Buzz Magazine Phoenix

I started voluntarily taking pictures for family & friends. Then I started receiving compliments about how good my photos were & was actually being requested to take pictures.

I kept being told I should consider getting into photography, so I decided to buy a decent camera & started watching you tube videos after you tube videos to teach myself. I learned a lot, but I also realized how much knowledge I already had which gave me confidence in taking the next step.

I decided to go for it & made a photography page on social media sites. I started to advertise my photos, offer great deals on mini shoots & gaining followers. It started slow but I kept getting more & more people booking with me. I am so grateful to how far I’ve come with each session giving me new insight, knowledge & skills that I can continue to use moving forward.

If you would have told me 3 years ago when I was starting if I would be where I am today in this business, I would have never believed you. Sometimes its so surreal that this is my life. I truly feel blessed and am so thankful I made that leap of faith.

I found a love for graphic design at 24 when I decided to make my own wedding invites (2009). I honestly had no idea that what I was doing was graphic design and over the course of the year (2010), I found myself becoming more interested in it.

I graduated from Glendale Community College in the spring of 2011, and by the fall I was enrolled in the design program at the Herberger Institute of the Design and Arts at Arizona State University (ASU). I immersed myself in the program finding out that graphic design was, and is, more than just putting pretty pictures together, but that design could literally create change in the world.

My third year in the design program was when this all became clear to me. Our class was assigned a rebranding project for an Arizona local nonprofit; Circle the City – a homeless respite center that addresses all facets of homelessness through medical and holistic care. They had a wonderful mission, but a very minimal budget, which is why they requested the help of the design students from ASU. My team and I became so connected to the mission and purpose of Circle the City. We learned that by assisting them in their design work and rebranding, that donors, doctors, and volunteers would be more likely to trust Circle the City, believe in their mission, and aid the nonprofit in connecting with other volunteers who held the same vision.

I quickly realized that I could make a difference for other nonprofits and small businesses in the same position as Circle the City. Most small businesses and nonprofits leave graphic design as the last thing on their budgetary priority list or even off of it completely. I started Tiny Fox Creative to give those small businesses and nonprofits a helping hand to launch their passion and have a great visual brand from the beginning setting them up for success. I partner with them to cultivate a well designed brand (not just a logo) that will be genuine, organic, and one of a kind that establishes an identity that stands the test of time.

About a year ago, I started a company whose goal was to help women learn how to challenge toxic elements of their relationship with themselves and with other women. It was about a year and a half of writing, interviewing, and building before the launch in January of 2019.

As I studied and gathered information and stories about wounded warrior women, it became very clear to me how many different narratives were out there that no one would ever hear. What was even more frustrating was the realization that the reason these stories wouldn’t get told was not just because people were afraid to tell them, but because the right platform either didn’t exist or was not accessible to an “every-day” person. As soon as I started publishing content, the response was somewhat overwhelming: women were coming out of every corner of my life wanting to be a part of the project, and even more were coming forward simply to thank me for putting this particular brand of content out into the world.

It was a very short two months after the launch that I started to feel claustrophobic because the platform I had created was not wide enough to fit everyone who needed it. Even my own ideas and soapboxes were starting to outgrow the original mission statement. I needed to regroup. So I put the project on hold, and started a different one. It was a dating podcast – just something to help me use my creative energy and endless opinions, while simply entertaining myself and whoever wanted to listen. My co-host and I had the show up and running in four days. Four months later, we were once again outgrowing the original idea.

We decided to make the podcast an official company, but I had learned from my previous experience, and I saw an opportunity. So, we created a brand called RealTalk Productions. And let me tell you, I had plans for this platform.

In my previous job I had an amazing boss who allotted me the freedom and flexibility to branch out into areas of personal passion. So, even though I was a marketing director for a construction company, I also spoke at conferences and ran a mentorship program for four years. That eventually led to coaching individuals and strategic consulting with small businesses. Fast forward to November of 2018 and after a season of personal transition and reflection, I decided to resign from my job and pursue coaching full time.

In 2019 I created Beauty & the Boss, LLC, a career coaching and professional development company for women in male-dominated industries. As the owner and head coach, my mission is to help women learn strategic soft-skills and strategically position themselves for career growth.
At the individual level, I provide quality content and one-on-one coaching, but I also partner with companies and professional associations that have Diversity and Inclusion initiatives.

I grew up as the baby of eight kids in rural New Mexico on a hobby farm full of goats and horses. My mom was a jack of all trades. She plumbed. She was a woodworker. She gardened. She cooked. She ran her own law practice, and she did all of this while raising us by herself. She died when I was 15, but her independent nature, doer attitude, and affinity for learning practical skills had a lasting impression on me.

After graduating high school, I attended engineering school in New Mexico where I obtained my Environmental Engineering degree. It was the most practical degree I could think of. Engineering, as an area of study, is intricate and challenging and the creative problem-solving aspect is what I was so looking forward to in the workplace. That wasn’t exactly what I found immediately in my industry, so after two years, I realized that I hadn’t found my purpose. I felt lost and like I was wading through knee-deep mud every day. This led to a lot of introspection and trying to understand who I was at my core, which inevitably led me back to the 13-year old watching my mother tinker away on old, battered furniture in her workshop.

I had always been a hands-on type of learner, and my family will tell you that I have always chosen the path of greatest resistance. I learn best through doing (and sometimes failing) rather than listening to someone who might already know the answer. It’s something that used to frustrate me about myself, but that I’ve grown to value and I think it’s what makes the world of home renovation and DIY such a passion for me.

Shortly after arriving in Arizona, I purchased my first home and the projects started. I started documenting my DIY home renovation projects on Instagram and people from all over the world started sharing their own projects with me, asking me for pointers, sharing what they had learned, and others began letting me know that they couldn’t wait to start their own projects or buy their first home after seeing that they could do it too. It felt really amazing knowing that I was showing young adults that being self-sufficient was completely achievable. Whether you’re a single woman fixing up her first house like me, or a married father of three, or a couple of twenty-something roommates, you can build and invest and accomplish more than you ever thought you could. Through Instagram, I found a community of doers that understood why every paint drop and sawdust pile felt like gold to me and I am so grateful for that.

I got started in the industry knowing that I loved working with people and with my hands, and I’ve always had a passion for the fashion/beauty industry. After finding that I loved it, I worked hard to learn techniques, verbiage, and overall knowledge of the industry to grow my business. Lots of practice, classes and mentoring has been so helpful to who and where I am today!

Pfc. Douglas L. Cordo, United States Army died Friday August 19, 2011 in Zabul, Afghanistan. He was my best friend and a part of my self died with him that day. Douglas was replacing me on a mission because I was on R&R “rest and relaxation” so I was able to go home and see my family and marry my wife Bree. I was so ready to give my life for my country but had no idea that I could lose my own happiness and how that would impact me and others. Struggling with suicidal thoughts and watching others take their own life after deployment. I decided to get out of the military and move back to Idaho. I was suffering really bad with depression and felt completely lost because everyone around you expects the older version of you.The person that won class clown and was on the improv team but that person was gone and I was so lost. Dark nights turned into really dark years and I finally wanted to get out of my bed of sorrows because I knew my best friend didn’t die for me to throw my life away. I started to try and figure my self out. I remembered that I loved videography in high school so I saved my money for a Rebel Canon t7i to start making videos hoping that it would make me happy. After doing a couple of client work things started to slow down and I had a lot of free time on my hands. I decided to just listen to music and walk around taking photos. I instantly fell in love with photography and kept taking photos because it felt like the world faded away when I was behind that camera. I had couple of people tell me that I had a real eye and should try doing portraits, started doing photos for friends and family and started teaching my self how to edit those photos from YouTube. At times I struggled with my own emotions but it didn’t matter because I could capture any emotion I wanted.

I would listen to YouTube at work in the car even in the bathroom trying to learn how to make my photos look different. I felt like there were a lot of established photographers in Idaho already and was hard to get shoots. I also heard a lot of negative things in Idaho like js.snapshot sounds like a cheap name and that my work was over contrast, I would never change anything for other people I really felt that most people just didn’t understand my look. I quit my job packed up my apartment and moved my family out Arizona with no plan. Arizona has welcome me with open arms and has shown so much love. Anyone suffering with depression I would say stop chasing happiness and start creating it.

During January 2019, I found myself in a very unfulfilling job and knew it wasn’t going to provide me the flexibility and financial possibilities in the long-term. I started looking at other options and it wasn’t long before I decided to go into real estate. I knew being a REALTOR would allow me a flexible schedule and to make as much money as I wanted as long as I was willing to work for it. I’m also a true Enneagram 2 (The Helper) and love being able to help, empower, inspire, and impact others.

I received my real estate license at the end of March 2019 and wanted to dive right in. There were 3 things I knew for sure: I didn’t have a lot of money to invest right away, I love meeting with people 1-on-1, and I wanted to use social media as a primary lead source.

I’ve built my business primarily using Instagram as a way to build my network, connect with others 1-on-1, and provide value to my audience. I know part of why that’s working well for me is because I focus on building relationships with people FIRST before I mention my real estate business.

Well, after a tumultuous year of establishing a network in a new state, making a lot mistakes, and finally finding the right support, I finally feel like my business is gaining some momentum in 2020!

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always looked forward to being a mother. I’ve always loved being around children and knew that no matter what career path I chose, I wanted to spend the majority of my time home with my children when the time came.

After deciding to fulfill a career as a teacher, I graduated from Arizona State University in the Spring of 2016 and began teaching 8th grade English that Fall. I loved teaching and loved having the opportunity to work with children. But when my husband and I excitedly found out I was pregnant in 2017, I knew that my time as a teacher would be put on hold once my baby came. Our little Scotlyn was born in January of 2018, and that was the last time I stepped into a classroom for who knows how long.

Anyone who knows me knows that I love working, I always have. So while staying home with my daughter, I quickly grew restless and wanted to find some sort of work I could engage in while still staying at home. Even if it was just a part time gig, I felt the desire to find some work to keep me busy (a different kind of busy than constant diaper changes and feedings). At that time, my step dad asked me if I wanted to run his business’ social media platforms. He owns a local plumbing company and had zero experience with social media, so I gladly helped out. It only took a couple of months for me to fall in love with the world of social media marketing!

From there, I started managing social media for other family members who owned businesses, as I continued taking online courses and gaining more education. If I was going to do something, I wanted to be the best I could be at it!

Several months later I officially started Amplified Social Marketing! I focus on helping business owners reach the masses with their business and brand using social media. I love what I do, and I especially love being able to do it while staying home with my daughter. My business has grown rapidly (thanks to some amazing business coaches!), and I’ve needed to start hiring some help on. I’ve decided that I will always hire other moms to be a part of my team so that I can allow others to stay home with their children and still make a sustainable income. Currently I have a team of four other moms who help me keep Amplified Social Marketing running day to day.

I look forward to growing my business even more so that I can help others learn how to grow their businesses using social media, and most importantly so that I can stay home with my daughter and allow other moms to do the same!

I spent over a decade working in the bars and restaurants and always knew I could do and be more. In 2010 I was diagnosed with a rare form of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma which was the defining moment in my life. I always wanted to be a doctor, but gave up on those dreams because I was sick of being in school. Not only did I beat cancer with flying colors, but throughout the process, I learned how important health and wellness is to be your best self, to prevent chronic disease and cancer.

It wasn’t until I met a now colleague, another ND, I knew this was my bigger purpose. I am a firm believer that life does not happen to you, it happens for you and in 2013, I returned to school. I gave up my social life, my general management job, and four short years later in 2017, I graduated from Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Tempe, Arizona with my Doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine. I am now fulfilling my passion and helping my patients become the best version of themselves.