Today we’d like to introduce you to Sean Alexander.
Sean, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I actually moved to Atlanta, Georgia after leaving my job as a Scheduling Receptionist for Kansas City Internal Medicine. At the time, I was working in scheduling for seven different major hospitals, and after a while, I was just burnt out. I felt like I wanted more out of life and needed a change, so when a friend offered me the opportunity to move to Atlanta and live with him and his boyfriend, I decided to take the chance.
Unfortunately, Atlanta didn’t quite work out the way I had hoped. After about four or five months of struggling to find a job, trying to get my health and personal life in order, and dealing with the constant tension between my roommate and his boyfriend, I realized that Atlanta probably wasn’t the place for me. I decided to come back home to Kansas City.
Not long after I returned, I met a friend who introduced me to someone who would eventually become my first investor. I told them, “Look, if you just get me a camera, I can start a business and take it from there.”
They actually did it.
I was given a camera, three dress shirts that were about $100 each, and $500 in cash. That was really the beginning of Sean Alexander Media. I didn’t have some elaborate business plan or a huge budget. I just had a camera, a little money, and a belief that I could make something happen with it.
Around that same time, I had a friend who was involved in the Kansas City drill team movement. He told me that the team he was part of was looking to expand and take their vision further. That team was Wanda Winters and the Pythons Drill Team, and they became my first paid client.
What started as one job turned into a project that lasted somewhere between six and eight months. I traveled with them, attended practices, photographed events, created photoshoots, and worked with them on a documentary. It gave me the opportunity to really learn by doing and, more importantly, it gave people the chance to see my work.
From there, word of mouth started doing its thing. People began reaching out about birthday parties, family portraits, events and other projects. One opportunity led to another, and I slowly started building a client base.
Now, here we are ten years later.
Sean Alexander Media is still a small business, and I’m still the only employee. It’s still me doing the shooting, editing, designing, booking, communicating with clients and figuring things out as I go.
But I’m proud of that.
What started with a camera, $500 and somebody willing to take a chance on me has turned into ten years of creating, learning, building relationships and continuing to grow. It may still be a one-person operation, but we’re doing the damn thing, and I’m proud of how far it’s come.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Absolutely not. Running a small business comes with a lot of uncertainty, and there are always things you have to figure out as you go. For me, there is an added level of pressure because Sean Alexander Media is my entire brand and my only source of income. There isn’t another job or business supporting it in the background. This is what I have built, and this is what I depend on.
One of the biggest challenges is constantly trying to get and keep the attention of potential clients, because ultimately, clients are what keep the business going. There are so many photographers in the area, and you’re constantly competing with people who may have more expensive equipment, bigger followings, larger studios, or more resources than you do.
But one thing they don’t have is me.
My personality is a big part of what separates my business from others. I believe people remember how you make them feel just as much as they remember the work you create. Building relationships with my clients and making them feel comfortable and valued is something I take seriously, and I think that has helped Sean Alexander Media stand out.
Transportation has also been a major challenge for me. I don’t currently have my own transportation, so last-minute bookings can create an entirely different problem. If someone books me for an event at the last minute, I have to figure out how I’m getting there. Then there are questions about travel fees: Am I charging the client too much? Am I charging enough to actually cover the cost of getting there?
Then there are the financial questions that come with running a business. How do I manage the money I’ve earned? How much should I reinvest into the business? Do I have enough to put toward social media advertising and marketing? Can I afford new equipment? How do I continue improving without putting myself in a financial hole?
And then there’s the constant question of how to stay relevant.
How do I come up with new ideas? How do I create something people haven’t seen before? How do I continue to stand out when there are so many talented photographers around me?
Those are things I think about all the time. It hasn’t been a smooth road, but I don’t necessarily think it is supposed to be. Every challenge has forced me to become more creative, more resourceful and more intentional about how I run my business.
I may not have everything that some of my competitors have, but I’ve learned how to make the most of what I do have. At the end of the day, this is my brand, my livelihood and something I’ve spent ten years building. That alone gives me a reason to keep pushing forward.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My work is really about storytelling through visuals. I specialize in photography, videography and graphic design, with a focus on portraits, events, weddings and creative projects. I enjoy taking an idea, figuring out what makes it interesting, and turning it into something people can actually see and connect with.
What I’m most proud of is the versatility of my work. I don’t want to be known for doing just one type of photography or having one specific look. I like being able to walk into completely different situations and find a creative way to make the project work.
I think what sets me apart is that I’m not afraid to experiment. I’m constantly thinking about how to make something feel different without making it feel forced. I want people to look at my work and immediately know that it came from me.
For me, the goal has always been bigger than just taking a good photograph. I want to create something that people remember.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
What I like most about Kansas City is the creative community. There are so many talented people here doing interesting things in music, fashion, photography, food, art and entertainment. There is a lot of talent in this city, and I think Kansas City has the potential to get even more recognition for it.
I also like that Kansas City still feels like a place where you can build something. It isn’t so oversaturated that you feel like you have no chance of being noticed, and there are always new people, businesses and ideas coming into the city.
What I like least is that sometimes it feels like Kansas City doesn’t support its own talent the way it should. There are a lot of people creating great work, but getting people to actually invest in local creatives, attend events, book services and spend money with small businesses can be difficult.
I would love to see more collaboration and more people intentionally supporting the talent that already exists here. There’s no shortage of creativity in Kansas City. Sometimes the biggest challenge is getting people to pay attention to it.
Pricing:
- Bronze Mini Sessions (15 mins) – $69.99
- Silver Portrait Sessions (30 mins) – $89.99
- Gold Portrait Sessions (45 mins) – $119.99
- Platinum Portrait Sessions (60 mins) – $149.99
- Large Event Photography $169 per hour
Contact Info:
- Website: https://seanalexandermedia.square.site
- Instagram: https://Instagram.com/seanalexandermedia
- Facebook: https://Facebook.com/seanalexandermedia
- Youtube: https://Youtube.com/seanrobinsonjr
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/seandretta
