Michelle Reyna Wymes, Co-Owner of The Reyna Group
WHAT'S THE SECRET to running a successful business? It is so important to stay present every day. With the fast-paced patterns of today’s society and ever-evolving technologies, I stress to our agents how important it is to continue to learn. If one reaches a point at which the ego takes over or burnout sets in and progress takes a back seat, things will get stuck. Regardless of what field you are in, I believe in starting with the basics to set and strengthen your foundation. I treat everyone we work with from our contractors, clients, to our inspectors with respect, patience and care.
What’s special about your team? Our group is made up of like-minded individuals that come together just like a family would. The Reyna Group is a family-owned company, and it means everything to us to be able to say that we all wholeheartedly have each other’s back. We as a group are constantly brainstorming and bouncing new ideas around with each other. I have many friends in this business, and I know the synergy we have at The Reyna Group is something very special.
What inspires you as you seek to reach greater heights of success? Whether we are helping a long time investment client or a family buying their first home, it is truly rewarding to play such an integral part in these decisions. It is an honor to have the trust of our clients, new and old. The trust our clients instill in us is, first and foremost, what inspires every agent in our office to continue to strive to improve the hustle.
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Find His Photos — Including a Famous Shot of Beyoncé — Too Commercial? He Couldn’t Care Less!
Mar. 6, 2023
Photographer Markus Klinko with his pieces ’David Bowie, The Protector’ and ‘David Bowie, Natural Villians’
MARKUS KLINKO ONCE described himself as “the James Bond of fashion photography,” and there’s a bit of truth in that quote. Born in Switzerland of French, Italian, Jewish and Hungarian ancestry, and blessed with a sinewy physique and charming demeanor, this international man behind the lens has landed in Houston for ICONS KLINKO, an eye-popping exhibit of phantasmagoric photos of such superstars as David Bowie, Britney Spears and Mariah Carey, on view through March 25 at Nicole Longnecker Gallery. “Klinko’s photographs have a wonderful iridescent quality that is both painterly and narrative,” says Longnecker. “His images capture not only the form of the subject, but their own creative essence."
In his earlier years, Klinko was a concert classical harpist, practicing 10 hours daily to keep up his technique. “I reached my dream,” says Klinko, “but I was also mentally very tired.” In 1994, at age 33, a thumb injury compelled him to retire from music and pursue a new chapter in life as a self-taught photographer.
Before then, Klinko had never picked up a camera, and yet soon found himself shooting some of the most beautiful people on the planet, including a then-21-year-old singer named Beyoncé, who needed a cover shot for her debut album, Dangerously In Love. During that shoot, legend has it Klinko suggested Beyoncé wear some denim to contrast the glimmering, spiderweb-like crystal top she had draped over her. He loaned Queen Bey his jeans, and gamely finished the shoot in his skivvies. “It’s a totally true story,” says Klinko, who stands 6-foot-4, “and proof that I have Beyoncé’s butt!”
Klinko has since exhibited in dozens of galleries worldwide and is delighted to have representation in Houston. He says visitors can expect some surprises in ICONS KLINKO, including images from a new series called The Angel Factory that pairs breathtaking models with high-tech lasers and syringes used in plastic surgery. Meanwhile, Klinko takes great satisfaction in seeing his images for brand campaigns appear both in the pages of glossy magazines and on the walls of galleries.
“The question ‘Is it art or is it commerce?’ becomes irrelevant at that point,” says Klinko. “It’s just everywhere, and that’s what it is.”
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