What does it look like to rebuild a photography business from the ground up in one of the most competitive markets in the country? In this episode of The Messy Middle, TMA Community Manager Ali Payne sits down with Kayla, a family and newborn photographer who recently relocated from Traverse City, Michigan to Dallas, Texas. Kayla’s background in marketing and graphic design gives her a sharp, intentional lens on photography brand identity, and her story is a masterclass in knowing what to own and what to outsource.
Know Your Brand Before You Build It
Kayla graduated with a degree in marketing, and she brings that foundation into every corner of her photography business. Her advice for anyone trying to build or refine their brand is to start internally before reaching for a logo or a color palette. That means thinking about your core pillars, what you want clients to feel, and what personality you want your brand to carry. Playful? Luxurious? Editorial? All of those signals inform your colors, your visual identity, and the kind of client experience you design around them.
She’s also clear that branding isn’t something you check off a list once. A pre-made Etsy logo might get you started, but it rarely gets you where you want to go. The consistency and confidence clients see in your brand comes from intentional, ongoing work. And for Kayla, that work is something she genuinely loves. Her Instagram and website reflect a distinct, cohesive aesthetic that she builds and maintains herself, because design lights her up.
But she’s equally clear that loving your brand doesn’t mean you have to love every part of running a business. Knowing what energizes you and what drains you is foundational, and it’s where the real outsourcing conversation begins.
Outsource What You Don’t Love
When Kayla was preparing for her move to Dallas, she took stock of what she was good at and what she was not. SEO landed firmly in the second column. In a destination market like Traverse City, social media (and the right hashtags) could drive real client inquiries. But in a saturated local market like Dallas, where potential clients are Googling through dozens of photographers, organic search matters far more. So she invested in a website audit with TMA mentor Melissa Arlena, and she calls it one of the best returns on investment she’s made.
Her framework for figuring out what to outsource is refreshingly practical. Look at your numbers. Where are your leads actually coming from? If qualified clients are finding you through your website or Google, put your energy there and scale back the things that aren’t moving the needle. If you’re in a vacation destination where hashtags get traction, that changes the math. The point isn’t a universal rule. It’s about understanding your specific business and making decisions from that.
She’s also investing in business coaching with TMA mentor Laura Esmond to help her navigate the shift from destination photography to a local, relationship-based market. Her clients in Traverse City were largely coming from out of state, treating the session as part of a vacation experience. Dallas families are looking for something different, and Kayla is intentionally learning how to speak to them. Having a mentor who can give her a clear, ordered to-do list (she describes herself as a type A checklist person through and through) is exactly the kind of support she needs in the middle of a major business transition.
A Business Model Built Around Simplicity and Touch
Kayla’s current pricing structure is collection-based: a digital collection, an album collection, and a wall art collection. She moved to this model before the Dallas transition because she found that open-ended virtual IPS created decision fatigue for clients who couldn’t interact with products in person. Three clear options makes the buying process simple and removes friction for busy families.
But the product structure is just one piece. What sets Kayla’s experience apart is the personalization built into every touch point. She includes hair and makeup in the session deposit. She encourages in-person consultation calls where the whole family can come meet her, try on clothing, look through products, and help her understand the kids’ personalities before the camera comes out. If a toddler is obsessed with Cinderella, Kayla shows up to the session with a Cinderella toy. These details are the heart of what she’s selling, and they’re baked into her pricing accordingly.
Her shooting style follows the same philosophy. Free-flowing, prompt-driven, and a little chaotic in the best possible way. She’s not the family formal photographer, and she’s upfront with clients about that. What she’s after are the in-between moments where kids are just being themselves, where parents are laughing, where something real is happening. That vision runs through everything she does.
Listen and Learn More
One of the most memorable moments in this episode comes near the end, when Kayla shares the text she sent to Adrianne Shelton (from The Kindred Path) right before the move to Dallas. She was nervous about competing in such a heavy market. Adrianne’s response was simple: “Well, why couldn’t that be you?” That one sentence, Kayla says, shifted her entire mindset from panic to possibility. It’s a reminder of how much the people around you matter when you’re in the thick of a transition.
Find Kayla at kaylamariphotography.com or on Instagram at @kaylamariphotography.
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.
