Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jacquelyn Phillips. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Jacquelyn, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Before we talk about all of your success, let’s start with a story of failure. Can you open up about a time when you’ve failed?

Allow me to introduce my biggest accomplishment and my biggest most expensive failure to date. I’m not yet 40, so there may be another one if I get another wild hair.

I wrote, designed, self-published, recorded and promoted my inspirational memoir. I have never been more proud of something I have produced beyond my son- he’s definitely number one. I wrote the book in 18 months and finished writing it at the beginning of covid, when everyone was sent home and the world was put on pause. During the height of washing our groceries and hoarding toilet paper, I polished and promoted the story of my journey to mental wellness and forward thinking living. As we entered summer of 2022, I launched a story that I thought would so deeply resonate with people as we were knee deep in this sea of self awarness and thrust to face uncomfortable truths in our lives that pre-pandemic we were content to ignore in our hum of business.

I retold my story on podcast after podcast. I paid for book reviewers and ad space. I drove to people’s homes to sign their copies on their porches masked up. I re-invented the jankiest wheel that ever rolled. It clunked along and I believed in this little story and blew thru a budget I never should have allocated. I wanted it on bookstore shelves when we weren’t able to shop in bookstores. I wanted it in coffee shops and passed between girlfriends and instead a box of copies sits in a storage chest in my home.

I spent roughly twenty thousand dollars to move about 200 units of a story that I still to this day believe matters and is relevant and will make a difference.

I spent a year pounding the pavement, hiring a public relations firm, building social media and website. And eventually I had to make peace with the fact that this beautiful, wonderful, honest and raw account had to be put to bed.

Top 3 one of the biggest pills I’ve ever had to swallow. This is my story and no one wanted to hear it. No one had space for it and I immediately spiraled believing I was not wanted or worthy. That spin factor looked great to everyone that was just outside of arms reach. The real mindfuck was having people I was paying to help me promote the book tell me it was amazing and life changing and needed just x, y or z and it would blow up.

This sword has two very sharp edges. If I had gone the traditional route of submitting manuscripts, and shopping publishers and playing the game- my book wouldn’t be available and the story may have never been told, or at least, not told as authentically as it was. The other side is that this precious gem I carved out of my soul will likely never get the audience it deserves because I don’t know how to be a popular author. The self publishing route is lined with shiny get rich quick schemes.

Ultimately at the end of the day I have created something I am desperately proud exists. And in that same breath I am proud that I was brave enough to fail at something that meant the world to me.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am a seeker of beauty with the goal of helping people see the beauty in themselves. I have been a photographer based out of Arizona for sixteen years. I began as a wedding photographer and my skill set has expanded as my clients have had different photography needs. I’m pretty old school. I don’t rely heavily on filters and pre-sets, I don’t have a niche style, I’m more timeless and true to life. I’m not about having folks go broke for photos. I grew up poor and remember the uncomfortable conversations about budgeting for prints and poses. I remember the fighting and bribery as we headed into studio portrait sessions and early on I decided I didn’t want any part of that in my work.
I don’t have outrageous investments, I don’t make folks purchase large amounts of images. How in the hell can I make someone pick favorites of their kids, when I can barely pick favorites of your kid’s photos?
I have other side gigs, I don’t make a ton of money as a photographer. However, I always am there for pick up, and scouts and homecoming. I am able to share my talents and time, because I believe everyone should have access to quality, affordable photography.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I freaking love this question. My most rewarding and favorite aspect of being a photographer- not just an artist- is changing the way people feel about being photographed. If I could make a hundred dollars every time someone told me “I hate being photographed” I would never have to even touch my camera. The current climate leaves us all feeling so insecure and flaw focused, our cell phones are the worst for this.
Often people come into photography sessions expecting it to take FOREVER and be uncomfortable and awkward and cost a car payment. Believing they need to be ten pounds lighter, or their hair retouched or their make up done. If we took the time to make sure every condition was being met to look our “perfect” selves, we would never take pictures.
We have expiration dates, no one lives forever, pictures are important. Real pictures, not heavily filtered selfies, matter. I want to change, and I have a pretty high success rate of the following statement after a session wraps….”wow, that was fun” “that was fast” “that was easy” “I can’t wait to do this again”
Getting people excited and looking forward to being photographed is the most rewarding part of my work.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Authenticity is the key to finding your individual success.

I was in a pivotal moment where I went from having a team of photographers to scaling back to just me and trying to build a brand that was just my work. At this exact same time Jasmine Starr found her fifteen minutes of fame and something in my brain decided I needed to do everything she does and I will find success. It’s fucking embarrassing. I changed my hair, my clothing, my logo, my business name, my business model and started throwing money around like I was Steph Curry after a contract signing.

I was acting faker than a pair of tits on a stripper and it was SOOOO glaringly obvious. I was in my mid twenties and had a toddler, I still didn’t even know who I was, and there I was assimilating a person who found the right rubric. I don’t even think she’s a photographer anymore, last time I saw her on social media she was schilling home decor or some social media content calendar. One of those gimmicks where you buy in low and the add ins get high.

That uncomfortable phase lasted a few years and then I just said “fuck it” and started working the way I wanted. I’m a budget photographer, I hate spending money and I’m not going to look like a super model every time I pick up my camera, especially if I’m playing with babies smashing cakes.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.yourazphotog.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/jacquelynphillipsphotography
• Facebook: facebook.com/yourazphotog
• Other: To purchase a copy of my book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B089RRW6KM/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_F2EXQGD07SJ38FVNNXCM

Image Credits
All photos by Jacquelyn Phillips Photography