We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Monica Hurst a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Monica, thanks for joining us today. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?
I think success is measured by multiple things. Many people measure success as the bottom line. I measure it by satisfaction. What do I need fulfill in my life to be successful. Well, having time to watch my kids grow and spending time with my husband is directly correlated to the success of my business. I would prefer to not have a penny to my name than to have no time with my family. Success is a feeling of accomplishment to me. Success is learning to balance life and work. Success is hard work, but the reward is time.
Monica, 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 have been doing videography for a few years now and I just recently stepped into doing photography. My sister with Kristi Bracewell Photography got me hooked on videography, partly to enhance the experience for her clients. She has been a mentor to me through the last few years and her business knowledge and management is admirable. Wedding and family videography and photography is the core of my business. I am venturing more into marketing films, website development, and real estate photography. No matter the content that I’m capturing, I believe there should be feeling and emotion in each and every film and picture. I like to get to know my couples prior to the wedding (thus offering complimentary engagement or bridal sessions) because what’s important to them is also important to me. Even with marketing films and web design, I try to find what it is that has made the client who they are and express that to the audience. In my work, I want to be able to show my faith, drive, and love for what I do.
How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?
There’s the saying “it takes money to make money.” Well, that’s true. With videography and photography, I want the nice equipment with the bells and whistles. Having multiple rigs (sometimes for more than one shooter) gets expensive, quickly. Over the years, I have worked two jobs, one in education, and set aside portions of my earnings to continue to grow my equipment inventory. While the technical knowledge, creative eye, and skill is important, having the right equipment is too. I have turned jobs down because I know that I didn’t have the right stuff and I don’t want to produce any work that I’m not proud to share.
We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.
I have worked in education for over 14 years, until this year. My videography business is getting busier and I have another little baby at home that I wanted to be with full-time. I felt like I was working 2 full time jobs, plus being a mom, a chauffer, and everything else that comes along with that. It was exhausting. Up at 4 or 5 in the morning to edit and bed at midnight or later, working after the kids went to sleep. It was all worth it. Now, I am a full-time-work-from-home-mom! I don’t think the hours are much different, but now I can really focus on the growth of my business.
Contact Info:
- Website: monicahurstvideography.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/monicahurstvideography
- Facebook: facebook.com/monicahurstvideography
- Other: https://www.theknot.com/marketplace/monica-hurst-videography-and-photography-bryan-tx-2067792
Image Credits
Headshot by Kristi Bracewell Photography