We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Shannel Gray a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Shannel, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
I feel that I get my resilience from my family, my parents and the older generation of both sides. I have learned about so much history in my family and how many on my dad’s side lived through the 20s, experienced the great depression and worked in the cotton fields. So much history about the hard times and how they all made it through some kind of way. They believed and they had faith. Most importantly, they believed in God. Just knowing that history alone makes me want to make them proud and just be the best that I possibly can be like they were for me. They could have given up and lost faith but the fact that they know how much their family depended upon them and needed them to survive proved that they loved their family and would do anything to make sure that they were taken care of. I take care of the needs of the people and make sure that I commit to giving them memories and epic moments that they will never forget. I always wanted my children to experience seeing the beauty in giving back and how much of a blessing it is to be able give and watch people appreciate you for your gift.
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?
First of all, I love giving and I also love creating! I am a sassy mom of 2 kiddos and I work in the hospitality industry. My vision was given to me back in a small town called Russellville, AR where God touched my heart and told me to see people the way He wanted me to see them. I didn’t understand at the time what He truly meant. As time moved on, my “eye” for photography became stronger and more creative. I saw beyond the faces that were before me and I created the story of the family or whoever it may be that was in front of my camera. Over the years, I have taken many photos of people, kids, places, weddings, funerals and much more. But I still felt like there was something else I could do to pour into people and help. In 2021, I started to take a turn and take more interest in coordinating events and helping plan weddings. I used my expertise in my many years of photography and turned that experience into a newly added platform to the business. Coming soon in 2024, coordination along with event planning will be a service offered for purchase!
I am also expanding my photography to school portrait photography and also more street photography as well.
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?
Looking back, I can truly say that I learned a lot by showing true interest to great people who were active in my craft of interest. Being willing to listen and work hands on in the industry showed a lot to me. You have to also be willing to not only listen to those who are living your dream but also be willing to fail in front of them or fall short. The greatest way of learning is to fall down but also learn that it’s ok to fall short but to also know that if you make mistakes, you are getting better and closer to greater. I learned a lot with YouTube. A lot of people down the social industry, but for some people, being self-taught is an amazing journey because it takes extra push to want to sit down and be able to learn from a video. It’s not easy to watch a video and learn skills and knowledge that you crave. Opportunities are everywhere in growth in my opinion. It’s about how hard are you willing to look for what you truly need?! In any beginning stages of learning your craft, you have to be willing to grow, fail, and listen to others. Make sure that you are open to hear the great things as well as the negative things. Those negatives are always turned into positive ones and are stepping stones for better days.
Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?
The most impactful things my parents have always done is introduce me to God. They taught me about having a relationship with God. Knowing who He is to me and how much He did already for me as a child was everything to me. It is because of God, I have my business, I know my purpose, and I also understand my destiny. I didn’t understand God at first but as I began to look at my mom and how much she would pray over us as kids and also how I witnessed those prayers being answered. I knew that I had to know more about this or about Him and why did I need Him in my life. God gave me clarity. God gave me vision for myself and to know who I truly am and what his purpose is in my life and how I need to use it as well. I am grateful for the love shown from my parents and their care for my success in life. They have always driven me to be greater. My dad used to always say, the world is full of followers, you are called to lead. Don’t be afraid to be a leader. God will give you all the tools needed to lead. I have never forgotten that.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.shaegrayphotography.com
- Instagram: shae4photography
- Facebook: ShaeGray Photography
Image Credits
All credited to ShaeGray photography
