We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Sophia DeSantis. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Sophia below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Sophia 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?
I get my work ethic from my mom. She grew up very poor in a mountain village in Greece. Most women were taught to keep house and married off after elementary school, but she made history by not only going to high school but venturing to the city of Athens to attend college. After that she continued her education by going to America where her sister lived to get her Masters degree. She did this all by washing dishes at night to pay for her education. She fought through the traditions that didn’t serve her and made a life for herself that she wanted and knew she could create.
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?
In 2012, I started a business focused on plant-based recipes called Veggies Don’t Bite. Through this I discovered my love for food and drink photography. I began to work on my skills and eventually created my photography business Sophia DeSantis photography. I shoot and edit brilliant photos in a simple fresh style. My goal is to convey all a brand stands for and showcase the pride behind the brand through professional high quality photographs. I also use my masters degree in education to help others find their optimal health and wellness in a sustainable way that works for them. Through my experience in building my business and my exceptional organization skills, I began to help others with their businesses focusing on productivity and how to increase their chances of success through better productivity practices.
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?
I definitely think having good productivity practices are key to success! First and foremost is self care. If you aren’t in good condition, you won’t have the energy, drive or focus to work on your business. Get enough sleep, eat a mostly nutrient rich well rounded diet, and move your body. Next, have a good organization system that works for you. This is both physical organization (your space where you work, your physical files, etc) and virtual organization (your emails, computer hard drive files, etc). And last, have good systems in place. Have a good workflow and a set of procedures in place to ensure the results you want.
Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
The feeling of overwhelm is your bodies way of telling you it needs a break. We often ignore the signs our body gives and push forward only to eventually break down. When I feel overwhelmed, the first thing I do is schedule a break. Even if you have things that need to get done, you will be much more successful and productive taking a break and going back to it. I like to get outside, away from the space where I am working. Nature, sun, the earth all helps restore your body physically and mentally. I like to exercise, whether it’s a chill walk or a hard core run. I also like to read, go relax at the beach, treat myself to a spa treatment, anything to mentally step out of the space of overwhelm. Once you restore your body you will see how much more energy you have to get back to the work you need to do.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sophiadesantisphotography.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sophiadphotography
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophiadesantis
Image Credits
Head shot of my taken by Chris Nelson Photography
