Who are you and what do you do?
I'm Lesley Christiansen and currently I am 100% and advocate
for my youngest daughter, Audrey, who was diagnosed this summer with Autism.
I'm Joseph, I'm a photographer and a cinematographer and I
specialize in weddings and I do a lot of photo shoots around the community.
What do you love about San
Leandro?
Lesley: I think one
of the things I fell in love with besides the community was when I lived in
downtown San Leandro, I loved the vibe and how there were all these different
events happening all the time, this was about 7 years ago, so now it's evolved
and continuing to grow and I like that, I like it a lot. I feel like there are more younger crowds
moving in and it's a really hip place to be.
Joseph: When I was in
high school and college, a lot of people
would go to San Francisco, Berkeley or Oakland and bring back those cultures influences
to San Leandro. When I moved here I thought I want to be here for a while.
After having Children you start think about where you want to be, what city you
want to live in, this has always been a good choice (San Leandro). The neighborhood we live in now has a very
strong community base, a lot of parents that have kids hang out and get to know
each other, I think that's important. You don't want to live in a neighborhood
where you don't connect with your neighbors.
Lesley, let's talk about your FashionStylista Web site, When did this
start?
Lesley: It started at
a very young age, one of the first gifts I bought my Mom was a pair of earrings,
I think I was about 5 or 6 at the Oakland flea market . Before I got into personal
styling I was a legal assistant for over 10 years. I got bored a lot. One day
the idea just popped in my head to shop for someone. I asked an attorney, a
friend if I could to that. She gave me her whole closet , can you redo my whole
closet, Yes I will do it for free. This is the deal, If you love it and get
complements refer me to people. People loved it, she threw a party, invited her
friends. I came in, I told them what was in, what was out. That was the start
of my personal styling business.
How can people find you?
I love the energy in the videos
Lesley: Thank you. I
try to put the contents out there for everyone, I try to base it on my personal
problems that I have had with fashion. Being short, not really tall not everything
fits me the way it should. I feel out there a lot of my clients have the same
type of issues.
One of the things I always try to put out there is fashion
is a lot more than what is on the outside and what dresses you. It always
represents what is going on inside at the moment. Always.
There are always wonderful photos and the videos are well made, I am
sure you (Joseph) have a lot to do with that?
Joseph: I wish we had more time to produce more of those, it's
a great thing. We have separate businesses but we can mesh them together to
help each other out. She helps me dress better at weddings, she helps me with business
tactics. I was just an artist and wanting to please people. Her skills are in business
and mine as an artist.
 |
| Joseph's Art |
Lesley: We Complement
each other
Joseph: The photos, the blog and the videos. I always think
we can make something look a little better (relating to video quality).
Lesley: We complement
each other, It's funny how life works out. He definitely is part of the
photography for my business and the videos. I think I complement him with my business
mind and the background that I had with law, agreements and trademark,
copyright and all that stuff.
Your photography has morphed into cinematography, Your videos are
beautiful. Was that a natural progression for you?
Joseph: I had a
camera that she bought for me. I would take my daughters to the park and take
pictures, then I started clicking buttons, Oh, this shoots video. I had never shot video with a camera that was
as great quality as the DSLR.
I started having
ideas with what I could do. At that time
I already had a business with my photos, I wasn't doing wedding photography
yet, just family portraits. When I got
my first wedding I actually shot a video for them before their wedding that
they showed at their wedding. After that I realized that creating a story that
I saw through my eyes. I could make a great connection and not bore people.
Make it exciting and energetic and draw people in.
Joseph Alan Productions
Joseph Alan Productions
They seem personal
That's what happened with the video. These important milestones
in our lives. They are things that shouldn't
be let go or just heard once. I was really driven that people have a video they can pull out, invite
friends over "Watch this quick video of my wedding". Something that
lasts.
They are beautiful, not like someone has stood in the back with a
camcorder
Lesley: It's a film,
it's a beautiful film.
It's funny , our first thing was photography and we were
trying to find our niche. Joe had lost his job and we didn't know what to do.
We thought let's just use your natural talents and got into photography, one
thing lead to another. Connections play a big role, meeting people. We met some
people that did video, it was an interest to him something that he had an
itching to do. Next thing you know he was doing it for himself.
I know you are both involved in your school. You just did a photo shoot
with part of the proceeds shared with the school.
Joseph: That was my wife's
idea. I like to share what I love to do, I love being involved in my daughters'
school in any way that I can. There are a lot of families here, let's do photo
shoot, it's fall time, people love to share
their family photos during Christmas.
Lesley: I am on the PTA
board for Roosevelt Elementary School. The idea just popped and I pitched it to
the president, she shared it with board and the board said lets go. It started
last year . 15% of everything we make on the shoot goes to the Roosevelt PTA.
The PTA serves a great purpose, I didn't realize how much
the PTA does until I became a member and sat there at the meetings. They buy
laptops, computers, iPads, field trips and even helping with salary for teacher
assistants. It's amazing, so why not give back to that. It's our children who
benefit.
Where do you see your businesses going in the future?
Lesley: Honestly, I
am not too sure. Right now I am 100% an advocate for my child and her
education. She has been diagnosed with autism. I have been trying to figure out
what I want to do with that. It takes so much of my time I have not been able
to put too much time into my fashion business. I may morph those together .
Bring it together and see who out there can relate and start following me. It's
not all about fashion, there are tons of different things I do. I am a business
partner (with Joseph), I am a mother, I love fashion and style. I'm thinking of
bring them together and being more of a blogger and seeing what happens after
that.
Click to read Lesleys Blog article on these changes in her life MY DAUGHTER HAS AUTISM AND IT’S NOT IN THIS SEASON!
Click to read Lesleys Blog article on these changes in her life MY DAUGHTER HAS AUTISM AND IT’S NOT IN THIS SEASON!
Joseph: With weddings, photography and the future I hope to
build a staff. It can be really tough alone. I want to document what is
happening here in San Leandro in any way that I can. I am talking to a lot of
new businesses that come here. Help them shoot the right video to promote their
business. I have a friend we are working on a video right now that is getting
pitched to A&E for a reality show, their t-shirt company is a different
thread (laughs) . They do gorilla marketing , I hope they get picked up. More
videos, maybe commercials for some businesses here. More corporate.
Any words of wisdom?
Joseph: With God all
things are possible. We could not get where we are if we were not faith based.
We have prayed a lot about things that we should be doing, ideas, new ways of
handling our business, where we should move next. It's always here in San
Leandro. Faith Driven.
Lesley : I have one
quote from Theodore Roosevelt "Do what you can, with what you have, where
you are"
Thank you guys
