Story & Lesson Highlights with Sherief Sutton of Columbia Heights, DC

We recently had the chance to connect with Sherief Sutton and have shared our conversation below.

Sherief, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What are you most proud of building — that nobody sees?
I am most proud of building myself, that nobody sees. There is always the external version, or the social media version, or the PR version that strangers and others see – but there’s the version of me on the inside that I know took years to develop into the man I am today. Characteristics like patience and understanding, as well as maturity, things that I knew I needed to improve on as a boy, are now things I flourish with as a man. Self-love and personal grace; not being so hard on myself to the point where it becomes diminishing and makes me become a turtle shelled version of myself, I no longer do. I praise myself, I celebrate my wins, I listen more than I talk – all things I had to build on as it pertains to me and I couldn’t be any more proud of myself for it.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Sherief “Reef” Sutton and I am a professional Photographer & Videographer who dives into just about all creative media. I own my own business called SKS Photography & Videography that specializes in everything from sports to headshots, weddings, family portraits, real estate, and so much more! My HQ is located in Maryland, but I travel just about anywhere as long as myself or my team accept the job! I think what separates my business from other photography and videography businesses is the experience. One of the best compliments I’ve ever received is to hear a client say, “Man, you’re special! You’re worth every dollar.” To me, that is a layered onion compliment of the highest order. It shows that I am not just there to provide a service, but also an experience you’ll never forget and want to rave about to your friends and family. A typical week for me does not consist of just one niche, as I never want to niche my business. I am typically engaged in around 3-4 categories of media weekly; when I am asked, “so what are you shooting or what do you have going on this week?” The response is almost never the same and I love that, it keeps things fresh and wanting more every single day.

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
My earliest memory of feeling powerful besides being a big brother growing up was being a team captain on my football team. I played football for 16 years and I remember my coach in pee-wee football asking me to be a leader to other boys my age, which only transcended to middle school, then high school, and even into college. I didn’t need to be the guy who walked out to the middle of the logo and did the coin flip, that was typically for show. But when a bunch of guys circle around you and look for words of encouragement before a game, to feel something, that’s when you know you have real power, that’s when you know you’ve tapped into someone’s heart and mind. I’ve always been passionate and I will not speak up just to speak. But when I do speak up, it’s because it is coming from a place of care and authenticity, regardless of the occasion.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
There have been multiple times where I almost gave up. Life is full of trials and tribulations. To say you’ve never almost given up while living the human experience would be a lie. At times we are pushed to our mental or physical limit and at those times, when you make it out to the other side, that’s when you really find out who you or the people around you really are. It’s easy to coast through and smile and be happy when the good times are rolling – how do you react when adversity hits? Who do you become then when things aren’t going your way anymore? That bounce back will tell you everything you need to know about who you are. I almost gave up playing football when times got hard, I almost gave up my photography business when business was beyond slow and I couldn’t pay my bills. I stuck it out for all of those though and I am reaping the benefits now!

So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What’s a cultural value you protect at all costs?
A cultural value I protect at all costs is respect. I think respect is such an important principle, especially as you get older, that sometimes people forget about it. Treating others with decency, understanding, and dignity go a very long way and people remember you for that. Trust, safety, and the freedom to express yourself around people you know or even strangers is undervalued in today’s society and I wish more people took a step back to realize that. We all just want to be heard and understood at the end of the day!

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
The story I hope people tell about me when I am gone one day is that I cared to make your life and experience better when you were around me. Whether around me, watching me, heard of me – whatever it is, I hope I left you with nothing but a smile and good vibes. A lot of the times we remember crappy people the most because they draw out unwanted emotions, but I want people to remember more of how I made them feel in a positive light, for forever. I don’t have hate or animosity in my heart anymore. I grew out of that once I realized it was a weighted emotion held on by little boys (or girls) and when you do hold on to those emotions, you don’t grow. You give others power over you that they are not supposed to have. So if there is power I was able to pass onto people, I would hope it would be an uplifting one!

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