We recently connected with Sheridan Mears and have shared our conversation below.

Sheridan, appreciate you joining us today. Can you tell us the backstory behind how you came up with the idea?

My Sophomore year of college, the COVID – 19 pandemic took a toll on in person learning, our social lives, and work. I was going insane not working or being able to sit amongst my peers in class. Needless to say my Sophomore year was spent inside my apartment learning from my laptop screen. I was taking 15 hours in classes and two of those classes was News Gathering and Photography. I fell in love with both of them, which struck an idea in me. I bought a camera for the sake of my class, and to my surprise my creativity was much broader than I thought. I began my side hustle that is now known as “Huckleberry Hot Shots”. The name originated from a quote by Doc Holliday, who happens to be one of my favorite wild west icons. I have had the opportunity to create with and shoot very talented models in the western industry. Once I got my job situation worked out, I knew I wanted more. I dream of working as a rodeo reporter upon graduating college. What started as a class assignment, lead me to also kickstarting my blog at this time. I was assigned to interview someone who was impacted by COVID – 19, and my interest was struck in the rodeo industry. I was very fortunate to interview professional bull rider JB Mauney, professional bull fighter Bryce Redo, and pro rodeo stock contractor Jeremy Walker. From that point on I started my blog “The Texas Tornado Talk”. I have been blessed to be able to interview various athletes and influencers of the western and rodeo industry. One of my biggest accomplishments was interviewing country music star Cody Johnson about his involvement in rodeo. I have since combined the two and have photographed a few rodeos. Each company is continuing to grow. It all started in a negative place and grew to be a blessing in disguise.

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 grew up behind the camera and traveling from rodeo to rodeo. I was in natural beauty pageants from the age of 3 to 16, and I also traveled with my family hauling bucking bulls. I grew up feeling like Hannah Montana having the best of both worlds. Once I started college, I was introduced to a whole new world of western fashion, photography, and rodeo business I have dreamed of getting involved in. My passion has always been to create, I just needed to find the purpose in me.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My goal is to make a difference and inspire others. It took literal blood, sweat, and tears for me to truly find myself. I hope that I can share my work and have the impact that it has on others to inspire them to be themselves, spark creativity and a drive in them that they did not know they had.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

For me, it’s the confidence boost I see in my clients and interviewees. Not only do they feel good when our ideas turn to something beyond our expectations, but I feel more confident in myself when I see the look on their face after I show them their photos or the feedback I receive after someone reads the article I wrote about them. It truly is a fulfilling feeling.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://texastornadotalk.wixsite.com/website
• Instagram: Photography: @huckleberryhotshots Personal: @sher_mckenzi
• Facebook: Huckleberry Hot Shots
• Twitter: @sher_mckenzi
• Youtube: Sheridan Mears

Image Credits
Models are: Lane Dorr, Kiana Vasquez, Megan Segree, Grayson Gale (bull rider), Cody Crouch (bull fighter), Myself with Cody Johnson and Myself with JB Mauney