Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Shweta Mistry. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Shweta, so excited to talk about all sorts of important topics with you today. The first one we want to jump into is about being the only one in the room – for some that’s being the only person of color or the only non-native English speaker or the only non-MBA, etc Can you talk to us about how you have managed to be successful even when you were the only one in the room that looked like you?
I spent a lot of time feeling sorry for myself. It’s hard being the only Indian woman in a lot of the rooms I walk into on a daily basis. Then, I realized that regardless of what I look like, I am so talented. My talent is effective. My talent is successful. So I can spend all day feeling sorry for myself because I have to work harder to open certain doors that would open with ease others…or I can just let my talent talk. I learned that if your work is honest and good enough and you carry yourself with grace, you will see progress slowly but surely.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
My name is Shweta Mistry, and I am a 21-year-old Photographer and Digital Content creator. My passion lies in capturing moments through video and photography and creating graphic designs. Currently, I have the privilege of working as a Creative Photographer for the Georgia Football team.
I’d say the most exciting part of my job is how I make people feel. I love hearing that my pictures and my time with someone made them feel comfortable, beautiful, and like themselves. I have worked with a lot of people who say that my pictures of them feel “raw” and “organic” as if they did not have to put a fake face on for my camera. My sessions are always a good energetic exchange. I love letting people know that they are human and loved, they are not just “my clients.”
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?
Patience – Take it day by day. This world is moving so fast and our content consumption has never been higher. Breathe, feel the earth, and work to improve your days gradually. Just making a little progress a day is enough. If you are not trying to make tomorrow a better day than today, what are you doing and why?
Effort – If someone else can do it, so can you. You are the only reason you “are not” or “can not.” Trying and failing is a part of the process. Making excuses and fearing failure held me back from so many opportunities in my early stages in photography. So what changed? I stopped fearing failure and started making efforts toward achieving my dreams. I do not fear if I fail anymore as failure has become the greatest learning experience of my life.
Love – If you don’t love it, you will not reach your full potential while doing it. I love photography, I love working with people, and I love creating new ideas everyday. When the thing you love is also your job, if you stop loving it, you will no longer be the greatest you can be at it.
To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
My parents left India in the late 1980s to come to America. Their only goal was to give their children a better life, an American education, and opportunities of a lifetime. They left their parents, community, and family, just for my siblings and I.
So yes, everything I do is for them. They came here with no money and no knowledge of the English language. They literally used to work at Wendy’s. Now, our family is considered middle class and my siblings and I are all educated, debt-free, and pursuing our own futures. Their sacrifices made me realize something that I tell myself every day: I have no excuse to not be successful. So I will be successful, for them and for myself.
Contact Info:
- Website: shwetamistry.org
- Instagram: @shotsonshweta
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sssdmistry/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/shwetadmistry
