We were lucky to catch up with Hilda Centeno recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hilda, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today One deeply underappreciated facet of entrepreneurship is the kind of crazy stuff we have to deal with as business owners. Sometimes it’s crazy positive sometimes it’s crazy negative, but crazy experiences unite entrepreneurs regardless of industry. Can you share a crazy story with our readers?

Let me start by saying that I’m a lover of music, standup, tv, film, theater, sports, and books. These elements have shaped me to be the artsy individual I am today, and continue to inspire me.
As a little girl, I dreamt of singing alongside Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta in ‘Grease’.
Celebs always seemed far and distant until I realized….”No they’re not.”
No one in the world is unreachable.
When I was working at my previous job, I learned about the world of marketing and social media.
The photography company had a good platform but was not making contact with many high profile clients.
I began to dig a bit and do some research on what high profile clients were looking at the company’s instagram.
I noticed that a lot of potential clients were connected to everyone in the industry. Everyone knows everyone.
The company was known for photographing maternity clients so I began researching what top 10 well known public figures were expecting.
One of the couples expecting at that time was Vanessa and Kobe Bryant. (I’m a HUGE Lakers fan!)
They were expecting their 4th daughter and I automatically made it my mission to book them.
I sent links and DMs to Vanessa Bryant every week for 6-7 months.
I emailed their people. I sent messages to Kobe. It was what I lived and breathed.
And then one morning I got a phone call from their people asking for me!
Vanessa and Kobe Bryant wanted to book their Maternity shoot with the company.
I had done it! I succeeded! I dedicated myself and made this happen!
At that moment, I discovered I had the capability to accomplish whatever I wanted.
It was an unforgettable moment. I finally believed in myself.
We are all capable of accomplishing the impossible. We create our own mental barriers and it stops us from our accomplishments. I felt unstoppable. I apply the same dedication to my business now.
It’s challenging and rejection happens daily but I continue to reach out to those who believe in my work.
I GOT THIS!

Hilda, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

At 18 years old, I started my career at a portrait studio in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. It was a mall job that I wasn’t really serious about. As time went on, I discovered that I was really great at directing people and making children smile, and I absolutely loved capturing people’s natural expressions. In 3 years, I was promoted and began my journey in coaching and teaching others how to pose clients. I became an expert in problem solving and communication. I continued to get promoted and became manager of different studios in many different cities: Arcadia, Chino, Rancho Cucamonga. I loved my job but deep down I wanted more. I felt limited in what I could capture and do. I had to take a risk. So after 12 years in the portrait studio industry, At 29 years old, I moved to Los Angeles and began my journey in working with startup photography companies. I worked for free in Hollywood, photographing models and actors. I worked at a Pet Photography Studio in West Hollywood. I worked at a Portraiture Painting Studio in Santa Monica. And I worked in a Maternity Boutique Photography company in Glendale. I was involved with high profile clientele and I was burnt out. Then, Covid happened and reminded me of my priorities in life. My mentality and purpose shifted to assisting and uplifting others. It wasn’t about ‘making the highest sale’, it was now about acknowledging my clients and making them feel seen. Centeno Portraits was born with the premise of making people feel seen and heard, supporting them and capturing their imperfect moments. I am not just a photographer; I’m a listener, an advisor, a hype girl, a friend, an auntie, a goofball, a creative soul, a caretaker. I get to make a living by making others feel good about themselves, and it’s the most rewarding job. I get to stop time for a moment and remind people of how incredible they are. Everyone has a story to tell and I genuinely love listening and learning from them. I photograph families, children, entrepreneurs, weddings, birthdays, baby showers, maternity, lifestyle, headshots, events. I capture it all. I am so proud of the people I’ve connected with and I can’t wait to connect with more individuals. I give a piece of myself to every shoot, so it’s always an emotional investment for me. I love every minute.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

The 3 most effective strategies that have helped me grow my clientele are: 1. Showing up for your community: Volunteering at events, Collaborating with nonprofits, and sponsoring youth sports leagues
2. Support small businesses: Showing up at pop ups, purchasing from small businesses, tagging them on your social media, assist them in their photographic needs to support their business
3. Collaborate with other photographers: Working with other photographers have helped me grow my clientele because they will refer their clients if they’re not available or if they know a client is for looking a particular style they don’t offer, they will reach out to me, and vice versa.
It’s very important to be consistent in all areas!

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

I love reading memoirs of artists in the entertainment industry because it describes the UGLY of the world. I like to prepare mentally so I can be strong enough to overcome any obstacles.

I’ve truly enjoyed ‘ Walking in my Joy in these Streets’ by Jennifer Lewis. She uplifts and talks about the chaos in the world that can consume you but we have a purpose to continue sharing our art.

I also love listening to podcasts that will make me laugh and inspire me!
I’m OBSESSED with ‘Smartless’, the podcast that features Will Arnett, Jason Bateman and Sean Hayes.
They make me laugh, and it’s super inspiring to hear artists tell their stories.

And my favorite CEO and Brand Strategist is Jasmine Star! I follow her religiously on Instagram. She gives us entrepreneurs the tools on how to grow our businesses. She offers social media training as well. I love her energy and love the fact that she’s so REAL!!!!

In growing my business, it’s super important for me to consume positive content that will teach me and uplift me! After all, being an entrepreneur is not an easy task!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @centenoportraits
• Facebook: Centeno Portraits
• Other: Tik Tok : @centenoportraits

Image Credits
All Images taken by Hilda Centeno / Centeno Portraits