We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Vanessa Velazquez a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Vanessa, thanks for joining us today. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

I have found that what it has taken for my business to be successful is an openness to new ideas and an ability to work with people.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My first photography assignments were offered to me through an internship with an advertising agency that I accepted after college. Shortly after I was inspired by a coworker to pursue portrait photography, so I got a job at a portrait studio where I quickly moved up and decided to start my own photography business.

I specialize in portrait photography, branding, lifestyle, and photo journalism, with a focus in corporate and non profit event photography. It took me years to narrow down what type of photography I wanted to concentrate on. With time I found that doing too much wasn’t sustainable for me. Portraits gave me the opportunity to create lasting connections with growing families, and entrepreneurs working to create their personal brands. Event photography allowed me to help companies represent their businesses in a fun and creative way and has been a great way to stay connected to communities of like minded people. Ultimately working with people and becoming part of my clients families and teams has helped me create lasting friendships which has been a key part of growing my business.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

When I started my business I didn’t want to turn anyone down so I offered every type of photography possible. I also felt that the more I offered the more profitable my business world be. Eventually I realized that I was offering too many different styles of work vs focusing on a couple and sending a clearer message to potential customers. When I narrowed down my focus I found that I had more time to take workshops to improve my work resulting in a better product for my clients. Instead of losing work I gained more clients who valued and understood my passion and business.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I am a creature of habit and change does not come easy for me. I am very comfortable doing things the same way if it gives me the result I am looking for. Unfortunately staying the same doesn’t help a person grow, especially in business. The more research I did on other successful people, the more I realized that what they were doing differently was learning & trying new things. I learned that no matter how uncomfortable change is to me I have to do it. It’s something I work on everyday and it has proven to make me better both in my career as well as in my normal day to day life.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.vanessavelazquez.com/
• Instagram: @vanessavelphotog_portfolio
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vanessavelphotog

Image Credits
Image # 2 Dia De Los Muertos Makeup Artist – Roberta Rodriguez / Creeping Beauty Inc Dia De Los Muertos Model: Justine Saenz-Becerra / Lady Muñeca