How Jessica went from a college dropout to a thriving photography business

The beginning of a passionate journey

Jessica's journey began as she experimented with her camera, offering photoshoots to family and friends. During her studies in speech therapy, she dedicated every spare moment to developing her photography skills. Initially, she focused on a variety of subjects—babies, families, portraits, and animals. However, it wasn’t long before she discovered her true passion: capturing the love between people. This realization sparked her interest in wedding photography, and once she delved into this, she was hooked. Jessica recalls, “When I started photographing weddings, I felt an immediate connection to the joy and emotion of those special moments.”

A bold decision

As wedding requests flooded in, Jessica faced an important decision. With her final year of collage and a degree on the horizon, she bravely chose to leave her education behind and pursue her dream of becoming a full-time wedding photographer. This leap of faith marked a significant turning point in her life. In just two years, she transformed from a student struggling to pay rent into a successful entrepreneur running a six-figure business.

Overcoming challenges

Jessica’s journey was not without challenges. She faced numerous setbacks and had to navigate the complexities of building her business from the ground up. Through this process, she recognized the importance of mentorship and support. "You don't have to reinvent the wheel," she says, emphasizing how valuable it is to have guidance along the way. Motivated by her own experiences, Jessica began helping other photographers grow their businesses.

From photographer to educator

As her wedding photography business flourished, Jessica discovered how much she enjoyed helping other photographers. "I started receiving requests to help photographers with their camera settings and to guide them in creating professional images," she recalls. However, alongside running her photography business, helping so many photographers individually wasn’t manageable. To make this more sustainable, she decided to record her educational content, marking the start of her first online courses.

"After a while, this became such a significant part of my business that I decided to take on less weddings so I could focus more on helping others," she shares. Today, Jessica has helped over 10,000 students improve their photography skills through her online courses, live workshops, and mentorship programs. Her passion for teaching shines through in her commitment to helping others avoid the obstacles she encountered.

Embracing new opportunities

As her education business continued to grow, managing her wedding photography work became increasingly challenging. "I really loved it, but the long days and preparation were no longer sustainable," she explains. Still, she couldn’t imagine giving up photography entirely, as it brought her so much energy and joy. This realization led Jessica to focus more on branding photography.

She had always loved working with female entrepreneurs but hadn’t found the time to fully dive into this niche. Recognizing the unique workflow involved in branding shoots, she decided to shift her focus. “I love diving into a business with an entrepreneur and creating beautiful, captivating images to enhance her company's image,” she explains.

Today, Jessica focuses on branding shoots while also helping other photographers grow in their craft. Her journey inspires many aspiring photographers, showcasing the value of pursuing one’s passion and the importance of community support in achieving their goals.