Kaitlyn Fellows of Buckhead on Life, Lessons & Legacy

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Kaitlyn Fellows. Check out our conversation below.

Hi Kaitlyn, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What are you most proud of building — that nobody sees?
My business is built on sustainability. I tried wedding photography, family photography, and more… but I knew that working evenings and weekends wasn’t going to be a great long-term solution for the type of life I want to live.

My husband works 9-5, and I want our schedules to align as much as possible.

I am passionate about creating branded images for businesses, but when I realized that this work really fit my desired lifestyle too, it was an immediate yes to go all-in on this type of work.

I’m proud of it because when I picture my life in 5-10 years, I don’t worry about how I’m going to manage business with kids and more clients. I know that it’s being sustainably built to grow with me.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Kaitlyn, founder of Fellows Creative Co. I’m almost 30 & love living here in Atlanta, GA (Buckhead, specifically!)

I create custom images for Atlanta businesses & entrepreneurs.

My strengths (being both organized and creative) have led me to this dream job. Every day, I get to help business owners show up more confidently online, leading to more sales & growth for them!

I am a photographer, but also a creative director who comes to you with a vision and a plan informed by your marketing goals.

I love taking your unique angle in business and making it shine so you can attract your ideal clients.

Okay, so here’s a deep one: Who taught you the most about work?
My parents and grandparents are all entrepreneurs! I knew very few adults who worked normal 9-5s growing up, and I’ve learned over the years that it’s a unique gift to be surrounded by so many entrepreneurs.

My grandparents own a sign company. As a kid, and even now, their work was so interesting to me.

They had a “rainbow room” with tons of colorful rolls of vinyl that I adored going to stand in. I can still smell it.

My grandpa even showed me how to hand-letter like he used to do on race cars, & my grandma taught me the precision needed to get vinyl letters to stick correctly and not bubble up.

I learned so much about hard work from them. My grandma is still always working on something when I come over to her house, and I love seeing her in action. She’s great at getting things done and making time for the people she loves!

If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
I wish I could tell my college self that picking a major is really not that serious (unless you want to be a doctor. I didn’t).

I didn’t get into the degree program I’d hoped for, so I settled for art education.

I’d always been told I would make a great teacher and I loved school, so I figured it was just meant to be this way.

But the more I got into it, the more I realized I would be making a fixed salary no matter how well I did. Sure, I could get a master’s degree & make a few thousand more per year… but the thought started to weigh on me.

I remember being so worried that the degree would never translate into anything else I wanted to do to make money.

Thankfully, I’ve since learned that transferrable skills are GOLD.

Lesson planning skills turned into organized shot lists to prep for shoots.
Gathering art supplies turned into giving clients fun prop ideas.
Standing up in front of a room and talking turned into confidence leading calls with my clients.

It all comes full circle when I look back, but I wish I could’ve known it at that age!

I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
A lot of photographers think that the only way to make good money as a photographer is to photograph weddings.

What if I told you that I made more in a half-day shoot than I did in my average wedding package? & that I’m not on my feet for 10 hours or missing time with family & friends on the weekends?

There is money to be found in whatever niche you love most.

If that’s weddings, amazing. If that’s families, great!

Whatever it is, go all-in and become known for the one thing you do best.

Experts get paid well for their time.

If you’re a photographer who can’t make the math of doing X amount of $400 sessions make sense for your full-time income, it’s time to learn sales skills and start selling the true value of what you’re really offering people.

Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What do you understand deeply that most people don’t?
Investing in skills is the key to growing your business and yourself.

There are a million courses to choose from. Invest in the ones that have a proven track record of teaching people skills that they can take into any industry and make money because of them.

I invested in the Salesgirls’ program back in 2021, and it changed my life forever. I know that I can make money selling anything I want to, and the confidence that comes from that helped me go full-time in my business this year.

I also invested in the Paid Ads Academy this year, and a majority of my leads come from Google Ads now.

Investing money into growing my skillsets like that has been the way I’ve been able to create a profitable photography business.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://fellowscreative.com/brand-photos
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fellowscreativeco
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaitlyn-fellows

Image Credits
Fellows Creative Co.