Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley and Sarah Vasquez.
Hi Ashley and Sarah, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Focus Selfie Studio started in a group chat with our brother, Adam that we mostly used to send pictures, memes and TikTok. One day, back in October 2020, a TikTok video of a Selfie Studio in another state was shared and it was immediately met with a “Wow! That looks like so much fun! Why doesn’t Fort Worth have one?” I think we knew instantly that we wanted to open Fort Worth’s first permanent standing Selfie Studio. I started writing our business plan that same night and it quickly became the only thing we discussed in that group chat. Ideas came to us very easily, but we had trouble securing funding.
In January 2021, I said, “Well… it would have been fun,” and closed the document with our Business Plan for what I thought was the last time; little did I know that by the end of the month, the stars would align for us and we actually would be able to afford a down payment down on our studio space and start-up our dream business. Building the booths took a little longer than we had anticipated. Since we couldn’t afford to hire a crew, we would come in in the evenings and get as much done as possible with the help of our dad, who did most of the hard labor. Then dad was diagnosed with coronavirus, and once he recovered, we were hit with a Texas snowstorm unlike any we’d ever seen before. It’s safe to say we definitely hit those “bumps in the road” everyone talks about when you start up a business. Thankfully, we were able to open our doors on May 1st, and with each customer that walks in our door, we receive wonderful feedback that we’re so thankful for after all of our hard work!
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Absolutely not! The process from deciding that this was what we wanted to do to actually opening our doors took seven months. Starting a business is hard enough as it is but add a global pandemic on top of it. It’s a gamble for sure. Getting sick with Covid-19 before opening was definitely a tough one, but our biggest struggle was definitely finding the money to get started. Unfortunately, because we weren’t able to open to the public as quickly as we would have liked, we didn’t even end up being the first Selfie Studio to technically open its doors to the public in Fort Worth; Something we had been marketing ourselves on since creating our online profiles in January. And actually, since many of our ideas were the same, we had to change a few booths up last minute as funds were running low and decided to market ourselves differently. Of course, we believe all of these obstacles truly made us happier with the way things turned out in the end, and we wish nothing but success for all Selfie Studios!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
This photography studio with a twist is unlike any traditional photography studio you’re used to. We have no photographers, appointment calendars, or large windows for natural lighting. What we do have is 24 different themed booths and backdrops with professional ring lights that guests can attach their cameras and phones to in order to get their own perfect selfie. Our interactive cubicles include an adult size ball pit, a giant throne, a claw foot tub surrounded by faux greenery, a rose wall and a small trampoline. As time goes on, our booths and backdrops will continue to change along with the seasons and holidays, offering an opportunity for guests to come back multiple times throughout the year.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
We’re just a few siblings that wanted to create something beautiful together! We are so grateful to be able to start this business and bring something new and exciting to this beautiful city, and it’s an honor and a blessing to be able to wake up every day and be creative & design these backdrops. We worked incredibly hard to make this a place for people to come and have a great time while getting out and exploring the city after a long year of quarantine. Focus Selfie Studio should definitely be on everyone’s to-do list!
Pricing:
- Weekdays $25 per person
- Weekends (+ Friday) $30 per person
- Children 6 and under – FREE
- Military and First Responder Discount
- TCU & NSHS Discount
Contact Info:
- Email: focusselfiestudio@gmail.com
- Website: www.focusselfiestudio.com
- Instagram: www.Instagram.com/focusselfiestudio
- Facebook: www.Facebook.com/focusselfiestudio
- Other: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMepogcSS/
