We had the good fortune of connecting with Ivan Martinez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ivan, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
After 22 years of a career with newspapers in advertising sales, marketing, and new media, I wanted to do something different. I wanted to have creative freedom. After exploring options, the idea of having my own business as a photographer made a lot of sense. Initially, my friends and family did not know what to think. They thought I had gone crazy. So, I took the time to draft a business plan. Having a plan helped me identify opportunities and concentrate my efforts. I wanted to leverage my professional experience, my education, and my passion for photography in a way that would help me build a unique selling proposition. I wanted to create a company that would help businesses tell their stories.


Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I strive to be a storyteller. I see my role as someone that will find the beauty and uniqueness around us. I get excited about the opportunity to share it with others. There are many beautiful and unique business stories in our community. Unfortunately, we are too busy and distracted to see them. I want people to slow down and observe. I live with this quote from Henry David Thoreau “It is not what your look at that matters; it is what you see.”

I want people to see my resilience, hope, and beauty through my work.


Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I work and live in downtown Mesa. It is great to see all the new developments in the area. The city of Mesa has done a great job in the last few years in helping develop downtown. Even though the pandemic closed many businesses in the Valley, we saw a new business opening in downtown. The addition of ASU Sidney Portier’s school of film this coming Fall will add to the already vibrant art community that includes the Art Space Lofts and the Mesa Arts Center. When visitors come to the area, they will find many options. For breakfast, you can go to Jared’s Coffee, The Nile Coffee shop, Lost Dutchman Coffee, or Organic Bean Coffee. You can try excellent Venezuelan food at Que Chevere or an award-winning sandwich at Worth Take Away or a popular Mexican meal at Mangoes for lunch. After lunch, you can take a break and visit the Mesa Arts Center Contemporary Museum, which is free and open daily (except Monday) from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. After the museum, you can grab a refreshing beverage at one of the many options. The Chupacabra taproom is a great social place to find friends and chat. You can try Oro Brewery, Desert Eagle, Espiritu, The Beer Research Institute, Cider Corps, or XII West. I recommend Mike’s Pizza, Tacos Chiwas, or Nuntraporn Thai Cuisine for dinner. All these places are within walking distance, with no need to burn gas.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My business coach, Pam Slim was instrumental in helping me navigate the initial stages when I decided to start my business. I got encouragement, direction, and guidance that helped me focus my efforts in the right order. Without that help, I think I would either have come to a complete stop or wasted a lot of time trying to make sense of the process. When you go in business for yourself, you take on many tasks and wear many different hats. You quickly realize that it is a very tall mountain to claim. You must leverage your skills and get help from as many people and organizations as possible. The moment you realize you can’t do it alone is the moment you start moving forward. You need to be patient and focused. Having someone helping you stay on track is beneficial. Pam did that for me.

Website: www.ivanmartinezphotography.com

Instagram: @imartinezphoto

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivanmartinez/

Twitter: @imartinez

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IvanMartinezPhotography/

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/ivan-martinez-photography-mesa

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0Vf3GgQbfAgwR7-DdueKLmt75ki28IoJ

Other: https://www.greenbiztracker.org/business/IvanMartinezPhotography

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