We recently connected with Jodie Miears and have shared our conversation below.

Jodie , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s jump to the end – what do you want to be remembered for?

I want to leave people with the gift of their most treasured memories. The fact that I get to walk into people’s homes, their lives, and witness some of their most cherished moments – like bringing home a new baby or celebrating a child’s birthday – and I get to freeze those times for them and leave them with photos that they can pass on for generations – that’s what it’s all about. That’s the whole reason I wanted to become a photographer. I want my legacy to be the gift of memories – for every family I serve.

Jodie , 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?

I have the best job in the world! I am a full-service Lifestyle Family, Newborn, and Branding Photographer and I serve families and businesses in Fort Worth, Aledo and Dallas. I’ve been in business for 10+ years now and have evolved into shooting primarily in people’s homes in DFW, in my studio in DFW, or in Rosemary Beach, FL during certain weeks in the summer (when many DFW families migrate to that area!).

Clients who book with me are usually seeking a photographer who can capture their family how they really are. They aren’t interested in “perfectly posed (say cheese!) portraits” but rather beautiful looking, relaxed, REAL moments that we create together during our session; This is what Lifestyle Photography is all about – not just capturing what your faces look like, but what your life looks like. I get to tell people’s stories through photographs and it never gets old.

People also come to me because I’m a well-known baby and toddler whisperer and feel completely confident that I can create beautiful photos even with restless babies or toddlers who’d rather be playing outside. I have a TON of tricks up my sleeve and games we can play to keep kiddos engaged and having fun. They usually work for parents, too!

The main thing that differentiates is me is how I approach each family differently. I don’t have an agenda. I don’t have the same five or ten poses that I do with every family. Sure – I have my favorite fail-safe poses, but I allow PLENTY of space for real moments to unfold before my camera and make sure to take my time and try to really see each individual person and capture something unique about them or that moment.

I offer complete styling for all of my clients as well – because figuring out what to wear for your photos is hard! Families get wardrobe tips when they book a session and I’m always happy to send links to specific outfits upon request. Branding and Commercial Clients get a whole custom vision board for their shoot that includes location ideas, props, poses and wardrobe direction. Coming from a fashion design background, this part of my job is one of my favorites!

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

Referrals! I can’t say it loud enough – referrals are always the best clients and it’s how I’ve grown my business from day 1. When I started out, I knew I had a long way to go to become as good at photography as people who had already been in the business for years – so I decided that my number one priority would be excellent service. I tried to really connect with each client – to get to know them and their families and not treat them like just a number. And that worked. I have so many repeat clients and clients who are always happy to share my name with their friends and families.

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

That being busy meant being successful. I had the “good problem” of growing really fast – to the point I could hardly keep up. I was trying to balance being home with a toddler and keeping the momentum up with my rapidly growing business and it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I was stressed out, working too much, dropping balls left and right, and wondering why I felt so burnt out instead of feeling happy that I had such a busy business.

I remember sitting in a photography conference and them saying that 50-60 photo sessions per year was a full-time job. I had done over 200 sessions that previous year. It was a lightbulb moment for sure and changed the trajectory of my business. My goal the next year was to earn about the same amount but only taking on about half the amount of clients. It was a scary step but it was 100% worth it. I’ve refocused on shooting only what I truly love (super fun families, newborn lifestyle sessions and small business branding!) and it has just made me that much better at my job. It’s amazing how much more successful I feel now that I’m focusing more on quality and less on quantity!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://reveriephotoco.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/reveriephotoco
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/ReverieDFW