Today we’d like to introduce you to Kimberly Alvarado.
Hi Kimberly, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Oh man, where do I begin lol. I grew up with immigrants parents from El Salvador. I am the oldest of three. I have two younger brothers. My whole life I had to be the translator, babysitter, and sometimes family therapist. I always had to be responsible. So, as I got older, I thought I would be a lawyer or something in social justice but three years into college I realized that I didn’t want to go that route. Nothing was really feeding my soul. I didn’t want to have this “serious-common” job. I always had a love for photography, video, and telling a story. The next day I changed my major to communications and got my master’s in journalism. I originally wanted to be a broadcast journalist because I hated writing hahaha. I know, what the hell was I doing getting a journalism degree haha. One day I signed up for a video class and that’s where my love for video began. I loved being able to capture candid moments and authentically telling the stories of other people. The way I got into weddings was by a friend who needed a videographer and he asked me to film it. I didn’t know much about it and I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it but once they started saying their vows, I knew this was it. I was literally crying behind the camera. I honestly cry at every single wedding I film. I tell my couple all the time ” if you cry, I cry.” Long story short, I was meant to do this. Every single day I feel like I’m in the right place doing the right thing.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Not at all! Having a small business is a lot of work. When I started, I still had a full-time job as a digital marketing manager at Visit Baltimore. I would work 8 hours and then came home and edited for another 8 hours. On the weekend during the wedding season is would film weddings. It was a lot but worth it. Honestly, I didn’t even feel it. I liked what I was doing. Only now that I am thinking about it is when I think ” holly shit, that was a lot” hahaha.
One of the struggles I came across was self-promotion. I still struggle with that. When you have your own business, you really need to believe in yourself or fake It till you make it. I struggled with convincing people that I was worth it. There was a lot of comparison through social media and it was just tough to get through it. What helped me through that was reaching out to other people in the wedding industry and just learning that I was not the only one. It helped me realize that we are all in this together and it’s better to have a community than competition.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a wedding videographer. I specialize in adventure weddings. I am known for capturing raw authentic moments, my goal is to a moment where they didn’t even know I was filming. Many couples comment that I have more of a journalist approach. What sets me apart from the others is my ability to create fun and happy films but also serious and romantic films. The style of my films really depends on my couples.
How do you define success?
Doing things that makes me happy. I am successful if I am doing things I love. Having a job that allows me to spend time with my loved ones. I really value time and having time to do something you love is the ultimate success. Of course, I would love to be fully booked with weddings but I want to be booked with couples that truly value video and how this film will be an heirloom to pass down for generations.
Contact Info:
- Email: kim@kimalvaradofilms.com
- Website: https://kimalvaradofilms.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimalvaradofilms/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh8rdAehtSTqgqgqGa16Rbw/featured
Image Credits
Jessie Walker Photography
SoCal Standard
