We recently connected with Angie Paola and have shared our conversation below.

Angie , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Being a business owner can be really hard sometimes. It’s rewarding, but most business owners we’ve spoken sometimes think about what it would have been like to have had a regular job instead. Have you ever wondered that yourself? Maybe you can talk to us about a time when you felt this way?

Being a business owner has definitely been a wild ride! Although, business is a passion of mine, so of course I am happy. But, just like with anything, you learn to pick your battles to win the war. When it comes to business, it’s truly not linear and knowledge and work never stop. You constantly have to be the person with the vision and the one to execute. Many hours go uncalled for and you learn to maneuver in a way that is almost a survival skill. After doing it for so long, you do start to ask yourself the “is it worth it?” question. I’ve been doing this for 4 years straight and that thought alone really keeps me pushing. I’ve put so much work into putting my name out there and running all of my sub-businesses alone, that if I were to stop…. the hard work would’ve been for nothing. At times, I do think about just quitting and taking the great resume I have elsewhere. A place where I wouldn’t have to be everything from the ground up, you know? A place to utilize the skills that I’ve spent so long building on…. That combined with the work experience I DO have, I know I could go be great somewhere. But, that’s not what makes me happy… and, not doing what I love impacts me THAT much… that I know it’s what I need to be doing. The mix between business, marketing, and content creation/photography is the perfect mix that has been created by me for me – It’s couture at this point. When you feel like this, it’s important to look from the outside in and realize what’s really going on. Wearing too many hats can definitely blind side you. Get back to why you started and what you offer. I take pride in that.

Angie , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Well first and foremost — Hi! I’m Angie Paola. I’ve been a creative my entire life and take pride in all of the knowledge that I do have in the marketing and design field. I call myself a visual marketing specialist. But, to you I’m a photographer/videographer/graphic designer/content creator with a business oriented mindset. I build the bridge between you and your audience by creating impactful visuals that tell your story. I take pride in qualittyyyyy, baby! I own two brands, Angie Paola is what I operate under to provide photography services, content creation, graphic design and branding services. My second brand is Forever Saucy which is a team of highly creative individuals looking to bring DFW artist the visuals they need to succeed in their field. We work with musical artists to bring visually appealing interviews, music videos, cover art, photoshoots and all of the other great things that come with being an artist.

What makes me different is my eye and my drive. I won’t stop until both of us are happy while sharing the knowledge and gems that I’ve acquired to help you succeed as well. My passion is the biggest difference of them all, because I’m passionate about the people, their craft, and their business. I am mostly proud of the work that I’ve done, the places I’ve been, and the people I’ve met.

If I could have you know one thing about me, it’s that there is no one that’s going to care about your business like I care about your business! I’m the girl that wants to hear about all of the ideas you have so that I can show you that’s it’s doable. Know that I’m passionate, always myself, and driven. I like when people see themselves in me.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being both an artist and a creative is the freedom to be yourself. In that journey comes healing, acknowledgement, accountability, and wonder. It’s almost like you get a second chance at life in the way you want it. The creative journey is definitely a spiritual one and I say that because half of the time, it’s you pushing yourself to go harder and looking within more than you’re looking outside. It’s you finding your own voice.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

The best source of new clients has always been the equivalent to networking, and that’s word of mouth. My clients have always been a funnel to another person, place, or thing. It’s true what they say, your work truly speaks for itself. Not only that, but after working with someone, they now know how you are and how you work. Most importantly, how you make them feel. That radiates way louder than anything else.

Contact Info:

• Website: imangiepaola.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/aangiepaolaa
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/imangiepaola
• Twitter: twitter.com/realangiepaola
• Other: instagram.com/imangiepaola instagram.com/foreversaucyy

Image Credits
All photos taken by Angie Paola