Embracing her true calling
Abbey Kyhl never planned to be a photographer, but after years as an advertising executive, photography found her. Driven and self-taught with a lot of passion and dedication, she began her photography career shooting portraits. As her business grew, she realized she couldn’t do it all and decided she needed to choose a specialty. She always loved weddings, so it made perfect sense to focus on them.
Now, eight years later, Abbey enjoys a referral-only business and a work-life balance to envy. But how does she do it? For Abbey, it’s simple: “Find your ideal client and treat them like gold. It all comes down to how you treat clients and the experience you give them. They refer family, friends and coworkers. The best way to be successful is personal recommendations. I love my clients and go the extra mile for them.”
Implementing systems to maximize efficiencies
Abbey first learned about ShootQ in Eric O’Connor’s master class at WPPI. “Eric is the most amazing wedding photographer and a genius with his business,” she said. “He talked about the systems he uses, and ShootQ was the big one. I signed up as soon as I got home and have loved it ever since. I couldn’t function without ShootQ!”
Abbey uses many of the features ShootQ offers, including contracts, workflows, email templates, payments, questionnaires and more. “I use it quite a lot, and I absolutely love it,” she said. “I focus on being efficient, and ShootQ seamlessly integrates with other systems in my business. It makes my life so much easier. I’ve cut so much time on the back end of things, I save 20 hours per client. I used to have an assistant, but now I don’t need one.”
Preparing the pieces before setup
As far as how easy or challenging ShootQ setup is, Abbey says it’s all in the preparation. “Eric was good to warn his students that the setup was intense, so I knew I had to have all my stuff ready,” she said. “I didn’t think it was that bad, because I was prepared. I had a list of what you need to have before you start. It was not tricky at all to take what I was using, put it in ShootQ and just start using it.”
“ShootQ is your studio assistant,” said Abbey. “You can’t just hire someone and not have to sit down and educate them. Setting up ShootQ is essentially the same thing; you have to be prepared and know what you want. It only took me an afternoon to setup. I didn’t think it was intense at all.”
Abbey offers some sage advice for new ShootQ users. “Make sure you know what you want to use ShootQ for before you start. Then have your materials ready before you sit down and start inputting information.”
Automating as much as possible
Automating recurring processes is a key benefit of ShootQ. “I love the automation and how I can pre-schedule things,” said Abbey. “Plus, it’s really professional. I like how it is personalized and presented to clients. My business is on higher price end, and if you want to live in that space, everything you do has to look streamlined and professional, and be delivered on time.”
“For me, I really love that ShootQ is online instead of a desktop download, because I access it from different computers,” said Abbey. “I use the app at every wedding. I love it! I live and die by that app.”
Finding the perfect fit for her business
Prior to discovering ShootQ, Abbey had completely given up on her former solution. “It was too difficult, so I just stopped using it,” she said.
ShootQ’s integration with payment processing solutions like Braintree was a big selling point for Abbey. “I love that ShootQ integrates with other systems. It hooks up to my account and deposits payments automatically. I don’t have to think about it.”
For Abbey, the price difference is worth every penny. “Time is money,” she said. “How much time did I spend doing all the stuff my former solution couldn’t do? ShootQ could do it all for an additional $25 a month. It didn’t make sense not to go the ShootQ route.”
Building relationships for the best customer service
Abbey is a firm believer in building successful working relationships, not only with her clients, but also with her service providers,” she said. “You should definitely find the company that works best for you and make a personal connection with them. The ShootQ team is so nice, friendly and helpful. They know who I am. It’s so great to have a personal connection. If I have a problem, I can email and know I’ll get the help I need.”
ShootQ also helps her put her best foot forward with her clients. “My brides are very detail-oriented and love that I am on top of the details. It gives me more time to focus on their stories and wedding days.”
Teaching others about ShootQ
“I am the poster child for ShootQ,” said Abbey. “There is not anyone who works with me who isn’t aware that I love ShootQ. I talk about it more than the average person. I know what a difference it can make and what it did for me. It’s making a huge difference in my business. If you want to take your business to the next level and run it better, ShootQ is one of the essential pieces of the puzzle!”
“I’ve cut so much time on the back end of things, I save 20 hours per client. I used to have an assistant, but now I don’t need one.”
Abbey Kyhl
ABBEY KYHL
@abbeykyhl
Specialty:
Wedding and Engagements
Location: Salt Lake City, UT
Challenge: Balancing family and work life while still providing top-notch customer service
Solution: ShootQ
Result: Automated processes; saved 20 hours per client; gained more time to spend with family
Former Solution:
Tave