We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Markeishya and Martavia Freeman a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Markeishya and Martavia, 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.
Keishya and I had to take our eyes off of everyone else and what they were doing as well as their successes and focus solely on Studio Freeman and our brand. For us, imposter syndrome forced us to go back to the drawing board and figure out our ‘why’. When we realized what we really wanted to do and how we wanted help people we were finally able to say “now this is Studio Freeman.” Imposter syndrome seems impossible to overcome but always remember you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. (Philippians 4:13)
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?
We are Studio Freeman, a one-stop shop for all of your creative needs! We do it all: photography, videography, illustration, and animation.
We’re twins sisters, who has tried everything to separate from one another, but somehow always seems to come back to each another and this time it was for our business.
We’ve always been very creative and into everything under the sun, but we couldn’t be more different from one another. Keisha is the photographer and videographer who has a music playlist unlike any other! Tavia is the animator and illustrator who keeps the Harry Potter marathon going with her peanut m&m’s.
We’ve illustrated children’s books, completed multiple photoshoots, music videos, commercials , logos, etc. Now, we want to make Studio Freeman a household name. We want our movies to be in theaters, our shows to be on channels we love and our children’s books to break barriers.
Our dreams for Studio Freeman are HUGE!
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?
1. Being HONEST with ourselves even when we didn’t want to hear it. Whether we were good, bad or terrible at something we had to be honest and figure out how to make it work. 2. PERSISTENCE to keep the momentum going when prospects or new opportunities are bleak or in surplus. You have to have that mindset within yourself to commit to your dreams and your brand on a daily basis regardless of how you feel even when you have one customer or 10,000 customers.
3. FEAR OF FAILURE. Having this quality really stunted our growth for a long time, we were afraid to move forward and fearful of going back to what was, but guess what – WE FAILED! It was one of the best things that could have happened to us because failing was the motivator that we needed to get up off our butts and actually do something about the future of Studio Freeman.
Our advice:
RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH your field and find mentors on social media, and practice their techniques. Go to lessons, workshops and classes in order to improve your skills. Don’t be afraid to take a step back in order to take 10 steps forward.
You have to keep in mind that this is not a race—- it is not about who gets to the finish line first, but it’s about who endures through each test and trial, you have to build a solid foundation for yourself and your business.
When you look back you want the world to be able to see what you’ve envisioned for yourself and your business since the very beginning.
What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
Our parents has always encouraged us to follow our dreams. They’ve supported us through our successes and failures and has even participated in some of our projects as well. No lie, our parents are mad cool! They help guide us spiritually and has truly taught us to never let go of our beliefs in order to gain popularity. They always tell us, “I don’t want you to be like me, I want you to be better than me.”
Contact Info:
- Website: www.studiofreemanllc.com
- Instagram: studio.freeman
- Facebook: Studio Freeman
- Youtube: @StudioFreeman
- Other: Tik Tok: @Studio.Freeman
Image Credits
Images (2) credit for Keishya and Tavia roof top photos: @girlbossbranded Images (5) credit for Keishya and Tavia in studio photos: @issa_jnique_production
