We recently connected with Jamie Tucker and have shared our conversation below.
Jamie, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
To start with, I’m not sure I know exactly what my “purpose” is. I do know that I was supposed to survive a car crash that changed my entire life when I was 13. I lost my mom, my guide, mentor, and the person I admired the most. She worked all the time, while getting her degree, and was about to start her own plumbing business-all while having four kids and a husband on disability. At this point in my life I imagine that I have placed her on a pedestal and I am okay with that. I am now 42, married, and have a son. She was 32 when all of this was taken away. I have had many losses in my lifetime including both of my Dads. My biological Dad passed when I was really young and my Dad in 2009. They say, whoever “they” are, that it takes a village to raise kids. I am certainly an example of that! I have been blessed by many that love me and help raise me. I am still learning and will continue to do so.
I asked my husband where he thought I got my resilience and he reminded me that it comes from my Faith. I have gone to many different styles of churches and love hearing the messages and feeling the energy from the worshiping. I don’t go to church on a regular basis but I always have my personal relationship with God. He is the only reason I am still here. I believe he has his plan for me- he knows my purpose, and he has always taken care of me. I am so grateful for my Faith in him. I try to remember that even if I don’t understand why something happens- there is a reason for it. I look for the positive pieces that come out of unwanted circumstances. One significant experience was when I learned that I would miscarry our first child. I was devastated and it took me a long time to work through it. Remembering to talk to God and ask for his help- I got my answer. I truly wanted my Mom and Dads to have a grandkid. Obviously, I would rather to have her (just a feeling) here on earth with us, but at least she has them and they have her. Finally, there was the positive piece that I needed.
I don’t like talking about myself and I’d much rather listen to someone who needs to be heard. I’m still not sure that I am someone that should be interviewed, but decided that maybe someone out there can be helped by this article.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I am a Gemini where twins are the symbol and I tend to drive myself crazy! I like to see things from different sides and perspectives. I love to help people see their own beauty and tend to seek the positivity of the experience. I work with several photographers by retouching, assisting, collaborating, helping with albums, printing, and websites. I love what I do and definitely like having many different options and projects. There are many people that have a niche and stick with that and rock it, but I would get bored. So far what I do seems to work for me. I’ve had this company since 2011 and have been in the digital photography field for 20 years now. Things are constantly changing and I hope to continue to be able to help people with their visions, wether it’s through my retouching, photography, or artwork!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Looking back, three qualities that were most impactful in my journey are my perfectionism, flexibility, and honesty. I have learned that perfectionism isn’t always the best route, however to this day, I still have to fight myself on it. For example; if my client has a budget for me to spend a certain amount of time on, sometimes I have to be okay with the final product not being “perfect in my eyes”. Or I spend way too much time on it and then actually lose money because of only charging the original fee agreed on. That brings me to flexibility. I have to balance budget, deadlines, revisions, and changes along with my personal life of being a wife, friend, mom, family member, and the occasional artist. Life happens, to everyone. We are all on this Earth together as human beings. I am an honest person and one of the most important things I have learned is to communicate with clients. Emails, phone calls, texts, or even social media posts go a long way to communicate with your clients. Try to meet your deadlines but if you absolutely can’t, do everyone a favor and let your client know. You may be surprised to find out the everything works out.
Looking back over the past 12 months or so, what do you think has been your biggest area of improvement or growth?
In the past 12 months my confidence has grown a tremendous amount. One thing that has helped is colleagues that I admire trust me enough to recommend me for jobs that they can’t take. I have stepped out of my comfort zone and accepted jobs that challenge me. Don’t get me wrong, I still have doubts and thoughts after a shoot of how I could or should have done things different. Those are intrusive thoughts and I choose to move past them. Overall, I realize that I like who I am as a person knowing that I always strive to do my best. There will be potential clients that choose to go with a different person and that is okay. My clients love working with me and I truly enjoy them and am so grateful for them. They are the reason I still get to do what I love on a daily basis.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.JET-Imaging.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamie_e_tucker/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JETImagingPhotography
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-tucker-b40a83107/
- Other: If you have worked with me and would like to leave a google review, that would be amazing! https://g.page/r/CR2ge94f6SNNEAI/review
Image Credits
Jennifer Boxley Photography
