Meet Gideon J. Gallegos-Sanchez

We were lucky to catch up with Gideon J. Gallegos-Sanchez recently and have shared our conversation below.

Gideon, so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.

I don’t think imposter syndrome is something you ever completely get rid of. For me, it comes in waves — especially in a creative industry where things move fast and new, amazing photographers seem to spring up all the time. It’s tough not to feel left behind or like an imposter. It’s easy to start questioning your place or whether you’re keeping up, and you can start to spiral. The difference, though, is learning to shake off that feeling and not let it affect your work. In this line of work, there’s rarely time to dwell on those thoughts — they’ll have a direct impact on your work if you allow them to.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I’m a New Mexico Wedding/Portrait Photographer and Real Estate investor. I’m 24 and have been married to my wife, Stephanie, for almost three years. She’s been a huge part of every big step we’ve taken — from new projects to expanding our work — and I’m really lucky to have her support behind everything.

I’ve been doing photography for about nine years now, ever since I was 15, and I started getting into real estate about two years ago. Although Portrait Photography and Real Estate Investing are two different planes, the objective with both is the same: Offer a tangible, outstanding service, at a lower market cost. In both worlds, it’s common to see price gouging run rampant, so I make it a point to ensure our pricing is always under market rates, even if it means we take a hit on profit. I strongly feel that undercutting market rates, tends to lead you to those who value your services the most.

Weddings are a big part of my schedule — there’s rarely a month that goes by without one or two booked, along with family, graduation, and portrait sessions in between.

One notable project I’m very excited for- we are officially under contract for our 5th & 6th property! I project countless hours going towards them. It sure seems daunting, but exciting nonetheless.

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?

In my experience, the best qualities I’ve tried to implement for a successful business and enjoyable life are:

Lean into the unfamiliar. Truly immerse yourself in what you’re interested in. Learn as much as you can from a variety of sources. Even bad information can be useful — at the end of the day, it’s still more than what you started with, and it helps shape your perspective as you grow in your business.

Force yourself to be uncomfortable. In my opinion, becoming comfortable is extremely counterproductive. I’m all for taking time to relax — and I definitely do — but getting too comfortable slows progress. Keep pushing yourself into those stressful or uncomfortable situations; that’s where you really learn to adapt and create results. Allow yourself to feel stress, but learn to manage it in a healthy way.

Lastly, learn to live without. My wife and I are big believers in living simply. We cook simple meals, plan simple trips, and wear simple clothing. We never go without, but we’re not wearing high-end designer brands or doing $300 dinners every week. When you work hard to put this into practice, the bigger purchases and moments become even more meaningful — and, in our experience, you gain a much deeper appreciation for them.

Do you think it’s better to go all in on our strengths or to try to be more well-rounded by investing effort on improving areas you aren’t as strong in?

Focus on refining your strengths and learn to pickup good traits from those around you.

It’s a simple fact- you cannot be everywhere at once and you cannot do everything on your own. Lean on people when you need to, and don’t be embarrassed about doing so. Everyone needs help at some point.

I’m learning to take my own advice myself, little by little.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Gideon Sanchez Photography

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