We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jacob Pierce. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jacob below.

Jacob, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

There are many traits that any entrepreneur needs to be successful however there is one that I have found to be more important than all others and that is self-discipline.

If you think about it, success (whatever that looks like for you) is just the culmination of your decisions, actions, and habits. Every micro-decision you make throughout your day contributes to that day being either a good, productive day or a bad day full of wasted potential. Have enough good days and you’ll have a good year; have enough good years and you’ll likely see the success you’re after. The key is to have the self-discipline and self control to make sure the decisions you make on a daily basis are ones that are actually brining you closer to your long term goals, not further away.

Making good decisions also leads to an increased likelihood that you will make more good decisions. The reverse is also true; make enough bad decisions and you will be more likely to make even more bad decisions. This chain reaction can be powerful when working on your side but devastating when working against you.

Simply put, self-discipline leads to consistency and consistency, assuming you’re doing the right things, leads to success. I like to think of self-discipline as having the strength and self-control to do things that need to be done even when you don’t want to do them. The good thing is that anyone can build self-discipline; it’s like a muscle, the more you work on it, the stronger it will grow.

Other important traits for being successful are kindness, humility, and self-awareness. People that are kind tend to achieve favor in the eyes of others, tend to build more meaningful relationships and connections, and tend to be better leaders. One shouldn’t confuse kindness with being a pushover; you can be kind while staying firm on your values and ideas. Humility is also important for being a great leader and recognizing and improving upon one’s own mistakes. Self-awareness is key to understanding yourself, your emotions, and your own deficiencies.

Jacob, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Jacob Pierce and I am a headshot and family photographer.

I first decided to get into headshot photography after recognizing a major problem that many people face; after setting up my profile on LinkedIn, I was surprised to see that many people didn’t have professional profile pictures. Your profile picture is almost always the first thing that people see when browsing on the platform and is a vital piece of someone’s first impression on you. What’s worse is that with the increasing importance of online presence and networking in the workforce, people have often seen you before meeting you for the first time. This means their first impression of you isn’t based off of meeting you in person, it’s based of your profile! Yikes!

Thus, Jacob Pierce Photography was born. My goal is to help people improve their online presence with sleek, professional headshots. I don’t like to think of myself as being in the photography business but in the problem solving business. A great photographer should help you capture yourself at your best all while providing the smoothest experience possible.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

Without a doubt this is word of mouth! I am a photographer but in reality my job is to deliver outstanding service.

Think about the last time you went to a restaurant and the service was outstanding. I mean 5 out of 5 star service; the food was perfect, your waitress was amazing, the tables were clean, and the staff was attentive. Without even realizing it, you have probably talked about this experience with your family, friends, and co-workers. Perhaps, a week later, that person is going to be driving down the road looking for a place to eat and see the restaurant you mentioned; they’ll remember you’re glowing review and decide to give it a try. Once they try it and have the same experience, they also mention it to their family, friends, and co-workers. And the cycle continues.

Now, let’s take the same example, only this time the experience was only 4 out of 5. The food was good, the waitress was good, and the restaurant was clean for the most part. Your experience was fine, but nothing to write home about. You might tell people about it if they ask, but you won’t go around shouting praises to anyone within earshot.

The point is this: gaining new customers is about the experience. If you deliver an outstanding experience to your clients, they will share their positive experiences with those around them, potentially converting them into customers as well. If you deliver an experience that is just okay, they likely won’t talk about it and probably won’t be a repeat customer. It doesn’t matter if you are in the restaurant, photography, or software development industry – customer experience is key.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

There are too many to name here, but one that comes to mind is “The 4-Hour Workweek” by Tim Ferriss. This book discusses many topics related to entrepreneurship, efficiency, and success. One major hurdle in particular it helped me tackle was my aversion to risk. I have almost always been someone who tends to avoid risky and uncertain situations; however, risk and uncertainty are key components of being an entrepreneur. In the words of Mr. Ferriss, “What we fear doing most is usually what we most need to do.” I have definitely found this to be true for myself.

Another book that has had a significant impact on me is “The Secret” by Ken Blanchard and Mark Miller. This book discusses the importance of being a servant leader; that is, a leader that serves those around them and demonstrates traits of kindness, humility, and empathy. Those that choose to uplift those around them will also be lifted up and those that help others without the expectation of favors in return will receive the most favors without even asking!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://jacobpierce.photography/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jacob.piercephoto/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jacob.piercephoto
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/jacob-pierce-photography/