We recently connected with Courtney Jago and have shared our conversation below.
Courtney, appreciate you joining us today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?
I made a drastic career switch from mechanical design engineer to full time photographer almost two years ago. I’ll be honest when I say, being a full time photographer and owning my own small business was never a dream of mine or a career path I would have anticipated until shortly before I did it. It has been such an eye-opening experience that sometimes the universe has a plan for you that you don’t even realize and then you can look back at all the little clues that fell in to place to allow this to happen. I can’t fully say I’m living my dream, because I never did anticipate this for myself, but it has been the most fulfilling and challenging role I have had and that in itself is the dream come true. Going back several years, I majored in Mechanical Engineering at Fairfield University. Shortly after graduation, I landed a very solid and interesting job as a design engineer in the medical device industry. I remained at the company for almost 12 years. It was a small business so besides my engineering role, I did have my hand in other aspects of the business, which I sometimes enjoyed even more than the actual engineering. I have always considered myself a creative person (my family is very creative) and balanced my engineering role with “adult extra curricular” activities as I like to call them – it was a way to express the other side of my brain while I made a living in STEM. I have written for blogs, taken comedy lessons, acting courses, piano lessons, and in 2018 I decided to dust off the camera I got for Christmas a few years back and take a photography course. This lead me to soliciting friends and family to practice my new skills and I took a real love to the art and craft. There was and still is so much to learn! They were so encouraging and pushed me to put myself out there an eventually make a separate photography Instagram account to share my work. In lockdown 2020, I had a few people reach out to me about doing those Front Porch Project sessions. The first day, I think I did 20 families of mostly friends I had along the South Shore. I did these all donation based and encouraged people to choose a local charity to donate to in exchange for photos. Those 20 sessions the first day eventually grew to over 115 families that I photographed between April and May of 2020. This created a very accidental but very exciting new client base. With the world basically shut down and my social life coming to a halt, I had plenty of time to balance a full time job and this new hobby turned business. I became an LLC and worked two jobs around the clock. Summer of 2022 felt different for me and I knew something inside of me was telling me to make a switch when it came to my full time job. I had been at the same company for my entire career and it was time for me to find something new. I knew in my heart engineering wasn’t the path for me and I sat down to figure out my next steps. I don’t think I slept for a full three months going over all possibly scenarios for myself. I am typically very adverse to change and it all felt so scary. I decided I would give my notice and take some time to figure out what I wanted to do, all while hoping my photography side business would support me while I made that decision. I had a cushion of savings from living at home during lockdown and took the leap! I quickly realized, this is the career and business for me and this is what I am meant to be doing and how I am meant to be making a living. I still have so much to learn and I enjoy the business aspect just as much as the photography aspect. It’s truly the perfect job for me. I love connecting with people and I realized this was finally the way I could rely on my network of friends and family that I have fostered deep connections with my entire life. It came at the perfect time. I still wake up hoping and praying that I can continue to make this work full time. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have my doubts or anxieties about finances and longevity but earning a living from a passion is truly a blessing and I feel overwhelmingly grateful.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I think I answered the first part of the question in my initial answer before this one but I am Courtney Jago of CJKeys Photos. I am a photographer living in Quincy and working in the Boston. South Shore, Cape Cod area (but will travel!). I initially started off as a family photographer, using my friends’ kids as my practice subjects. The baby boom of my late 20s provided plenty of practice for me. In the several years since, I have been trusted to capture newborns, weddings, branding sessions, corporate events, and family vacations. I don’t have one particular niche because I do feel I have equal love for all my clients and photography needs. It keeps me on my toes and each day is different! The base of my business is the connection I make with my clients. It is never lost on me how special it is that someone chose to spend their hard earned money on my services to capture them as a first time parent, new business owner, newlywed, or just a random Tuesday evening at the beach! I call it the photography loophole- where I have the privilege of being in rooms that are so sacred and so intimate. I have been the only witness to births and weddings and gotten the first peak at a new business venture. I can’t express how much of an honor that all is. I don’t take it lightly. I aim to create a comfortable and inclusive experience with my services. I am so wholeheartedly interested in the person(s) in front of my lens and what makes them unique and I think that reflects in my work. I feel so deeply and genuinely care and appreciate my clients. I also have such a soft spot for children. I tell my clients that I let the kids run the show and I want to capture them and their personalities as they are. I have a very “come as you are” approach to my work. I don’t want any apologies for how a child is acting on a session, I want my client to know it is me who is grateful to be there with their family, capturing all the love they share. I am so proud when a client tells me I made them feel so comfortable or that I really saw them in a way they want to be seen and understood. I love hearing that a child was able to open up to me and give me a high-five when they are otherwise shy. I am proud of the connections I’ve made and been able to loop in with other clients, wanting the best and most success and fulfillment for everyone. I have been introduced to so many creators, business owners, mothers, fathers, grandparents, children through this work of mine and I am continually inspired.
What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?
The best source of new clients is for sure word of mouth! I rely heavily on creating an experience for my clients that they want to tell their friends about. It is the biggest compliment in the world when someone passes on my name or mentions me in a room. In turn, I try to return the favor as much as I can. The best part of this job is the connections I’ve made not only for myself but for my friends and clients as well. I am always thinking of how I can offer support to my clients. I am always asking about their lives and my head spins with ways I can promote them or connect them to something beneficial since I know how important that is to me and my business.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
Not so much as a lesson as a pre-conceived notion that playing it safe is the smartest decision. I am an oldest daughter so if you know the internet stereotype jokes, that is me to a T. Kind of a perfectionist trying to always do the right thing expected of me which creates a very risk-adverse outcome. I did every club in high school, got good grades, got a degree in engineering because I was told that was the way, worked a job in my field and eventually realized I had to switch it up, and not only switch it up, but leave a safety net of a job in STEM to pursue a creative career running my own business relying on clients and bookings for income. Unlearning that there is one path to success or stability and prosperity can’t be found in a creative field has been the biggest eye opener. Our world is starving for creative outlets and there is money to be made in sharing your creations with the world. Creative passions aren’t only hobbies, they’re businesses.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.cjkeysphotos.com
- Instagram: cjkeysphotos
- Facebook: CJKeys Photos
- Linkedin: Courtney Jago
Image Credits
Courtney Jago, CJKeys Photos