MENTOR SPOTLIGHT: KASIA SASINOWSKA
How did you find out you wanted to take an entrepreneurial path?
I come from a family of entrepreneurs. Both my parents have/had their own businesses and ventures so I grew up being surrounded by people with very entrepreneurial mindsets. In my house, it has always been presented as the best way to go about your professional life so I, of course, had to rebel against it and try many different things before I was able to admit that they might have been right. That’s when I decided to open my own business and freelance full-time – quitting a more stable but often mundane job for the freedom to choose business partners and projects I fully believed in.
Tell us about your venture/work.
I am a creative producer and a photographer. As a producer, I spearhead and manage the entire lifecycle of creative projects, from schedules, scopes, and budget estimations, up to project execution and final assets delivery. As a photographer I plan and exectute fashion, beauty and editioral shoots, working closely with clients to create compelling visuals to help them achieve their goals. My personal business is pretty small but it allows me to produce smaller-scale projects on my own or with the help of freelance hires, or to leverage my skillset to partner up with creative agencies or production houses as a freelancer.
What do you enjoy most about being an impact entrepreneur? What are the main challenges?
What I enjoy most is the freedom to choose the projects I want to devote my time to. If I don’t identify with a particular brand or am not aligned with a particular mission – I do not take those projects on. It gives me a lot of fulfillment and allows me to feel proud of the work I do.
The hardest part – the lack of stability. It does get better the more you work independently and build your brand but there is always this lingering fear of what happens if the opportunities stop coming.
How do you navigate the space of being a founder and also being a POC/woman/non-binary person?
I never really thought about it. I have never considered being a woman us any kind of disadvantage, on the contrary, I always admired women around me who tackle being successful in their professional lives, while taking care of their houses and families, and being incredibly fun and interesting people.
What advice do you have for early-stage impact entrepreneurs about using their time and relationships to prepare for this kind of career?
Let your curiosity guide you – even if something seems unrelated to your business or career path, let yourself explore your interests. You never know what skill or connection will come in handy, and following your genuine interests will help protect you from burnout.
On that note – make sure to take good care of yourself and set healthy boundaries. We all want to do our best but doing your best does not mean overworking yourself. Trust me, I learnt it the hard way. You need to find a sustainable work-life balance. Achieving your goals is a long path, and over-working yourself won’t speed things up (especially not in the long term).
Click here to learn more about Kasia.