Meet Kevin Cruz | Business Owner & Creative Entrepreneur

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

Hi Kevin, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I’m Kevin Cruz, born and raised in Atlanta, GA; but my roots are from El Salvador. During my childhood, I grew up on the southside of Atlanta, where times were tough. As a child living in that environment, aka, the hood, I didn’t realize that there were opportunities and resources outside of the area I was living in. I couldn’t grasp the idea that there were divisions of wealth so close to me, yet so far away. When I was almost a teenager, I moved in with my sister, who lived Cobb County at the time, and that was my first time having access to opportunities and resources outside of Fulton County. You know how people experience culture shocks when traveling to other countries? Well, that was me, but only going 30 minutes up the road. While living with my sister, in a different environment, I quickly realized there was more wealth and resources than I could fathom. I started to become interested in self development as a teenager because I understood that where you start in life, doesn’t mean that’s where you’ll end up. I started to realize there was a wage gap, and we lived in a classist society. In an objective way, I was able to understand our place on that totem pole. I knew I wanted better for my family and myself. That was what sparked my passion for wealth building, community, and leadership. Although, I didn’t understand it all at that young age, that fire never died inside of me. College came around, and I knew that was the next step, but didn’t know what I wanted to do yet. Freshman year, I decided to pursue law and interned at a local law firm, and got a job doing paralegal worked for a year and a half. I wanted to experience a career in law to see if it was the right fit for me after college. During my time there, I didn’t like how mundane the work was. I didn’t like the 9-5 or anything that came with the corporate life. I began exploring other interests of mine, which were: photography, videography, music engineering, and temporary jobs. The one interest I stuck with was videography. I did music videos for my friends and the creative scene in Atlanta. I soon realized I liked the work I was doing, but that I was also good at it, and I began planning on how I could make a career out of this. I learned via the school of YouTube about filming, editing, storytelling, organization, and all the things a successful videographer needs to learn. I didn’t have the finances for equipment, so I put it on my credit cards which was a risk. After a year of learning and applying the techniques, I started to gain traction with clients in the Atlanta area. Through God and consistent effort, more opportunities arose and I was able to turn my services into a company, which was Kev Cruz Productions at the time. Fast forward to today, the company has turned into a creative team of myself and six others.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
My business is a creative agency. The services we offer are video editing, graphic design, brand identity, and digital asset management. I realized in college, I didn’t want to pursue a law career and had other interests I wanted to try out. The one that held my interest the most was videography because I was able to envision an idea and make it come to life. It wasn’t easy, but I knew I didn’t want a typical 9-5, so I kept at it. The main challenge was learning the ins and outs of videography while also focusing on school full time. The lessons I’ve learned are to get to know yourself, become aware of your interests, and move towards them.

I want to reach people who are in a similar situation that I was in or are facing similar challenges. I want them to know where you come from and what you’ve been through doesn’t define who you are and who you can become. Find what you’re passionate about how it can add value to society. I want to address the people who don’t come from a background with money or who are struggling from a lack of resources. Don’t lose your drive, keep working, and you’ll make an impact.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Morning: – Walk/run on the Palisades trail by the Chattahoochee River
– Get breakfast at First Watch
Afternoon
– Hang out at Battery Park
– Grab food/drinks at the surrounding restaurants at Battery Park
– Ride scooters around Atlanta, specifically on the Beltline
Evening
-Get dinner/drinks at Habitat Lounge or Azotea Cantina
– Go dancing at Havana Club/Club Ibiza

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to personally shoutout Yudu Gray Jr. He is one of my mentors and business partners who has not only helped me to scale my company and has also helped me develop as an individual.

Website: https://www.newframeagency.com

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

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