We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Aaron Spaulding a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Aaron, appreciate you joining us today. Talk to us about building your team? What was it like? What were some of the key challenges and what was your process like?

My business began with just me. At that time, things were going okay and I felt as if I finally was doing what I wanted to do but it still didn’t feel like I was fulfilling my full purpose. It was hard for me, an artist, to step out and fully indulge in the art business world. When I found my team, things changed. My creative team not only made it easier to do business but it allowed me to open my creative mind. They helped me grow and step out of my comfort zone which allowed for more business opportunities for all of us. Its hard to do things on your own, so to have a team of creative minds who are all focused on the same goal is good for growth. Not only is everyone hungry to reach the top, but we created a family of talented, goal oriented, creatives who love doing what they want to do. To get to create alongside my team day in and day out is truly an honor. Our collaboration with other artists inspires us to keep going and it shows artists that its good to work together and thrive off of each other. The key to growing is continuing to learn but also teaching others who have been in your position or who just may not know the things you do. If I were starting my business over today, the first thing I would do is find a team of people who are willing to sit down and go through the trials and tribulations of starting a business. Finding a team of people who are willing to put the time in and do what it takes to reach whatever goal it is that we set and continue to move forward everyday! These people will help keep you in line and help make the process of creating a business so much more enjoyable.

Aaron, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I began as a portrait photographer. When I was younger, I always seemed to see the beauty in everything around me. I started taking picture to show that everyone and everything is beautiful and to really capitalize on self-love. With photography, I began to feel somewhat limited. I started to wonder what more could I do to help people with my talent. Ive always been an all around creative, dabbling in all forms of art, from drawing, videography, painting, music etc. I had to figure out a way to be able to use all of my talents in the world we live in without just creating for myself. I realized that we are in a time where everyone, including myself, wants to be an artist or an entrepreneur and we live in a world where for that to be possible, you need to create content. A lot of people struggle with doing so, don’t have the time, or its just not their thing; so I decided to create a team of creatives to create that content for business, artists and entrepreneurs. We provide services that tells the story behind brands and enough content to help promote and get businesses some content. Photoshoots, logos, product pictures, advertisement videos, instagram/tiktok videos, and so much more can be bundled into a business package. These packages are customizable to focus on whatever content is needed for an individual, whether it focuses on videos like instagram content or focuses on photos to show the looks for your brand. We create enough content for people to post consistently and enough content to not only show the meaning of the business but help people get to know the owner as well. I feel that when you get to know more about people, their work can resonate with the audience better and it can help people better understand the brand/artist. I want people to understand that creating a business/being an artist takes a lot of work and promoting not only brand but yourself as well and its about doing it consistently. We over at Cre8ve Paradise help people create their paradise through creative works and want to make the process more enjoyable while also still being true to yourself. I enjoying making clients vision come to life and seeing their reaction when they see the work we have done. I know how it feels to be starting out and I know that if there was a place where I could go to tell people my vision and they bring it to reality, I wouldn’t have hesistated to work with them!

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

The most effective strategy for growing your clientele is networking and building a strong relationship with your clients. I learned that talking to people and not only just telling them about my business but telling them a little about myself and why I do what I do has helped build that foundation. Being consistent in your work and allowing people to see your growth from where you’ve come from to where you are to where you are headed is what can increase that trust and bond with a client. When people can relate and see that your not just working for money but doing something you love for the growth of others it can create loyal clients who not only will continue working with you. You will begin to get clients who not only enjoy your work but will work with you because of who you are!

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I believe that my reputation was build off of the consistency and constant growth of my work. Showing people that I love what I do, i am willing to learn more and expand my skills is something that helped my reputation grow. When people see that you are constantly working and growing as a person it can show that you are serious about what you do. If you continue to do the same thing and arent looking for ways to improve or better the business, it can get old and though people may work with you, they may not come back. Being able to do different things and having a versatile mindset can show people that you are can provide not only good work but in a variety of ways. When you are constantly putting out good quality work, people will begin to see that you are trustworthy and will realize your worth! There are many things they dont see happening behind the scene but if I happen to show all the work i truly put in, day in and day out, I feel they will grow some sort of respect for you and your work.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.shotbysaap.squarespace.com
• Instagram: shotbysaap
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@cre8veparadise213
• Other: personal youtube; https://www.youtube.com/@asaap2970

Image Credits
Photographer: Me, Shotbysaap Models: Essence, Jordan, Lay, Jeremiah, Mo, and Les Cre8ve Paradise