Life & Work with Cassandra Serrano of Inland Empire

Today we’d like to introduce you to Cassandra Serrano

Cassandra, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Growing up, watching football was one of my favorite things to do with my family especially my older brother and my dad. Now, I didn’t know exactly what was going on until I really paid attention during high school but it was always fun to have an excuse to scream at the top of my lungs and get tossed around when there was a touchdown. During this time, Instagram was was growing as a social media app and I found myself following a ton of sports media pages and told myself, why can’t I do that? I made it my mission to save up and get myself a camera to begin my journey in sports photography. The start of my career was not easy, it was difficult to get responses, no one wanted to give the new girl a chance. As I looked for every opportunity I could find, I decided to reach out to schools around my area and got an opportunity with a collegiate baseball team centered in sports ministry. I was able to put my skills to the test and although it was difficult, it was an opportunity that solidified that this is what I wanted to pursue as a career. After that summer, the ball began to roll and I received an internship at my local Community College and was in charge of photographing 12 different sports throughout the academic year, a challenge indeed but it allowed me to experience more than just football and I ended up falling in love with basketball, volleyball, and softball which opened more door for me. As I continue my journey, I have met tons of wonderful people and have made unforgettable memories with everyone i’ve crossed paths with whether that’s other creatives or athletes and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
There were tons of struggles along the way. I didn’t know any athletes or coaches, so finding subjects was one of the biggest obstacles I faced, I didn’t have a portfolio or anything to backup that I knew how to capture sports, and since it’s a male dominated industry, I had to work a little harder to gain respect from those in the same industry which added a lot of pressure in the beginning. The biggest struggle was finding someone who would give me the opportunity to prove myself that I deserved a spot at the dinner table. I was hungry to make a name for myself.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m a sports photographer in the Inland Empire that been in the industry for 3 years now. I specialize in photography but also dabbled in videography and content creation. I’m known for my photo work but also for my instagram handle which is “Saltedcashewss”, not exactly the most professional handle but it had a good story to it and people seem to enjoy it. I have several things that i’m proud of but my top two would be my resilience and influence I have on my community. Being a woman surrounded by mostly male athletes can become intimidating, but learning how to maneuver and create a strong presence helps by not only gaining their respect but allows a certain trust that i’ll do my best to showcase them in the best light possible. Although I am not as big as other female creatives in the sport industry, it was never my mission to do it for the money. Ever since day 1, I’ve noticed there is not enough female representation and made it my goal to inspire and one day teach a younger generation of woman that anything is possible no matter the route you take or the cards you are dealt. I’ve had times where I wanted to give up, sell my camera, and pursue a different career path because of likes on my posts or the limited interactions I would get on Instagram. I’m well aware it sounds dumb but when you see other creators getting love and attention from their fans, it makes you feel like you’re not doing enough. What helped me remind myself of how far i’ve come was a questionnaire in which I had other girls ask me for advice and how I have inspired them to pick up a camera and begin shooting their own content. These interactions not only got my head out of the gutter, but reminded me that what I do isn’t for Instagram validation, it’s to inspire and be an example for woman in my community. I’m proud of never giving up on myself and continuing to grow everyday in this industry. I’m proud that i am able to help and have other girls look up to me like I once looked up to other creators., What sets me apart from the rest is my mission. Yes, I love sports and I love being a creative but along with a career being the end goal, I want to teach and influence women and make a name for myself so I can do those things when the time comes.

Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
The most important characteristic I would say that that i’ve benefited from the most from my success is communication. When I started my career, I found myself gatekeeping and or thinking everyone was my competition on the field but it was the complete opposite. I lost countless opportunities to talk to some amazing creators all because of my mindset when I first started. After I had a conversation with one of my mentors, I was encouraged to talk to make friends and not enemies. It was nerve recking at first, not knowing how people would react to some random person coming up to them making conversation, but as Babe Ruth once said “Don’t let fear of striking out hold you back” and to this day I have not striked out. Communicating and making myself open to talking to others has only opened more opportunity to me and has allowed me to make friends that inspire me more and more everyday. It has also lead into my success by having good word of mouth from my peers and made me better as a creator and although I am still in the stage of getting bigger, it has allowed me to share the fruit of my labor.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.serranocassandra.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saltedcashewss/
• Twitter: https://x.com/saltedcashewss