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

Hi Gianna, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
Confidence. Flow. Time management. Internal dialogue/mindset shifts from “I don’t know how to do that” (imposter syndrome) to “gimme Youtube and 20 minutes” (resourceful). States of deep work flow are so hard to achieve these days. I used to be a fairly conciliatory person and schedule around what worked best for other people (both socially and professionally). Now, I budget in deep work days where I don’t need to stop for anything or anyone and I can really tap into a flow. It can take me a few hours to get there, so I have to know that every little DM and email can seriously wait. I schedule and automate as much as I can in order to allow for this. I do not need to be scrolling or reminding people of what to wear to a photoshoot every day. Instead, I block out a few hours where I look at the upcoming 3-4 weeks and schedule those touch points. I also work out in ways that make you present (surfing, skiing, rock climbing, yoga). Some pretty dope ideas come through if you can get out of your own way ! We cook a lot of healthy food, I drink a lot of tea, and we practice really good sleep hygiene. I think you asked what the most important thing was and I found a way to say that everything is important 🙂 Perhaps I should have said: “boundaries” because that includes what’s yours to control or fix and what’s not and knowing the distinction has also been really impactful.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I sometimes feel like I’m watching my career evolve like it’s character development in a film. Pieces of the timeline seem to tee up the next move, even when I am not making the choices intentionally. Letting go of the reins a little has made a huge difference ! Our world is changing so fast and I try to draw inspiration from everything. I’m most excited about living seasonally in beautiful areas (ocean, mountains, city) and honoring the cycles of nature that way.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Is this question pre-COVID ?! I’ll answer it during COVID. Right now, the best way to explore and hang is safely and outdoors. We have had family visit once this year, and we all got double tested prior to combining “pods.” If my bestie was coming to ATL for a week- I would spend a day in the city and then a day exploring nature. In the city, lots of great takeout options on Buford Highway or even bike-able from the house at Talat Market. I eat way more tacos than anyone needs to, and somehow eat at Muchacho and Supremo without even planning to most weeks. We could ride bikes and explore the paved and unpaved sections of the Beltline (trespassing included) and just really see and experience the city as it continues to change. We have an awesome fire pit in our backyard, so some sort of gathering out there with friends is usually in order. I wish that going to concerts was still a thing. We used to host intimate Sofar shows in our house and I miss that so much. For nature, I’d say Providence Canyon or hikes along the Blue Ridge Parkway are always worth the drive.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
It’s cheesy, but I still wanna Shoutout to my rock, my fiance and creator of @INNERSPACESHIPS a custom van build company in the West End of Atlanta. Such gorgeous van conversions, bringing on an incredible team and also working in some nontraditional formats as well. https://innerspaceships.com/ During early COVID, when there was a PPE shortage, we briefly shifted the production of our shop and created and donated 550 full face shields to hospitals and pop-up ICU centers in Atlanta, NYC and Houston.

Website: giannakeiko.com

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/giannakeiko/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/giannakeikophotographer

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIx2XxAHgKI&list=PLIxAzGs3PVwpkiNNVUgI3kzbTd9HTU1HM&index=9&t=7s

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