We were lucky to catch up with Zach Lucero recently and have shared our conversation below.

Zach, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What sort of legacy are you hoping to build. What do you think people will say about you after you are gone, what do you hope to be remembered for?

I despise the phrase “it costs nothing to be kind” – because if you think about it for longer than a few seconds, especially within the context of a post-pandemic world, it’s actually pretty silly. I’d argue that acts of kindness might be some of the more costly decisions of my day.

Don’t forget to invest in being a consistent source of kindness in the world. It’s worth it.

Zach, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I do a lot of things. Sometimes it feels like too many things. I’ve been told (often) that I need to specialize if I want to get anywhere near the word “successful”. That’s all well and good, but for my entire working life I’ve been the young gun on whatever staff or organization who has been willing to pick up the skills to solve our growing tech issues. Whether it was learning the family DSLR to save us money on family pics, running sound for my church, getting a degree in Music Business, learning how to direct a multi camera film set because… pandemic, or every other flier/slideshow/IT/drone problem needing solved – I was always somewhere nearby ready to say yes, and…

My journey is unconventional, but it has uniquely prepared me for the massive amount of pivoting none of us realized we’d need to know how to do.

I am a full stop creator currently providing these services to valued clients: Photography, Videography, Drone, Audio Engineering (from voiceovers, podcasts, to full-blown albums), Graphic Design, and Consulting.Think of me as a 21st-century handyman, equipped with creative technology to help you conquer modern challenges, achieve your goals, and, most importantly, craft compelling stories. And if there’s a job too big for me, you receive access to my wide network of creative parters across Oklahoma City.

I am most proud of the breadth of my work. I have been able to help so many people and organizations achieve goals they never thought they could achieve. I’ve gotten to travel the world. Listened to heartbreaking stories of love, courage, joy, pain… showed others the beauty in themselves.

In my wildest dreams I never thought I would be able to support myself doing something that is living into the most honest version of myself. But here I am.

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

I have been doing freelance creative work on the side since high school, and I always wondered what it would take to make the switch into a full time hustle. Fast forward to early 2023 – I had been working at my current full time position for 7 years and was making the switch to another in-house, full time position at another organization. Long story short, that fell through, which forced me into freelance work while I scrambled to send out applications and reconnect with recruiters from previous interviews. I went to go work for one of my best friends, Ryan Scott, who happens to own and operate an animation studio in the city. I have never animated anything in my entire life, but beggars can’t be choosers, so I went to work for him for part time hours. It wasn’t until the summer that I realized an important key to freelancing: diversify your revenue streams. That’s when I gave up on trying to land somewhere conventional and dove hard and really committed to the freelance game.

It’s a funny thing too… as soon as I leaned in 100%, the metaphorical ball hasn’t stopped rolling. Now… you still have to be a good person, have some skill, and semi-organized… but I look at it like doing anything risky on a ski slope: go big or go home.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

It sounds really lame and simple, but if you aren’t on TikTok as a user, you are missing out on a wealth of information. I don’t have any specific accounts to share, but I am constantly stumbling onto new innovations and tricks that have really served me well.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://zachlucero.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zlucerophoto/
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/zach-lucero-6b4a35127
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/zlucerophoto

Image Credits
Zach Lucero LLC