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

Alright, Jena thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. How did you scale up? What were the strategies, tactics, meaningful moments, twists/turns, obstacles, mistakes along the way? The world needs to hear more realistic, actionable stories about this critical part of the business building journey. Tell us your scaling up story – bring us along so we can understand what it was like making the decisions you had, implementing the strategies/tactics etc.

The first thing you have to realize is that the idea of scaling up is scary. It requires you to get uncomfortable in ways you haven’t yet, and it’s based on the hope that what you’re doing will work. You have to be flexible, able to shift gears when something doesn’t work, and be okay with the concept of “failing forward” (which is a tool I learned from reading the book by John C. Maxwell.)

When I decided it was time to scale up, I was not alone. I recommend having a support system, or a mentor to help you achieve this. My husband is a wonderful supporter and has been by my side through the massive growth I have seen the past two years.

In order to get to where I am today, I had to first change my mindset. I had to start to dream bigger, and implement changes to work towards those dreams. I learned that the marketing tactics I was using before weren’t going to work with where I needed to go. I changed how I marketed and where I marketed. I learned proper SEO tactics to help my website rank on Google. I took the time to sit down and calculate my cost of doing business, and adjusted my pricing to ensure I could make a sustainable living.

But the most important thing I learned was to separate emotions from business. I work in an emotion-driven industry, but that does not mean my business decisions are based on emotions. I thoroughly believe that the sooner you learn this, the better you can show up and serve your clients.

Of course I’ve made mistakes – I’ve been lenient on contract clauses that have cost me both time and sleep. I’ve wasted energy on wondering why I’ve seen a lull in bookings, instead of working on productive tasks. I’ve spent money on courses that maybe didn’t bring me value. But the path forward is not linear, and every misstep or mistake is simply data to use and learn from.

Jena, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Hi! I’m Jena and I am the owner of Sunshine Sentiments, and together with my husband, we are a North Carolina based destination wedding photographer and videographer. We are dedicated to capturing sentimental moments and preserving treasured memories for the madly in love and adventurous souls to relive throughout time.

I have always been interested in photography, but that’s not where I got my start. I have been in the fitness world for the past ten years, working for gyms, boutique fitness studios, and briefly for myself. I loved working in fitness because I got to meet new people, learn their stories and provide them a service that they valued. Just a handful of years ago, I picked up my first “real” camera and absolutely fell in love with the idea of blending my creative side with my social side.

My whole world turn upside down in March of 2023, when my dad passed unexpectedly. I went searching for any and all relevant images of him and our family together but had no luck. Grappling with the empty feeling, I made it my goal to provide lasting memories in the form of photographs that people could feel; photos that could transport people back in time to the exact moment I took it.

Since then, I have been able to go full time in photography and hone in on my craft. In 2024, I started offering film and videography; this allows me to cover wedding days in a way that most photographers cannot. In our arsenal we have digital cameras, both 35mm and medium format film cameras, and even Super 8mm cameras for those who really love the vintage, nostalgic, home-movie style coverage.

My goal is to learn about what makes my clients excited, what they value the most, and how I can best serve them. I am a lover of all love: I am inclusive and celebrate love that looks unique to everyone. I am authentic and yearn for the natural, candid moments, documenting everything that you will want to remember in 30-40 years time. I am inspired by genuine humanness and connection, and am always honored to be invited into peoples’ lives to provide them a service that is catered to them.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

I think the best strategy for growing my clientele has genuinely been word of mouth. Focus on connecting with others and fostering good relationships. People will always refer you to other people who need your service if you have built positive rapport with them.

We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.

Today’s word revolves around social media. It’s how we stay connected with others. I am friends with my clients on social media so I always congratulate them on life’s milestones, or check in with them to see how they’re doing. And anytime Clients return back to me, they always receive a discount as a thank you!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sunshinesentimentsphoto.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunshinesentimentsphoto/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sunshinesentimentsphoto
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Sunshinesentimentsphoto
• Other: Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sunshinesentimentsphoto

Image Credits

Sunshine Sentiments LLC