Meet Joe Mikoli | Photographer

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

Hi Joe, what is the most important factor behind your success?

The most important factor behind my success/the success of a brand is undoubtedly a combination of factors, but if I were to pinpoint a single crucial element, it would be the unwavering commitment to delivering exceptional value and client satisfaction.

In today’s competitive landscape, where clients have a plethora of options, a brand’s ability to consistently provide outstanding products or services is of greatest importance. My commitment to quality is something I live by for my clients. I always make sure my work yields the best results.

Always listen to your clients and understanding their needs. Equally important is the dedication to building strong relationships and fostering trust with your clients. Furthermore, adaptability and the ability to embrace change are vital for long-term success. In a rapidly evolving business landscape, willing to adapt strategies and approaches to meet emerging challenges and opportunities is crucial.

Ultimately, a brand’s success hinges on its ability to consistently deliver value, maintain a client-centric focus, building strong relationships, and adapt to changing market dynamics such as AI. By emphasizing these core principles, a brand can differentiate itself and thrive in today’s competitive and saturated environment. Always believe in yourself and your process.

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.

As of today, I have been in the creative field for over 17 years in graphic design and photography. Starting with graphic design after graduating from Cal State University, Northridge in 2006, I’ve been part of freelance design projects for multiple clients including magazine design in the fitness industry for almost 10 years which helped my path to fitness/lifestyle photography. I have been doing photography for over 8 years now starting from scratch with taking classes, trial and error, learning from other pro photographers and more.

What distinguishes me from others is my uniqueness. Just like others are true to themselves, I capture the world through my lens. With a photography career spanning over 5 years, I take great pride in the creative body of work I have built during this time. It is filled with captivating portraits that have opened doors to exciting opportunities with my valued clients. I love picking up my camera , setting up my light(s) or using natural light, and clicking away at my subject for exceptional results.

No it wasn’t easy during these years in the creative field. I have had my fair share of ups and downs in my creative work. In my very early days, I sometimes found myself comparing my portfolio to those of more established photographers. It took a major mindset shift for me to change my perspective on this with lectures, discussions with other established creatives . I overcame the challenges and difficulties with some risk taking, long days/nights and overcoming light challenges in the field of photography by taking variety of classes/workshops or participating in group photoshoots to fine-tune my craft and network. Throughout my journey I have always made things a little bolder and a bit different. Along the way, I have established some great business connections online and met some amazing people in person along the way who have helped me on my path to get me noticed more and led me to some great opportunities. As for social media, I love Instagram which allowed me to share my creative work with my audience and connect with some of them as well. I continue to use it today. Overall, It has always been a learning process and this journey has taught me lessons on how to cope with situations beyond my control. I am passionate about my creative work I am involved with even though it is still very competitive in Southern California. I always strive for greatness in what I do.

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?
If I were planning a week-long trip to Los Angeles to show my best friend the best time ever, here’s a sample itinerary that would include a mix of iconic landmarks, cultural experiences, delicious food, and entertainment. We would go to some of my favorite food places in and around town, check out some museums such as the Getty, LACMA, theme parks like Universal Studios and national parks like Malibu Creek. This itinerary offers a mix of iconic landmarks, cultural experiences, outdoor adventures, culinary delights, and entertainment, showcasing some of the most exciting aspects of LA. Overall, there is a lot to experience for a week long trip in Los Angeles, California.

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?
Yes Absolutely! First, I want to give a special thank you to Shoutout LA for recognizing me again with this second interview. My success from my creative work comes from all of my clients and collaborations from the past 17 years! Giving them a big shoutout to you all because without their support, referrals and shoutouts, my creative talent would have gone unnoticed. Lastly, I also want to extend a personal shoutout to my family, acquaintances and friends for supporting me my creative aspirations. I am extremely thankful to them.

Website: https://www.joemikoli.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joemikoli

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jmikoli

Facebook: www.facebook.com/jmikoli

Image Credits
Rosie Gerrard October Hartline Usha Dean Caitlyn Moyer Christina Kessman Betty Jean Tokunaga Jessica Valencia Penelope Decire Personal Photo Credit – Brian Patamakanthin