We recently connected with Mishawn Costen and have shared our conversation below.

Mishawn, appreciate you joining us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

After giving many years of myself to the corporate world, I had decided it was time for me to put more effort towards my true passion in creative arts. It wasn’t until my grandmother had become severely ill during the pandemic and I needed to step away from my 9-to-5 to visit her. That dreadful time came when the company I had been working for was going through some transitions and needed all hand on deck.

As a committed employee, I’ve always put the companies that I had worked for first. I never hesitated the need to go see my grandmother but always felt a little guilt needing to step away from the office. At the same time, I had my true love for photography in my forethoughts and felt that was the motivation I needed to put more effort into my personal business. I’ve worked long hours in the corporate world for many years and it had taken away the time I needed to manifest my own dreams.

Instead of asking to use the time that I had accumulated for a personal leave to make the necessary travels, I had decided to resign. Effective immediately. That was a huge risk. Especially, given that was my main source of income. Photography was a passion that I had hope to flourish but it hadn’t at that particular time when I resigned.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I’ve started my professional career in photography in 2010 at the direction of my business minded sister. She pushed me to explore in depth my true potential. It was her, who had helped me launch my own studio and gathered leads through her network of connections.

In the beginning of my photography career, I was taking pictures of everything and anyone. I hadn’t found my niche yet. My sister had acquired me a studio adjacent to her beauty salon and I had started capturing some of the salon’s clients. I would take their pictures, edit them and return the edits to the clients. The more exposure I had gotten with them being dolled up, the more I wanted to take beauty/glamour shots. I had seen how the end-results made them happy; thus, making me feel better about my work.

Taking glamour or beauty shots introduced me to a new level of customer service. I had to listen to the client more. Learn what features they liked most about themselves and accent that in the images. Editing requires a keen sense of attention to detail. I found this especially true as I acquired commercial clients. I seek feedback and make corrective actions to make sure that my clients are satisfied.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

As an artist, I can have my own interpretation of the style I choose. Basically, I’m free to sway in any direction I like in the world of photography. There’s so many genres to choose from that I’d never be bored. In other businesses, it’s a very specific refined way of doing things. Being creative gives me a wide range to express myself. Of course, it’s up to someone to like it or not but it doesn’t take away me being an artist.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I’ve had a commercial studio space for 12 years. Recently, when I stepped away from my corporate job, I had decided to cut overhead costs and prepare for my transition to be a full-time photographer. This meant that I had to increase my clientele and cut overhead costs. I now have reduced my studio expenses so that I can better position myself to increase my revenue. When I worked longer hours for someone else, I wasn’t able to take on clients that wanted to have sessions in the evenings. My availability has opened up and I am now taking on the clients that I couldn’t have taken in the past.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.balliebphoto.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/balliebphotography
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/balliebphotography/

Image Credits
Ballie B. Photography