Rising Stars: Meet Daniel Moreno of Kansas City, MO

Today we’d like to introduce you to Daniel Moreno

Daniel, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was born and raised in one of the biggest cities in the world, Mexico City, which I miss every single day. At age 19, I decided to completely change my life and leave not only my parents’ house but my country, my routine, my friends, my life.

As an avid soccer player since I was two years old and having played for academies, clubs, high school and eventually college, I decided I wanted to try out soccer and well, life in the United States. I was accepted at UMKC and transferred one year into my degree back home to come see what American college and culture was all about.

The original plan was to graduate and go back to my happy place in Mexico City but it didn’t take long for me to fall in love with Kansas City and the idea of doing life here instead. I will probably never know what it was about our City of Fountains that captivated me but it did. Perhaps how much smaller in size and population but still having all the benefits of a big city, perhaps BBQ, perhaps the city’s passion and love for sports.

It has been 13 years since I first arrived in KC. I graduated from college, I played soccer, I made lifelong friendships and connections, I worked in the service industry and corporate, I left for a while to travel the world and came back, I started a business and I fell in love with photography. Today, I am proud to say today that Kansas City is home.

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?
A smooth road doesn’t exist in my mind and I am glad it doesn’t. I have learned so much and I have grown and matured thanks to the hurdles and obstacles that life throws our way every single day.

One of the biggest struggles I’ve encountered is the sense of belonging. Immigrants like me often times find ourselves longing for the past and remembering home, or what once was home and no longer is even if we go back. I love Kansas City and it is home but I also love Mexico City and it will also always be home but when I’m here I wish I was there and when I’m there I can’t wait to come back. Finding that balance is difficult but it is also what motivates me to keep going.

Of course personal, family or professional struggles happen to all of us so I can go on about the ones I’ve encountered throughout life but perhaps the most difficult and recent ones I have had to endure have been surviving two shootings, one while I was driving my car in the middle of the day on a busy street while a teenager with a shotgun decided to fire away to the first car passing by and thankfully missing my head by a couple inches and the other one being 50 feet away from the mass shooting that occurred at the Chiefs championship parade earlier this year.

Having my car stolen three times in 8 months, losing my young mother to ALS, going through a divorce and almost having to shut down our company have also been tough situations I’ve had to endure but I have taken the few positives from those instances and kept on going, this is after all, all we can do.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Ever since I was young, I knew I liked photography but I never did anything about it because I was too focused on my soccer career, education and well, a busy life. However, about four years ago, on my birthday, I received a gift that changed my life. I was given a brand new drone!

This drone immediately gave me a new hobby and the opportunity to learn and develop my love, passion and talent for photography, more specifically, aerial urban photography.

Along with that, I thought I could mix photography with my other specialty and area of expertise, social media. In the past, I have worked as a Social Media Manager and Director of Media Operations for professional sports teams and for nationwide companies; creating, managing and growing social channels both for work and for fun. So, in 2020, right before the pandemic, I decided to start an Instagram community dedicated to Kansas City.

At first, I created @KansasCityInPhotos to journal and post my drone photos there so I wouldn’t annoy my friends and family on my personal accounts but quickly realized people were liking them. Fast forward four years and Kansas City in Photos now has 24k+ followers, something I am proud of, of course, but also something I love doing and think of as a tiny little way to give back to this amazing city I adore.

Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
As a social media professional, the best way to learn and grow is by studying social media itself. Not just one or two but multiple social media networks. Studying trends, target audiences and simply having fun with a creative brain as well as experiencing with what works and also what doesn’t.

I am a busy person but when I do have extra time to kill, I enjoy any podcasts, apps or books that have to do with sports and traveling, my favorite two things in the world.

Two people that have really inspired not only my outlook on life but also my desire to continue growing as photographer/videographer/content creator as well as an avid world traveler are Drew Binsky and Lexi Alford, who have both visited every country in the world and created some of the most jaw dropping and mind boggling content on social media. Locally, I am a big fan of Gabe Reyes, George Vega, Kalli Brelsford, Duane Hallock and multiple other very talented photographers.

Favorite book of all time though, The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kansascityinphotos.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kansascityinphotos
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kansascityinphotos