We were lucky to catch up with Nic Burnette recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Nic thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?
living on the beach in Florida gave me the opportunity to see such amazing sunrises every morning, an idea that turned into a part-time business.
I was homeless living under a pier on the beach in Daytona, Florida for several months. landing a part-time job at a local bar allowed me to start saving tip money from work each day to purchase my first camera in 1998.
I started taking photos of the sunrise on the beach and printing them out to sell during special events in the spring season like bike week and the Nascar Daytona 500.
after several months I was able to save up enough to get an apartment and upgrade my camera with better lenses.
As my photos gained popularity in the community, I was asked to photograph a wedding on the beach at sunset near a lighthouse. I did the wedding photos for Free due to my lack of experience in the field and only doing it as a hobby for myself. After the photos got some attention on social media at the time (Myspace) I was contacted and asked to do several more within the next few months and started charging a small fee as a beginner in the photography business.
I gained more experience, more confidence in what my abilities could do, and watched youtube videos to learn new techniques along the way.
During that first year of learning, I did 8 weddings all on the beach, and several modeling photos for an import car club
which in term, got my first publication in a national magazine. After that, I was able to afford better lenses and a more advanced camera. I mulled the idea of starting my own small photography business and was met with a lot of support from friends and family at the time.
I started a website, ( small but affordable) and gained attention where my work was published and met more people in the industry that helped me along the way to really get noticed. The rest is history. A statement that you can literally come from Nothing to owning a small business with a little hard work and dedication.
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 was a part-time bartender and barback at a local Bar in Daytona Beach, Fl. before i really got noticed.
My first official business brand was The Artist’s Studio where I wanted to have a collective of local artists and photographers working together to do fairs and events across central Florida showcasing our talents.
Since leaving Florida and moving to California in 2012, I’ve continued with my community volunteering with our organization called 209 Community Cares.
In the past year, i have partnered up with my fiance and we started a Boba Tea lounge and Selfie studio in Rio Vista, California
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
After leaving North Carolina in the spring of 1998, and heading to Florida I was robbed of my money, beaten, and left in an alley. I didn’t know anyone, didn’t have any friends, and was really alone.
Becoming homeless and having to find shelter every night was difficult but keeping my mental health and stability was important in my success of finding a job and holding that down to get myself off the streets
Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?
Met her at my workplace one evening while I was on shift doing a special event. 8 years later we are business partners, lifelong partner, and happy to say I have found my soul mate.
Contact Info:
- Website: theartiststudio.net
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theartists_studio/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheArtistsDesignStudio/