Meet Rachel Gillen

We recently connected with Rachel Gillen and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Rachel with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?

Definitely from my mom. Growing up my mom was a single mom working full time and going to school full time to provide a better future for my older brother and I. She didn’t qualify for assistance so she made lots of sacrifices and worked hard to make ends meet and that stuck with me through adulthood as I am now a single mom working hard making ends meet and working hard building generational wealth for my kids.

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 am Rachel, the president of Boomzbeatz Multimedia. Rachel Gillen Filmography is a division under that. Photography and videography have been a passion of mine ever since I can remember. My very first professional camera was a Canon Rebel film camera while I was in college. I received my associates degree in videography in 2005. Around that time, I got my first digital camera. I fell in love with digital photography and did shoots for friends and family and even got to shadow a friend for a wedding. Sadly though there were many obstacles that prevented me from stepping out beyond a hobby and eventually my camera collected dust.

About 5 years ago I was going through a divorce and while rebuilding my life I picked my camera back up and rediscovered my love of digital photography. I upgraded my equipment and taught myself new skills and got myself into an environment that not only valued me but encouraged my skills and to keep learning. I truly have the best partner and team!

My favorite types of shoots are family and themed photo shoots. I also do head shots, event coverage, fashion shows and have started doing weddings. I’d like to say I’m laid back, pretty easy-going person and strive to have my clients feel comfortable to be their authentic selves during their sessions.

I recently established a studio space where I can offer affordable packages for studio photo sessions and look forward to working with clients there and building my brand!

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?

First and foremost, customer service skills. I’ve worked customer service ever since a teenager and learning how to have those skills to not only talk to people but to have empathy skills will take you very far. Those skills will also help you with networking. With networking you need to know how to talk to people and present what you have to offer.

When it comes to pictures, you need photographer skills. Someone recently told me that there are photographers who just take photos just to take photos and then there are photographers whose passion shows in their work and always working to improve. Strive to be the latter. Learn your equipment, get comfortable with it and just get out and practice. For the longest time manual mode intimidated me and then one day I finally stepped out of my comfort zone and haven’t looked back!

Lastly, never stop learning! I learned videography in college but with photography I am entirely self taught. YouTube has valuable information out there. There’s also books, or join some photographer groups to ask questions. But never stop learning!

Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?

Having confidence in yourself is important however having a supportive partner and team is crucial! I literally would not be where I am if it wasn’t for the support and encouragement from my partner and team. Supportive environments empower individuals to overcome challenges and setbacks. When people know they have a safety net of support, they are more likely to take risks and step out of their comfort zones. This encouragement builds resilience, as individuals learn to navigate difficulties with the assurance that they have a support system to rely on.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Rachel Gillen Filmography
Boomzbeatz Multimedia

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