We recently connected with Kris Aguilar and have shared our conversation below.

Kris, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

Patience and accountability.

The truth is we are not perfect – sometimes we can be the one in the wrong, can be the bad guy, can be the entitled one, and can be the one who messed up because we were negligent.

Taking accountability when I was wrong has helped me advance at a good pace in my career and in life. But I have met more people not wanting to hear it than those willing to accept fault – and as time goes on, you see those same people stay stuck where you left them simply because they refuse to hold themselves accountable.

When you take accountability, you take responsibility and admit that you could’ve made a better decision. And sometimes that is the only way to learn something. That scar tissue is what helps us grow and develop empathy for the world around us.

This is where patience comes in, cause this growing pain experience is never-ending when you’re building something. I used to think 6 months was a lifetime – now 6 years is barely getting started with something.

Kris, 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 am a photographer and first picked up my own camera back in 2013.

I would shoot just about anything, and take any clients that came my way. It was an on-and-off relationship over the next 5-8 years from there. During this period I was also working at different agencies, from traditional advertising and public relations, to product placement and app store optimization. I learned how creatives in different practices develop strategies and client relationships. These experiences helped me understand the depth behind marketing overall, and how much organization goes into it. It gave me a necessary foundation for my photography career.

Then at the end of 2020, I decided to start taking photography as a profession seriously versus just being a side-hustle hobby.

Now when it comes to working with clients, I always get great feedback on how well organized I am and how close I came to someone’s vision. This always makes me proud – it also reminds me why I do things the way I do. Not for the compliments, but for the great execution that comes from taking my business seriously.

Can you share your view on NFTs? (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)

I think NFTs are a game changer for creatives.

I know there is a lot of noise about NFTs being sold for thousands of dollars, but I think many aren’t recognizing the value of the distribution potential.

For example as a photographer, I can bypass having to print out physical copies of photos, getting frames, paying for shipping, and setting up a website or buying a booth at a fair and hoping someone buys one. With NFTs you can mint any image you want and sell that version of the photo to anyone around the world – you can then make royalties throughout its lifetime. The old school way of printing can still work, but the barrier to entry is significantly lower and doesn’t require a large upfront cost to produce and distribute in the first place.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

There is this stereotype of the starving artist, and I think I know why it is true.

The way I see it is that too many people pursuing art act like moody artists rather than entrepreneurs. They justify not taking the business side of things seriously because “they are too busy” which is exactly why they might be starving or are getting by in a rocky manner.

If you’re being an artist then be an artist, but if you’re trying to be a business you need to act like a business. To me that means being organized, developing and optimizing your processes, and respecting your clients.

Contact Info:

• Website: krisaguilar.com
• Instagram: http://instagram.com/k_digitals/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/krisaguilar/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaPCysLRItbkcBorjujLx2g

Image Credits
Models and their Instagrams by Photo – Pulp Fiction Look – Shyann Lockhart @shyannsandiego – Leotard Look – Anastasiya Valencia @princessa.anastasiya – Black and White Against White Background – Momo O’Hair @momo_musclesx – Film Black and White – Katelynn Phan @kaaaatelynn