Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Barcenas.
Stephanie, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I have always had a passion for being creative. I really got into photography in my high school yearbook class! My teacher was so spunky and passionate that he let some students take the cameras on the weekends to practice using them. I’d say this was the first time I really felt that spark for being creative.
Fast forward about two years, I bought my first camera. I have always loved to take and share photos, but I wanted to start making videos. I started by editing and filming my family vacations! I had a GoPro as my first camera, and I loved that thing. I started to create short 15 second videos highlighting my favorite part of my trips. Those later turned into 1-4-minute YouTube videos! Now, this is when things started to get interesting. My friends and family liked my videos so much that they began to reach out to me asking if I could help edit their vacation videos!
It wasn’t until college that I really picked up videography. I studied Marketing and Communications at Florida International University. I didn’t think I could use my video skills for anything other than fun vacation videos until I had an assignment for my public speaking class. Our assignment was to choose a nonprofit organization in Miami that was interested in working with some FIU students. We had to raise awareness about their organization and present to the class why their organization deserves a $10,000 donation from FIU. I thought, “What better way to share what this organization is all about than through a video!” Fast forward a few weeks, and presentation day came, and WE WON!
“The ballots were collected, the votes counted and with the stroke of a pen, FIU Communication Arts students put $10,000 to work for special needs children.”
Looking back, this was such a pivotal moment in my life. It’s when I really realized I could do so much more with my storytelling skills. The rest is history. I started to freelance while being a full-time student and learned more and more about how to apply my storytelling skills into a tool for business. I am currently working full time at Lennar Homes on the marketing and video team creating amazing content. I am also still freelancing. I feel so empowered and happy that I can make a client’s vision come to life.
The message I would like to send to anyone who reads this is: Don’t ignore your passions. With a little creativity and hard work, you can make a living doing what you love.
Great, 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?
Life is anything but a smooth road! After I graduated from college, I was lucky to land a full-time job quickly. I thought I was going to love my first job but it was a nightmare. I ignored the fact that I know I like the creative field and got a job as a Sales Coordinator. It was all numbers and Excel sheets. Long story short, I was very anxious almost every day because I was unhappy and overwhelmed. I lasted there for about six months.
After this first job, I freelanced for almost a year! I decided I was going to freelance and have my own small business until I found a steady job I was happy with. The freelance world is anything but easy. You don’t make money unless you go out and find clients and WORK. I learned a lot during that year and it really molded me into who I am now. I am now currently working a full-time job I love AND I still freelance on my own time.
Drone Creatives – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
The question “What do you do?” is one I constantly struggle with. I do a lot! I can call myself a Creative Director or a Media Production Specialist, but they both just mean that I specialize in storytelling. My mission is to make your ideas come to life! From helping you create your overall marketing strategy to organizing and executing a shoot, to managing the multifaceted post-production process, I ensure that your projects are seamless from start to finish. Whether you’re starting with a vague idea or a fully-fleshed out a concept, I am here to guide you through the process from start to finish.
I am very proud of the range of different projects I have been able to successfully take on. From weddings to commercials, travel vlogs to corporate videos and more!
What sets me apart from others is that I am very passionate and am able to take on a range of different projects. What also sets me apart is that I am a woman. Videography tends to be a boys club (not that there is anything wrong with that) but I take pride in being a woman in this field.
Is there a specific memory from when you were younger that you really miss?
My favorite memory from childhood is buying spy toys from Toys R Us and pretending to be spies with my sister!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.veni-vidi-cepi.com
- Email: stephaniealexisb@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sup_stephh/
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/user/DoItForTheGoPro
Getting in touch: VoyageMIA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
