We caught up with the brilliant and insightful DaJuan Bennett a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi DaJuan, so happy to have you with us today and there is so much we want to ask you about. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others developed certain skills or qualities that we are struggling with can be helpful. Along those lines, we’d love to hear from you about how you developed your ability to take risk?
I developed my ability to take risk from not giving up and being optimistic. Being a risk taker is not easy task, most people won’t take a risk because they are nervous of the outcome. Taking a risk you have to be open to challenging yourself, have confidence, but most importantly have faith in yourself. Taking a risk you might end up failing but that doesn’t compare to what you can learn from your experience and mistakes. A loss could be a lesson in disguise so you could plan better for the future.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I am a freelance photographer specializing in street photography, portraiture, editorial, concerts, and lifestyle. I enjoy being a photographer because I get to meet different people around the world and connect with different businesses and organizations that I would’ve never met if I didn’t have a camera. My brand name is 7teenth which I go by currently.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
9 years in being a freelance photographer has definitely been a long exciting journey. But I would say three impactful skills I’ve learned is to stay consistent through your journey even during the creative blocks. Another skill I would say is to always have an open ear to others ideas. People around you or your clients can spark great ideas if you are open to listening! Last quality I would say is to always be attentive to your surroundings. Being attentive could make or break a situation. My advice to folks early in their journey is to never give up! Opportunity comes in many forms, it could be small or big just take advantage of every opportunity possible.
Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?
When I am feeling overwhelmed I just take a deep breathe and say a quick prayer. It’s nothing a prayer can’t fix. Also a few positive words of affirmation helps as well to put you in the right head space to keep going.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/7teenth_/
