We recently connected with Khalid Pedro and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Khalid, thanks for joining us today. Owning a business isn’t always glamorous and so most business owners we’ve connected with have shared that on tough days they sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have just had a regular job instead of all the responsibility of running a business. Have you ever felt that way?
I definitely ask myself this question sometimes.
There’s no problem choosing to work a “regular job”, I know all the benefits. I personally just have so many qualms with the sacrifices it takes, and seeing people who get stuck there. I think that’s my main fear, being so stuck in a certain situation and some job I settled for being the only thing that’ll get me through it- for how long? But also, people just have their differences, and no one can do everything.
I have had so many jobs. I have worked with some amazing, memorable people. And I’ve also had a lot of disrespectful bosses. I have had jobs that suck the life out of me, or collided with rare opportunities until I give up internally. And I’ve had bosses I admired and looked up to have to let me go. I’ve cried for some of those too- I’m sure no one is okay with feeling like a disappointment, and that’s what I felt.
I’ve had jobs that have made me more money than I thought I’d ever make, and realized that I was letting myself be molded by the coworkers I had around me, into someone I never thought I’d be- someone against my own moral codes- someone I didn’t like.
I’ve had jobs that would hold my hard-earned money over my head, and speak in coded, “legal” jargon to get me to break safety regulations so that I could complete jobs at the risk of my own life, leading to my last near-death experience, and that’s not an exaggeration.
I had a fear of continuously playing roulette with jobs just to find something that I can “tolerate” every day. I wish I didn’t see it that way. I wish I could “just go with it” until my savings provided pockets of that freedom I craved. And as of today I still have little for myself in a physical sense, but perspective matters. As I’ve grown, I’ve seen to mental wellness- the awareness of how often we THINK we’re pushing our feelings down for the better, they actually end up at the front of every issue. I’ve personally never been in a happier place with who I am, and that has helped with EVERYTHING.
My path taught me that while people can have the capacity to gain respectful perspectives past their own, there will also always be people who will speak ill and wish the worst of what they do not agree with.
I made the choice to include the highlight of adult entertainment and sensual work, which is only roughly a quarter of what I do, but feel it is important to include. Because I have a passion for understanding people, I understand that people have the right to look at a door, not know what’s behind it, and choose to never open it. The only problem I have with that is fabricating what’s behind the doors that lead to me when I as a whole am not at all that complicated. But I’ve made so many connections with people that end up understanding my goal and knowing that I live by the love I have for our growth and betterment.
I want aspiring doctors, artists, oceanographers – I DON’T CARE WHO – I want them all to be able to chase their goals and have the resources they need.
I want people to look at themselves in the mirror, and smile with incredible internal peace at what they see.
I want people to stop trying to set boundaries for other people’s levels of intimacy.
I want victims of domestic violence to see real options where they felt like they couldn’t.
I want people to understand that their kids won’t always feel trust if every subject a parent finds “sensitive” immediately gets shut down.
Our existence and experiences, the amount of differences between us all and how we perceive things differently are so fascinating to me. I found something I’m passionate about and realized the motivation that it brings me daily. I CRAVE my potential outlook- the way I lift people up, the messages I can deliver, the way I get to hold myself 100% accountable for what transpires along my journey, and the fact that being true to these things and these passions can realistically support me.
I’ve been a freelance creative for 5 years total now. I have canceled 4 sessions on my end and I hated that I had to. In some way, I am almost always working. I do get a little sad realizing the plummet that my social ability has taken because of how much I think about work, lol, but I’ve also made something so supportive, something I’m always wanting to improve.
Sometimes when you don’t come from a lot, you don’t know what fortunes you envision for your future seem realistic- if it’s something you can ever truly have, or you might wonder if you’re shooting a little too far for your goals.
Now, when my mood starts to falter on a workday I tell myself to just make it to my session so that I can feel better. My JOB… makes me feel better. Meeting first- time clients and my sweetest regulars and making them smile by being myself. Seeing them light up when they see the work we’ve made. The laughs and the memories. People seeing my talent and taking me seriously. I needed this- I needed something that allowed me to give to people something I get to create.
I started within myself and I worked outward. There’s still so much I want to achieve and for 5 years I’ve been proving to myself that I can, and that I can simultaneously be someone that brings safety, positivity, and insight to my people’s lives. I want everyone to feel the weight of their importance.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Every day, there’s a beautiful mind working to bring stories and experiences to life. The medias used are ever-growing: inanimate objects, Sound, music, light, photo, video – whatever may spark a creative’s mind as they find it, they use it.
What an amazing gift it is, to be anywhere, to be in the safety of your own home, or even in the middle of an unplanned anywhere, and witness something that can lift the soul, expand the mind, and ground the body.
I grew up with my attention constantly yanked all over by the plethora of themes in art, music, film, games, and art in general. I attended school to get my AA and continued educating myself. I’ve learned how every color, sound, and look speaks. I’m enamored by the exploration and freedom and creativity. I enjoy finding the perfect touch with photo and video- to portray a certain feeling, deliver a certain message, tell a certain story, or expand on perspectives even beyond my own. And I love being an uplifting conduit of positivity for the people I’ve found just at the right time.
After a brief and very well-timed nudge to audition for musical theater and getting the MC role I wanted in Chicago The Musical, I met creatives who wanted to take my photos. My natural personality made this people realize that acting was right up my alley, and I had the honor of working on some fun film projects with new connections. Eventually I had my adventure finding opportunities in Atlanta and New Orleans, to work on shows and movies like Atlanta, Finding Carter and more.
There’s so much that I still wanna be a part of while building something for myself. My desire is to inspire security of feeling, communicating, and boundaries, because we all deserve that for ourselves.
Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
Social media. My friend Sam coaches me on ways I can push my social media and I’m so impressed with her intelligence with it. She works really hard to understand media marketing and help other do so as well. I CANNOT WRAP MY HEAD AROUND IT. It is rocket science to me. I’ve gotten better at finding my place in it all, but man, I’m forever impressed with anyone who’s got a grip on this.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
My personality.
When I was in college my aptitude exam had Actor, Photographer, Entertainer, Designer, and Social Worker as my top 5. I REALLY underestimated those results. I’m not saying I’m every single person’s cup of tea, that’d be unrealistic. But natural me makes a lot of people very comfortable, and when you’re someone with a camera pointed at someone, they need that most of all.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://smittiwerbenmedia.myportfolio.com/welcome
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/smitti.passion
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1HFGoPRaJe/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/khalid-pedro-91071885
- Twitter: https://x.com/TheIslandKhalid
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@smitti.passion
Image Credits
Janaé B.
Sandra V.
Mandy & Whitney
Kaya J.
Hannah K.
Astrid
Harlee
Crystal