Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jamal Bullock . We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Jamal, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.
We have always heard the term “you are what you eat”. This is most definitely true. Even as it pertains to who we are spiritually and often times emotionally. If you watch a lot of low-vibration, discouraging, and negative tv, that is what your Spirit man and conscience is taking in. So when it comes time for you to perform, what else does your spirit man and conscience have to offer besides what you fed it. So I am very intentional about reading, listening, and watching content that uplifts me, informs and inspires me, and keeps me focused on the goals that are ahead of me.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I used to believe I was simply a videographer and photographer. I was good and taking pictures and I was good at filming and editing. However, as I began working with different clients and as I was being introduced to new environments, I realized I had the potential to be much more than just a good photographer and videographer. I realized that no matter what I was shooting, there was a story or message that needed to be told. This is when I started to be more intentional during my shoots. I started to become more involved with my clients creative process while learning the heart of the project they were working on. I went from simply showing up to film to showing up and directing to make sure everything turned out as planned. These small changes showed my clients clear evidence that I was valuable to them. More so now than before. It’s an amazing process to go from hearing one of my clients ideas, to then come to a completed, executed and final deliverable that will help my client reach their target audience. It’s not just about providing my clients with high quality work. Even though that is a big part of it. Lol. It’s about providing my clients with content that will add value to them, which will lead to more sales or more impact, which then leads them back to me so we can do it all again.
I have had so many changes as it pertains to my business structure and the packages I offer and the type of shoots I do. I am now at a place where I am focusing on working less while also making more money. Honestly, that’s what everybody on earth should be aiming to do, right? No, we usually can’t start out like that when just starting the business, but I have been at this for 5 plus years now and I have arrived at the point where I’m ready for a shift. So this year in 2023 I switched from offering hour by hour shoots and I only offer day-rate packages. This allows me to be selective with my clients., it reduces the amount of different projects I am working on at one time, and it allows me to make more money with out running from one shoot to another day on and day out. It took time to get here. It took building trust with my clients, it took building a good name and reputation, and it took consistency and plain ole hard work. Lol. But I’m here now, and I’m loving it!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
One quality I pride myself on having is a spirit of resilience. Before I even attempted to be successful, I came to peace with the fact that there would be obstacles, hard times, and even “failed moments” that I would need to be able to bounce back from. Simply put, quitting just wasn’t an option for me. I was committed to learning how to do it a different way or make adjustments to be able to grow. But quitting…no way! I also learned the balance of being inspired by people who were already successful at what I wanted to be successful at versus the balance of being stuck in a downhill spiral of comparison. It’s Ok to learn from others and be inspired by others, but understand you are unique and you are needed in your industry or specialty. I get it, there are millions of people who do what you do, but stop comparing your worth to the worth of others, you are worthy to be successful. Just don’t forget about the hard working part. lol.
Lastly my ability to constantly become comfortable being uncomfortable is what keeps me growing and moving ahead. I study, I execute, I grow, I celebrate, and then I start from the beginning and do it all over again. Once I reach level two, I am so grateful. I embrace level two. I enjoy level two. But please believe I’m in the process of working my way to level 3. This process never stops. So I’m always grateful, but I’m always growing as I do not want to become comfortable on level two and make my bed there. No thanks!
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
Owning your own business or even doing anything that requires you to put a lot of work in can be overwhelming sometime. I have a simple way to deal with pressure and the feeling of being overwhelmed. The way I deal with it is better planning and better execution. I find that nine times out of 10, when we are overwhelmed in any part of our life, it is because there is no plan in place and if there is one in place, it is not being properly executed. You feel overwhelmed by your clients not because you have too many clients, it’s probably because you haven’t mapped out what project to work on and which date to complete it by. And if you did, you possibly let procrastination take you away from that plan and now you are behind and feeling overwhelmed. So my advice is, make a plan and stick to it so you won’t feel overwhelmed again.
Contact Info:
- Website: jscreativegroup.com
- Instagram: @jscreativegroup
