We recently connected with Meisha Gaines and have shared our conversation below.
Meisha, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea
I started my freelance graphic design and photography business during my last semester of college. I was motivated to start getting clients and using all the tools I learned from school while they were still fresh. I was working on my last photography project and decided to use a model for the shoot. After editing the pictures and printing them out for the presentation, I realized how much I loved my work. I then decided to make a Facebook post offering people to do $10 photoshoots. Over the next couple of months I graduated with my Associates in Graphic Design and continued to offer shoots for little to nothing. After the summer of doing shoots for friends and family, I decided to go to different night clubs and ask people to do random photoshoots in the club. That allowed me to start getting booked to photograph Artists and stage performances for local events. I had to create a website, logo, business cards, social media and network in person to get my brand noticed. It took me being consistent and advertising myself on social media to attract paid clients. Now I’m able to charge full price for my photoshoots and people reach out to me when they need a session. It is still a process of getting clients but now I’m able to attract reoccurring clients.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I have always been naturally creative all my life. I enjoy making music, writing books, painting, photography and graphic design. I started out painting, writing short stories and poems in elementary school. I also began writing music in high school. 2015 was the year I started performing and going to the studio. Over time I’ve had the privilege to perform at countless venues across the state. I still enjoy writing music and I have released 2 music videos. Not only do I love being in front of the camera I enjoy being behind the camera as well. My mom got me my first disposable camera when I was around 5 years old, I always loved going to Walgreens to get them developed and seeing all the images I captured. During my sophomore year I joined the journalism and broadcasting team for the school news. I became passionate about writing stories and interviewing different people on camera. After I realized my love for cameras I began to start recording my own interviews and documenting my life adventures on my phones camera. in 2019 I started college and my pursuit of my graphic design degree. During my college career I was able to take a few amazing photography classes
I realized how I could turn my love for photography and cinematography into a business for myself. My services include creating full branding materials, logos, business cards, websites, and marketing materials for clients. My photography services include events, personal, themed, maternity, birthday, and any type of portrait session. I also do product photography for businesses. After shooting pictures of so many amazing events, I decided to get into event planning myself. In 2022 I founded my event planning business Starz from Pluto Events to combine my passion for photography, design and events. I’ve thrown many successful events and I love the process of coming up with an idea, then seeing it come to life. That same year I published my first book called ” What Lies Beneath” on amazon kindle. I plan to continue writing fictional novels that represent different lessons I’ve learned in my life. Now in 2024, I can officially say I’m an event planner, songwriter, author, photographer and graphic designer.
I’m most proud of my ability to network and create lasting relationships with all of my clients. I have been able to collaborate with small businesses and help them grow their brands. I want potential clients to know that the sky is the limit. I will dedicate my time and skills to providing the best service to future clients before, during and after they work with me. I am able to help bring visions and dreams into reality for my clients. My brand is dedicated to providing high quality work and making sure every detail is perfect for my clients. I plan to continue wr
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
I feel like building rapport with each client or future client(s) is essential. I love to create genuine relationships with different people within my industry and I make sure to stay consistent with my brands image. I have learned that it’s not always what you know but who you know. I’ve used that tip to expand my business and build a great reputation for my brand. I believe by putting out high quality work, building trust and always going the extra mile has helped me build up my brands reputation.
How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?
I have been able to keep in touch with most of my clients via social media. My social media for my photography and graphic design is always being updated with current projects or recent photoshoots. I love engaging with my clients and sharing the projects that we have made together on facebook and instagram. Many of my recurring clients come from facebook and they usually communicate with me on messenger. I love keeping all my clients up to date on any deals, promotions or new themes I have going on.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mesha315.wixsite.com/meisha-ms
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mshalephotography/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mshalephotography/photos
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meisha-gaines/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@memoney303
- Soundcloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/KYpKekAGua4iJRsj9
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/memoney303/
https://www.facebook.com/meshamoneygirl.ashley/
Image Credits
@hustlevision
@meishamshalephotography
@londalesnyder