We were lucky to catch up with Angela Acosta recently and have shared our conversation below.
Angela, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?
My photography journey was ignited by fashion magazines like Vanity Fair and Vogue. As a kid and teenager, I could spend hours thumbing through the pages and looking at the stunning images. Still, it made me wonder about the world they represented- the women were so perfect, and that world and exquisite photography in and of itself were things I had always imagined were reserved for others, not for women like me.
I picked up a professional camera when I was 40 while still in my corporate job and took a wayward path through several genres and niches before I landed where I am now with Angela Atelier. During my “family photography” stint there was a common thread that made me really sad – for mother’s it’s all about the kids. Photograph my kids. The reality is sad, that we as women, we tend to like to hang around back stage, not taking credit for our contribution in the world.
It makes sense, now that I think of it. My journey from corporate life to photography entrepreneurship wasn’t just about building a business, it was about creating a movement aimed to change the narrative for the everyday woman and photography. The fusion of empowerment with the art of photography has become my life’s work.
My why is to empower women to step into their rightful space–in front of the camera—worthy of being seen, heard, acknowledged, and celebrated.
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’m Angela Acosta, the founder of Angela Atelier, a NJ-based photography studio with a mission to empower women. At my studio, photography goes beyond capturing images; it’s a force of empowerment. By focusing on photographing women, I’ve carved out a niche that aligns with my values of celebrating the female journey. Photography isn’t about vanity to me; it’s necessary for self-discovery and acceptance. It’s necessary to establish your place in this world. Whether through personal branding or portraiture, I strive to help women embrace their authentic selves and share their stories with the world.
Finding my purpose in life has been a long, hard road spanning a career in corporate that eventually turned stale and unfulfilling and my heart’s desire to be part of a movement to raise women’s visibility and voices.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
Transitioning from corporate America to entrepreneurship wasn’t a walk in the park. It took grit, determination, and plenty of resilience. But aside from that, creativity takes energy, and often time our day jobs suck that out of us before the day is over. I met many women who wanted to do this or do that…but never had the energy to take it up, and it started to happen to me as I got older. So, it was always a push and shove between my job and my desire to create. The 40-hour week won every time, which was my signal it was time to go. While working full-time, I dedicated early mornings and late nights to building my photography business. I set a bold goal and pushed myself to achieve it. Leaving my corporate job was a pivotal moment that allowed me to fully immerse myself in growing my business, leading to remarkable transformations that would have taken a decade within the confines of corporate life.
I was thrilled to see many women business owners once I left the corporate world. It was a refreshing sight; I felt like shouting about it from the rooftops. That’s why I’ve taken on the mission to lead a photography project called Startup Stories, which aims to highlight and showcase these women entrepreneurs. I would photograph 100 female entrepreneurs. Wow, this is where resilience mattered as a newbie business owner myself. I had a vision, but then what. How do you get this project off the ground? When I tried to do it on my own, it went nowhere. Despite the low cost, no one signed up, so I started thinking more strategically — what did I need and from whom? At this point, I started leaning on my communities and asking for support. I even DM many on Instagram to get their attention. I was tenacious (a first). I pitched the idea to many business owners and got many “I love the project, but it’s not for me,” or they agreed and fell off the map a month later. It was tough, especially since this was only one of several enormous challenges I was going through then. I was in a transformational phase, pushing my wall-flower existence to become a marketing expert, so I was working on several initiatives that were failing before they took hold–the baby was cringeworthy and ugly. But every day, I got up and focused on the final outcome, not the mess. The messes were sorted out to find the missed opportunities, the silver linings. For Startup Stories, it was about finding the right collaborators for the project, and finally, it happened. Five incredible women with similar brand values signed up to collaborate with me — and now we’ve got a badass project.
Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?
I had an online mentor-to-the-masses for photography while chipping away at my side hustle, but I only realized the potential impact of one-on-one mentoring much later. It is the most crucial resource that fueled my entrepreneurial journey, but regretfully, it was the last thing I thought of. It was an idea I was exposed to only when I started networking with other business owners, so I want to put it out there now for anyone else looking to take the leap.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://angelaatelier.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/a.atelier.photography/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/angatelier
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ang-acosta/
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/@angelaatelier
Image Credits
Image one and two by Angela Acosta of Angela Atelier, Image three by Audrey Tappan of HUED for the Startup Stories Photography Project.
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