My journey started 8 years ago in 2001, but I like to believe that it really started when I was a little girl. My father always had the camcorder ready to go and I would always beg him to film. Sometimes he'd let me, but then there were times when he didn't want me to record upside down or have shaky footage so I would just watch him. Fast forward almost a decade or more later and I'm the professional Wedding Photographer and Filmmaker. I started shooting while capturing concerts of Grammy-Award winning artist like Lecrae, Mali Music and more. At that time I didn't know I would own my own company and pursue this full time. All I knew it that I loved freezing time and I loved the rush I got of being in the zone while doing it.
Did you ever deal with contention from your family and friends concerning your entrepreneurial pursuits?
How did you handle it? What would you do differently in hindsight?
When I first started my business, my family wasn't very supportive because they couldn't\ see how someone could walk away from something so secure as being a nurse, to picking up a camera to take pictures. That's when I explained to them that what I do is more than "taking pictures." It's in my blood. I go to sleep and wake up thinking about it. Even the days when my body says rest, I'll still up and at it - although I have learned to listen to her now because rest is important too.
What were the biggest initial hurdles to building your business and how did you overcome them?
I overcame the temporary lack of support by continuing to pursue my dream, and believing in myself. Lack of support from family and friends can be a burden, but not supporting yourself can be the ultimate dream-killer. Everything you achieve and do starts in your mind. If i could redo my timeline, I would've quit nursing much sooner. On the contrary, my nursing background plays a major role in my business success. It is the reason why I am so organized and have great work ethics. I also get a lot of grounding from reading, studying, researching and from listening to people like Gary Vaynerchuk who gave me the amazing opportunity to direct and film a promotional video for his sneaker line GARYVEE 002's.
What advice would you give to an upcoming young and old entrepreneur locally and internationally?
Over the years I have learned a lot about business, and that's one thing that I didn't know would really be of importance. I'm also passionate about content and video-marketing which has allowed me to grow my educational platform portion of my business. If I had to give any advice to a photographer or filmmaker it would be to learn everything you can about business. You always evolve as a Creative and learning photography or even videography will become easier over time, but running a business is a different beast.
