We were lucky to catch up with Ulysses Bejarano recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Ulysses thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

It takes determination to continue after failure and it takes consistency even when you are not seeing results in order to be successful. After getting covid twice back to back, I was bedridden for 3 weeks. I spent 524 hours in bed and I kept telling myself that when I got through it, I would succeed in every aspect of my life. It started with walking again for a few minutes a day; I was exhausted and out of breath each time but I kept trying. When I got back to normal a few months later, I decided that I wanted to live life. I was going to do things that I was passionate about such as creating art and helping out fellow entrepreneurs. I started my photography and videography business . I studied successful people in different fields of work. They all had the same things in common; they learned from mistakes and didn’t give up. I volunteered at events and organized my own shoots. Mistakes were made and I decided to learn from them. In the past, I would give up on goals when things got hard. There were moments of doubt when I wanted to quit, it’s part of being human. I learned to brush those thoughts to the side so I could focus on learning new skills. I started with a $100 camera the size of a mini candy bar and now I have a professional setup for studios, events and also a photobooth. I’ve assisted in commercial shoots, designed and made my first floral outfit, shot and assisted in fashion shows, recorded dance studios and competitions, and photographed weddings at amazing locations in Colorado. I don’t measure success with materialistic things nor the money that was generated. I have made long lasting friendships, turned exciting experiences into great memories, and I get to bring my artistic visions to life. That is my version of success!

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 had an artistic eye as a kid but grew up hearing the term “starving artist” so I never pursued anything creative in my teen years or in my early 20s. At every job I worked, I noted how things could be improved but those businesses were not interested in change. I realized I didn’t want to commit to just one job or industry. I had to combine my artistic nature with the experience I gained working in multiple industries in order to be happy. My business helps other entrepreneurs start or improve their existing businesses. I start with branding and create content for my clients. The videos, pictures, and stories we create help businesses reach their clients via SEO and social media. Our networking leads to B2B relationships to cross promote each other’s products and services. I am proud of my work ethic and strive to produce content that helps businesses succeed.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I had been a photographer for a year now when I decided to open a photobooth. The camera I had was not supported by photobooth software but I had secured a vendor booth for an upcoming event. I tried coding to create custom software for my photobooth but the brand I had did not provide the full code for their camera necessary to make it happen nor did they provide technical support. I decided I would manually take, edit and print the photos. It was time consuming but I figured as long as I could provide people with a photo then I would succeed.

When I arrived, I learned that I would be outside; the sun would make my gear overheat but I was lucky enough to be able to borrow a tent from the venue. This is where things got rough. The outlet provided wasn’t working so I needed to find another source of energy. Printer was printing pictures with strange lines across them, the monitor screen, so customers could see themselves pose, would not turn on. I was able to get power and the monitor turned on with another power cord, but tech support was unable to help with the quality of the pictures. The first 5 hours of the event were pure chaos. I was covered in sweat, I hadn’t eaten and I just wanted to go home. I took a picture of a family and told them to come back in a few minutes because I had to edit the photo. The tablet started to overheat which slowed down the editing process and now I only had one screen to edit and also to use for the photobooth so lots of multitasking. I photographed one more group that worked at the event and that was it, no more people took photos. I wanted to cry, I wanted to give up. I knew that if I left, I would regret it, I had to keep going and learn from every obstacle I faced. I was there for 10 hours then packed up and helped other vendors pack up as well before I went to a gas station to use the restroom, drink water and eat some slightly warm gas station tacos. They tasted so good as I devoured my meal and chugged a soda after an emotionally and physically draining day. I was so proud that I stuck through it. I knew what changes needed to be made. A couple months later I landed an event that earned $750 and things went smoothly because I prepared for everything that could go wrong. Had I given up that first day full of struggles, I would not have been ready for that job I got months later.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Since I was a child all the way into adulthood, I daydream all the time. I see what is possible then brainstorm how to make it happen. Bringing a thought into reality brings me joy. Seeing the final result of something you made as a creative is fulfilling. If it can inspire others and become the catalyst for them to create as well, even better!

Contact Info:

• Website: redcranevisions.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/redcranevisions

Image Credits
Models and Clients prefer to remain anonymous, I, Red Crane Visions, took these photos.