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This is the 2nd installment of the year-long Glow-Getter Spotlight series that focuses on amazing female entrepreneurs that have started their own fantastic businesses. This month, we spotlight Alicia Powell, creator of Pixistock!
Meet Alicia Powell
Bio: Alicia Powell is the creator of the Pixistock stock photo site for female business owners! Her background is in interior design; so styling anything- from rooms, to outfits, to photography is what she’s most passionate about.
“Ever since I started down this road of blogging and entrepreneurship in 2011, I’ve had the opportunity to work with some of the most amazing women in business! I’m all about making new connections and cultivating community.”
She describes herself as…..
How did the idea for Pixistock come about?
Sitting on the with my husband watching an online lecture at Google about entrepreneurship – he swears he came up with the name, lol. Now I knew there were other styled stock photo websites, but I also knew that I could do it differently – my way. I’ve always been into styling – styling anything, really. From a BFA in interior design, to party styling on the side, to graphic design, I knew that I could do this, and do it uniquely well.
How long was Pixistock in the works before you launched it?
Only 6 months! From March 2016 to August 2016, I spent all my free time taking as many photos as I could to fill up my library before it launched. It was still a work in progress, and pretty rough around the edges, but I launched it anyway knowing I had to start somewhere.
Is this your first adventure into having your own business? If not, tell us briefly about your past experience.
This isn’t! Soooo many failed attempts. Back in high school my sister and I started a greeting card “company” called Say Something. We also started a DIY and craft blog and monetized it in 2012, which was pretty successful, but it wasn’t our passion. I even tried to have a hair extension business for a few months, but that didn’t work out either! These ventures weren’t meant to be.
What is one moment that stands out to you where you just knew that Pixistock was really going to work?
When I had my first 10k month in November 2017. And not just because of the money, but because I felt in my gut that I did everything I could to make it work and saw the results of taking serious action!
There are so many stock photo sites out there. What do you believe makes Pixistock stand out from the rest?
One thing about being a creative and a designer is that no matter what type of creative business you start, yours will be different because no one is you. No one is me, I am my own unique self, and I have my own unique design eye. Beyond the fact that I additionally offer my members graphics, design assets and a girl boss community for their business, my photos will always have my unique flare – colorful, fun, and bold, that makes a statement online. 🙂
Self-discipline and staying productive are the hardest things for me as a business owner. What is the hardest thing for you when it comes to running your own business?
Time management HAS to be one of the hardest things specifically for me. Feeling like you have to do everything, instead of focusing on only the few things that actually move the needle tends to slow me down. There are days when I skip important things, or procrastinate on smaller, yet important tasks, because I just want to spend my time being creative and taking pictures! Time management isn’t hard for everybody, but truth be told, I struggle sometimes.
What is the BEST thing about owning your own business?
The shear freedom of being in control of your own time, career, and financial destiny. Knowing that the sky is the limit and you have the power to change your own life.
What is the WORST thing about owning your own business?
Hm…I struggle to find an answer to this one, lol. I’d say, probably having to deal with all of the technical, financial and legal responsibilities! It’s good to have someone on board who can take care of those things. Some days I just want to CREATE – not deal with all of those responsibilities, but I learn to be grateful and understand it comes with gift of entrepreneurship!
What is one piece of advice you can give to someone thinking about creating their own business?
You need to start a business in something that people actually WANT. Sometimes passion can get the best of us, and often our passion will line up with our business venture; but if people don’t want it, they won’t buy it. Do your research, make sure there’s a market for what you want to start a business in, and take action – not tomorrow, or next week, or next year – NOW!
You can sign up to receive a free set of Alicia’s stock photos by clicking this link: FREE STOCK PHOTOS
And be sure to check out her GORGEOUS website. I found Pixistock last fall when I was creating this blog and I fell down the rabbit hole of stock photo sites. I found MANY of them that were great. But Alicia’s style and variety caught my attention. I started off by purchasing a quarterly membership and then when she offered an amazing deal on a lifetime membership, I jumped at the chance. I love that she is constantly adding new images, items that are related to the season or holiday. And looking by COLOR is fantastic for those us committed to personal branding and sharing images with specific colors! She now offers ebook and opt-in templates as well!! Any time you see a flat lay desktop image on this blog, it’s one of Alicia’s!
Visit the rest of the Glow-Getter Series here:
January: Julie Ball, Founder of the Sparkle Hustle Grow subscription box
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