to help entrepreneurs lay their brand’s foundation before investing in a logo or brand photos. I just believe and realize the importance of having a strategy behind everything you do for your brand so number one, you don’t waste your money or your time, and number two, you realize that this is an investment that’s going to carry you far. So I specialize in photography and brand strategy and that’s what I want to be known for.
There’s a lot of time, mental and physical energy that goes into studying and perfecting your craft as a photographer and , knowing how to develop and apply a brand strategy to your business. I’m very proud of dedicating myself to this and I’m proud of not giving up on myself. Even though it hasn’t been a smooth ride, there’s been ups and downs. There have also been wins. I’ve been able to purchase my first home, create a photography studio in my home, pay off debts, become more knowledgeable about my finances, build a brand while working full-time, and being a supportive mom, sister, and daughter. I’m really proud of that because I didn’t give up and I found creative ways to keep my brand relevant while providing value to those I serve. That’s what I’m proud of.
What sets me apart from others is my brand message. While most people seem to advise you to leave your 9 to 5, I advise entrepreneurs, especially those just starting out, to focus on using your 9-to-5 to build your brand. I don’t have 9 to 5 hours, I meet with my clients after 5pm and on weekends because I know they are working during the day just like me.
After conducting my own interviews, most of the women I interviewed were hybrid entrepreneurs meaning they were working full-time jobs and trying to manage their side hustle. A common problem among them was that they were too busy to build a brand. They felt guilty and some felt like failures. This keeps them from showing up online and they experience a list of other problems ranging from mental blocks to desiring family support. I’m intentional about seeking out women like myself, those that work full-time jobs and building their brands on the side. And I also know that not everybody wants to quit their jobs. There’s a demographic of women out there that have other financial goals and this is the reason they are hybrid-entrepreneurs. They want to purchase their first home, travel, pay for their kids’ college tuition, and save for retirement.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
My favorite childhood memory is, I don’t quite remember how old I was, but I know I was very young and my mom purchased a Polaroid camera for one of my birthdays. Now at the time I had no idea I would become a photographer and I don’t know what made her buy that Polaroid camera for me but she did. I think about this sometimes because I don’t think I expressed any interest in photography and I know, my mom, as a single mother of three, had to sacrifice to buy me that camera. It’s so interesting how that seed was planted many years ago. It was a light gray and pink camera. Thank you for the memory Mom!
Pricing:
- Headshots start at $350
- I offer 10, 20, 30 image packages that start off at $1200. I accept AfterPay for Payment
- Brand Strategy program is an 8-week program that starts at $3997 broken down into 4 payments
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kizzymichelle.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kizzymichellephotography/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KizzyMichelle
- Other: https://www.divalopher.com/
Image Credits
Kizzy Michelle Kaleb Martin
