Episode 104: Choosing Creativity and Collaboration Over Competition | Marika Adamopoulos | Founder, Marika Creative & Creativity Built
Photographer, creative director, and entrepreneur Marika Adamopoulos has built two thriving businesses (Marika Creative and Creativity Built) by rejecting the competition mindset and embracing collaboration. She shares her journey from Boston to Southern California, the lessons she’s learned running a creative agency, and how building community has transformed her career. We talk about pricing your worth, turning photography into a business, and why great brand visuals are one of the smartest investments any business can make. If you want to grow your creative career, land dream clients, and feel more confident in your value, this conversation is packed with insight and inspiration.
“The community has completely eliminated a competition mindset for me. When we’re supporting one another vs competing with each other, it’s an opportunity for our collective wisdom to shine through.”
-
Instagram: @marikacreative + @creativitybuilt
Twitter: @marikacreative
Facebook: Marika Creative
Website: www.marikacreative.com + www.creativitybuilt.co
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marika-adamopoulos-828299a5/
Email: marika@marikacreative.com
-
Follow along using the Transcript
Chapters:
00:00 Meet Marika Adamopoulos
04:04 Choosing a creative career path
08:00 Building Marika Creative
10:00 Starting the Creativity Built community
13:00 Shifting from competition to collaboration
15:00 The impact of mentorship and support
21:00 Pricing your worth and charging for the whole process
24:00 Creating a great client experience
28:00 Why brand photography matters
30:00 Telling brand stories through visuals
36:00 Persevering through challenges
38:00 Favorite resources and inspiration
40:00 Daily practices for success
43:00 Goals and opportunities ahead
46:00 Living as a Powerful Lady
I just knew that it was supposed to be what I was going to do, and I didn't know what it was gonna look like. I didn't wanna be a wedding photographer. I didn't really wanna be, you know, a newborn or family photographer. But through college I worked full time shooting everything and anything I could do, I worked for a newspaper.
I, I just did everything I could get my hands on.
That's Marika Adam Opolis, and this is The Powerful Ladies Podcast.
Hey guys, I'm your host, Kara Duffy, and in this episode I sit down with the talented wise and generous Marika Adam Opulus, founder of Marika Creative and Creativity Built. We discuss key pro tips to being a successful creative entrepreneur. Why collaboration is everything, and how rejecting competition leads to more success in your business and new opportunities to serve and share what you love.
Before we jump into this episode, I invite you to come and join me and Marika and my powerful Ladies Thrive membership all month in February. We're discussing how identifying your business love language is the key to not only doubling your business, but also spending more time in your zone of genius and aligned with your purpose.
Join us today@thepowerfulladies.com and jump into our twice weekly group coaching sessions, the kickstart, everything that matters to you and to transform your year.
Well, Marika, welcome to the Powerful Ladies Podcast. Thank you so much for having me. I'm excited to be here. I am really excited to have you here, both because we have a whole chat, like ketchup that we need, but also because I know how awesome you are and what a perfect power play these guest you are. Um, so let's begin by telling everyone who you are and what you're up to in the world.
Sounds good.
So my name is Marika Opolis. I am a, an entrepreneur, a photographer, and a creative DI director. I'm based in Southern California, um, and I'm up to all sorts of crazy awesome things and life is good.
We also shared that we're both from Boston originally. Yes. Yes, we are. And you actually go back and forth, right?
You, you have, um, photography clients that are actually all around the world, right?
Yes. Yes. I have photography clients all over the world. Primarily here in Southern California, Boston, and London as well. Um, but my home base is Costa Mesa. Um, and I'm grateful for that because Boston's getting a massive snowstorm today, so I'm very
happy to be in the sunshine.
Yeah. The second one in like a week, like the whole East Coast I know is crazy right now.
Mm-hmm. They're supposed to get a lot of snow in the next couple weeks, so I'm very happy to not be there. Yeah.
How did you start into your photography journey?
Uh, well, it's been a long time. Um, it's been over 10 years.
I. Was always creative as a kid. Um, loved painting and drawing and theater and music. I'm a classically trained pianist and I took art classes growing up and um, but I always kind of thought my career would be something a little bit more logistical or analytical. Um, I wanted to be an archeologist and a journalist.
Um, and then in high school I was pretty sure I was going to be a lawyer. All that while I started taking photos. Um, because like you said, I grew up traveling back and forth from different places a lot. And so, um, I wanted to have a camera to document those travels. And I realized that I really enjoyed photography just as a hobby and mm-hmm.
Just for me and my family and my friends. So, um, I ended up like saving up my own money from my cold stone job, and I bought an amateur camera and I just started taking photos for fun. And this was right around the time that. Instagram came out and you know, it kind of was like a mind blowing amazing thing to me.
'cause you know, it was, you could take photos and they were no longer just for your photo album or your frames on your walls. They were, could be shared with the internet and with anyone. And I was like, this is so exciting. So. I remember taking photos of everything like toys and tea bags and random, you know, light beams in the house and just like having a lot of fun.
And because I had this like semi-pro amateur camera. People started asking me to bring it to things, so I was really involved in my church growing up, so I'd get asked to bring it to like youth group events or on missions trips. And then people started asking me to photograph their family portraits or their senior portraits and eventually some weddings.
And I was like, this is. Great. Like great extra money. I'm really excited to be 16 and be shooting a wedding and be making $600. Like that's awesome. Um, and I was still though convinced that I was gonna be a lawyer and then through like a series of events, I was like, wow, maybe I'm not supposed to be a lawyer.
Maybe I'm supposed to be something else, maybe as a photographer and. I ended up coming to school out here in California. I got a Bachelor of Fine Arts and Studio Arts with an emphasis in photography. And yeah, I just, I, I kind of knew, like I just knew that it was supposed to be what I was going to do, and I didn't know what it was gonna look like.
I didn't wanna be a wedding photographer. I didn't really wanna be necessarily like, you know, a newborn or family photographer. But through college I worked. Full-time shooting everything. And anything I could do, I worked for a newspaper. I associate shot for other wedding photographers. I assisted on commercial shoots.
Like I just did everything I could get my hands on.
Mm-hmm.
And then long story, um, coming to a head. I had an internship during college where I was hired as a content creator for a small software company that. Had creative clients that they were trying to target, and my job was to take concepts like scalability or approachability or.
I don't know, just kind of any of these like kind of keywords in a mm-hmm. Software based business and translate them into visual assets. So I create how cool briefs I, it was really cool. Mm-hmm. Yeah. And it was the thing that made me realize, like, I knew what I wanted to do because I was creative directing, I was.
Budgeting, I was prop sourcing, I was finding models. I was mm-hmm. You know, conceptualizing an entire project from start to finish and then delivering on it. Yep. And so from there, I like hit the ground running with my own business and haven't looked back since.
No, I love it. And I am so proud of how your business and you as entrepreneur has transformed just since I've met you, like mm-hmm.
It's crazy. So if we catch people up to today Yeah. What type of work are you doing as a photographer, and what type of work are you doing in the entrepreneur space that is kind of grafted off of being an entrepreneur, a photographer?
Totally. Yeah. So yes, my business has changed a lot since we've met.
Mm-hmm. Um, and I am excited about it 'cause I finally feel like I'm in a place where I'm doing exactly what I'm supposed to be doing, you know? Mm-hmm. And it all makes sense. Mm-hmm. So my business is called Marika Creative, um, and. I like to say, you know, we're, we're a small agency that focuses on photography and creative direction, um, and creates bold and strategic visual experiences for brands.
So we're working with brands. Um, we're not niched down to like beauty brands or food brands because mm-hmm. I'm not niched down in my life. Like, I have many passions and many interests and for me it's about connecting with the right person. Mm-hmm. Um, and. It usually is with a company that like I have alignment with, right?
Mm-hmm. And can find something like, I do work with a lot of beauty brands. I do work with a lot of food brands. I'm typically working with brands in like health and wellness or lifestyle spaces. Mm-hmm. Although we do have some like commercial real estate and corporate consulting and life insurance companies as well, which is really exciting and it's so nice to have the diversity because I feel like I get to.
Express myself super creatively. And then I also get to be super analytical with these like other more corporate clients as well. Um, and yeah, so we, like I said, we focus on photo and creative direction, so it's not just showing up to a photo shoot and. Taking pretty pictures and leaving, like we have, you know, a significant process that is involved with our clients.
Mm-hmm. To get to know them as a brand, get to know their values, get to see what they're up to in the world, what's important to them, who they're trying to be. And you know, there's, you know, for some clients it's like six months of getting to know each other before it's our first photo shoot, you know? Um, although that's not typical, but usually we're in a planning process for projects for one to two months.
Mm-hmm. That's kind of the sweet spot, and we need that time because, you know, as you know, yes. Like there's a lot of refinement that goes into it and a lot that needs to, um, be done and work through and we need to find models and props and all that stuff. So. We're strategizing with them, we're creating something that is going to convert.
Mm-hmm. A potential customer or follower to be an actual potential, you know, an actual customer or follower. Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
So, yeah, that's what we're doing
now. And then part two of the question was, remind me, what else have you added on to your business as an entrepreneur that's kind of grafted off the photography business?
Yeah. So, um, within the last year, thank you. C-O-V-I-D-I guess, yeah. Wouldn't have happened without it, right. But, um, about a year ago I was in LA with a photographer friend of mine. This was that first weekend in March that you know, everything shut down. Mm-hmm. He flew in from Minnesota. We were supposed to be on this shoot together.
The morning of it gets canceled. So we're like, okay, let's just try and find a coffee shop that's open and catch up, you know, see what we can do. Um, so we get coffee, we're sitting on a park bench or a street bench, rather, you know, on Melrose Avenue, just like what the heck is happening in the world.
Mm-hmm. And we were just having a really transparent conversation about. Life and business and how we run our businesses and about money and what we charge our clients and
mm-hmm.
All that stuff. And it was really nice to talk to someone in the commercial industry who understood my business and I understood his.
Mm-hmm.
And we were like, we have no clue what's gonna happen with COVID. We don't know if this is a, you know, a snow day kind of situation or like the world's ending kind of situation. So, yeah. You know, let's see if we can get maybe some other photographers to see if they'd be interested to like join conversations.
So we put it on social media, like, Hey, we're hosting a weekly Google Hangout. Mm-hmm. We would love for you to join. And people did. And it grew to a community of over a hundred people who are popping in and out every week. Um, having these really sustained, really intentional and really deep conversations around what it means to be a photographer today.
What the heck is licensing? Like Yeah. You know, how do I plan a shoot for a client? How do I handle a client that's difficult?
Mm-hmm.
All of these things. And every week we had a new topic. It just kind of snowballed and my friend had to step away for some other commitments and had, you know, some other stuff going on.
And so I, you know, decided to keep it up and keep posting these calls. And eventually I saw an opportunity that this could be more than just a weekly hangout, that it could be a significant community and we could be adding more value.
Mm-hmm.
And so within a couple of months it, it happened so naturally and so quickly, um, which is.
A theme in my life for when things are meant to be, they just kinda snap into place. Um, and Creativity Built was born and it's now a membership platform hosted on Mighty Networks. Mm-hmm. It's a community of photographers and creative professionals all around the world who are meeting every week, every Tuesday.
Still. I've only ever missed one Tuesday and it's 'cause I was on a flight to meet a client. Um, and we have guest speakers and we do workshops, and we have resources in the community that people can, like, I don't know what a brief looks like. They can download a brief or mm-hmm. You know, I don't know how to put a mood board together.
There are resources for that. And it's amazing. Like I have so many new friends in my industry all over the world because of this community, and it's really exciting and it's very natural step to mm-hmm. You know, expanding the Marika creative universe.
Well, and I love as well that it speaks to, not competition, but how we all support each other.
Like there's enough for everybody. And honoring that everyone's at a different place. Everyone attracts different customers. So sharing the knowledge between what historically would've been competitors is actually such a huge opportunity, and it's adding value to everyone's business. Mm-hmm. Not taking it away from it.
Absolutely. Oh my gosh. Yeah, like I, this community has completely eliminated a competition mindset for me. 'cause there are people in the community. Who have some of the clients I wish I had. Yeah. You know, and I'm sure they feel the same way about me, but it's not like we have different perspectives. We have a different eye and we've learned so much from one another.
One of the members of the community was sharing with me recently that, you know, before COVID and before joining, she, you know, was really only taking projects like around, you know, a thousand, $1,500. Like if that, like, that was like the max she'd ever taken. And since learning the skills, you know, developing the confidence mm-hmm.
Building, you know, out the business kind of in the values on the backend to be able to like go out to the world and Yeah. Do what she does now she's charging like eight to 10 grand a project and that's a huge difference. Yeah. But she was worth it all along and she was worth it from the beginning. We had conversations of like, you probably shouldn't be charging $200 an hour.
That's not competitive and you're taking, you're not, you know?
Mm-hmm.
Respecting yourself with that rate. Yep. Um, and now look like she is, she did, she had a better year in 2020 than she did in 2019.
So, which is like to like, you know, having a community and being a coach, I just know how awesome it is.
Mm-hmm. When people you've helped can say that. Totally. Yeah. Like, it, it, it adds a different level of like pride. It's like my mama bear feelings all get like kicked off of like mm-hmm. Moving everyone up the hill. Come on, let's go. Totally. And you know, I'm
not like, it's not my like, I mean it's, it's nice that I facilitated the space, but it's not my win necessarily.
Like we all did it together. Right. You know, and that's the what I really wanted this to be. Like, I'm not an educator. I'm not a coach. I have wisdom zoom to share. Mm-hmm. Thank you, God. But like, you know, I wanted to facilitate a space and a safe space where we could have these conversations. Mm-hmm. And we can learn from our peers because we all know a lot more than we think we do.
Yes. And when we're supporting one another and not competing with one another, it's a really amazing space and opportunity for that wisdom to shine through.
Yeah. No, I love that. Um. It matters so much. I think that we empower other people. Right. And and pay it forward. And I know that really matters to you as well.
Yeah. How have people paying it forward to you, gotten you to this point in, in your business and your career?
Oh man, so many people have helped me over the last several years, and I'm so grateful to have the community and the support that I do. I mean, first of all, shout out to my parents for even like.
Encouraging me to take a creative path. Mm-hmm. I mean, my dad didn't even graduate high school and he's now, you know, the CEO of a multimillion dollar company and has worked so hard as an entrepreneur over the last 30 years. And so having that example mm-hmm. Even just the example has pushed me forward, but even he himself has been such a, a voice of wisdom and inspiration in my life and has.
Helped me financially. He's helped me, you know, in business and given me tools and sent me resources from his own company to kind of adapt as my own and mm-hmm. You know, just really invested in my business 'cause he believes in my vision and, and what I have to bring to the world. Mm-hmm. And my mom too, like, you know, my mom is my biggest cheerleader and she has always made me feel like.
I can do anything. Mm-hmm. And that's, that's huge. So just to have that support in the very beginning of life means everything, you know. But then like moving forward through my career, I was really fortunate to have professors during college who. Um, I, I really struggled in college because I was in a fine art program and I was the only one working in my program.
I was the only one doing commercial photography. I was the only one who was a sellout, you know, and didn't get fine art, and really struggled with like this idea that I had to be poor for the rest of my life if I wanted to create something beautiful. And I was fortunate to have some professors who. Like sided with me, so to speak.
Mm-hmm. And like understood where I was coming from and um, allowed me the space to work, you know, allowed me the space to be creative in my own way. And then moving into my career. I mean you've been a massive influence in my life and in my career. Like you gave me, you've given me the confidence and the tools and the skills to be able to go forth and do what I've done over the last two years, you know?
Well, um, thank you. And it's honestly, yeah, it's a pleasure 'cause you are awesome. Stinks. But yeah,
there are so many people, like so many people that I meet, even my clients who like when I get a good review, I'm like. That keeps me going, you know, my creative partners and people that I work with day to day, like are a friend Allison, like Yep.
You know, I, there's so many people and so many instances where I just feel like, you know, I know that I'm still doing what I'm supposed to be doing because I have the support and I have the confidence from those around me who have believed in me and want to see me succeed.
Mm-hmm. There are so many, um, things that you and I worked on, um, that I now implement with like every creator person who I have in my space.
Mm-hmm. Things like, you know, building out in more depth, like all the things people should know about how to use photography and creating some of the like, educational steps. So like all the things that really add that value to. One, get people to see how, no matter what price you're charging, you're such a deal.
Yes. And, and to create some of those structures. Right. Because I think for all the creative entrepreneurs who are listening or watching, the, the biggest recurring ba uh, barrier is. How to create those boundaries to protect yourself and what you're worth, which you mentioned earlier. Mm-hmm. About your, your community, right?
Mm-hmm. And so often, if it's a graphic designer, a photographer, anyone in that space who cares about their craft and their customer first, it's so easy for us to cave and be like, I'll do it for free. I just wanna work with you. Like, because you see the opportunity. Mm-hmm. I'm so, like you mentioned how people were looking at you in school, like you know that you were the sellout.
Mm-hmm. And in my head I'm like all those poor people who are probably poor or not doing art right now because they couldn't find a way to do it sustainably. Yeah. Like think about what they're missing out on because everything you love to do, there's a way to monetize it, to support what you're up to.
And it's like. It's heartbreaking for me when people don't see that you can do what you love and what you're meant put here to do and get paid more money than you like ever thought possible because it's being in that loop of like your love language and your zone of genius and just like being in your gifts.
Um, yep. How, how has seeing that and leaning in on that for you, like changed your perspective about yourself and, and your business? Cleaning into my gifts and like realizing it's profitable, you mean? Yeah. Like honoring, honoring what you're worth and knowing like why you're worth that. Totally.
Yeah. I mean,
it's
been.
It's been a bit of a process to get there, but I think it's a natural process. It's not like I was like self-deprecating or didn't think I was valuable or doing something important, right? Like I, I've always kind of had this maybe naive belief that I was doing the most important thing, you know? Um, but you know, you as you grow and as you make mistakes and as you like, just.
You know, get older as a business owner like you, you learn, right? Yeah. And you realize that, oh a man, I really undercharged for that last project. Or you know, actually there weren't enough touch points with the client last time. I should implement more this time. Mm-hmm. You know, and I think. Believing that I, I am called to, this is like the biggest thing for me.
Mm-hmm. It's the thing that keeps me going. It's the thing that, like, I'm not emotionally attached to being a photographer. Right. Like, sometimes I'm like, why am I a photographer? Like that's kind of boring and, and exciting and everyone's a photographer these days, you know? But like. First and foremost, I'm an entrepreneur.
Mm-hmm. And secondly, photography right now is the vehicle for me to create my dream life. Yeah. You know, create an amazing business that serves amazing people. Mm-hmm. And like allows them to realize their dreams. Like Yeah. All of that, that belief and that vision, like. It makes me realize, like, yeah, like that $2,000 project should have been 10.
Yeah. You know? Yeah. And like the value that I bring and the way that like clients light up and like the way that their business can grow exponentially three, four times as big because of, you know, a handful of photo shoots. I mean, come on. Like, that's, like, that's a, that's a huge thing and a huge. Reason to keep going and to even then realize like, you know, the value that's being brought to the table and set the appropriate boundaries and make the right decisions for the clients moving
forward.
Yeah. You made me think of a couple things that I wanna touch on before we go. Yeah. The first is for everyone listening. Pro tip charge for the all the work you do, not just the time with the client, right? So yes, every phone call you have with them, the editing, plus the shooting, plus the follow up. Like so often a creative person does not charge for the whole process A to Z.
They just charge for the time they're in front of a person, and that's such a mistake. So questions about that? Yes. You know how everyone listening should know how to email me or find it on the powerful ladies.com. Um, the second thing that you reminded me of is. How talented you are at making your clients feel awesome when you're shooting them, because I've had the pleasure of not just being, um, I've been with you when you've been shooting somebody else.
Mm-hmm. And I've also been the subject of your Yes. Photo shoot, like you did my last set of photos, uh, for our, our rebrand in 2020. And it's so stressful to, to be in front of the camera, especially if you, you know. People who are not normally models. Right. People who are CEOs. Mm-hmm. And brand owners who we now have to use our face to promote our business because that's just how it's done.
Yes. And it can be so uncomfortable you in that space. 'cause usually you're used to doing the thing, right? You're coaching. Mm-hmm. Or creating it, or you're behind the scenes doing something and you did such an amazing job of like making people feel comfortable. You're so communicative. Because you're more, you're more than a photographer, right?
You are that creative director. You are literally directing the shoot as well. Mm-hmm. So thank you for that. Um, thank you. That's wonderful feedback. Yeah. No, it's, it was, it is like, I have such a fond memories of the day we did that shoot because not just you, but everyone that was on your team that showed up mm-hmm.
Like brought such amazing energy to the space where. Like it was a crazy day. Like it was in the middle of like a break between COVID quarantines where we could actually do it. Mm-hmm. Like people should have late to us, into the studio. Yeah. Like all these things were like not going the ideal way, and we had a lot to get done in that timeframe.
And it, it, it could have been hard and it wasn't. Mm-hmm. Like the shooting part was never hard. That was the easiest part of the whole experience. Yeah.
Well, and I think both of those points that you pointed out actually go hand in hand together. You know, one, one of the things that I do now in my proposals and on my phone calls with a client before they shoot, uh, decide to shoot and book and all that.
Is I actually include a slide that breaks down how many hours are actually going into this four hour, six hour, eight hour photo shoot. Mm-hmm. And I'm showing them that it's a project, it's not a photo shoot, you know? Yes. And that I'm investing as a partner, and hopefully it's not a one-off shoot. Like we do a lot of retainer work with our clients, so mm-hmm.
We're building relationships over longer periods of time, but especially on, you know, one-off projects or that initial first project like. They have no clue like what to expect. And they see, you know, $6,000 for a five hour whatever photo shoot. And they're like, that's terrifying. Like, what do you mean it's, it's $6,000 or whatever the big number is, you know, and it's like actually that six hour shoot or whatever it five hour shoot is like 30 to 40 hours of work from start to finish.
Yep. If not, maybe more depending on what we're doing. Right? And so what if I am able to charge a project based rate? Then there's, it leaves room for issues and it leaves room for bumps in the road and it leaves room for. You know, people showing up late and hiring other people to help manage the day of and mm-hmm.
You know, oh man, the makeup artist doesn't show up. Like, I'll, it leaves for me to do your makeup. You know what I mean? Like, there's, so it, it allows space mm-hmm. For everyone to feel like their time and their work is being honored and valued so that you know, you're not penny pinching by the hour. On the day of a shoot, and I've definitely been there in the past, like I used to charge hourly and a client would be like, oh, well we're not done, or We wanna get some more.
And I'm like, well, you know, I didn't get paid for that, so I'm not gonna stay. Mm-hmm. Or, you know, actually it's gonna be another X amount of money more. And I never wanna make a client feel like, you know, they're, it's a transactional relationship, you know? Right, right. Like, and I say this at the beginning of our, our relationship now, I'm like, money's the awkward part.
We all hate talking about it. Let's just get it outta the way and once this part's done, you don't have to think about it ever again.
Right. Which brings up other great pro tips, right. Of like getting paid upfront. Mm-hmm. Handling all, like, not charging on the, the backend, right. Like getting paid upfront.
Mm-hmm. Whether it's in full or installment. So that conversation's done and it's clear and you are really, um, transparent right? About the time it takes mm-hmm. What's happening, what the process looks like. You're so right. Like once that's handled and people know exactly what they're getting in and how it can be used, you get to focus on customer service and, and doing what you do best.
Exactly. Um, the other part too is that so many people forget, and this is true for graphic design or photography, that whatever you pay for it. It's such a small cost versus how far it goes. Like when people see $10,000 for like a brand identity package and they go, what the hell is that? I'm like, well, hold on.
How much money is your business gonna make? Because that logo might be the first thing everyone sees for the next 5, 10, 15 years.
Exactly. I mean that, that, this is something I say to clients now and I've written about too, is like. You know, an image is the very first thing a potential customer sees. They don't know anything about you.
Mm-hmm. They don't know anything about what you sell. They've never seen a product or a product description. They don't know your tone of voice. They literally know nothing except that first photo. Or video or whatever you're using. And so that first video is the first impression. That first photo, the first impression.
And it better be really darn amazing to convert them because that's the thing that's gonna get them to click on your page or click over to your website and learn more about you.
Yeah. And, and it has to express everything visually that you would tell someone if you were right in front of them. Right.
Exactly. Usually we're good at selling to people when we're in front of 'em and like just getting all excited and, and mm-hmm. Nerding out about our product or business. And so that picture has to be able to do that for you. And I mean, it's a lot of press pressure on visuals, but that's why there's people like you who are like, that's what I do all day.
Like, let me just do it like Totally. Please. Let me just do it for you.
Totally. And that's why the relationship and building the relationship over time is so important. Because what we're really, we're not taking photos, we're telling stories, and we're telling a brand story and we're sharing. Who they are and their essence and their core.
And that takes time to get to know.
Mm-hmm.
And again, another reason we charged bigger project rates so that we actually have the opportunity to do that, um, and give them exactly what they need. So, and above and beyond mm-hmm. So that they can convert those people and grow that audience and obviously grow their business.
Yeah. Yeah. When, when, of course it's hard when you're a small business trying to decide where to spend your resources. I've never had anyone regret spending it on great brand design and great photos. Never. Yeah, because it, it sets you up to look more expensive. From the beginning, it sets you up to be able to mm-hmm.
Um, sell to the people you want to faster. Um, totally. It's, yeah. There's, we, I could talk for hours about like what I would spend on and what I wouldn't, um, yeah. But photography is not one of those things that I would, I would skip because you use it in so many places and you get so much like mm-hmm. In a four hour or, or a full day shoot.
Mm-hmm. Like you, there's so much content. There's so much content. Totally.
And that's why we do a lot of work before a photo shoot so that we can schedule the day and we know exactly what we need. Mm-hmm. So we can literally, you know, overdo the work so that the company has more than they need, you know?
Yeah. For yeah. The quarter or however long, you know, that's gonna last.
Mm-hmm.
Um, 'cause yeah, like. I never, I never wanna be one of those creators or one of those photographers that's like, you only get two photos from a four hour shoot. Like, I wanna give you all 200 that look amazing. And then you get to decide what works, or we're working with you to help you decide what works.
Mm-hmm. Or when we're collaborating with you and all of that. But. Yeah, exactly. I'm with you. There's a lot of value in it. Mm-hmm.
When you hear, um, the words powerful and ladies separately and then together mm-hmm. As powerful ladies, what do you hear and what does that mean to you?
Hmm. Well, powerful I think is one of my favorite words because it just, it's strong.
It's, mm-hmm. Um.
It is kind of anticipatory in a way too. You know, it's like this big bold word that is like fully present and fully in the future of what's possible and gets you fired up and makes you feel like, you know, you're on top of a mountain. Mm-hmm. And you know, you're just, you're doing all the things that, um.
That you're supposed to be doing that can resonate with people. Mm-hmm. If that makes sense. Mm-hmm. And I think with ladies, like ladies is like, it's a great term. I use it in my day-to-day life. You know? It, it's very refined. It's very sophisticated. It, it's better than like. Girls or girly. But like, it's, it's still approachable in a way.
And, um, I use it with, I use that term with the women on my team. You know, if I'm sending an email, I'm like, hi ladies, or, you know, to my girlfriends if I'm sending a text or something. It's, it's always ladies because, um, like I said, it's approachable, but it's still sophisticated enough to use and
mm-hmm.
Feel all classy, I suppose. And together, I mean. When I hear the term powerful ladies, like I think of all of the women in my life, all of the ladies in my life who are amazing, who are doing amazing things, I think of, you know, so, so many things in my life and so many people in my life who are doing all of the things that they wanna do and are accomplishing.
Their dream lives, and because they, they know what they're worth. They know how to position themselves in the world. I mean, I think like it's, it's business, it's sophistication. It's how you dress, it's what you eat. It's like, you know, the, all of these things that kind of you do for yourself and you feed into yourself, and then what you put out into the world as a result.
Mm-hmm. That makes you a powerful lady.
Yeah. When do you feel you're most powerful?
Uh, that's such a good question. I feel my most powerful, um, in a couple of different instances. I'd say, um, personally I feel most powerful when I am journaling or I'm spending time. Taking care of myself because I need it to live and I need it to be successful in all the other areas of my life. And when I'm taking that time, I feel accomplished and I feel powerful because I know what the result of that time will be.
Mm-hmm. Um, and professionally, I feel most powerful when. I get to work with an amazing client and they feel like I'm an amazing partner and we're just aligned on what we're doing. And when they say like. This is beyond what we asked for or, you know, you were such an amazing person to work with. Or they affirm what I know in my heart to be true about what I'm bringing into the world.
Mm-hmm. Um, and they affirm the hard work that I've poured into my business, into my life, and into all these things I've been doing for so long. Yeah. That makes me feel really powerful.
I love that. When you know, when you think about how much your business has changed and how you evolved, what are some moments when you look back at your life that you're like, I am proud of me in that moment?
Well. As things have evolved over the last few years, I'd say just looking back at 2020
mm-hmm.
I'm, I'm really proud of myself. Like I, at first it was, it was rock bottom for all of us, I think. Mm-hmm. And, um, it could have been so easy to give up, you know? Mm-hmm. And there were moments where I literally, you know, was sitting down and I was like.
How much would I make if I went and worked at the grocery store? How much could I make if I started Ubering? Like, you know, 'cause I don't know where my next client's coming from at this point. And instead I chose to, you know, stay in the calling and stay focused on what I knew I was supposed to do and use it as an opportunity to bring clarity into my business and into my life.
Mm-hmm. And doing that hard work. Now I get to hopefully continue to reap the rewards of that and like I was able to. Connect with dream clients last year that I never in a million years could have ever thought I would get to work with. You know, and I have a team now, like I have a team of, you know, 12 people who are helping me build my business and who like believe in me and like want my business to succeed in.
That's insane to me. Like, and the fact that I'm a boss, I just like, I don't, I'm like, I, I still can barely take care of myself sometimes. I'm like, why do these people wanna work for me? But they do, and it's amazing. And so I, I think I am most proud of my perseverance.
Mm-hmm.
Um, and my diligence and just continuing to find ways to be.
More efficient, um, and to serve other people better.
Yeah. You've always been really committed to taking in as much knowledge as you can from other people who are entrepreneurs or photographers or just, you know, people who are leading really powerful, fulfilling lives. Mm-hmm. What, do you have any systems in place or go-to places where you're like, that's where I go to, like, keep connected and keep getting more information and like, what's, what are the good resources that you would love to share?
Totally. Yeah. So I'm a, I'm a big podcaster, so mm-hmm. I'm listening to a podcast like every day, um, multiple times a day. Um, so some of my favorite ones besides Powerful Ladies, obviously. Thank you. Um, of course, I love Second Life. Um, I love female, uh, startup Club is another one, obviously, how I built this, 'cause we all love that one.
Mm-hmm. Um, so yeah, I, I love those entrepreneur podcasts. Mm-hmm. Watch a lot of masterclass classes. Yep. Mm-hmm. Um, about negotiation and sales. Um, and I've learned a lot from watching other successful people mm-hmm. Who are well known in the world, share what they have to offer. I read a lot. Um, I've read some really great books over the last, you know, year in particular, but over the course of my career that have really helped me.
Kind of refine who I am and how I am in the world pitch. Anything's a really good one that I really enjoyed this year. Um, the hard thing about hard things. There's so many good, so many good ones. Yeah. Um, yeah. And then just like day to day I try to stay off my phone and like go for walks or go to the ocean or take drives and like do things that.
Inspire me personally 'cause I feel like. You know, I often think about Plato's idea of recollection that we already have the entire knowledge of the universe within us, but we spend the rest of our lives trying to find it and P put the pieces back together. And I think about that a lot. And whether that's true or not is fine, but like I really think that when we shut off all the noise and we just make space to be quiet and mm-hmm do whatever it is that makes us happy.
And feel inspired, then we actually can receive the wisdom we were always meant
to have. That's beautiful. Mm-hmm. Um, and you mentioned before like journaling. How much is journaling and meditating or journaling and praying part of your everyday routine? I.
Every day since I was eight years old, I have been journaling and prayer and, and meditation's a big part of my life as well.
Um, but journaling is, is a big one for me. And I go through phases of journaling where all I wanna write about is what's going on in my life. Sometimes I, I use it as a space to write out my prayers. Sometimes I use it as a space to set my intentions for the day ahead or write out what I'm grateful for or.
I have this list of things that I have curated, um, that when I think about my dream life or I think about the person I wanna be, um, I have this list of like 10 to 15 things that sometimes I'll, I'll write every day as a reminder. Mm-hmm. Um, that I am already embodying those things. Mm-hmm. And that I can.
Make the choices every day to embody those things. So it, it's a really nice way to stay accountable to the life that I wanna create. Um, but yeah, it, it's, as someone who's an introvert, it's a really healthy way for me to process my emotions before I then share with other people or kind of get caught up in, you know, conversation.
Because I find that I do my best processing alone. So journaling is a healthy way for me to do that.
Yeah. No, I love that. 'cause every entrepreneur really is so different, but we do need whatever our system is for us. You know, on the, on the last episode we recorded, we talked about how. The most important thing that you should do as an entrepreneur is really be honest with yourself about what you need and how you operate.
Not only to make sure that you keep those things that you need as part of your daily structure and routine, but also so you can know how to, mm-hmm. Have teams and delegate and tell them what to expect. Right. Because there's always like the totally entrepreneur, totally. We wanna be versus just who we are, which is a perfect entrepreneur.
Mm-hmm. As it is. Um, yes. And so I, I, I think it's so important as well, right? Like if it's, if Journaling's your thing, your meditating's, your thing, like don't sacrifice that for the to-do list because the to-do list never goes away. Totally.
Totally. And I mean, of course there are days where it's like, I genuinely don't have time to set aside an hour.
Like I have to run out the door, or I have a commitment, or I didn't sleep the night before and now I like it happens, right? Mm-hmm. It's not a perfect system, but it's the, like creating the space consistently
is, I think the difference. Yeah. 100% consistent over perfect. Yes. Yes. Well, as you look at 2021, what are you most excited about and what are you like?
What do you have coming up next that you would love everyone to know about?
Yeah, well, 2020 was a year of clarity for me, and I know that 2021 is gonna be a year of opportunity and mm-hmm. I just, I, I feel like this is a breakthrough year. Um, even though every year is in its own way, I'm just like super optimistic about this year and even if this year is as.
Terrible as 2020 was. I still know that this year is going to be better and more exciting because my mindset's different. Mm-hmm. And the work I've done on my business is, has set me up to have a better year and to do better things. Um. I'm really excited about just pouring into my team this year and creating better operations and strategies with them.
Um, I have an intern this semester that is amazing, and I am so excited to have found someone who, mm-hmm. Like, feels like a mini me. So yeah, I am excited to like pour into her and help her grow and, and help her decide what she wants to do with her life, you know? And mm-hmm. Um, I'm excited to really invest in creativity built more this year and just be creating content, you know?
Mm-hmm. And. I think Marika Creative, I've realized is a, you know, expert to client model where creativity built is a peer to peer photographer to photographer space. Mm-hmm. And I think it's exciting for me to be creating content for two different voices in two different channels. Yeah. Um, and. Yeah, I'm, I'm just excited for the next client too.
Like I'm always excited for the next client and I'm excited to pour into the people I already have. And, um, I'm just excited that this year is gonna be a better year and we're gonna
do better things. I love that. Well, we ask everybody on the podcast where you put yourself on the powerful Lady scale, zero being average, everyday human, and 10 being the most powerful lady that there is.
Where would you rank yourself today, and where do you think you rank yourself on average?
Well, let's see. Today I'm feeling pretty fired up 'cause I had a really badass boss week and I get to be here with you on this podcast. So I am a powerful lady, I suppose. So, yes, today's a 10 for sure. I think. Love it.
Day to day, you know, as an entrepreneur you have peaks and valleys, um mm-hmm. You know, like this past week was a really good example of Thursday. I had an amazing client call. I had a gallery viewing, they were over the moon and they were gushing, and I was like, wow, this is like the best I've felt in so long.
I felt like a 12 on the scale, you know? And then I go to bed, and Friday I wake up anxious and worried and overwhelmed because something else with a different client wasn't going as planned and mm-hmm. You know, there was just like, I had an inbox full of drama and issues and I felt like, you know, a negative three.
Right. So it varies from day to day. Mm-hmm. For sure. But I think that the person I am and the work that I do to create the life I wanna have and be the person I wanna be, puts me at an average of hopefully like an eight to nine.
Yeah. No, I think that's fantastic. 'cause it is true. It's a. It, it's a rollercoaster every day because mm-hmm.
The best part of me about an entrepreneur is that every day isn't the same and everything not being the same means we don't know what's gonna happen each day. Um, it's true. So it's, that's, it's so important, right. To like really cherish those 12 moments and Yeah. Kick along all those negative threes, right?
Yep. Definitely. So for all the people who now wanna know more about you, more about Marika creative and creativity built, where can they follow you? Mm-hmm. Connect with you? What actions can everybody take?
Totally. Yeah. So very easy to find on all social platforms. My primary account is Marika Creative.
M-A-R-I-K-A creative, um, creativity built is spelled just like it sounds. Um, so Marika creative and creativity built on Instagram and all platforms. Our websites, um, marika creative.com and creativity built.co c o.com. Um, and yeah, connect. Say hi, follow. Send. Send notes, send messages. Love to get to know you and love to chat and either, you know, if you're a photographer, would love to bring you into the community.
Um, and if you are a brand, would love to work with you and help you create your dream business.
I love it. Well, it has been such a pleasure to spend some time with you today on Zoom. We definitely need a coffee or a walk or a combo. Yes. Um, yes, please. Yes. And so, um, thank you so much for being here today.
I cannot wait to connect more, but thank you for being a yes to powerful ladies, and thank you for being a powerful lady yourself. Thank you, Kara. I'm very grateful to be here.
Thank you for listening to today's episode, all the links to connect with Marika, Marika Creative and Creativity built. Our in our show notes@thepowerfulladies.com slash podcast. There you can also leave comments and ask questions about this episode. Want more powerful ladies, come join us on Instagram at Powerful Ladies, where you can also find some free downloads to start being powerful today.
Subscribe to this podcast and help us connect with more listeners by leaving us the five star rating. End of review. If you're looking to connect directly with me, visit kara duffy.com. I'd like to thank our producer, composer, and audio engineer Jordan Duffy. Without her, this wouldn't be possible. Follow her on Instagram at Jordan k Duff.
We'll be back next week with a brand new episode. Until then, I hope you're taking on being powerful in your life. Go be awesome and up to something you love.
Related Episodes
Episode 131: Building a Creative Career From Scratch | Jess Goldsmith | Founder of Chick of All Trades & Women of Type
Episode 299: Creative Risk, Reinvention & Finding Joy in the Pivot | Taylor O’Sullivan | Founder of Culterra
Episode 305: Living Unconventionally and Writing Honestly | Brianna Madia | Two-Time Bestselling Author and Van Life Enthusiast
Instagram: @marikacreative + @creativitybuilt
Twitter: @marikacreative
Facebook: Marika Creative
Website: www.marikacreative.com + www.creativitybuilt.co
LinkedIn: marika-adamopoulos
Email: marika@marikacreative.com
Created and hosted by Kara Duffy
Audio Engineering & Editing by Jordan Duffy
Production by Amanda Kass
Graphic design by Anna Olinova
Music by Joakim Karud
