Meet Melissa Marshall: Photographer & Budget Advisor

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

Hi Melissa, how does your business help the community?
Being a wide range photographer from weddings to business I get to be a small part of memories for people personally and business-wise. For someone personally they have art to hang in their homes and have pictures with their loved ones that may be the last picture ever taken of them. Some sessions bring awareness whether it is adoption or cancer and everything in between it shows a real life account of someones life to bring awareness to be kind to others no matter what. You never know what someone could be going through in their life, what they have accomplished and to be able to promote this kind of good in people is something so special to me. I love getting to meet people from all different walks of life! On the business side of it, I get to be a small part to provide content for some amazing businesses. Entrepreneurship is the backbone to America and to be able to highlight a business through pictures is something that fuels us! Getting to be creative with a fellow business person to show what, how, when and where they do things is a feeling you can not describe to be proud to live in this country to have the freedom to be able to be a part of it! I also have the privilege of being a budget advisor to so many great people. To be able to get people on the right financial path to success for them and their families. Starting a new family legacy for their children and getting them set on a plan to set up for that legacy that can be passed down through generations just by tweaking spending habits is challenging and also so rewarding. Seeing people win in life and finances is so exciting!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am most proud and excited about all of the people that I get to meet by doing what I love – taking pictures. I get to be in the present with people who are telling their story to me for me to capture that. Whether it is a wedding, newborn, senior or even a business session every single one of these sessions mean so much to me! Getting this far has not been easy. Sometimes you’re not everyones cup of tea. It took me a while to realize this but once I got passed this it took away the limit that I had put myself on. There are so many photographers and creatives out there. Each one of us has our own gift to give. I really love community over competition and to be able to work with other creatives is so special. To see the world through another persons eyes and to create from it is amazing!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I love that Houston has so much to offer. So many nationalities are sprinkled throughout this great city and so much history is here, too! I would visit the Houston Space Center then ride over to the bay to get a bite of fresh seafood to eat from there- Tookies and T-Bone Toms is great! While we were there we would also visit Kemah and all it has to offer with it’s carnival-type nostalgia. We would head downtown to visit Saint Arnolds Brewing Company- they have THE BEST root beer. Hands down. We would visit the Houston PD Mounted Patrol Barn where we would get to visit and give treats to the most special officers in the field! They have some amazing horses with some amazing stories! If my friend had kids with her we would go to the Houston Zoo… (okay, maybe if she didn’t have kids, too). Being so close to the beach we would go down to Galveston. La Luchas in the heights would also be a definite restaurant to visit for us. The best fried chicken and brussel sprouts!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
First of all, God! Without Him none of this would be possible! Secondly, my parents. They are hard and honest workers who instilled this in me since a young age. If you want it, you have to work for it! It’s not going to be easy but it’ll happen! Thirdly, Dave Ramsey has a huge impact on my life; how I do my life and how I run the businesses that I do have. Without his knowledge of real world things and being able to listen to him daily for encouragement and mentorship I’m not sure my businesses would have lasted as long as they have!

Website: https://melcroft.wixsite.com/simplystated?fbclid=IwAR1lhzMlRoZTYuboEMzx7zF-qTI5ZrgXjGlJwBvgcA2w9BCWBafzCcQwRhg

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simplystated.tn
Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/in/melissa-marshall-3967b9157
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Simplystated.tn
Other: Budget Advising FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/melissamarshallbudget