We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Isaiah King a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Isaiah, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. 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?
The road has definitely not been the smoothest. On top of maneuvering the pandemic, starting a business from the bottom is one of the most time-consuming and difficult things to do. There were plenty of times where business was slow, things weren’t moving, and I was unsure about it all. As a creative based business there has been times where you wake up and think about how it may be easier to having a regular job.
I always make the joke that “I stepped away from a 9-5 job; only to work 24/7.” Even though it hasn’t been the smoothest road, I don’t regret anything about starting a business. Waking up everyday doing what you love, creating fresh ideas, and following your passion is one of the most rewarding feelings.
Isaiah, 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?
I suppose I am most known for my photography portfolio. My inspiration for beginning my creative journey is interesting! I was leaving a friend’s birthday social in the city of Minneapolis. The weather was brisk and the streets were covered with that misty late night fog. I just remember walking and marveling at how beautiful the world was.
At that moment, I just knew I wanted to capture the beauties of life. Fast forward to two years later, and I’ve turned that night into my creative passion. Since then, I have had the honor of shooting all types of portraits, I’ve partnered with brilliant fashion minds, and I’ve created some dope memories with extremely talented artists.
My business and service offering is broken up into three main components at the moment. Those components are event production, management, content creation, and branding. Through the hard work, consistency, and support of inspiring people, I have been able to grow quickly and produce great work. At a time where there is so much uncertainty and tribulations, this year has been relatively okay for me. I was able to successfully start my business and be considered for a strong amount of opportunities.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
I believe that a lot of our stories [as small business owners] is about resilience. We may not always have a long client list or a lot of business coming our way. Those are the times where you really have to get your hands dirty and get to work. Being a business owner is understanding that you write your own checks. The amount you make is mostly dependent on how resilient you can be.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
The biggest lesson that I have to had to unlearn is about being intentional about the projects you take on. Even though, you may want business very badly, every project may not be an opportunity.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.isaiahkingphotography.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamisaiahking/
- Other: https://www.vogue.com/photovogue/photographers/296378
Image Credits
Images shot by Isaiah King Images shot by Andre Woods