We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Schayna Hamel. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Schayna below.
Schayna, first a big thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us today. I’m sure many of our readers will benefit from your wisdom, and one of the areas where we think your insight might be most helpful is related to imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is holding so many people back from reaching their true and highest potential and so we’d love to hear about your journey and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
I think imposter syndrome is actually very common and is something many creatives, including myself, experience, especially in a field where comparison is so easy. We’re all our toughest critic, but that’s because we strive for perfection with our craft. I always refer to myself as an ‘introverted extrovert’. With that, I sometimes feel torn between putting myself out there and second-guessing whether I belong in certain spaces. I try to remind myself that it’s a natural feeling and not a reflection of my actual skills or worth.
My introverted side helps me reflect, refine my craft and focus on creating meaningful content. While my extroverted side allows me to really connect and engage with people. Recognizing that both aspects add value has helped me gain more confidence.
Whenever ‘imposter-syndrome’ kicks in, I try to remind myself of why I started and how far I’ve come in a short time. I do this because I truly love it, and not because I have to. I look back at past projects, positive feedback and the impact my work has made. Seeing that progress reminds me of why I love this so much. After I deliver a gallery and the edited content to my clients, it’s like an adrenaline rush and I’m on the edge of my seat just hoping they love it as much as I do. My absolute favorite thing is when I receive those excited “OMG” texts, followed by heartfelt thank-yous and endless appreciation. Those are the responses I hold on to and carry with me and that’s what helps keep me grounded and motivated.
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?
Simply put, I am a Behind-the-Scenes Content Creator. Personally, I always refer to myself as the added bestie, ultimate hype girl and/or personal paparazzi for the day – because that’s how others have described my role after spending time with me. My goal is to be there to capture all the candid, unscripted, behind-the-scenes moments of the day and provide all of the raw footage within 24 hours! I also create edited short form videos that are perfect for social media, my edited content is typically delivered within 48-72 hours. The type of videos I create for my clients vary depending on what the client is looking for! The way I try to describe what I do as a content creator, is that I try to capture the ‘personality’ of the day. The fun and unscripted moments behind the professional photography and videography. I absolutely love a wedding but I also offer content creation beyond that, for other smaller events too! Welcome parties, bridal showers, bachelor/bachelorettes, photography sessions, engagements, birthday parties – any social event, really! Along with that, I also provide content creation FOR vendors as well! I call it ‘Behind-The-Talent’ or ‘Behind-The-Business’. I love also being able to capture behind the scenes content of vendors in action doing what they love!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Three qualities I feel that have been most impactful on my journey specifically are:
1. Personality, Relatability and Authenticity – I feel it’s important to truly be myself when putting myself out there and connecting with people. People respond best to creators who they can relate to, who make them feel comfortable and valued. Especially in the wedding space, being warm and personable helps couples and guests relax and have fun, which helps capture that natural and candid content.
Along with that – the ability to adapt in social situations. Any social event can have a number of different personalities, and emotions running through couples, vendors & guests. So, it’s important to be able to match different personalities and situations.
2. Adaptability & Trend Awareness – Social-media is always changing and new trends are constantly being created. As a content creator, it’s so important to be aware and stay ahead of new trends.
3. Storytelling & Creativity – Clients may not always know exactly what kinds of videos they want or have a specific vision when it comes to their edited content. As a content creator, I am given creative freedom a lot of the time, so the ability to be creative and match the ‘vibe’ of the client(s) to create something that is curated and unique to each client is so important.
My advice for content creators, and honestly for other vendors as well, would be to truly embrace being yourself and making your personality a huge part of your brand. Market yourself first along with what you can provide. Content creation is not just about ‘creating’, it’s also about the person creating the content! Look to others for creative inspiration and ideas and to also to connect with.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
Content Creation is a relatively new service in my area. I’ve started to look for other content creators to collaborate with, or anyone interested in content creation! There is such a wide range of what a ‘Content Creator’ provides. I am only one person (for now) and mainly specialize in wedding and event behind the scenes content creation. I’d like to connect with other content creators or potential content creators to collaborate with and to be able to refer to when I’m not available and/or to work alongside me for certain events!
For anyone interested in connecting with me, please feel free to reach out to me via email at ParasolCollectiveco@gmail.com
Contact Info:
- Website: https://parasolcollective.com
- Instagram: parasolcollective.co
- Facebook: Parasol Collective
- Other: Google – Parasol Collective
Image Credits
Photos by Erin Marie Photography
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
