Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Chelsea Brown. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Chelsea, thanks for joining us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?
The biggest risk I took in my career was deciding to go full-time. I did it in the heart of Covid when the uncertainty of the world was strong. I realized I was not happy with my other job and that I was completely burnt out. Every time I thought about what I wanted to do next I just couldn’t figure it out. I never thought I could truly make a successful life out of what I thought was just my fun side hobby. I slowly grew up my business and clientele and noticed even though I was temporarily laid off from my other job due to Covid I was still able to pay my bills just fine with only photography. I also realized having the extra time to invest in my business, led to more work! I picked a date to quit my job and did it and it was one of the most rewarding risks I have ever taken in life and I wouldn’t change it for the world!
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 started my journey as a photographer eight years ago. I graduated from UF with a degree in film production and shortly after got my hands on my first camera realizing if I was going to use my degree I wanted to do it independently. I started doing freelance work as a videographer and messed around with photography on the side. I got hired on to shoot video for my first wedding shortly after and fell in love. I absolutely love weddings and having the freedom to work for myself. I then got asked to do photos for a small wedding and took the opportunity to practice photo and realized I loved it even more! Over the years I invested my time and money in mastering how to use a camera properly while also learning marketing and advertising strategies to grow my little side hustle. With faithful clients who were patient with my learning and growing who hired me for photos I grew my knowledge and portfolio. Soon I was booking more weddings and growing my business to the successful career it is today! I am thankful for all the wonderful people who have trusted me to capture such important memories whether a big wedding day, or family photos on the beach I just absolutely love what I do.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
There was a lot of doubt, from a lot of people, that I would fail. I got told things like “photography isn’t a career, its a hobby”, “you can’t make a successful career out of the arts”.
This fuel made me even more determined to be successful. Having people telling me I would never make it made it even more of a drive for me to prove them wrong. I am a firm believer in if you work hard for something and have passion in it you can be successful. I knew I didn’t want to work for someone ever again, and I also knew my creativity and love for photography would one day turn this love into a money making career.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
My biggest goal in my career is to one day be a six-figure photographer. I follow a podcast and Facebook group run by Ben Harley called “SIX FIGURE PHOTOGRAPHER MASTERMIND” and one day I hope I can take on less work, and make more. This is my main goal in my career.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.dtcbphotography.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/dtcbphotography
- Facebook: Facebook.com/dtcbproductions
Image Credits
@dtcbphotography