We caught up with the brilliant and insightful LAURA REYES a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi LAURA, so happy you were able to devote some time to sharing your thoughts and wisdom with our community. So, we’ve always admired how you have seemingly never let nay-sayers or haters keep you down. Can you talk to us about how to persist despite the negative energy that so often is thrown at folks trying to do something special with their lives?
To have someone believe you are not capable of doing something only means they do not believe they can do it themselves. I intentionally surround myself with people who love, support and encourage me but it’s inevitable to come across a hater or a nay-sayer when you start to not only do good, but have confidence in your abilities. Some have the natural ability to use the doubt from others as fuel while others are haunted by it. Personally, I am fueled by it. Of course, I found myself haunted by other’s doubts early in my career but only because I had doubts in myself. It took a lot of work in my self-confidence and perfecting my brand to find that fuel. Now, the haters and nay-sayers can call me every name in the book, as long as the end it with “she is a boss though”.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I grew up with a family full of entrepreneurs so it was only inevitable that I would start a business of my own. While I still carry my profession as a sales analyst, I find a lot of joy in my small business as a photo booth owner. I started Elevated Photo Booths in 2022 because I recognized I was letting a lot of my free time pass doing meaningless things. This was also during the time period where student loan repayments were about to kick in, I just purchased a new vehicle, and inflation was catching up to my financial comfort zone. So why not start something that could help me make some extra cash? What I didn’t realize that my starting a photo booth company, I was being invited to spaces that are considered one of the most momentous occasions in people’s lives. Being able to capture the love and joy that is felt in every birthday, baby shower, wedding, etc. feels close to magic. The best part is watching attendees get excited that they have that digital memory forever, and knowing that we got to be a part of that memory.
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?
The first quality is discipline. The journey to starting your own business from the ground up is ten times harder than you think when the idea sparks in your head. You need the discipline to stick to the fight when you get blows from every direction and discipline to remember your “why” when you keep hitting roadblocks. The second quality is adaptability. Being ready for the unexpected will require you to add extra steps in a routine, but it can make or break your clientele experience so it’s best to always be ready for your plan B, C and D. The third and final quality is resilience. Bouncing back from a month with no gigs or that one bad customer experience is crucial. Defining your journey on what went wrong will take away from how far you have come since you started.
What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
The most impactful thing my mother has ever done for me is reminding me how proud she is of me every chance she gets. As a young adult I feel like I took those moments for granted because she reminded me so much. Now that I live independently and go through the highs and lows of adulthood, I miss the days of consistently hearing those reminders. I can always count on those moments on my bad days.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @elevatedphotobooths
- Linkedin: LauraReyesMBA
Image Credits
@nayslens on Instagram
