Today we’d like to introduce you to Natalie Resendez
Hi Natalie, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I grew up as a military child (both parents were in the Navy). I’ve lived in Corpus Christi, Virginia, Mississippi, Puerto Rico, San Diego, Maryland, Fort Worth and now Lockhart. This is an important part of my story because I have very close ties to both the East and West coast. I graduated and got my BA in Psychology from Norfolk State University and moved to Fort Worth shortly after that. I’ve lived in TX since then, going on 12 years now. I moved here to be close to my brother and parents who had already moved here while I was still in college. I continued my retail management career for a couple of years working Vans. I used to skateboard, I stick to roller skating these days. By my mid 20s I went after my dream of working for a publication. I worked in the advertising department at the Star Telegram for a couple of years and did some freelance social media work on the side as well. After working in marketing for a while I decided I needed a new niche because the marketing world felt stagnant. I decided to pursue Cybersecurity but because I didn’t have any experience I got my first IT job working as an IT Support Specialist. I worked on a couple of cybersecurity certificates as I honed in on my IT skills. I eventually became an IT Engineer at Amazon working on cutting edge camera technology. After leaving Amazon and finally landing my dream job as a Cybersecurity Specialist I realized I was tired of sitting on a computer all day. I needed something more physical but also something that would help me get through the grief of losing my mother who passed away while I was on my cybersecurity journey. I took some time off from working to mentally and physically reset. During this time I realized that entrepreneurship was the best next step for me. I did some research on businesses for sale in my area and came across someone selling their Photo Booth business. It inspired me to start my own Photo Booth business.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
In my opinion nothing in life is easy. It’s about perseverance and learning as you grow. My biggest struggle was dealing with grief from the passing of my mother. 99% of jobs give you 3 days of grievance and then you’re expected to be back in the office or back on the clock. Early on in my career I dealt with ageism. I was a manager at a very young age right out of college and some people didn’t like that. There’s this misconception that you must be somewhere for a certain amount of time before you can suggest changes in the work of place. I like efficiency and sometimes that requires rocking the boat to make your team or organization better. Even in my 20s I was a very experienced leader because I did ROTC in college. I was essentially trained to be a leader at 19 years old. Your average civilian doesn’t get that and people get intimidated by your confidence in your ability to execute work duties.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Hi-Rez Solutions is a Photo Booth rental business that also specializes in passport photos and creating websites for small businesses. I rent my Photo Booth out for every type of event; from school dances, to grand openings for businesses to weddings and more. What sets my Photo Booth business apart from others is that I offer keepsakes (picture frames, magnets or keychains) for every person that uses the booth at an event. I want to create a level of nostalgia for people. There’s a strong desire for people to have tangibles and not just digital photos.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
My mother has always inspired me to be creative and taught me how to maintain a solid work ethic. My father has always advocated for me to become an entrepreneur. He is one himself, and has instilled in me to never change who I am just to fit in. My husband was instrumental in helping me purchase the Photo Booth equipment so that I didn’t have to spend all of my personal savings to get started. He also helps me work events.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Hi-rezsolutions.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hi.rez.solutions/profilecard/?igsh=anVrdm10d212aWwx
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561700469870&mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@hi.rez.solutions?_t=8qOIvsVCIv5&_r=1
