Inspiring Female Entrepreneurs: Stephanie Valenti, Boudoir Photographer
As young women growing up, many of us would constantly hear “you can be anything you want to be”, yet still feel the pressure of being a little girl living in a boy’s world. However, thanks to strong women who came before us and paved the way, us ladies truly can be anything we want to be! We can chase our dreams, set big goals, and be our own bosses all while supporting the next woman. This is something that came to fruition for Stephanie of Boudoir By Stephanie Valenti in 2017.
Although Stephanie found her passion again in 2017, she originally discovered her love for photography as a young teenager in her freshman year of high school. Stephanie shared with me that she had a love for photography ever since then, but it had resurfaced again after a bout with seasonal depression as an adult. Many of us experience moments like this in our lives, and can relate to how difficult it can be to fight your way out of; for Stephanie, she found her peace and purpose by picking up a camera again.
Through her own experiences she has been able to watch countless stories unfold and then share them with others, and it all starts with her place from behind the camera. Once she reconnected with her passion she started a sole proprietorship in August 2018 for basic photography services. Stephanie shared with me that she loves photographing people and about the indescribable feeling of “the human connection (that is) translated through a lens”. Although Stephanie still owns her photography business Visions of the Heart Photography, her journey eventually carried her into a new chapter in the form of boudoir photography!
Even though she ultimately stumbled into this branch of photography by happenstance, she quickly realized how important it is to her. In no time she got to work building her company and joining the league of other women empowering each other! For Stephanie, this experience has given her the opportunity to not only help other women find their own inner strength and courage, but it has helped her to find her own as well!
One of Stephanie’s biggest challenges as an entrepreneur has been “standing in her own way”. Many women across the world can relate to this struggle in some way or another. For Stephanie, she has embraced being a business owner all while helping other women (and herself) get past this struggle! She believes that the journey of empowerment is “Three-fold: mental, physical, and spiritual”. This is important enough to her that she even offers special collections that include the opportunity to access all three of these important resources. By sharing these valuable pillars with other women, she has had the opportunity to assist them on the road to finding themselves as they break down those walls that have been built over the years. She has witnessed as they fight past the pressure that many of us put on ourselves based on society's expectations and beauty standards.
Part of empowering other women is about the encouragement and support we can offer each other. Stephanie had once heard (in regards to starting her company): “What if Michelangelo stopped painting the Sistine chapel?”. Just imagining this alone is mind-boggling, and enough to think “what might be missing in the world if I stop”!
Stephanie also shared a few sage words of encouragement with me that I believe is valuable for anyone to hear (at any stage of life): “ There is no paved road to follow if you’d like to be an entrepreneur. I think society makes it out to be that way - the American dream - the success above all successes - a pristinely paved path to financial freedom. While it is extremely rewarding, the truth is the road to success is made of dirt and gravel. The road is uphill. It’s rocky and hard to keep your footing. You’ll fall, scrape your knees, maybe even break your leg falling down that hill… I think what makes or breaks those entrepreneurs is passion. If there is no passion you won’t keep pushing… Elon Musk said it best when he said ‘If you need words of encouragement on how to become an entrepreneur, don’t become an entrepreneur.’”. Just as Stephanie has experienced in her own entrepreneurial journey, success takes hard work, blood, sweat, and tears. But don’t let this stop you on your own journey to success and passion - you really can be anything you want to be!