We recently connected with Jennifer Noel and have shared our conversation below.

Jennifer, appreciate you joining us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

Starting a business is by far one of the biggest risks I’ve ever taken. While I have been an artist all my life, there’s nothing more heart-pounding than deciding you’ll rely on doing what you love to provide for yourself and family. Talk about pressure.

I’ll never forget when I decided to dive in head first. There I was, alone packing up my Colorado apartment and praying; Trying to assure myself there was more to life than a creatively capped 9-5. Something else that would allow me to flourish in my work, and to create things I truly believed in.

So I packed up everything I owned – which amounted to a cat and a few of life’s basics – and left for my home state of Nebraska. I kept the big city dreams in my luggage and headed for small town values to open my first photography and graphic design studio.

Here I am in Hebron, Nebraska 11 years later. I just recently moved into my second photo and design studio for more space, and while being a sole proprietor comes with its challenges, I’m finally living the creative dream as Noel Photography and Design!

Jennifer, 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?

While I’ve been in my current location for 11 years, the start of my business began almost 17 years ago while I was still in college. Those early years were incredibly special to me, because it was a time when I had unlimited creative freedom. I think every artist needs a season where they do nothing but break the rules. It allows them to find the boundaries between making bad art vs. good art, and where the lines of good and unique art overlap. Thanks to those early years, today I have a refined photography and graphic design artistry. My family of services not only go perfectly hand-in-hand, but everything I offer allows me to create in extreme detail. (*Me shaking hands with my OCD, Haha!*)

For photography, I focus on Weddings, Newborns and Brands. I have always been a dreamer and I want my photography services to reflect that. Where even the tiniest of details get my attention. Clients who feel at home with my portrait services find trust and relaxation in letting me take the lead. Together we create my two favorite kinds of images — those that look like they should be on the cover of a magazine, and those that you can feel. My photography process is relaxed, but intentional. After 17 years, I’m a pro at knowing when I need to step in and give gentle guidance vs. when to step back and let the moment happen.

In the graphic design world, I love the underdogs. The small businesses built on late nights, a baby laying on your shoulder while you type, and a prayer. I love to give life to those, who like me, started with nothing but a cup of coffee and a dream. My detail-oriented nature allows me to create brands where you can feel that dream built into the look of a company’s logos, brand package, website design, marketing materials, and content. These services match perfectly with my Brand Photography.

I also offer custom stationary suites. This service can be utilized on its own for any occasion, or in addition to my wedding photography services. Custom stationary is a guilty pleasure of mine. In such a digital world, my old soul still loves getting special things in the mail. Here I can create simplistic beauty, or layers upon layers of character. It’s such a fun way to put a personalized touch on an item that touches every recipient.

Noel Photography and Design itself is a brand that is designed to serve others genuinely. Built on pillars of trust, experience and open communication. Those I serve can feel from our first conversation that I’m not just on their team — I’m cheering for them. Having that friendship, before the creating even begins, is priceless.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

When you start your career in early adulthood there’s a lot of room for change. Not just as your business grows and adapts, but as you yourself go through various life events. One of the biggest challenges for me was moving into motherhood after so many years where the business was “the baby.”

After I made the big move to start my business dream, I met my now husband the very first week I was back in Nebraska. Talk about timing. After several years together, and getting married, we were finally about to welcome our first child into the world. I was SO excited to be a mom, but as a business owner my mind was heavy.

If you’re in the photography industry you know exactly what I’m talking about. The stigma that follows moms who are photographers. “Momtographers” if you will. A stigma that you’re just a mom with an expensive camera. Essentially being labeled as someone with no actual skill. This irked me for months while I was pregnant. I worked so hard for so many years to get to where I was. To think I would be labeled as something other than “experienced hard working artist” was soul-crushing. I was determined that “nothing. would. change.” when the baby got here to prevent myself from falling into this cliche.

Cue the universe’s uncontrollable laughter. HA! First we struggled to find daycare. Then our little boy struggled with colic and dietary issues. Even if we could find a daycare I was far too worried to put him in one. So one day at a time, one step at a time, I became a full time business owner AND a full time mom. It’s been 3 years now and our son is with me in my studio daily. While he doesn’t attend sessions or consults, he’s a part of every other aspect of the business. It wasn’t an easy pivot, but it was the best one I ever made.

I tell this story to encourage other parents who may be setting their dream on the back burner. To remind them that business owners are just normal everyday people, including amazing moms and dads. Stereotypes like “momtographer” are nothing more than mental hurdles. The brand I have built is all the proof of that I need. The same can be true for you. It may not look like what you expected it to, but you can do it!!

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Honesty, reliability and communication. The values my parents instilled in me as a kid are the glue that holds the business together. My dad was a prime example of a business man, and he grew up in the era where you did business with a handshake. Speak truth and live it. Be the person who shows up when you say you will, and if something needs to be said, say it. Say it kindly and even when it’s hard.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.noelportfolio.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/noelphotographyanddesign/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/noelphotoanddesign
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-rausch-00a18b313/

Image Credits

Noel Photography and Design