Success Stories Profile: Yanitza Ninett, Photographer, Editor-in-Chief, and Businesswoman of Musa Creativa and a photography studio based in Orlando FL!
From esthetician to spa manager to photographer, Yanitza Ninett has done it all. But when she got her degree in photography and turned her passion into her profession, she knew it was meant to be. She also recently launched a second business, Musa Creativa Magazine, “an online magazine inspired by #creativepreneurs”.
Yanitza specializes in lifestyle, portraits and fashion but also photographs ballet and does some branding photography. Her world is all about love and smiling, which really comes through in the beauty of her photos and the content of the magazine.
On our interview, Yanitza states, “I get to capture all that I love from life itself,” which testifies to how much she enjoys her job and the work that puts into it. Her passion, dedication and talent really make her a force to be reckoned with. Keep reading to get an inside look at the mind of Yanitza Ninett:
Tell us a little bit about who you are and what you do for a living.
My name is Yanitza Ninett, I'm a lifestyle and portrait photographer and have been running my photography business for almost eight years. Apart from this, I just recently launched an online magazine inspired by creative entrepreneurs and focused on being a resource of all things related to different forms of art, inspiration, and creativity.
What’s your background? What drew you to start your own businesses?
This is a tricky question for me because I don't know where to begin! My professional background had been in skincare since I'm a former esthetician, and I did that for a lot of years before turning to photography. At the time, I was a spa manager and somewhere along the way, I figured that I could turn my passion for photography into something more professional, by learning the right skills I needed to take the marketing of the spa to a whole new level–mainly because very few people were able to understand my vision for the marketing material I wanted to produce at the time. Fast forward many long nights of very little sleep, after I finished my photography degree with the NY Institute of Photography, I decided that photography was everything I wanted to do–for the rest of my life! This is what drew me to start my photography business, which at the beginning was mainly just destination wedding photography. After 4 years, I left the wedding industry and focused on just portraits, lifestyle and commercial photography.
What were some things you did in order to get your companies started?
I went back to school! Looking back, I know this was the beginning of it all. After this, I also became a member of a local women's entrepreneur network which helped me a LOT in building my business. As part of this network, I was able to enroll in all sorts of business courses that taught me about legal structures, taxes, marketing, copywriting and more. I felt prepared to get my company started and had a great network of women whom I turned to each time I had doubts.
How long did it take you to be where you are today?
I’ve been running my own photography business for almost eight years now but I would say it has taken me more than that to get to where I am today. Preparation, making mistakes and learning from them, being a single mom, having other businesses before this one, and at times crying myself to sleep–which all happened before these eight years, have also been important on my journey to become the professional I am today.
What are your biggest accomplishments since you started your companies?
I would say that my biggest accomplishment has been letting go of what I knew for so long and overcoming the fear of starting over. I relocated my business from Puerto Rico when I moved to Florida, after just four years of business. Moving to Florida was personally the greatest thing to ever happen to me and my family, but professionally, it meant starting over. Studying a new market, investing in the marketing of the business just as if it was just starting, and also getting a full-time job for a year and a half to get by while my business began to be seen. Overcoming this process of starting over, and the fear I had of not being able to make it, has been the biggest achievement for me in my business.
What has been the biggest risk you’ve taken with your companies?
The biggest risk? Hmm...does never quitting count as a risk? I think that in business, we can all see risks differently. For me, the biggest risk was that I kept going. No loans, no credit cards, no funding, with just a little bit of cash, I always kept going not knowing If I could make it or not. As a mom, and as the head of the household for my sons, I see that as a risk.
What are you most proud of since starting your business?
Always staying positive no matter how hard it gets!
How did you get over mindset hurdles and propel yourself through tough moments as an entrepreneur?
I turn to God. I meditate. I never have space for negativity. That's all there is to it!
As a business owner, What does your typical day look like?
My typical day starts with hitting the snooze on my alarm for at least three times! I wake up every day at around 7 a.m., have breakfast, and turn on my music. Everything I do when I'm working from the office at home happens because of music! If I don't have any photoshoots or meetings planned for the day, I regularly work all morning up until 2 p.m. During the mornings I usually work on administrative tasks, writing, and marketing. I take the afternoons to do something I enjoy doing like going outside, hiking, hang out with my bunny, or just sitting out in my little garden. Mainly because I'm not productive at all during the afternoon. Then, every night at around 10 p.m., I begin working on everything that has to do with my photography, designs, sketching, and content planning. This happens because I'm most creative at nighttime. I keep working up until 1 a.m. and then I head to bed.
What are some practical things you do to manage your time effectively?
I believe in flexibility. I know that if I try to create a routine, I'm not going to stick to it. Having a planner and a couple of notebooks is what helps me manage my time more effectively. Since I'm only creative and productive and specific times, having everything written down helps me get it done!
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever followed through with?
“Just start! If it's really what you want to do, don't give it much thought and just start!" A dear friend of mine once gave me this advice and I've followed through it in everything that I do.
What was a major moment of transformation for you in your life since you started your business?
In reality, I'm on constant transformation and evolution. The day when I realize that I am not evolving, that would be the day when I know I've done nothing at all. But if I were to mention just one major moment of transformation, it would be everything that I went through when I relocated my business — starting over. It's a process that built me as a better professional and as a hard-working individual.
What would you say is your motto to keep things flowing?
My motto in life is to work on something that gives me the freedom to be me. I will always be me! It's my essence. Therefore, I guess my motto lies in just doing whatever it is that lets me be me.
What’s one thing people would be surprised you do in your role?
Some people might be surprised that I do my writing for all my articles. They just don't see me as a writer. Others might be surprised that I do my bookkeeping because I hate numbers.
We know starting a business can sometimes be stressful and take a lot of your personal time, What are your top 3 ways to deal with the stress and/or practice self-care?
Get a hobby. Find something you enjoy doing and practice it weekly–for me, it's hiking.
Don't be too hard on yourself. It's okay to sleep in sometimes. It's okay!
Practice mindfulness. This helps me a lot!
What would you say is your superpower?
I like to think that my superpower is my willingness to stay positive. I'm all about good vibes.
What’s next for you and your business?
For now, running this second business, Musa Creativa Magazine, has me living with all sorts of good energy and excitement with what's to come, and just working on getting it to as many people in the creative industry as possible! As for my photography business, I plan on taking it to a new level with more branding photography services for entrepreneurs and small business owners.
What is some advice you’d give to someone who is interested in starting a new business opportunity or someone whom just started their journey?
The best advice I could give is to work on overcoming failures and mistakes. The success is still going to come! But just starting we tend to only think about how successful our business will be and we think less about the mistakes that we will make along the way, which is very much needed to be successful. Just be ready to overcome these mistakes with grace and positivity.
You can see Yanitza’s photography work at https://www.yanitzaninett.com/ and view Musa Creativa Magazine at https://musacreativamagazine.com/.