Today we’d like to introduce you to Mikayla Edgeworth.
Can you walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today?
Like most, my journey has had its good moment, and bad, with a mix of ups and downs. Mine begins right after graduating college. Like most new graduates, I was figuring my way around what we call “the real world”. During this time, I encountered numerous transitions, realizations, and obstacles. Postgraduate life is one we don’t hear about often but definitely should be spoken about more. I was maneuvering my way, doing what I thought made sense at the moment, but I wasn’t happy. I felt like I was going through the motions. In college, I was so creative and had so much drive but that slowly faded once I finished. When you are faced with roadblocks, applying for jobs in your carer and hearing no after no, you start to believe that you aren’t good enough. One day something clicked for me, “If no one sees my worth I will show them on my own”. That was when I started my journey as an entrepreneur. My business started first as a way to showcase my skillsets and abilities to the industry. My thought process was to create good work so that when the time comes to apply for a job I had evidence of the skills I could do. My business at that time was a means to an end. However, as I continued and grew, a shift occurred. I realized while yes I would love to work in the film industry, I no longer needed that validation to confirm the gifts I have within. The feedback from my clients and the growth I could feel was enough for me to dig deeper and lean more into creating opportunities for myself. It was the best decision I could have made and to my surprise, it has been the very reason I am able to work in the spaces that I do now.
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?
Absolutely not, but honestly without roadblocks, I feel like we can’t truly grow. It’s because of the fire a phoenix is able to rise from ashes. I definitely endured obstacles and still face them today. Of course, facing rejection can put a damper on your confidence along with being in spaces that gaslights you into believing your talents aren’t good enough to grow and advance. I feel like the biggest challenge I’ve faced was truly myself. As of recently, I feel like I am walking in full confidence. But this took knowing and understanding myself. Knowing that my flaws aren’t a weakness, knowing that because my journey looks different than most doesn’t mean it does not hold value. It was when I figured out my identity, and my purpose that I could show up in full confidence. When you know yourself and your purpose, you have tunnel vision. You don’t have time to compare yourself to others or second guess yourself because you are too busy focusing on the task at hand. I wasn’t always like this, I won’t say that I use to play small but I definitely felt like I was an imposter trying to play a role instead of truly being myself. I made decisions based off what I had orchestrated in my head about how a business owner should respond and be. I no longer operate this way, I show up as myself flaws and all. I no longer try to prove myself to others who I am. I embrace myself in a way now that when obstacles and setbacks arise I can face it head-on, knowing that I am capable and have the strength to endure because I already came so far from where I started. I may not know the answers right away but I will figure it out one step at a time. This is the best way to tackle roadblocks, seeing it as an opportunity to grow and discover yourself a little bit more. Once you get over the hump, I’m sure you gain a little bit more strength and knowledge than you had prior to facing the challenge. Like I always say, obstacles and setbacks aren’t meant to hurt and destroy you but instead grow and strengthen you. So lean into it and don’t ever quit during the storm the rainbow is defiantly coming.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Through M.E Lens is a photography and videography business that specializes in branding and lifestyle photography and video. Our goal is to aid business owners, product/ service base businesses, and companies in elevating their branding and marketing content through customized strategies to help gauge their target audience, increase potential clientele, and revenue.
As a business, we are most proud of the experiences we create for our clientele. Each client we work with process looks different. Every business and person is not the same so neither should our approach and strategies. Our strategy and content-creating plans are customized based on the needs of our clients and their businesses. Our clients walk away feeling better and more knowledgeable from when they started.
On top of working with businesses, we also cater to our everyday clients just looking to capture their annual family portraits, headshots, couple/ engagement photos, birthdays, and milestone pictures. It’s a great feeling to serve in a way that is impactful to my client’s businesses and lives.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
Being originally from the east coast, coming to Houston has been a nice change for me. What I love most is the southern hospitality that the city brings, along with a slower pace than what I am accustomed to. This city has given me the sense of peace and serenity that I’ve been looking for. However, downtown give me that reminder of home when needed. It has been amazing being able to network with some amazing creatives out here, the city is full of talent. What I look forward to seeing in the years to come is making the city one of the staples for film and production. As I said, this city is full of talented creatives and it’s time for them to be put on the map. I would love to see more film production spaces and more opportunities here within the Film and T.V industry in the years to come.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.throughmelens.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikayla.edgeworth/
Image Credits
Mikayla Edgeworth (Through M.E Lens)
