Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Stephany Barboza. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Stephany, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?
I think to be successful first of all, you need to know where you want to go, and what your vision is. Make that vision so clear that you can imagine it every day. Who do you aspire to be? who do you look up to and why? what’s stopping you from achieving success? List the steps that will get you closer to your goal & the struggles you could face along the way. And remember that being successful could mean so many things for people. To some being successful is simply having their dream job and putting food on the table. To others, being successful means retiring by 40, and the list goes on. What I like to remember is that to get to where I want to go in my own form of success, I need to have discipline, I need to remember every single day why I’m doing what I do and how far I want to take it. Spending at least 30 minutes every day working on something I’m really passionate about. Never stop learning, become a master at your craft and never think you know it all because there’s always something new to learn, which will make you successful in the long run.
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 am a full-time wedding and elopement photographer, who also loves to photograph families and graduations! I have always been passionate about photography, I used to just take my camera everywhere and photograph strangers, my friends, landscape, and anything that seemed pretty to me at the moment. Never in a million years did I think that something I loved so much could turn into my full-time job. I’ve worked in retail, hospitality, and social work, you name it and nothing satisfied me, it wasn’t enough for me and I didn’t know why. Until I realized I could make photography a business, and so I did. I started doing photo sessions for families, couples, babies, etc, just to have the portfolio to showcase people who didn’t know me, and ever since I started I haven’t stopped. I was able to quit my job 6-10 months into doing photography full time and I have never been happier. Knowing I am able to provide these memories for others makes me so happy. Memories really are all we are left with, and being able to provide that for others has been life-changing. From seeing a couple get engaged, doing their wedding, and then doing their maternity session. From babies turning 25 days, to 6 months to a year. Having that trust with the people I meet and photograph is something I can’t describe but I am so thankful for it every day, it truly has changed my life.
What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?
Word of mouth is everything. Yes, social media and marketing are also a HUGE help when it comes to growing your clientele, but word of mouth will get you there 100%. I believe every single person I have ever photographed has referred me to someone they know, which helped me get to meet someone new as well. If someone is out there recommending me to their close friends and family that means I did a great job and that they are 100% sure about me and my work, which is everything to me.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The memories I can create for others. When I hear other people tell me they cried seeing their photos because they have never seen themselves that way. To see the beauty in every single person I meet, because we’re all beautiful, and I love how sometimes people will come into a session so timid about something they don’t like about themselves and when they see the photos they no longer think that way. I could go on forever, but leaving an amazing memory for people to hold on to forever has to be the biggest reward.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.stephanybarbozaphoto.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephbarboza.photo/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stephbarbozaphoto