We recently connected with Madison Smith and have shared our conversation below.

Madison , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

As Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “When you give joy to other people, you get more joy in return. You should give a good thought to happiness that you can give out.”. This is true when it comes to my definition of success and how to get there. I am the owner of Sweet M Photography- my own photography business based in Southern California where I specialize in family portraits and weddings. Everyday I contemplate how I can be more successful at my job, be more present for my clients, and create a service that brings happiness to others. All of it though starts with a passion. I believe that finding the ethos of what you do is the stepping stone to reaching fulfillment. I know that making others feel beautiful is an indescribable experience that drew me into my field of business. It takes hard work everyday on my part to keep building my skill set and dedicating myself to my work. So when you think you want to be successful I suggest asking yourself what it looks like for you? Finding your passion and working every single day to conquer that will be the thing to take you there.

Madison, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Madison Smith and I am a lifestyle photographer based in Southern California. I photograph anything from family’s to weddings and everything in between. My style is rooted in natural light and making the ordinary moments feel extraordinary. My passion is deep rooted in showing my clientele how beautiful they truly are. Growing up I was very insecure and never felt I could live up to society’s beauty standard. So when I started my business I knew that no matter race, size, or walk of life, that my goal was to produce the best images I could. Because everyone deserves breathtaking photos and memories to look back on forever. In today’s age of social media aesthetics, and fitting a certain theme, I try to break through that with my style of photography. I want to showcase the real lives and beauty of individuals. My work is always about the subject and I provide support and guidance to each client who books me. From wardrobe, location and everything in between I am here to capture the sweetest moments for all.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

For me the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is truly serving others through my passion. Making people feel beautiful through my photography and receiving feedback is a gift I don’t take lightly. I capture some of the most intimate moments in people’s lives and with that comes great responsibility but also joy. When a client tells me that they are crying or feeling so touched by the images we made together, I know I am doing something right. I have taken photos where someone may have been going through the hardest time in their life and I didn’t even know it. But the grace and kindness I showed them made a world of difference. Those instance’s are indescribable.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

For those who don’t work in creative fields the perspective that we just produce pretty things or push a few buttons (in my case with photography) couldn’t be further from the truth. Most of us don’t have the guidance of co-workers, the reviews of our boss or the support from our team. We are our biggest critics and our biggest motivators. We are customer service, social media, marketing and the owner of the business. Those in the creative field have journeys that may take longer than the typical corporate timeline. We may be busy on weekends, we might have a month where we struggle to make revenue but because our passion is so strong for what we do- we never give up. Our paths are filled with unpredictable moments but the pay-off of creating things people love is priceless. At the end of the day every struggle is worth it.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.sweetmphotography.net
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sweetmphotography/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sweetmphotos