Meet Shea Ferguson | Certified Commercial Drone Pilot and Environmentalist

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

Hi Shea, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Since I started working my first job at 14, I’ve always loved the idea of starting my own business. From observing my mother, who runs her own hair salon, to the many employers I have worked for over the years I knew it required a lot of time and effort, but I love the creative potential of building something from scratch and making it what I want. It was a daunting task, but since having recently returned from a couple of months of backpacking in Europe, I was in the mindset that anything is possible and had a “why not?” attitude. So I jumped right into the dream I’d had for so long. I’m still at the beginning of this process but it’s been a fun adventure and I’ve already learned so much.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
WildView Aerials is a drone videography/photography business that I created in August of this year. I’ve enjoyed the art of photography ever since I was little and the ability it has to bring attention to things I find beautiful. What sets my work apart is my creative eye. I like to not only capture the subject but make sure to take advantage of the angles and positioning making each photo stand out. Starting this business has opened my eyes to all the additional things that come with drone photography, like marketing, learning post-processing editing software, and FAA regulations. It’s been fun to take each new challenge as a learning opportunity and grow as a business owner and individual. My educational and career background is in the environment, so my favorite work is with landscapes and nature, however, every project is a fun opportunity for me to be creative and bring a story to life. I am so excited to see what WildView Aerials brings me in 2025 and I look forward to collaborating with anyone interested in drone photography.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If I had a friend visiting Grand Rapids I would say to definitely look into what events are happening that week. Grand Rapids always has so much going on depending on the time of year, for example, Art Prize, the Chris Kringle Market, Restaurant week, etc and you don’t want to miss out! As for fun, year-round activities I absolutely love thrifting in Grand Rapids, There are so many places to check out that have amazing finds (and it’s a sustainable way to shop!). Second Vibess, Urban Exchange, and Uptown Cheapskate are some of my favorites. I have also become a pickleball fan since moving to Grand Rapids and there are so many places to play indoors and outdoors. Belknap Park is a great outdoor park with many courts and just a short walk South is Lookout Park where you can catch an amazing sunset over the city and stick around to star gaze. When the evening arrives and you’re looking for a good time, I love getting a drink at Less Traveled, a cocktail bar on Cherry Street, and hitting up the BOB to wrap up the night with some dancing.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’ve been curious about starting a drone business for a couple of years now and one person who always showed so much support for this idea was Shaylin Cota, founder of Cota Creative Media. She has been a lifelong friend of mine and a very talented photographer. Now we get to share our creative energies and I look to her for advice and help with my post-flight operations.

Website: https://cotacreativemedia.pic-time.com/-sheafergusonportfolio/gallery

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

Image Credits
All my photos!