Today we’d like to introduce you to Alfredo Briones.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Let me first begin by expressing my gratitude of thanksgiving for this opportunity. Simply, thank you. I just recently had to sit down with myself after hitting “burnout” from constantly being on that “go, go, go” grind. Before I started working FULL TIME for myself, I remember I could just pull back and still work my 9 to 5 to make sure income was flowing through… but the difference now is that this is my main source of income! So, sometimes you have no other choice but to suppress that burnout. I hope this intro of my story doesn’t scare those that are in a dilemma of taking that jump to work for your self. (JUMP! IF YOU KNOW YOU ARE IN THAT POSITION) But If I’m being honest here, I love everything about this journey. It’s so beautiful to be able to do this along with my wife but it’s not always pretty. You will find yourself working more hours than before and sometimes even exhausted. But as I reflect on how far I’ve came, I remember being eight years of age when I had my first Sony camera. (Always been team Sony, lol) I was clueless of how to use it but my determination couldn’t become frivolous. In 2007, when YouTube was prematurely new, I remember making comedy skits and documentaries about absolutely nothing but to me it was everything and I enjoyed everything about it.
From white balance, aperture, shutter speed, etc. It was all very fascinating to me and cool to learn. Fast forward into the high school version of me when I had no vision or direction of what exactly I wanted to be like. I’ve always known I would become something but I never knew how I would ever reach any outlets to my destination, I wasn’t sure how I would get there. I will never forget when my photography teacher told me in front of my classroom in a “joking” way how I would never be anyone in life. (I forgive you if you’re reading this <3) I laughed it off because my insecurities were good at suppressing on the spot. I know it sounds like I’m making this up but this really happened. Just like a movie, Brushed it off in front of everyone but as soon as I went home, I cried myself to sleep because of how much that affected me. At the time, I didn’t know that was the fuel I needed to develop me as the person I am today. 2019 was when I decided to take this jump. I didn’t actually know I was jumping until I just jumped. However, that wouldn’t have been possible by the grace of God and the most amazing wife ever. Brithzy has taught me how to be bold and just jump. Don’t be afraid. It will be alright. We will be okay. I’m reaching almost three years of working for myself and I know it all sounds like a good story (because we all do deserve a good outcome) and it’s easy to look at the manifestation of the success that my business has brought but nothing comes easy. It will take character development, tears, long nights, confusion and hard dedicated work. Here we are in 2022 with a schedule that’s full for the rest of the year. It’s a beautiful thing to witness. Dreams do come true.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Absolutely not! There has been lots of things I had to sacrifice along the way. I think the biggest struggle initially when starting my business was being broke. I remember getting married while trying to excel in AB FILMS and only having $23 to my name. It’s important to marry someone that has the same vision as you. My wife and I had to sacrifice not having a wedding or wedding rings to simply invest into our business and into our future. When you are limited in equipment, you learn to use what you have and sometimes I have to remind myself when I complain about “only having six light stands” that I used to not have any at all. It’s all about perspective. Don’t feel ashamed of where you are currently in your business or if you still are having to work a 9 to 5. Enjoy that beautiful journey of yours! You are exactly where you need to be!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
AB FILMS consists of opportunities. We mainly film and photograph weddings, YouTube, lifestyle, commercial and product promotions. We enjoy doing all types of work and I think most importantly what sets us apart is not that we do it all but because we give it our all. We focus and strive on quality and going above and beyond for our clients. I personally don’t even like using the word “clients” because we’ve became family to everyone who encounters our business.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
Funniest thing about all this is that I’m seriously the most introverted person you’ll meet. (I know every creative says that but I’m serious, lol) As much as you see how talkative and social I can be on the clock, I still have to ground myself in my car before I’m about to begin a photoshoot because I tend to overthink about what could possibly go wrong during this session.
Contact Info:
- Email: alfredobrionesfilms@gmail.com
- Website: www.alfredobrionesfilms.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alfredobrionesfilms/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlfredoBrioness/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHjIUpwWeqMIxejflQ9b3gQ
