We recently had the chance to connect with Casey Mozingo and have shared our conversation below.
Casey, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What is a normal day like for you right now?
What I love about my life is that I don’t have “normal” days. They’re always different. Some days I wake up, cook breakfast, head to the gym, and do computer work until I’m ready for bed, and other days I’m running from assignment to assignment, fitting in food whenever is convenient. I’ve tried to schedule block, but I love the flexibility that I have as a business owner now.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Casey Mozingo, and I’m the owner and main creative at Big Blue Couch Media, based in Goldsboro, NC. I provide a variety of marketing and content creation services for organizations in addition to traditional portrait and event photography. As a former photojournalist, I specialize in helping people tell their stories through photos and video. Recently, I’ve increased my portfolio to include quite a few non-profits, and I really enjoy providing an affordable option to help them raise awareness and connect to their community.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. Who taught you the most about work?
There’s a long list of people in my life who have shaped my work ethic, but I believe that my grandmother, Martha, my only living grandparent, taught me the most. She had high standards for me and is the definition of a matriarch. When I was younger, I watched her do so much. She worked full-time as a nurse, and when she was at home, she would babysit my brother and me in the summers, changing her schedule to work at night and on the weekends. She would have lunch ready for my grandfather and others who worked on the farm, and she helped with aging relatives. We had the most delicious meals during the holidays. Her house was clean, but I never remember seeing her clean. She eventually became a supervisor and went back to school to become an RN. I don’t know how she did it all, but I know that if she could do all of that, I can handle my life as an entrepreneur.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Suffering makes you creative. You become resourceful when you’re out of money and your bills are due. You also become comfortable with putting yourself out into the universe to ask for opportunities. At my lowest financially, I was willing to take a chance on a new career, and it catapulted me from where I was to where I am today.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Is the public version of you the real you?
I’d like to think that the public version of me is me, or mostly me. I say all the time that I don’t have the time or energy to be someone that I’m not. We all tend to share the good stuff that happens on social media because that’s when we usually take photos. Nobody wants to see photos from my bedroom when I’m being lazy, they want to see what I ate in South Beach when it’s cold and rainy back home or photos from a day trip to a place they’ve never been. Most recently, I put together a series of social media videos campaigning for Best of the Boot votes that made fun of myself for continuing to come in second. They’re goofy and they’re funny and that’s me. They’re probably the most honest marketing I’ve ever done.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
I think I’d stop prioritizing work so much. I would spend more time appreciating the little things. Spend more time with my friends and family. I’d travel as much as possible. I’d eat whatever I want.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bigbluecouchmedia.com
- Instagram: bigbluecouchmedia
- Facebook: Big Blue Couch Media
Image Credits
Portrait of Casey by Ian Slade
All other photos by Casey Mozingo
