Meet Mahlon White | Entrepreneur, Director, Photographer, Artist Manger, Concert Curator, Lover of Life

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

Hi Mahlon, we’d love for you to start things off by telling us something about your industry that we and others not in the industry might be unaware of?
I feel like a lot of youngins don’t really understand just how much free work it takes to get you into a position to where you’re consistently making money – whether that’s photography, videography, music, etc. I remember doing free photos and videos for YEARS before touching consistent money from it. I was doing free work in so many different industries before ever getting into music.

Before I started throwing concerts, I was doing free photos for artists at other local shows trying to meet any and everybody that I could. I was focused on giving without any expectation – a couple free performance photos in exchange for an Instagram tag was all that I asked for. I just wanted to help artists be able to share their stories because I’m so passionate about hip-hop, and my hometown, Austin.

Before I started becoming more known for directing music videos, I was doing free music videos for my best homie, Don Hawk, who now is also one of the artists that I’m managing. Because of this experience, I was able to started getting paid video clients from other people in the city and around Texas.

I would not be in the position I’m in now if it wasn’t for me giving, and giving, and giving. But the important part is, I never questioned it.

I never questioned the free work I did, or all the times spent hours learning to photoshop 1 specific thing on 1 photo, or the times I spent a full day working on a 2 second video effect that all went to shit in the end. My intuition has been my strongest compass. I’m so grateful looking back on all the free work I did too because without it, I wouldn’t have been able to navigate properly to where I am now.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
What I feel sets me a part from other people is my mindset. And not just how it affects me, but the people around me.

I’m genuinely so passionate about hip hop music because I feel like I’ve developed a boss-like mentality listening to people like Russ. Sure, not all hip hop music has the same level of lyricism, but listening to conscious rappers is like reading a self help book or getting guidance from a mentor. Russ is somebody who is big on ownership, independence, positive energy, manifesting, consistency, strong work ethic, etc. And through my time listening, I feel like I’ve strengthened those traits in myself.

He has a line that says “If I say it, I believe it. You just dream of success.”
I love this bar because when I talk about my visions, goals, etc. it always feels like it’s already happened/is happening. That’s that manifesting in work. Maintaining that positive mindset to wake up and consistently have that fire burning inside of you isn’t easy.

I am so blessed because I feel like my cup is constantly overflowing to other people around me. I feel like I have a crucial responsibility in being a light for my team and close surroundings. The intuition of the future comes effortlessly to me, so I use that to channel into the people around me so we grow as a collective and not just independently. The best part is that the music made by the people I work with continues to inspire these emotions in me which then push us as a whole to go even harder. That’s how I know I’m doing exactly what I’m supposed to be doing.

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?
When in Austin, the outdoors is a MUST.

Barton Springs is a one of my favorites – so peaceful and refreshing. I love taking a dip to cool off after I’ve played some morning disc golf at Zilker Park.

A hidden gem for my car/bike enthusiasts is Lime Creek Road in North Austin. I used to live right around the corner from it, but it is such a beautiful, fun drive with lots of curves through the hills and trees.

You also should checkout some concerts happening and find one that seems interesting. Even if it’s not a band/artist you know, find a place where the vibe catches your attention and give it a go. You’d be surprised how much fun you can have putting yourself into unfamiliar situations. Plus, I’ve found a lot of artists that I now consistently listen to because of “random concerts.”

Something I love about Austin culture is how many local food spots there are. From coffee shops, to taco trucks, you have to try the local spots. Don’t waste your time with the big chains. If I had to give recommendations for tacos: Vera Cruz. For coffee chops, I personally love just looking on Google for a cool spot close by to catch a vibe at. Even if you’re not a coffee drinker, I love going and bringing my journal, a book, my laptop, etc. and doing some productive things to start the day (it’s actually where I am writing this right now, lol).

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I had a mentor who changed EVERYTHING for me. His name is Chris Bet.

I talk about him often because I’m big on giving people praise and appreciation while we’re here together on Earth.

Back during the time Chris was mentoring me, I was a nerdy little gamer kid who just started getting into photography more seriously, but I was hungry.

He saw this and took me under his wing. He taught me how to shoot, edit, talk to clients, and started getting me my first paid gigs traveling around the country doing photography. He would sit in discord with me for hours at a time and critique my photos one by one. He was harsh, but I asked him to be. He would breakdown all the minute details of things to improve on, and I took them all with an open mind. I knew that constructive criticism from an industry professional would be one of my quickest ways to becoming successful, and it was.

I’m honestly not sure where I would be if it wasn’t for Chris, but like Kanye said: “I guess we’ll never know.”

Chris, I love you man.

Website: https://www.mahlonwhite.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mahlonwhite

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/mahlonwhite

Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mahlonwhite

Image Credits
Personal Photo: – Mikal Underwood https://www.instagram.com/itskellyfilms/ Additional Photos: – First 2 Concert Performance Photos: Kimon Horne https://www.instagram.com/_kimon/ – 2 Photos holding trophy in front of backdrop: Mikal Underwood https://www.instagram.com/itskellyfilms/ – Photo on parking garage wit buildings behind: Morty Zapata https://www.instagram.com/mortyzapata/ first and last photos have no credit