Meet Alan Hewitt

We recently connected with Alan Hewitt and have shared our conversation below.

Alan, so glad you were able to set aside some time for us today. We’ve always admired not just your journey and success, but also the seemingly high levels of self-discipline that you seem to have mastered and so maybe we can start by chatting about how you developed it or where it comes from?

There’s a theory that says you are the average of the 5 people you are closest to. If I have a strong sense of self-discipline–and I think I do–it’s largely due to people around me that have demonstrated that same self-discipline in their own lives. Growing up, my dad instilled in us the importance of keeping busy and working hard. I saw my older sisters exemplified this work ethic as they worked part-time jobs while excelling academically and professionally at university. When it was my turn to go to college, my closest friends were highly-motivated people who weren’t afraid to tell me how I could improve my own work. That comes with some pressure, but if you allow it to be a healthy motivator, you start to claim your own sense of agency, building rhythms and practices into your own life that maximize your potential as a human–professionally and personally. So thank God for the proverbial 5 hard-working people I’ve had surrounding me throughout my life.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I have been lucky enough to start my career in film soon after university, which I try not to take for granted given the rocky and uncertain nature of the film industry in Los Angeles right now. Currently, I produce digital content, generally short-form docuseries for YouTube, at a faith-based production company. I hadn’t anticipated working in the faith-based space before moving to Los Angeles, but it’s been really exciting to inhabit a growing niche that’s becoming more relevant in entertainment media and stepping up its game. A huge part of the reward has been the awesome stories I get to tell from amazing people I might not otherwise meet if I weren’t producing this kind of content. And, given the collaborative nature of film, I get to work with other dedicated, amazing artists on a daily basis, which is creatively enriching.

On the personal side, I absolutely love growing my photography brand, AJ Hewitt Photography. I especially enjoy portraits and weddings: capturing unique moments and personalities in a carefully crafted, once-in-a-lifetime way is such a joy photography affords me. Photography allows me to combine my love for aesthetics and style with a touch of cinematic storytelling put into a single frame.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

For me, the three qualities and skills I have found most beneficial were communication, committed work ethic, and genuine empathy for people. If you actively communicate your own needs and comprehend the needs of others, you’ve found the elusive but simple key to extraordinary teamwork. People recognize hard work and people who don’t flake out once they’ve made a commitment; showing up is half the battle. And while we all have different temperaments and attitudes towards other people, taking a genuine interest in being kind and helpful to others not only improves the morale of yourself and those around you, it’s just a decent human thing to do that goes way further than you realize. I would advise anyone starting out on their professional journey to look at these areas in your own life and see where you can be more intentional in using these skills as a means of service. And remember, even if you feel like you don’t know what you’re doing, if you’re in the room, you’re way ahead of the game already.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

Always looking for people to connect with creatively! If you’re getting married, an actor in need of headshots, or an event planner needing coverage, I would love to help capture your style and special moments on camera! I also love working on film projects and am always open to collaboration creatively or in production. You can check out my website and contact me at ajhewittphotography.com.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ajhewittphotography.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alan.j.hewitt/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alanhewitt/
• Youtube: UCPcF9Y35l85ty2zXvygkGxw

Image Credits

Photo of me with camera: Anthony Koonce
Photo of me on red carpet: Moving Picture Institute
Photo of me talking to actors: Anthony Koonce
All other photos are from my own portfolio