Twenty years ago, a chance conversation at a bridal show turned into one of the most enduring photography business partnerships in the industry. In this milestone 100th episode, host Kim Box sits down with her longtime business partner Josh Moates to talk about how photography business partnerships actually work, from the gut feeling that started theirs to the risk that eventually led to founding Indie Film Lab.
The Foundation of a Strong Business Partnership
Kim and Josh didn’t meet through a mutual friend or a business plan. They met at a bridal show, where Josh walked up to Kim’s table and asked if she had ever thought about having a partner. Neither of them had a strategy. What they had was a feeling.
Looking back over two decades, Josh points to a few things that made the partnership last where so many others fall apart. Shared values come first. Trust comes right behind it, the kind where you could hand someone a stack of cash and know it would still be there when you came back for it. And beyond that, a shared goal matters more than shared personality. Kim and Josh are different in a lot of ways, but they were always aiming at the same target.
They also learned, later in the partnership, to lean into their differences instead of fighting them. After reading the book Rocket Fuel, they realized Josh operates as the visionary and Kim leans more integrator, and once they stopped trying to be both, everything ran smoother. Knowing your role, and trusting your partner in theirs, turned out to be one of the biggest lessons of all.
From a Gold Record to a Camera
Before photography, Josh spent years touring as the bass player in a signed rock band, complete with a gold record, an MTV video, and a tour bus. It was the kind of success most people never get close to. And then, in the middle of it, he felt something shift.
He couldn’t fully explain the pull to walk away. He just knew he was homesick, ready to settle down, and increasingly sure that the music chapter of his life was ending even as the band kept playing. So he bought a camera, started shooting weddings alongside Kim, and eventually left the band behind entirely.
That same instinct led him toward film photography a few years later. Frustrated with the limitations of early digital cameras, Josh got his hands on a medium format camera and shot a single test roll of nothing more than a dog, some grass, and a tree. When the scans came back, something clicked. He started scanning his own weddings, joined a handful of early online film communities, and slowly built the knowledge that would eventually become Indie Film Lab.
The company’s real turning point came the day Josh walked past a stack of boxes at their studio, assuming they belonged to the boutique next door, only to realize they were rolls of film from photographers all over the country. That was the moment he knew the “soft launch” had turned into something real.
Why the Right Partnership Matters
One thread runs through both the band story and the Indie Film Lab story: the people around Josh and Kim made the difference. A supportive boss who let Josh take off for gigs. A producer who told a talented but unmotivated band that a group from Alabama, with half their skill, was outworking them. A first customer who took a chance and sent in the very first roll of film before the company officially existed.
Kim put it simply: being good at your craft is only half the equation. The relationships you build, the way you show up for people, and the community you surround yourself with carry just as much weight in whether a business succeeds. That’s exactly the belief The Motherhood Anthology was built on. Photography businesses grow faster and feel less lonely when they’re built inside a community of mentors and peers who want to see you win, not just a spreadsheet of strategy.
Josh and Kim have also learned, twenty years in, to pause and actually enjoy what they’ve built instead of only chasing the next goal. As Josh put it, it’s easy to spend years reaching one milestone after another without ever stopping to celebrate any of them.
Listen and Learn More
This two-part conversation is full of stories that didn’t make it into this post, from tour bus life to the early, chaotic days of building a lab from scratch. If you’ve ever wondered what it really takes to build a partnership, this episode is worth a listen.
Learn more about the Indie Film Lab at indiefilmlab.com. Find Josh on Instagram at @joshuamoates.
Ready to build a business that reflects your own creative voice? The Motherhood Anthology membership gives you access to expert mentors, live coaching, monthly marketing suites, and a private community of photographers who are invested in your success. Learn more and join at themotherhoodanthology.com.
The Motherhood Anthology is a community and educational resource for photographers who want a profitable and sustainable business they love. With 15+ expert mentors and 7+ years of proven content, TMA helps portrait photographers build confident, thriving businesses through monthly education, mentorship, and a supportive community of 700+ members.
