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

Hi Casson, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
Taking risks has gotten me to where I am today with out a doubt. I took a HUGE risk 3.5 years ago in the fall of 2021 to uproot my life and start over 1,000+ miles from home. And with that came a lot of struggles, struggles to find friends and that is where I started my business! I started Casson Benson Creatives, which specializes in Photography ( Portraits, Product, hospitality), Content Creation and Interior Decorating. You have to take risks if you want to get anywhere in life, if you only do the easy things then you will get no where, you need to be uncomfortable and deal with it until you are comfortable. You have to keep taking risks to grow as a business and personally. If I didn’t take the risk by moving to florida where I knew no one and knew very little about I would still be up north working my life away at a 9-5. Take the risk its scary at first but in the long run will better you.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
What sets me apart from the rest of the creatives is that I can do everything for you right in one spot, I will capture those raw moment on photography but I will also make that stunning content that you need for your social media pages, I would say that my photography is a mix of vintage feel with warm and airy tones with a hint of modern with the fun and unique angles and poses that we do. I got to where I am today by moving 1100+ miles away fro my small hometown of about 2,500 people to the big city of Tampa, Florida. If I dint take the risk to move I would not be anywhere close to where I am today. The people that have come into my life since moving to Florida has made me want to work harder than ever to pursue my long term dream of being a creative. It definitely was not easy, There was many bumps in the road from not knowing how to do my taxes, to mental heath, family issues and so much more. One thing that I learned to most from my experience would be you have to fail, if you don’t fail then you will never grow and if you don’t grow then you will be stuck in the same loop over and over. Get your self out there and don’t be afraid to fail, you might fail 100 times before you get the 101th time correct, but I gaurenttee you that you will learn and continue to grow from failing.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
When my best friend from Iowa comes down and visits for a week I am going to take her to all the spots that I love, First thing first I would recommend that she stays at the JW Marriott ion Clearwater beach for the best views and hospitality. We would hit up the 11th floor pool bar for cocktails and appetizers, stop by Island way grill for a nice dinner. One thing about me is I will always do the tourist things to see if they are worth it and to just live life and have fun, so we will be heading to the Clearwater Marina to hit up a dolphin cruise and the tiki boats. On the weekend I would take my best friend to downtown St. Petersburg, show her around central ave, swing into Frescos on the water for a cocktail and some calamari (best in the Tampa Bay Area), and start the walk over to the pier where we will enjoy the best views and amazing fine dining experience at TEAK. I would also bring her to Pier 60, North beach, Sand key, St Pete beach, Water street in Tampa and Even up to the springs in Hommosassa or crystal river to see some manatees. Some of the best things to do are the most basic things that everyone is doing, I highly recommend going to the tourist places and try the food, and cruises around the Tampa area. I have gone on about 15 dolphin cruises and each one is different and I had a blast on everyone. I recommend talking to the locals at the bars and seeing what they recommend and what they love doing, whether it is their favorite beach, restaurant, or activity it is bound to be fun.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would not be where I am without my loving and supportive partner. He has always supported me on this journey knowing that it will take a little bit to get my feet off the ground, he has helped me with the business side, and has helped me tremendously with figuring out how to separate work and person life as a small business owner. He is also owns small business that have rapidly grown so taking his advice was something that I knew I could count on. But it isn’t just him that has supported me along this journey, my family, and friends have played a huge part too, they have continued to push me through the hard times and reassure me that I am making the correct choice by running my own companies!

Website: https://cassonbensoncreatives.com

Instagram: cassonbenson

Other: Tiktok- Cassonbenson
Instagram- cassonbensoncreatives and cassonbenson

Image Credits
All Photos Taken BY CASSONBENSONCREATIVES @cassonbensoncreatives on Instagram

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