Kelly Shoul shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Kelly, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What is a normal day like for you right now?
A normal day for me right now looks like waking up and starting with my morning routines. Once I’m ready for the day, I’ll head into my office with a big cup of coffee, ready to start working. Right now, it’s a lot of editing. I personally edit all of my weddings and elopements that I photograph, so right now I have a big backlog to catch up from the fall season. I’ll set goals for myself for the week, such as “finish two galleries” or “finish location list due xx”. Setting goals is a big part of my work process right now to keep on schedule. Once I put in a solid day of work, I’ll usually spend time with my husband making dinner or going out on a date night.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Kelly Shoul, and I’m an adventure wedding and elopement photographer. I help my couples execute and photograph their wedding days in the most beautiful locations in Colorado and Moab, Utah. My photography style is inspired by the outdoors, love, and storytelling.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What relationship most shaped how you see yourself?
The relationship that most shaped how I see myself is the relationship I have with myself. Over the years, I’ve changed a lot. Everything from my career to my hobbies. I took a leap of faith and quit my 9-5, very secure career of being an Accountant to go full-time into wedding photography. I’m really proud of the fact that I was able to believe in myself in that way. For so many years, I was stuck in a schedule and a job that sucked the life out of me. I have been told my whole life that going to college, getting a steady job, buying a house, getting married, and having kids were all things you checked off as you got older. It was the way to happiness. But for me, I was not happy. I knew I needed more. If I didn’t look deep inside myself and put that faith in myself to start my own business, I would still be stuck in that rut and very unhappy. The relationship I have with myself, and the ability to re learn everything I knew about myself, shaped how I see myself now. Because now I see what I’m capable of doing.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
If I could say one thing to my younger self, I would tell her to start the photography business sooner.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
I think one of the biggest lies the industry I’m in tells itself is that you have to hustle and book as many weddings as possible every single year to be successful. I strongly disbelieve in this. More work leads to burnout, which leads to subpar work, which leads to resentment in yourself. I think this is also a cultural thing in America. No other country works as hard as we do. I really wish we could get away from the “hustle culture” and spend more time on the more important things in life.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What will you regret not doing?
One thing I know that I’ll regret not doing is the spontaneous trips my husband and I always think of. There have already been a few times in the past where ideas pop up, trip ideas specifically, and we came up with an excuse why we couldn’t go. We look back on those times and think, “man, we should have just gone. What an amazing memory that would be now to look back on.”
Contact Info:
- Website: https://inloveandadventure.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inloveandadventure/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InLoveAndAdventure/
- Other: https://inloveandadventure.com/elopement-packages/
https://inloveandadventure.com/places-to-elope-in-utah-8/
Image Credits
Kelly Shoul, In Love and Adventure Photography
