We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Michele Conti a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Michele 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?
My work ethic was instilled in me by my parents, for as long as I can remember. They always encouraged and helped me, but always taught me that if I wanted something, then I needed to figure out how to go out and get it. One of my most memorable experiences of figuring out how to go after something was when I wanted to join an AAU basketball team but didn’t have the money to cover the fee to join. My parents let me know that if I wanted to do this then I needed to go out there and figure out a way to cover this fee. I’m so thankful they for them instilling this in me and not doing it for me because by doing this, it ultimately led to me getting a full scholarship to play basketball in college, where my work ethic continued to be an essential skill to have! My work ethic and determination are such important parts of who I am, and I’m forever grateful to my parents for instilling this in me!
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’m a full time elementary special education teacher. I love what I do and the kids that I work with! I’m lucky to help them get to grow and find their potential as life long learners! In my spare time, I love to take pictures! I’ve always loved to stop and take pictures of my surroundings and sights that I think are beautiful and unique. I’m fortunate enough to live in a place that has a lot of cool things to photograph, but I’m also very fortunate to be able to travel to different places and photograph those sights as well! One thing that I think is special about my work is that I try to capture the sight as is; I make minimal edits to my pictures as I want the viewer to see what that sight is truly like, as natural as it can be. It excites me to be able to share those raw, natural shots with people!
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?
One quality that has been so important to me is self confidence. I started taking pictures for my eyes and to make memories; once I decided to share them with people, it was nerve racking because I had no formal training. It’s something that still can rear its ugly head with me, but I do my best to focus on the positive feelings, thoughts, and feedback I get vs. the negative. Another quality (similar to the first) that I’ve had to work on is letting go of the perfectionism. I try to remind myself that photography brings me happiness, sharing my photos brings me happiness, and thats what counts instead of the shot or edit being perfect. Another quality that I focus on is the happiness that traveling and taking pictures brings me. Reminding myself, when I’m in a funk or have had a tough day, that grabbing the camera and going outside to take some pictures really does reset me and makes me happy!
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
I’m a big fan of yoga; it helps me feel less stressed and overwhelmed. Being mindful, intentional, and focusing on what I can and can’t control has been really helpful for me!
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