We recently connected with Jordan Gensler and have shared our conversation below.
Jordan, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?
Definitely overtime and through experience. Personally, I always loved photography! Playing with cameras as a kid and owning my very first Sony Cybershot growing up it was a passion from the very beginning. Taking it further than just capturing the photos I looked into how I could actual make more with those photos by editing them in programs. Creating art from the very photographs I took. I knew to scale this business I had to be very consistent with my creative style as most photographers out there I know and love were doing similar things in their craft. I wanted to do the same thing. Never was there a day I didn’t take a picture and make it into something artistic or creative. Even photographing my dogs and items I had around the house. Shooting all the time made me more adept to the craft and most types of styles of photography. And I am a people person so capturing emotions with my camera really directed my path.
I’m really striving to be a great “lifestyle” photographer because it’s enhances my skills to think better on my feet and sometimes those are the best moment as those are the ones that are truly “one of a kind”. They usually come out beautifully and they help me in so many aspects of what I love to capture. From the weddings and engagement sessions with couples to businesses with events or activities and even Headahots it’s always the emotional moments that come out best.
I really aim to make everyone comfortable in front of the lens. For some reason it’s super scary for people to have this glaring lens setup staring you right in the face so I always do my absolute best to make people feel comfortable and calm in front of the camera. Even if it requires me to make a total goofball of myself to get that smile. I always say when you hire me you get a friend for life because it’s always a fun experience.
Always turned to God to help guide me in my work and relationships. Psalm 37:4-5 says “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.” At that’s what I’ve lived by.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
Always studying other styles and learning to push the boundaries of my own trends. Being able to be quick on your feet as a photographer has always been a staple for me. I had to learn this quick with capturing kids and weddings, but I didn’t really realize this in the same as a business sense. The pandemic really hit hard for a lot of businesses and as for mine I had to learn how to adapt as well. I started to realize that what people actually wanted versus what they actually were getting during that time had to be adjusted. So I started offering smaller packages for businesses and weddings and during bundling for Headahots for companies to save money. I cater to the needs of the customers at the end of the day and make sure to flexible with schedules.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
You know being relationally, trustworthy and confident. Most of my business is reoccurring or from “word of mouth” referrals. So most are happy with my end results and connect with me as a person. It’s really important to have good integrity because if you aren’t you will struggle gaining clients and booking people. So take a step back and look at yourself and find out what it is you are wanting to accomplish. If you are passionate about your craft then you will be passionate about all it requires which is building and cultivating relationships.
Next I’d say is perfecting your business model and safeguarding your business operationally. That goes for how you store your photos and how you capture them in your camera to ensure to slip in ruining big moments. It’s making sure you have backup plans when it comes to getting sick or you need to cancel your session. Your word is your bond and you contract as well. So just making sure processes are sharpened and perfected so your clients and business always know they can count on you.
Lastly, as you build your business and you have trust and relationships you will then have the confidence built as you perform And you build your portfolio. That confidence will resonate with people because then they know you can handle the job and really this can be applied to so much and in other business you may have. I’ve had several and through those failed businesses I’ve learned what really makes a business successful.
Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?
I’d say, “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” by Robert Kiyosaki was impactful for photography, but I highly recommend it for any business. Here’s a couple of examples from the book I learned.
1. The importance of financial education: Kiyosaki emphasizes the significance of financial literacy and acquiring knowledge about money, investing, and business. I apply this principle to photography by continually learning and improving my financial understanding. Educate myself on topics such as pricing, budgeting, marketing, and investment opportunities specific to the photography industry.
2. Building assets and generating passive income: The book encourages readers to focus on building assets that generate income rather than solely relying on active income from a job.
In photography, I give people the option now to buy prints and create albums for their photos
Finally, Leveraging other people’s time and expertise: The book emphasizes the value of leveraging the skills and knowledge of others. If you apply this concept to your photography business by identifying areas where you can outsource or delegate certain tasks. For instance, you might hire an assistant for photo editing, accounting, or marketing, allowing you to focus on your core strengths and client interactions. Find a network and work on your people skills. Find likeminded people and mentors and accept their criticism and advice. A supportive network will carrying to light years ahead of others because main people forget relationships are everything in any business.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://jdphoto.onuniverse.com
- Instagram: Jdgensler
- Facebook: Jordan Gensler
- Twitter: JordanGensler
- Yelp: JD Photography
Image Credits
JD Photography
