We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ja’lia Marie. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ja’lia below.
Ja’lia, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s jump right into the heart of things. Outsiders often think businesses or industries have much larger profit margins than they actually do – the reason is that outsiders are often unaware of the biggest challenges to profitability in various industries – what’s the biggest challenge to profitability in your industry?
The biggest challenge to profitability in my industry is proximity.! It’s more about who you know than what you know.! You can be the absolute best and most educated at what you do, but without references and connections, no one but you will know your talents.! Your network is your net-worth.! Relationships are resources.!
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?
There are several reasons why I took interest in photography that I’ve mentioned in other articles; however, one reason I have yet to mention is my brother. He’s an artist/producer/songwriter, etc, and he’s extremely talented.! I was motivated to pick up a camera thinking it would be easier for us to succeed if we cut costs and worked together as a team, especially because I was modeling at the time.! I’m very family oriented and always had a “teamwork makes the dream work” mindset.!
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
There were so many times where I felt like giving up because I wasn’t getting anywhere.! I would often question myself and my journey, going back and forth between purpose and passion, and what did photography mean to me.! I was so enthralled in ‘hustle culture’ that I was overexerting myself.! I had to learn to take breaks for the sake of my mental health and understand that what was for me will ALWAYS be for me.! There were times I had to break for months at a time.! I broke my camera once and couldn’t afford another one so I couldn’t create for nearly a year.! I learned so much about myself and my craft that when I finally afforded another camera, I came back rejuvenated and better than ever, understanding quality is better than quantity and slow and steady wins the race.! It’s ok to take breaks and be human… We are not robots.!
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
What helped build my reputation within my market is consistency and integrity.! It’s easy to get so caught up in the business that you lose sight of your reasoning for beginning.! I never wanted to be the person that looked down on others or dismissed the very people that helped me get to where I am for the sake of an opportunity.! I am an abundant human being, opportunity is at every corner.! That being said, in a world full of venomous snakes and sharks that cut corners and people to reach their goals, I’d rather remain a butterfly that never gave up.!
Contact Info:
- Website: iamjaliamarie.com
Image Credits
Ja’lia Marie AU Visuals