Conversations with the Inspiring Tia Lorae Curran

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tia Lorae Curran.

Tia, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Creating has always been the biggest part of who I am. As a child, I found numerous ways to express my creativity. By writing plays, choreographing dances, imagining the wildest stories and pretending they were real. Even though the darkness of growing older, I still never lost sight of that creative storytelling ability that always made life feel a little brighter.

I ultimately got my Bachelor’s in TV & Digital Media. Throughout college, I spent a ton of time trying to figure out what truly fulfilled my storytelling passion. I wrote for my school newspaper, anchored the student newscast and ultimately got selected as one of five students in the country for an internship in Washington, D.C. where I reported on some insane stories for the Scripps Howard Foundation Wire. I covered Michelle Obama planting the White House Kitchen Garden for the last time, I covered events Trump was speaking at during the 2016 election cycle, I covered former President Obama’s final SOTU address, not to mention a handful of other press conferences the Obamas put on and several other hot button issues at the time. I, then, went on to cover local news as a multimedia journalist for an ABC affiliate in southern Illinois. There I shot and wrote my own stories, edited them and presented them on air. After a year and a half of this, I realized my passion did not lie in news but in telling important stories. And I was determined to find a way to do that outside of news for the sake of my mental health.

Tia Lorae Storytelling started as a side-hustle as most businesses do. I wrote a blog while working in news. With those blog posts, I made videos telling stories of local people that I found inspiring. After a few months of this, I decided I needed out of news altogether.

After a move to Denver and working some bizarre jobs while writing my blog on the side, I landed my first trade videography gig for a local gym. Then, I landed my first paid freelance gig. After that, my now husband encouraged me to pursue this visual storytelling business for real. And to keep this as short as possible, after a TON of free work, networking, tears, confusion, googling, long hours, bittersweet joy & failure, I am at this point in my journey of entrepreneurship.

Now, I am a full-time visual storyteller for brands. I create videos and photos that tell the adventure stories of the human beings behind a business.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Every single day, I learn something new. And 90% of the time it is from failure. I almost hate using the word failure because the amount I have learned from those shortcomings has brought me to where I am right now. I have gone months without pay, I have done TONS of free work to establish myself, I have completely missed the mark with a clients vision, I’ve charged far too much and far too little (most of the time it’s the latter), I’ve cried a lot, I’ve beat myself up, I’ve thought about going back to a 9-5 just for my freakin’ sanity. But I ALWAYS come back to the feelings that coexist with creating something out of nothing. Creating this business out of a skillset and a shitty camera. Making a living off of MY talent.

I’m still in the middle of navigating how to run a business. I’m still working to get better at my craft every single day. I still need to figure out how to do X, Y & Z to make my business the best it possibly can be. I need to continue my education, go to this conference and get that certification and I have so many dreams for myself and I can’t stand it. But the struggle and an overwhelming feeling of being responsible for your own livelihood is the same reason I never want to pursue anything else.

If you’re just starting, remember… entrepreneurship is not as sexy as our culture makes it out to be. But keep. moving. forward. Be humble enough to work for free in the beginning. For a while, honestly. Tell EVERYONE what you do. Be annoyingly passionate. Ask anyone and everyone to take a chance on you in the beginning. Whether it’s for free or for trade. Network. Network. Network. When someone thinks of your craft, they should think of you. And treat yourself like a professional from the start. Take yourself seriously and others will too.

What should we know about Tia Lorae Storytelling? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I am a visual storyteller for brands. I tell the adventure stories of the human beings behind a brand. The videos and photos I create with my clients showcase the passion and why that started their business in the first place. With a background in journalism, I fell in love with capturing raw moments. Which is why I take a documentary style approach to tell the stories of my clients. Through interviews & ultra-creative video/photos, their clients/customers learn to trust them more ultimately leading to a relationship before selling.

I also write a blog sharing resources with fellow business owners/entrepreneurs on how to stay balanced, present and, frankly, sane while dedicating their lives to chasing their dreams through mindfulness and meditation. It’s called Mindful Dreamers.

I am most proud of the relationships I create with my clients. I tend to geek out when my clients think they don’t have any cool stories to share but in reality, they just haven’t been asked the right questions. Sharing stories of life & business of the camera with my video/photo subjects is just as special as my craft itself.

Do you have a lesson or advice you’d like to share with young women just starting out?
Do you have a few days? Haha!

We’re living in a culture where the “hustle” is glorified. But the hustle culture is toxic. Taking care of yourself is the only way to make success worth it. Never beat yourself up when you fail. Learn from it, make up for it if necessary & keep moving forward. Take breaks. Unplug from the online world. Listen to your body and your heart throughout the entire process. Have an unshakeable love for yourself always. No matter how many times you feel in over your head, fail or hear the opinions of others. Never let any external situation alter the love you have for yourself at the core of your being.

Most importantly, be careful with planning, goal-setting & dreaming. Know what you want, but never grow attached to a specific outcome. The goal itself is never promised. Find the magic in each moment on your path to chasing your dreams. And when something you’ve dreamed of for a long time becomes reality, be sure to keep that magic alive as often as possible by remembering you once wished for what you now have.

Contact Info:

• Website: tialorae.com
• Email: storytelling@tialorae.com
• Instagram: TiaLoraeStorytelling
• Facebook: TiaLoraeStorytelling

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