Meet Travis Borkenhagen

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

Travis, thanks for taking the time to share your lessons with our community today. So, let’s jump right in – one of the most essential skills for unlocking our potential is self-discipline. Where does your self-discipline come from?

My self-discipline comes from two, relatively related concepts. First, my passion for success and second, the gratification that comes from accomplishment. There is something innate in all of us, a natural will to succeed, to strive for more, to push further. For some, that will is greater than others. I believe that this concept is more “nature”, than “nurture”. Which is to say, it’s not an urge that can really be taught, at least not completely. I’ve never been the one to naturally build muscle or side-step the flu but, I’ve always been the one to put as much effort as possible, into accomplishing those feats. I am not the smartest person but, I spend a lot of my time learning and contemplating. This isn’t really something that I choose to do, if anything it’s a blessing as much as a curse. After all is said and done, “at the end of the day”, it’s all because I truly care. I care about our clients, I care about the results, I can about making a positive difference in people lives.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I began my professional life in the medial field, a place there work is stable and income is sufficient. It is here that I quickly learned that I do not belong in the corporate world. It taught me where I needed to be, where I belonged. This path showed me that I needed to be a business owner. I didn’t know in what industry or even particularly why, just that I was geared more for it. I eventually got the courage to leave the nine to five, work life and began putting my efforts into where I actually belonged. There was never a moment of, “I don’t think I can do this” or “this just doesn’t feel right”. As much effort and as many hours as it took, it always made sense, for me. One could make the argument that we are in an artistic career but, I might suggest that what I do is more of a mix between artistic and administrative.

When people come to my business they gravitate to us because of our artistic quality but, end up needing event planning, organization, diligence, responsiveness, etc. What’s more, every business depends on accounting, marketing, and structure; among other things. To be clear, these things could not have become the key toward a successful business, until I had mastered the artistic side of things but, they are non-the-less, essential.

My companies provide photography and videography for corporate events and weddings. I began my career as a photographer, quickly worked my way into wedding photography and found out how demanding it can be. However, I don’t view the word demanding in a negative way. Weddings require many different skills, and once had become an expert in those abilities, it only made sense that they could be extrapolated into corporate events. However, corporate events are an entirely different structure and have a different style, as well as contrast expectations. Luckily, I had been accustomed to the corporate world, in my experience as a corporate employee, for so many years. This really came in useful in how one communicates, plans, and delivers results.

At Elevation Event Photography, we focus on large scale corporate event photography and videography. As one of the most reputable companies within Arizona, many corporate events come to us when their experience with a previous photographer went awry. There is no doubt that Arizona is filled with some incredible photographers however, that is usually the gist of the initial conversation with corporate event photography planning. I believe it is because corporations require a special touch, something more than quality photography. At Elevation, we delivery on all of those things, including value.

As with any industry, job or hobby, if you work hard and do well, success will naturally follow. We have been honored to have been trusted by brands like, Porsche, Dior, YSL, Tiffany & Co. and even amazing organizations like The Arizona Cardinals and Colleges like NDSU, after they won the championship. Know that we are at the top of our game in the photography industry, only makes us push harder and provide more; in order to meet the standards of such amazing and influential companies.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

I think it is common knowledge that, in order to build a successful business, you need to be prepared to work hard. However, I believe that the only people who know how hard it can be, are the individuals who have attempted it. It’s not anything that you can prepare for, you just have to be ready to give it your all and refuse to quit – it demands a great deal of tenacity. For a career in photography, the most obvious skill is being able to present quality photography. There is where we all begin. From there, you can learn the techniques of client contact, accounting, marketing, web design, and more but, it all starts with learning your craft. I personally spent years, fine tuning my skills as a photographer, before even thinking about doing it for a living. Luckily, I became quite good at it, quickly. Additionally, I found a more immense passion for it, that I didn’t know I had. Thankfully, the business side of things was already instilled in me so, 1 + 1, equaled 2 and the rest was history. If you haven’t heard it before, the best thing that you can do to succeed and master your intentions is, to read. Read books, read tutorials, read articles; never stop reading.

Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?

Richard Branson wrote a book called, Losing My Virginity. In essence, it is the story of his path towards success, one in which I found that everyone path is different yet, they all struggle in one way or another; often times in many ways. I found it interesting to see where he began his ventures and what they turned into. It was clear to me that him and I shared similar traits and business acumen. It seemed to me that he was destined to be a business leader, starting out pushing college news-letters, to purchasing a recording studio, to starting an airline and everything else; he was always going to be a successful business owner and it didn’t matter in what field. I believe that we share similar characteristics in that way. I may never be as successful but, I can identify with that mindset and that helped provide me with the confidence that I can succeed.

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