Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexa Machado.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Alexa. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
This is a very personal story, but I want to be open with you and hopefully inspire you to pursue what you love in life. I found photography five years ago during my senior year of high school. I had been bullied for being the typical “nerd”, but I had two friends who were photographers and they asked me to model for their portfolio. It was my first professional portrait session and it was the first time I really felt pretty and confident.
They took photos of me in a small patch of flowers on the side of the road and created such a magical image from that and I remember thinking: “I want to do this! I want to create magic and make people feel pretty!” I was given my first DSLR for my birthday that year, and it quickly became a favorite hobby of mine.
In 2016, my musical theatre friends began paying me to take their headshots, so I became a part-time business while I was going to school full time to become a biologist. I started falling in love with portraiture and creative editing around this time, and I remember staying up late learning how to edit photos when I should have been studying for exams.
Oops! Everything was going great, my business was doing well and I was close to getting my degree. Then in late 2017, everything fell apart. I ended up dealing with the aftermath of being in an unhealthy relationship and being diagnosed with a debilitating chronic illness (POTS) around the same time. I decided to take a semester off from school to figure out what to do and manage my health.
I felt so lost, and no one really knew what I was going through at that time because I wasn’t ready to talk about it, so photography gave me a sense of purpose and a creative outlet to distract me from the negative emotions I was experiencing. It was then that it occurred to me that the one regret I had was not pursuing my passion for photography, and instead I was letting other people dictate what I should be pursuing, such as biology and a typical 9 to 5.
So, with that, I dropped out of the biology program one year away from receiving my degree, had a spontaneous phone interview with a different university and was accepted to pursue an online BA in Photography, I quit my job, redesigned my business to be sustainable, found a mentor, and the rest is history! Two weeks ago one of my sessions even went semi-viral and I ended up being contacted by Sigma, so that was exciting! This business completely changed my life for the better and I’m so blessed that I’m in such a great space now.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
In all honesty, there’s nothing about starting a business that’s smooth. I think that’s a myth that we tend to believe, as we see the glamorized life of entrepreneurs and their lavish lifestyles all over social media, but no one really tells you how hard it’s actually going to be at first. For me, my situation forced me to take a few big risks and dive headfirst off the cliff, instead of slowly dipping my toes in, so I was hit with a lot of initial challenges all at once. I think that’s the best space for growth though, and looking back I wouldn’t have changed the way I did things. I jumped in without any knowledge of the behind the scenes aspect of running a business such as marketing, networking, and social media managing.
I taught myself everything (including photography!), from how to build a website, to how to network and make business connections with others, to experimenting with countless marketing techniques and learning not to be afraid to value myself and my business. I’m quite introverted, and most of these things involve working with other people, so I’ve also had to learn how to be more assertive and confident in social situations as well. If you had told me two years ago that I’d be doing all of this, I would have laughed, but I can’t see my life without it now. I’ve met so many wonderful people and I realized I’m most comfortable when I push myself out of my comfort zone and learn new things.
Mindset can be another challenge, especially overcoming any doubts you have about yourself and your business as well as the inevitable anxiety over all of the “what-if” scenarios. It’s so so important to find a mentor (or two!) that can help you navigate those thoughts and support you, as well as a circle of friends who are positive and uplifting (even if it’s an online support group or community!).
It sounds cliche, but self-reflection, accepting, analyzing, and improving your weaknesses, and being gentle with yourself and your mistakes is imperative. I’ve dealt with my fair share of internet trolls, people telling me flat out that I was absolutely bonkers, and people that I cared about that I had to let go. All of this is normal to experience in one form or another. Just remember the three M’s: Mentor, Mates, and Mindset. If you have those 3 things, no amount of negativity you come across will be able to distract you from your mission.
If you’re someone who is just starting out down a “road less traveled”, I want to tell you that your hard work will pay off, even if you can’t see any results right away. Persistence is the key. The reason why entrepreneurship doesn’t work for some people is because they give up too soon. If you’re struggling, keep going, don’t change your end goal, just try another path to reach that end goal, and don’t let anyone tell you that it’s impossible, because I guarantee there’s something amazing just on the other side.
Nothing worthwhile is ever easy. My goal is that I’ll be able to look back a few years from now and use my story to inspire other young people that are making the big decision to follow their passion. I’m lucky enough to be on a successful path towards that future.
Please tell us about Alexa Machado Photography.
I’m quite different from most photographers that you’re probably used to because I’m also part designer! (And part unicorn, but that’s a story for another day!) I specialize in full-service photography and my goal is to create physical art pieces to display in your home! I offer a variety of different pieces including wall galleries, prints, canvas, albums, and folio boxes. All of them are Heirloom pieces too, which means they’re built to last and be passed down to the next generation! I also meet with all of my clients before the session to get to know them, answer their questions, and customize the session to fit their needs.
I love being able to build a relationship with my clients, and help streamline the process of printing for them so their art isn’t just hanging out on a USB for all eternity! I think that’s also what I’m most proud of too! The unique service, and also coming from a place where photography personally helped me to feel more confident, so I can now help others feel that way as well. My area of expertise lies in portraiture, more specifically kids, families (including maternity), and headshots, and my images are known for being vibrant and magical. When I photograph kids, I love being able to create an image that spurs their imagination! It’s the best feeling in the world seeing the excited faces when I reveal their images!
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
If I could go back and start over, I wouldn’t change anything. Everything that has happened so far has led me to have a deeper understanding of my motivation as a photographer, and I wouldn’t trade that for anything.
I’m so grateful for all of the people who have been so supportive of my journey. I’d love to give a shout-out to the Brixey family who helped me find my love for photography all those years ago, Judith for introducing me to photography prints and the satisfaction of having art displayed as opposed to just seeing it digitally on a monitor.
Ben for being someone who believes in me 100% and for giving me the sound advice “Before you ask, the answer is always no”, Jay Shetty, his video “Everyone Needs to Hear This” for giving me the push I needed to make a change, and his coaching for helping me to literally rewire my brain to learn that in a world where we tend to focus on the negative, it’s okay to be unapologetically hopeful and overwhelmingly positive.
He taught me that life is like a pulse line with many ups and downs, if it was flat you wouldn’t be living! And lastly, The Genius Group for being my supportive community, and for my friends who still believed in me when I made mistakes and celebrated with me when I met my growth goals.
Pricing:
- * Session fee Starts at 200
- * Heirloom Art Pieces Start at 300
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.alexamachadophotography.com
- Phone: 760.468.5633
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amphotographygallery/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/A.M.PhotographyGallery/
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