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Meet Theo of Theo Takes Photos and Reiki Master/Healer at Energy Haus

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Theo.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I was born in Garden Grove, CA as the middle of 5 children to extremely hard-working Hmong-American refugee immigrant parents. We are a SE Asian ethnic minority group hailing from the mountains of Laos and surrounding areas of SE Asia, mostly known in the states for being the US’ surrogate army fighting communism in the “secret war”. My parents were only 17 when they fled Laos to a refugee camp in Thailand. Due to the chaos at the time, my mother was wrongly ejected from the camp which led to my father hatching a plan to save her life by marrying her so that she could re-enter the camp (that’s for another story). As teenagers, they were granted a sponsorship to the US by a Catholic community in Paducah, Kentucky to start their new American life as husband and wife.

Naturally nomadic, my parents moved us wherever the opportunity or security presented itself, always putting the good of the family first. Moving from Garden Grove to Fresno, then Clovis, up to Portland for high school, Eugene for university, the Twin Cities after graduation and finally landing here in my favorite city, the City of Angels 12 years ago. I didn’t have a job lined up, but I had a dream, $1,000 to my name and a couch to sleep on which I was so grateful for. I quickly fell into Digital Ad Sales and had a fruitful career, but I was distracted by money and security for too long. I was focused more on making money than on my soul purpose which left me feeling empty, unfulfilled and honestly depressed AF. While working, I was also simultaneously writing and recording an album with my partner at the time. I eventually left ad sales, but that didn’t mean music was going well. After a few years the album was complete, but then everything stopped. We severed ties with management, the group broke up, we broke up and no one ever got to hear the music we worked so hard on. It was devastating, but I knew it was the learning lesson I needed to evolve.

I went back into ad sales to help my parents buy a house and when that was complete, I quit the ad industry again to follow my passions one last time. This time on my own terms. It was a really hard decision because I didn’t want to abandon my family financially, but I needed to listen to my heart. I still needed a way to survive, so I picked up a camera and started shooting photography and video. Through time and networking, I was able to work with artists such as Demi Lovato, Chris Brown, and Future while creating content for others like Denise Austin, Ayesha Curry and more. Shooting for others was a great way for me to learn about the industry while sharpening my skills as a well-rounded artist. My experience and network eventually led me to working the Emmys for a few years as well as reporting red carpet events. Although my career has expanded into different areas, I’m always pulled back to music. I ran away from it while I took time to heal myself and I used to feel ashamed about it, but this break was exactly what I needed to transform. Every move I’ve made since leaving the corporate world has led me to where I am today. More authentically in-tune and ready than ever to share my story.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
GIIIRRRRRLLLL! I’ve hit rock bottom so many times I lost count, but before you feel bad, it was great. I mean, it was terrible when I was in the thick of it, but I am so grateful for the lessons it gave me. I recommend everyone hit rock bottom at least once in their lives, maybe twice or thrice if you feeling frisky. The lessons I learned about myself were priceless and I got to see what I was really made of. One of the biggest things I learned is that no matter what anybody or society tells you, always trust your own intuition and higher self. In order to do that, I had to walk away from people/situations that no longer served my higher good. Shed the dead weight. Easier said than done, but was so worth it.

The toughest moments were after I left the corporate world, a toxic relationship, and embarked on a new adventure of living my life as an artist. Although I knew that the road was going to be tough, I didn’t expect what was coming. I tried to forge on with my music career but kept hitting wall after wall. See, what happens when you remove distractions is that you now have all the time in the world to deal with things you may have been ignoring or not known you needed to give attention to. Turns out I had a lot of trauma that directly affected my ability to create music. It became so bad I couldn’t even sing; I lost my voice and my sense of self. I didn’t know who I was anymore. I had to get lost to find myself again, so I stopped everything I was doing and surrendered. Listening to God/Source/Universe, I allowed the healing process to begin. I was struggling with depression and anxiety for several years and didn’t even realize it. I was really good at being a high functioning depressed person, but then one day I couldn’t move…at all.

At times I could barely lift a finger or get out of bed. When it got really tough, the one thing that kept me hanging on was the faith in my soul purpose. I’ve always known that my purpose was to help people and in order for me to do that, I had to heal myself first. With the introduction of reiki healing and meditation, I was able to turn things around by putting in the hard work, facing my demons and making friends with my shadow side. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to work through, but also the most empowering.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Theo Takes Photos + Reiki Master/Sound Healer at Energy Haus – what should we know?
The best thing about being a photographer at Theo Takes Photos are the people. I have been so blessed to have amazing clients to work with, many which are now good friends. It was initially a business based on the need for a creative profession, but it quickly turned into a passion; helping others feel good about themselves through the lens. It turned out to be much more than just photography. Sometimes it was about their self-discovery and other times it helped them to overcome a fear. That’s when I realized that there was more in it than just taking photos…I wanted to help heal people beyond lens. With the quarantine in place, there wasn’t much photo/video work, so luckily I had the time to go within to turn the tables to heal myself. That led me to learn about the life changing practice of reiki. After experiencing the power of reiki first hand, I was compelled to learn as much as I could to help others along with their healing process so that we can all live our most fulfilling lives. There’s enough room for all of us to win!

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Depends on what your definition of success is, but for me? It’s all about HEART. My parents sacrificed so much and didn’t get to see their dreams fulfilled, so I do my best to live out loud while making a positive impact in the world. By living my best life, I can honor them and the universe.

I’m often asked if I’m truly happy without the corporate income. I may be poor in pocket (for now), but I’m so much more rich in soul and that will keep me happier in this life more than money ever will. As long as I live with heart and authenticity, I know abundance will follow.

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Image Credit:
Maxine Bowen

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