Sachiko in Japanese, means happiness.

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I’m a mom of 4 girls and living the dream!

I’ve been searching my entire adult life for a career I love so much that it doesn’t feel like a job. I’ve finally found that with my dream career in photography.

Sachiko Studio is the top photo studio in the SGV and the only luxury portrait studio offering best in class beauty service, wardrobe, custom props & sets with state of the art equipment.

I founded Sachiko Studio in 2011, after my careers as a professional race car driver AND accountant. I started as a wedding photographer and quickly fell in love with portrait photography.

After years of seeing my clients show up to shoots a frantic, stressed-out mess, I transitioned my studio into a luxury studio where I provide a luxury, pampering photoshoot experience where you can just show up and I take care of the rest.

My Life Today

Its my 13th year as a professional photographer. I’m in the groove at the studio and I make time to pick up my kids from school and take time for passion projects, like my children’s book series “Sachiko Goes Racing,” and my gig as a podcast host & producer of The Drifting Pretty Podcast (and my hubby’s podcast “The Sileightymania Podcast.” )

I also own a boutique accounting firm and have multiple employees moving that business along.

I still love racing. I don’t get to race often, but when I do, its like I never left. Drifting Pretty still runs today, and we’ve refocused on inspiring women to pursue their dreams and passions through our podcast.

My 4 daughters are 27, 16, 10 and 8. My oldest is an Art Center grad and has a career as a full time Ui/UX Designer, my 2nd oldest attends California School of the Arts high school. My 2 youngest are artists and creative writers. Hubby & I raising a troop of arty girls.

Philanthropy is important to me. I donate a percentage of all sales to charity, donate photoshoots to charity, sponsor local sports teams and volunteer at my home church Monterey Park Chinese Baptist Church.

In my free time, I dance with an all-mom hip-hop crew weekly, trail run, and collect sneakers & kimonos.

My Background

I founded a non-profit, Drifting Pretty (2003), which promotes women in racing and beyond, and I was one of the first females to drive the pro drifting series Formula Drift (2005).

I was photographed often by photographers that made me feel anything BUT comfortable. Concurrently, I took it upon myself to regularly photograph the woman racecar drivers in Drifting Pretty (because no one else would make them as comfortable as I could). Through those exciting experiences, the foundation of my photography career was built.

(2011) My best friends got together and gifted me my first camera and shortly after, I started my career as a portrait photographer.

During my time in racing, I was building my career in Accounting. In 2015 I hit the pinnacle of my accounting career and suddenly lost my job (while I was doing a round of IVF). My life was upside down, but my husband opened my eyes to see it was time for a new chapter. I took a chance and went full time in photography and started offering accounting consulting remotely.

The studio business bloomed, with bookings doubling every year. I became the top photo studio in the SGV and built a wonderful community of returning clients that I get to photography regularly now.

If you’ve made it this far…thank you for taking the time to read about my crazy life and I’m so thankful to have your support of my little photo studio.

My Team

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I operate the studio with the standard of being the best in the world. So naturally, I only work with the best.

I have an office team that manages the financial & administrative side of the studio.

My beauty team is a collective of the most talented professional hair & makeup artists (who are all mompreneurs too) I know.

My team of bright, friendly and talented women complete the best in the world experience I provide. Without them, I don’t know where I’d be!