Today we’d like to introduce you to Sophia Johnson.
Hi Sophia, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Growing up, I never had any shortage of things that I was passionate about, and that excited me, but it wasn’t until I joined a local robotics team in high school that really led me to my future passion business: Photography. When I first joined the team, I had the expectation that I would grow up to be a talented engineer, eventually going to MIT and having a business that specialized in creative massive feats of engineering.
However, as I spent more time with the team, I realized that my talents and passion actually excelled in seeing the organization grow through my efforts and in photographing and branding the team. The fact that I could not only market and brand this team and help them grow, but also have a hand in helping them develop into a more successful team inspired me. That passion led me to quickly start my own business a year or so after I finished High school – a business centered around helping other entrepreneurs build the business of their dreams through my own talents like photography, graphic design, and brand design.
For all my life, I’d lived in Alpharetta, Georgia, but after I started a local sales job (in an effort to gain more experience about expertise foreign to me), I was quickly whisked out to Raleigh, North Carolina to help my leader establish an office here. I never strayed far from my passions, still doing freelance photography and graphic design, but I eventually felt like it was time for me to return back to where I started – focusing all my efforts on building my own business so that I can help others do the same.
I have always felt like life takes us on many detours, many of which we may be confused as to where we might end up or why we’re there, but for the various things I’ve done and people I’ve worked with, I’m always excited by the fact that I get to bring that experience with me to the next project or person I help. I’m excited to be here and get to know Raleigh, North Carolina, and of course the incredible people that inhabit it!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Definitely not. It took me years to even understand what was holding me back from being more successful and happy. That time I spent on that robotics team gave me a hunger that left me searching and searching for something that I could do that would bring me as much inspiration and joy as that team. I took a couple of different jobs, did some freelance projects, and spent a lot of time reading, listening to motivational speakers, etc but nothing felt right.
As with many things of the heart, I knew I would know when I found the right thing. That thing ended up being my own business, which led me to quit my current job and return back to the thing I loved doing. However, that job helped me realize that the only thing holding me back from the success I wanted was just myself. I struggled a lot with that realization – I’d never seen myself as insecure or inadequate which is why I was never able to realize that that was the thing holding me back.
I would say the biggest struggles along my path have always just been myself: Figuring out what I want to do, understanding my strengths, weaknesses, passion, and what I’m willing to do to get what I want. In comparison to that, all the other struggles with my business and with people seem very simple.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My business is named Serpent Studios, and as I mentioned earlier, we help other entrepreneurs start and build the business of their dreams by providing the creative services they need like photography, graphic design, and brand design. I’ve always had a talent for art, so after spending years honing my skills with photography and graphic design, I stand apart from a lot of my competition on skills and creative vision alone.
However, I would say the thing that helps me stand the most apart is the fact that I come from a very technical background. I love robotics and engineering almost as much as I love photography; I understand the technical side of art, while also being able to implement my own creative side. It also helps that I’m great at talking to people – I didn’t spend all that time in a sales job for nothing!
I’m always proud of the fact that my clients keep coming back – they like working with me just as much as I love working with them and they come back and bring more clients with them. I’m extremely grateful for their help – I wouldn’t be where I am without them, not to mention the fact that they never fail to excite me with their new projects!
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
For photography, I’d like to say I foresee a lot of clients actually moving back to traditionally printed photographs. I see it with my family, friends, clients, etc. We live in such a digital age now, people want physical copies of their most important memories.
I have a family member that has a social media account for their baby, and they subscribe to a company that prints those photos into a book every couple of months. Stuff like that is genius! It helps that I have a background in graphic design as well as photography because it really helps with my creative eye when I’m printing photos or projects for clients.
If you’re an artist and most of your work is digital, I would strongly recommend making something that you can give to your clients – stickers, prints, magnets, something that when you meet a client face to face, they have a physical memento of your project. I personally love stickers and magnets, haha and I know many others are the same.
Contact Info:
- Email: sophia.johnson@theserpentstudios.com
- Website: theserpentstudios.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theserpentstudios/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theserpentstudios
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/theserpent_s
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrgZQNpfsXUS7b0uuePKNrQ
