Meet Devon Potts

We were lucky to catch up with Devon Potts recently and have shared our conversation below.

Devon , we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?

I think I have taken probably over 1000 people’s pictures in the past decade. Every single one of these shoots begin with the same nerves and self-doubt. Entering new environments, conversations, and challenges is what has built my confidence. I still have the same doubts and nerves going into every job, but I have learned how to better navigate each circumstance, and this is what I believe develops confidence. Going up to other people and initiating conversation is something that I practice every day inside and outside of Ventrait. This has taught me to not take rejection as seriously and has also taught me how much of an impact you can have. The more you practice stuff like this, the more confidence you find.

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 was a very shy kid growing up and when I found photography I realized that it was an art form that I could not only express myself but challenge myself through relationships that build along the way. I have always felt what I love most about photography is the conversations I get to have and people I get to meet. Ventrait stemmed from my love of adventuring with friends to capturing my first photos; portraits (the name is just a mashup of portrait and adventure). Ventrait started as a portfolio for photography in 2017 and has developed into a small production company focused on advertising. Ventrait is ever evolving, but one thing is for sure, creativity is the vessel for change. I hope to make the future better than the past and Ventrait will always encompass this.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Three things that come to mind: patience, empathy, and grit. I did not make money for the first 3 years taking photos. However, I truly loved the role photography played in my life and therefore I was willing to do whatever it would take. I believe empathy rules above all else. You need to be empathetic toward yourself when scaling a business. More importantly, empathy towards others will develop relationships you never thought possible. Empathy does not only make your world a better place, but the world in general. Lastly grit, you just need to work hard. I have been working 11+ hour days 6 days a week for 4 years straight. I love building Ventrait though, so it does not feel like work all of the time.

Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?

I have been extremely fortunate to have two great human beings as parents. My dad taught me how to listen. Learning to listen and push my inner thoughts to the side (as much as I can) has been one of the most important skills to have in building a network, business, and friends. My dad also taught me to take a deep breath. When I was young and flustered, he took me into the backyard, and we would lay on our backs looking at the sky. He would say, “look how small we are”. The idea behind this was to take a step back and put things in perspective. I continue to practice this today. Anytime I feel bad, I will take a walk or simply think, “look how good I have got it in the big scheme of things”. My mom taught me how to work hard, how to be independent, and how to not put up with shit. She did not fight my battles, but she taught me how to fight them myself.

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