Keeley Miller graduated from IUPUI in May 2019 and has been busy building her empire ever since. In October 2019, she moved to San Diego, Calif., from Indiana and relaunched her photography business, Keeley Miller Portrait, there. She opened a studio in downtown San Diego.
“I knew that moving cross-country to a new city would be incredibly difficult both professionally and personally,” she said. “But it is one of the best decisions I have made.”
Miller said it’s hard not to love San Diego — she has become “spoiled with sunshine, beaches, endless tacos, and always having something new to explore.”
She still gets homesick for Indiana and IUPUI, but she has learned that home is where you make it. The bright side of her new home: It’s always 70 degrees and sunny.
A few months after Miller moved, California went on lockdown due to COVID-19 and she had to temporarily close her studio. However, she has been able to do some photo shoots outside (pictures on the beach!), and she has been working on workflow and marketing strategies.
The experiences she had at IUPUI, in the Department of Journalism and Public Relations, and at her internships have helped her be a better business owner by teaching her how to hone her communication skills, critical thinking, and problem-solving, she said.
“A Liberal Arts degree complements every field of study, including entrepreneurship,” she said. “As a small business owner, I have to wear all the hats — marketing, client communication, accounting, creative direction, client acquisition — oh, and photographer. The skills that I gained from a Liberal Arts degree are invaluable.”