A community is made better when its members are passionate about their professions. However, it can be a difficult feat to translate one’s passion into a profession that provides reasonable financial compensation. In some special cases, passion and skill transcend what is traditionally difficult or unlikely to the effect of a viable career.
When this happens, as it has with Christian Driessnack, it is to the benefit of both the individual and the community.
Driessnack is a lifelong resident of Mt. Pleasant, growing up in the area and graduating locally from Mt. Pleasant High School and Central Michigan University. During his sophomore year at CMU, Driessnack officially launched his media production company,
Align Digital Film and Photo (formerly Christian Kurt Multimedia). Driessnack has owned and operated Align Digital since 2018.
“By the time I was about to graduate college, the entry level job I was looking at [was making less] than my business was already making. From there, it was a no-brainer to say, ‘let’s see what we can do here first,’” says Driessnack of his decision to commit fulltime to Align Digital.
Since then, his decision to work for himself has afforded him personal and professional opportunities he otherwise would not have had.
“The reason I enjoy this job so much is because the average day could be literally anything,” he says. “[Each day] can be anywhere from traveling halfway across Michigan, to being home and editing. Because I’m in charge of it all, I get to manage what projects I’m taking on, what we’re doing, and every day looks completely different.”
On days where Driessnack is at home editing, the extra time with his family is an added benefit of his career choice.
“Being able to have a slow morning and do breakfast with my family is so lifegiving,” he shares. “When I’m in a grueling ten-hour edit day, I can take a break and go fire Nerf guns at my daughters or go outside and run through the sprinklers with them. It makes all the difference, and I get to experience my kids growing up.”
Driessnack’s ability to spend time with his wife and daughters is a crucial part of why he takes so much joy from his job.
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Courtesy Christian DriessnackAnother reason Driessnack finds joy and purpose in his career is the opportunity to help tell the collective story of his hometown.
“It’s super rewarding telling the community story and showcasing why this is such a cool place to live, along with the different opportunities that are here and the different people who are building their livelihood here,” Driessnack explains.
Driessnack’s talent is woven into the fabric of the Mt. Pleasant community, and he now uses his skills to amplify the talents and stories of others.
“It’s always [a great] feeling when you deliver something that someone loves,” he says. “Whether it’s wedding photos, or a video that represents them and their company, seeing them see [my work] and being happy with it is the best feeling.”
Driessnack’s desire to work in digital media goes as far back as high school, when he discovered his enthusiasm for the field. It’s not often a high schooler is able to take a hobby into adulthood and turn it into a viable career for raising a family, which Driessnack is well aware of.
“I feel very blessed. I feel like God has been honoring and allowing my business to grow here. We have spent zero dollars on advertising or marketing. All our growth has come from people who have had a positive experience with us telling their friends.”
In addition to hard work and strong faith, Driessnack also had a strong support system around him.
He acknowledges this, saying, “[It has helped] being in a place like Mt. Pleasant where we have so much family nearby and where we have so much community support. I was able to keep my identity as Christian Driessnack on top of being a dad and a business owner. That comes back to the fact that we have a strong network of people.”
As in any strong community, Driessnack is keen to use his talents to give back to the same network that has supported him.
“You want where you live to be the best it can be,” he says. “To have a hand in that is super fulfilling, especially when you can tangibly see some of the improvements that you make. We live here, and so we want to make this community better.”
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