We recently connected with Matthew Gaquer and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Matthew thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Some of the most interesting parts of our journey emerge from areas where we believe something that most people in our industry do not – do you have something like that?

I believe whole-heartedly in being yourself and showing that you’re relatable in regards to social media. I think in my industry, a lot of people think they need to show the “perfect” versions of themselves at ALL times and only their “highlight reel.” Yes, this looks great on paper, but then we all begin to look and act the same. How do you separate yourself from the rest? Be yourself and realize its ok to be goofy!

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?

I’m 35 years young, adopted from South Korea at 11 months old, have lived in Jersey until 5, then moved to a small town south of Tampa called Palmetto. Lived there until 2011, until I moved here to Boca Raton with my mom. I always loved doing photography/videography of my friends and I at our bmx dirt jumps or skateparks in my adolescent years, but put it aside because I was told that would never lead to a profession. Years later, a friend saw I was great at drone stuff and suggested I get into real estate photography. He was an agent and investor. So I figured why not, it would also get me closer to becoming a real estate investor. I worked part time for 6 years alongside my full time job as a vet tech. Finally after juggling both, I made the leap and went full time with the photography/videography. I help real estate agents and local small businesses with their listing media and branding content. Not only do I edit and film, but can also help you discover the movie star you are all along! I think my personality and relatability sets me a part from others. Im most proud of my attention to detail and that I truly care about my clients. I want them and their media looking its best for their potential clients.

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

Yes, my side hustle is now my career. I got started 6 years ago all because my best friend was a realtor and real estate investor at the time and suggested I get into real estate photography. I was working as a vet tech and figured I could make better money doing that so I gave it a shot (pun intended). Finding clients was slow and at times I felt like giving up. But as much as I wanted overnight success, I realized the time it took to find one more client was a great learning experience. It taught me about consistency, discipline, and perseverance to not give up. After working as a vet tech full time and part time real estate photographer/videographer, I finally couldnt keep up with both and made the leap. I havent looked back since. The biggest milestone was changing my mindset from an artist to a “business owner” thanks to a really good friend. After that finally sank in, it started to really click.

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

By continually being a good human. What I mean by this is underpromising and overdelivering. By going the extra mile, above and beyond in doing what is right in my eyes. Making sure the job is done with great quality and accuracy

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.brightskymedia.net
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brightskyre/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@brightskyrealestatemedia

Image Credits

Ken Bridgett
Kirstin Boncher