Meet John Herrera | Content Creator & Social Media Marketer

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

Hi John, can you share a quote or affirmation with us?
“Don’t be afraid of change and don’t be afraid to fail, for these things lead to beauty on the other side of your struggle”. This quote changed my perspective. In school as a kid, I was taught that failing was never a great option. That if you failed, you’d be failure in life, and that failure would lead you to rock bottom and keep you there. Over time, especially running my own business and learning from my mentors and surrounding myself with successful entrepreneurs, I learned that failure was actually the formula to success. With failure, comes change. And with change, comes better results. The outcome within the topic of failure is all on the matter of where your mindset is. Are you going to face that failure and immediately give up? Or are you going to look at failure and use it as a learning experience to grow? And with that, it taught me to never fear failure, because failure was my only way up, not down. This quote helped me build myself as a creator and as an entrepreneur. It helped me build confidence, it helped me network with people who I thought I could never maintain a long term relationship with, and it helped me take on risks like they were nothing. Failure and change is key to your success. You just need to place them in the category of hope, not discouragement.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Something I am most proud of is meeting all of the people I’ve met through my photography and being able to help so many people with pursing a dream. I have met some of the most genuine people I’ve ever met, especially meeting people who had similar interests in me and who were also go getters. People who are relentless and strive for whatever it is they dream of achieving regardless of the adversity. I’d definitely say something I’m excited about is being able to meet even more people and assist and serve those who simply have a dream.

How I got to where I am today took nothing but hard work and dedication. I would do photoshoots almost daily. I would network with as many creators and entrepreneurs as possible. I would find myself spending a lot of time editing at home almost everyday. It definitely was not easy at all. There were times I wanted to give up and quit everything. It always got very overwhelming because not only was I just doing photoshoots, I was also working internships, going to school, then having to go back home and work on a whole lot of post production work which took weeks.

Some lessons I’ve learned is that if you really want to reach success, then discipline will have to become your best friend, because without discipline, you’d surrender and stop over the slightest setback. You have to keep going even if you don’t feel like it. You just have to continue to do it because you know it’s what’s right for you and your future.

I want to be able to leave this world with a legacy that an average kid like me who never really did well in school, was able to leave this earth happy knowing that he was able to pursue something with passion, love, and service to others. That regardless of your background or past, you really can become successful, it just takes a lot of patience, dedication, and discipline.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Favorite spots in the city would be downtown Long Beach, 2nd street, seal beach, and head out over to LA and adventure around to as many places as possible.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Definitely shoutout to God first off. I couldn’t be able to do this without His guidance and love. Next for sure is my mom. Although she can sometimes be tough on me, I know she only wants what’s best for me, and throughout the years as a creator, she’s always shown nothing but love and support. She was also the one who bought me my first camera which was the start of it all. Next are all the homies. Mitchell, Angel, Paul, Salomon, Rhied, Brian, Daniel, and so much more! You guys have not only shown so much love and support, but you guys really were the ones who inspired and motivated me to push further and further when it felt like all hope was lost. Without you guys, I wouldn’t be here doing this interview or pursing my dreams of being a creator. Much love to my mentors who always were open to helping me out and guiding me even if it took a handful out of their day just to get me going towards the right direction and correcting me from my flaws. Lastly big thanks to my whole family who have always supported me and wanted the best for me. I’m truly blessed to have such a huge family.

Instagram: instagram.com/jvhnherrera

Other: instagram.com/jhvizuals TikTok.com/@jvhn.husl

Image Credits
Samantha – ig @samanthascienz Chanelle – ig @chanellexxp Clarissa – ig @hunnieclaire