#WCW: Alyssa Rosenheck
Woman Crush Wednesday.
We love to celebrate female movers and shakers who are successful locally, nationally, internationally, and most importantly, personally.
This week, we are so excited to highlight Alyssa Rosenheck!
Your home is your sanctuary, and we can all agree that the condition it’s in before you run out the door can drastically set the tone for your work week. But to Alyssa Rosenheck, the home is her work. As a leading interiors and architectural photographer and stylist—you can find her work in Architectural Digest, Elle Decor, Domino, and Luxe Interiors + Design, among many others—Rosenheck has seen the insides of hundreds of homes. She observes the home in all its parts, analyzing how her clients have executed their vision while she adds an element of practical fantasy to each shoot. Rosenheck wears variety of hats as an entrepreneur and business owner and her greatest joys are championing her clients and supporting other female entrepreneurs.
We asked her to share with us her story and her thoughts on success.
How did you get started in your field?
Long before I had a camera in my hand, I felt like I was an observer trying to capture a sense of stillness or emotion in a moment. I can recall doing this as far back as childhood. I come from a long line of artists, but growing up, I didn't necessarily have the financial freedom to pursue my creative path and at the time it was very important for me to be financially independent. It wasn't until my early 30s and a thyroid cancer diagnosis that I decide to leave my corporate career and pursue photography. I resigned from my consulting job in the medical device industry, picked up a camera, read the manual, and started vigilantly learning about my new craft. I knew I wanted this next chapter of my life to be as authentic as possible, unlike my 20s and early 30s, where I focused on gaining an arbitrary level of success through financial and corporate markers. Instead, I focused on the joy photography gave me and merged my craft with my love of beautiful spaces. Very early on I decided that interiors and architecture photography would be my niche and is still to this day a source of great joy for me. I am a firm believer in following those goosebump moments and I am so grateful, metaphorically speaking, that I am able to follow and capture the light from room to room.
Biggest “break” thus far and how you were able to achieve it?
I’m a firm believer in working hard, putting good vibes out into the universe, treating people with genuine kindness, being authentic, and HUSTLING. I think when you do these things every single day, over time, life responds with daily wins. For me, these wins vary. They could be getting the cover of a national shelter magazine, having projects in a bestselling coffee table book, or my clients gaining success and recognition off the momentum from our collaborations. I try not to focus on the “big break,” but rather on managing my creative energy, the process of creating the images, and seeking out exciting and authentic partnerships.
Biggest roadblock and how did you overcome it?
My biggest hurdle thus far was when I was diagnosed with cancer three years ago, but it also taught me that the larger roadblocks can facilitate the biggest blessings. I can say this now, being cancer free for nearly three years, but at the time it made me face my own personal mortality. I wasn’t in control of my body, my schedule, and really, the outcome of my life. As you can imagine, I’m a type A personality and the principle of “control" was a calming force for me. At one point, the doctors thought the cancer had spread to my lungs, which would have been critical, and it wasn't until that moment did my diagnosis really shake my soul and mentality. Cancer was life changing for me. It made me open my eyes wider to the beauty of letting go…letting go of thinking too far down the road, letting go of the corporate world, letting go of preconceived notions of success, letting go of all the things that didn't serve me in a positive healthy way. I now embrace my intuition, I trust the process, and most importantly, I trust myself. Now I try to live each day with gratitude and only pursue the opportunities that bring me joy in the purest form. I like to say that my cancer gave me more then it took away, and because of this experience I have been able to redefine my own success in life, love, and the beauty I can pursue.
Do you have a mentor? If so, how did you find him or her?
In the traditional form, no, I don’t have a mentor, but I do surround myself with a group of strong creatives and female entrepreneurs. We offer support for each other and it’s a safe place to bounce ideas around. I’ve also chosen a family filled with friends in every industry, from tech to medical to creative. For me, it’s important to always be moving forward with my vision and surround myself with likeminded people who are progressive in their own right. I think mentors can take on many shapes or form, like a great business podcast, an inspirational autobiography, another person’s story, or even meditation.
If you could tell your younger self one thing to jumpstart her career, what would it be?
This is more life centered, as my career and personal life are blended, but I think it is vital to be honest with yourself and to find out what is ultimately important to you. I spent my 20s chasing a very external notion of success and it was an empty life filled with shiny things. I didn’t start feeling fulfilled until I started asking myself the tough internal questions: “Are you happy?” “Are you with people that make you better?” “Are you making decisions out of fear and obligation?” “What inspires you?” “Are you pursuing your passion?” “Are you excited?” I found that when you continually check in with yourself, the answers help you stay on an authentic path. This redefines your own internal value of success and brings clarity to your life.
Do you have any words of advice for creative entrepreneurs?
Start living your passion. No one is ever ready to start, but you must listen to your internal compass, embrace the fear, and take the leap of faith. Small steps forward will take you from 0 to 1 and then from 1 to 2, 1 to 10 is where the magic happens. I am not telling anyone to quit there day job, but I am telling people to carve out 20 minutes each day to either pursue or study your craft. There is no prescriptive roadmap to success, but it is important to be process driven, embrace the joy your creative outlet brings you, and focus not on the end result, but to being authentic to your own vision.
Website: Alyssa Rosenheck Photography
All photos copyright Alyssa Rosenheck Design, in order below:
Nicole Davis Interiors (Park City, Utah)
Amanda Barnes Interiors (San Francisco, CA)
Alexis Bednyak Design (Chicago, IL)
Laurel Powell Interiors (Chattanooga, TN)
Jennifer Robin Interiors (San Francisco, CA)
StoneTextile (Austin, Tx)
Chelsea Robinson Interiors (Alys Beach, FL)