We were lucky to catch up with Chris Diego recently and have shared our conversation below.
Chris, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So, folks often look at a successful business and think it became a success overnight – but that often obscures all the nitty, gritty details of everything that went into the growth phase of your business. We’d love to hear about your scaling story and how you scaled up?
I think any business owner who invests in themselves along with all of the other investments that a startup requires will have success. Maybe not overnight but by continuously dedicating time to it. I’ll explain. When I opened up shop, I’ll admit I didn’t have a clue about the business side of things. I figured that a camera and people skills would open doors for me, part of that is true. But what really shifted my perspective was when I started implementing short-term goals into my plan. One of those goals was investing in myself. I went back to school and am currently still reading books about personal achievement, entrepreneurship, and maneuvering business with fluctuating markets. I feel that it’s important to be skilled in the part that brings flow in but also skilled in how to handle that flow.
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 consider myself a strategic content partner for brands looking to scale up. I work closely with the people that hire me to help achieve their content goals by providing professional photography and video services. I don’t just show up and click buttons, I implement strategies and ideas so that they can continue to reach their goals every single time. One of the biggest factors that play into high performance is a focus. A focus to want to succeed. When I was in the Marine Corps, I learned discipline. I also learned that if you want to get somewhere you have to tackle things head-on with focus, tact, and aggressiveness. Plus, if you love what you do it doesn’t even feel like work. I also have an online fine art store too where my customers can purchase prints for any space.
Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
Surround yourself with like-minded individuals and you are far more likely to get to where you want to be. I’ve said this to a few starting photographers. It couldn’t be truer.
Have you ever had to pivot?
This is actually being applied right now. In early March I broke my hand, and I was forced to take a leave of absence from photography. Still, I remained focused and attacked the advertising/marketing side of my business. In doing so it helped me handle the unfortunate pivot that I faced. Busy is good. I had a choice to make, I could sit there and wait for my hand to heal, or I could continue my path by focusing on parts that needed attending to. Fortunately, I’m getting a lot of father and daughter time with my two little girls. A blessing in disguise.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.darkroommedia.net
- Instagram: @dark_room_media
- Facebook: @cuartoobscuromedia
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/chris-diego
- Twitter: @darkpillars
- Other: https://thedarkroommedia.pixieset.com/cardinalcollection/