We were lucky to catch up with Ariana Rodriguez recently and have shared our conversation below.

Ariana, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

Moving from a foreign country and starting a business can be a challenging yet rewarding experience. To be successful in this endeavor, one must possess several key qualities. First and foremost, a strong work ethic is essential, as success in business requires long hours and dedication. Second, adaptability and flexibility are crucial, as navigating a new business environment can present unique challenges. Third, networking and relationship-building skills are essential, as developing connections with potential customers and partners is critical for success. Finally, when entering a business that may be considered taboo, it is important to break down barriers by educating oneself and others about the value and importance of the industry. With determination, resilience, and a willingness to learn and adapt, it is possible to overcome obstacles and achieve success in the world of business.

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 an internationally known, published/award-winning boudoir photographer in Wylie, TX. I have been shooting boudoir for 8 years, but have been in the photography game for 12 years! I was born in Costa Rica, but have lived in Texas most of my life. I have a beautiful daughter and a yorkiepoo named Peanut, I love to travel, I am bilingual, and my favorite food groups are bread, and wine.

I am known for my dark and moody images, photographer education and as well as my humorous/informational short videos on instagram in the boudoir photography industry. I got into boudoir thanks to a former high school classmate who approached me about photographing her boudoir images and I fell in love with how it made her (and all my clients after that) feel– seeing the confidence shift in their tone, body language and how they saw themselves was truly the turning point in my photography career. After shooting boudoir, I knew I found my calling and I did not look back at any other niche of photography the same.

I am proud of how far I have come not only as a photographer but as a business owner. Being self employed is not for the weak! It is certainly a rollercoaster of emotions and you have to dig deep to make it through. There have been many times where I wanted to throw in the towel, and yet I am still standing and enjoying the process.

I want everyone who reads this to know that its okay to be pampered, and to practice self love everyday. I encourage women in ALL walks of life they are worthy AND beautiful just the way they are IN THIS MOMENT!

How did you build your audience on social media?

When instagram rolled out the Reels feature, I was annoyed much like other business owners/photographers that they were trying to copy other platforms but mostly that they were wanting to push this feature and not show my work to my current followers. Sometimes in business if you cant beat them, join them–and thats exactly what I did. I started playing with this new feature enough to the point where I got monetized. I started having fun with it and realized showing up in front of the camera and my followers seeing my personality, my humor, and educating them would bring me more followers and hence more business.

My advice is to always show up for yourself. Putting yourself out there can be daunting, scary and make you want to run the other way. But, in business I have learned, that there is someone out there that will resonate with you, that can relate to you and eventually trust you enough to hire you, simply by you sharing who you are. Dont be afraid of what random people on the internet will think of you for what you share, because I promise you there is someone that is waiting for your content and who wants to work with you but needs that extra push and just by seeing your face more often will take that plunge to work with you.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

When I started shooting boudoir I did not have my own studio space. I was renting out hotel rooms, airbnbs, other photographers studios etc. I eventually found a space to share with another photographer and when we parted ways I kept the space to myself and had to figure out a way to afford it all on my own. I was going through a divorce at the time, I was treading water financially but I took a chance on my business and invested in my education by going to a photography retreat that taught me how to set my business up for success. I was confident enough to raise my prices to be able to afford my new found shooting space as well as make a profit. But much like life likes to come at you fast, a few months later I was informed the place that I had my studio at was moving in a different direction so I had to hunt down a new space. I knew after enjoying the luxury of not having to share with anyone else that I could not go back to renting places out again. And with the help of friends (and my instagram followers) I was able to find a new space and have now been there for 4 years. The studio has evolved so much since then and continues to change every year!

We all start somewhere and I am living proof that you can go from having nothing to making a name for yourself with hard work and determination. Don’t give up on your dream!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.arodriguezphotography.com
• Instagram: arianarodriguezstudio
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/4846541228791687
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@arodstudio302
• Other: tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@arodphoto302