Self-employed: No match for COVID
By: Corinne Thomas Layout: Madison DePover
K
endra Plathe is a basic human: clumsy, artsy and nothing less than real.
I reached out to her with her thousands of followers as a photographer, and to my disbelief, she couldn’t wait to meet me. In the hours that we ate together at a coffee shop, it had felt like I had known her my whole life. Countless times she laughed and said, “don’t put that in the article.” The truth of it all is, the people you follow on social media are very much real-life people with genuine struggles. It is human nature to get into the habit of seeing people different on social media from behind a screen. While Plathe’s wedding, couples, and senior photos are nothing short of incredible, it makes you wonder who is behind the camera. We chatted about life, the crazy times we’re all struggling in right now, and how crazy it is to run your own business. To add more on top of that, try running a business during a global pandemic.
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person,” said Plathe. Plathe has never been one to blend in, even at a young age. Duplicating someone else doesn’t give you an upper hand in anything in life. “People need to find their own niche and start embracing it and be them,” added Plathe. “Don’t try to be that top Instagram person because I’ve watched so many people do that and fall to the bottom.” Creating this network of clients by being her most authentic self and creating relationships has introduced her to many new people in life. Working with clients that treat you like friends makes her job easier just as much as the clients’. Plathe gains friends for life through her photography business. This network that she created by being herself has led her to achieve her long-term goals.
While trying to create content that people want to see, it’s easy to slip between the cracks of your truthfulness on the way to the top. Plathe emphasized how important it is to make your brand “you” without taking those qualities away from yourself.
Plathe went full time just a few years ago after pursuing a few office jobs out of college. She couldn’t imagine being there now. She mentioned it was so surreal to be a full-time photographer.
“You just have to be you and embrace it and not try to be anyone else. There are always those people on Instagram that everyone wants to be like, and they try to literally be that
Plathe stated that she started from rock bottom out of high school and that life didn’t always look as great as it does now. Mental health became a central priority not long after she
