We were lucky to catch up with Manuel Fernandez recently and have shared our conversation below.

Manuel, appreciate you joining us today. One of our favorite things to brainstorm about with friends who’ve built something entrepreneurial is what they would do differently if they were to start over today. Surely, there are things you’ve learned that would allow you to do it over faster, more efficiently. We’d love to hear how you would go about setting things up if you were starting over today, knowing everything that you already know.

I would migrate Gradually instead of dropping my Retail Job, this would help to be more selective with my clientele and grow my niche and network more effectively.

Manuel, 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 Manuel Fernandez, my friends call me Manny, and I am a Venezuelan Photographer and Creative Director based in Central Florida, dedicated to Documentary Photography, Lifestyle Product and Commercial Photography, with a passion for Music, Pop Culture, Collectibles, Action Sports, Space and Aerospace Science.

I am Creative Director and Co-Founder of MIDstudio.co, my company is dedicated to showcase the real personality of the brands and make real connections with their customers, showing the real personality of their Products and their self when we work with Personal Branding or Service Specialists.

We start this company during The Pandemic in 2020, focused on help all the people that start launching their online business or their Product brand, on develop any idea that they have, helping them with digital images that they need to show what they were doing to the online world, in a time were Retails and in person sales were limited due to the personal distance policy and the limited in person interaction that we were living in that time.

Im proud of where we are right now, growing with our local people in Central Florida, giving a great service to others entrepreneurs and connecting on the best way possible to make a real connection and a network that can stay strong for the future.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

As a Creative and Artist, pivoting is part of our life, the biggest learning and applications to our services and products come from Pivoting, I start as a Musician, Playing Violin In Venezuela where I grew up, with intentions and a dream of being an Orchestra Director, then during the ending of High School start to learn Graphic And Web design in 2003, when Flash and Dreamweaver were the best tool to showcase a product or brand to world via Internet, then Changing my mind to Start studying Civil Engineer, after 2 years Pivot again to start studying to be an Architect, then migrate to the United States and give a chance to start a Career on Retail, after 5 years in Retail, working for Action Sports brands and admiring how the images for their campaigns were created, I start to figure it out, how I can serve my community and give them the quality of a great Agency and help them to develop their Ideas in a more personal approach, making them know that I am here for them to develop any campaign that they need to work with and creating that human connection that for me is so important to have in this days, because we never know when will be our last time to have human connection and go back again to a 6 feet distance policy.

Right now, I am in a happy situation, growing our network, documenting and working with our clients, and living the life as a Photographer, Creative Director and a Father of a 5 years old Girl.

What else should we know about how you took your side hustle and scaled it up into what it is today?

This was not my case, but I wish I did it this way, that is my biggest recommendation to anybody pursuing their artist or creative journey. Make it a side hustle, and then when you have a stable income to cover your main budget plan, there you can go full time on your career. This is my biggest advice to anybody who wants to be an entrepreneur.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.MIDstudio.co
• Instagram: @MIDstudio.co
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mannymidstudio?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app

Image Credits

– MIDstudio.co

– Manuel Fernandez

– Jorman Chica