Meet Tyra Dixon | Entrepreneur/Professional Photographer & Filmmaker

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

Hi Tyra, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Life is all about risks. Whether some of us admit it or not, we’re all risk takers to some degree. It’s being secure enough in knowing who you are and what you want out of life, I think that dictates the level of risk we’re willing to take. The biggest risk I’ve ever taken was betting on myself. In 2006, I quit my job, sold everything in my apartment, bought a one-way ticket, and moved to Los Angeles. It was scary as hell, but it was one of the the best decisions I ever made because it gave me the opportunity and experience to do what I’d always dreamed of – to live and work in Hollywood. And I did that! I immersed myself in the production community and after three weeks, had my first job on a network television set. Since then, I’ve continued to elevate my career and have had some pretty amazing experiences I’m sure would’ve never had happened if I hadn’t taken that initial risk.

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.
The thing that excites me most about what I do is the freedom it affords me. As a freelance photographer and media professional, I have the freedom to create on a much more flexible schedule than I would at an agency or traditional 9-5 establishment. This allows me the extra time that I sometimes need to work on my business & build my brand, explore and scout locations, build relationships with clients, research topics I’m interested in documenting, and have more consistent work-life balance overall. I love helping clients bring the vision they have in their mind, into focus in front of my camera. Helping clients shape and promote their brand, business, or simply capturing family moments is my happy place.

Although Covid was and continues to be a tragic situation, the forced down time helped me recognize that I needed to put more emphasis on things that truly matter, like spending time with aging relatives and doing a better job at maintaining friendships and freelancing helps me do that. Choosing to become a freelancer after nearly six years of having a traditional 9-5 job with healthcare benefits, was not an easy decision, but was definitely the best choice for me. I’ve always chosen positions that would allow me the most flexibility as possible, because as a creative, you can’t only operate during an eight hour a day window – at least I can’t.

If there’s a lesson I can pass along to other entrepreneurial creatives, it would be to first identify what type of worker you are and go from there. If making your art or following your passion, doesn’t conform to a traditional work schedule, set aside a few hours at night, early morning or weekends to work on your craft and start building your entrepreneurial life. Create a side hustle that works for your lifestyle, talk to business or life coach, read & connect with people who do what you do. But most importantly, have fun!

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?
The great part about Durham is it’s a foodie town and has a huge arts presence. If I had a friend visit for a week, we’d definitely stop by Beyu’ Cafe for one of their wonderful coffees and maybe brunch. Afternoons would involve visits to the NCCU Art Museum, CAM Raleigh, The NC Museum of Modern Art, the Nasher Museum of Art, or the NC Museum of History. For dinner, we’d check out Nana Steak, Metro 8, Parizade or Vin Rouge. Lastly, there would have to be drinks and live jazz at Kingfisher.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
A large part of my past & continued success is due to the company I keep. Meaning, all of the hardworking creatives in my life who encourage and push me to “do the work” while thinking critically as a business woman. We know that iron sharpens iron, so I’ve found that it’s important to keep a secure network of people around me who lead by example and push me to level up every single day.

Website: www.tdixonmedia.com

Instagram: @t.dixonmedia

Image Credits
@tyrafilms @t.dixonmedia