We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Aleks Victoria. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Aleks below.
Alright, Aleks thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?
Hard work, being genuine, and taking the time to connect with your clients. I really don’t think you can be successful without doing those three things, especially in this industry. People value feeling valued, I know I do. So taking the time to get to know my clients and always doing the best I can for every job, even when I’m not feeling up to it, is essential. I know I’ve had plenty of days where I just don’t feel like working, whether it’s from exhaustion, personal things going on, etc. But every time I shoot and get to know my clients and connect with them, it genuinely makes me happier. And any time they tell me that they enjoyed working with me and the quality of the images they received, it puts such a smile on my face and keeps me going. Everyone has a story, a moment they want captured forever, whatever it may be and I was lucky enough to be picked to shoot it. So I know going that extra mile and giving it my all is the best thing I can do to help in achieving success.
Aleks, 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’m a photographer based in Miami that captures weddings, portrait work, events, families, etc. It always feels fun and no two experiences, weddings, shoots, etc., are the same. I knew it would be a big risk starting my own company and taking the chance that people would want to work with me. But now I’ve had this company for just over 5 years and I’m really proud that I was able to start my business from scratch and make it what it’s become. You know you picked the right career when you genuinely get happier while you work. I’m proud that the majority of my clients come to me via word of mouth, so it tells me people like to work with me and like the quality of work I deliver. I love to travel for work, so if someone asks me to go out of town I’m there! I’ve been lucky enough (and super grateful) to have been taken to New York, Los Angeles, St. Augustine, and a few other cities for work, so I can only hope my company keeps growing and I get to keep expanding my business around the world. I do my best to give my full potential to every shoot, wedding, and event that I’m hired for and will always do my best to make their experience the best possible. I’ll always help pose my clients in every shoot, as well as keep my eye out for any of those beautiful candid moments that you can’t pose. I know not everyone has experience taking professional pictures, so I’m always ready with ideas as well as open to anything they might have in mind so they walk away as satisfied as possible.
Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
Providing high quality work in a timely fashion, always being genuine with your clients, and consistently posting on social media. I’ve always prided myself on having good relationships with my clients; before, during, and after working with them. Being genuine and connecting with people is essential to growing your business. They enjoy working with you, and in turn will (hopefully) recommend them to their friends and family. Also it’s essential to post on social media and keep people interested in your work and seeing you progress. I don’t slave myself to social media because I’ve learned it can be very unhealthy. But I will post 1-3 times per week as well as consistent stories so people can see what I’ve been up to. Engaging with people is so important and turning around the work in a timely fashion is key. For weddings, for example, I always like to provide previews to my couples within a few days of their wedding so they have something to tie them over and get excited about before the full gallery is ready. Doing these three things has led to a steady and consistent growth in my clientele.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
I have five main goals for my career: always try new things every time I shoot (you can never stop learning), travel the world for work, be financially stable enough to be able to provide for my future family without thinking twice, retire my mom, and give back every year to mental health organizations. I feel that it’s good to have both personal goals for yourself as well as goals to help those around you. If I can do both those things while still enjoying what I do every day, I’ll know that I’m achieving my goals every day. Traveling for work and always trying new things are daily goals that I can achieve for as long as I can work. Financial stability for my family, retiring my mom, and giving back to mental health organizations are goals that I want to reach one day because they’re each close to my heart. My mom has always been my biggest supporter and is the hardest worker, she even acts as my assistant at weddings sometimes. If I can retire her I’d be so happy. Mental health is so important and always has been, but now more than ever. So if I can somehow give back to organizations that support that I think it would benefit everyone and get them to reach their full potential. And being able to give my future family the best life possible is just a goal I’ve always had for myself. I know how fortunate I am to have my own business where I can determine my goals and reach for them every day.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.aleksvictoriaphotogaphy.com
- Instagram: @aleksvictoriaphotography
- Facebook: Facebook.com/aleksvictoriaphotography
- Yelp: www.yelp.com/biz/aleks-victoria-photography-coral-gables