We were lucky to catch up with Jenna Shriver recently and have shared our conversation below.
Jenna, 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?
I love this question because it’s a huge part of my story and a foundational part of how I work with my clients in brand mentoring and brand photography. I believe that when entrepreneurs discover their aligned purpose in business it is only a matter of time before true impact and success will begin to happen. My working definition of aligned purpose is when your giftings, who you are built to serve, and the perfect timing come together. If any one of those pieces is out of place you will experience some sort of failure, whether it be financial, burnout, disappointing services, products, or experience for your clients and customers, or losing the passion that you thought you had when you started, and more. We may all have some level of those experiences in our entrepreneurship journey, but I believe we don’t have to be stuck there. We can thrive when our purpose is aligned.
I started my entrepreneurship journey as a wedding & family photographer right out of high school. I learned most things the hard way, yet I always tried to grow and improve in every area that I could. I eventually lost the passion I thought I started with and experienced some major health issues that led to what I now know was burnout. Thankfully, I recognized that there was a different people group entirely that I was drawn to serving. I discovered my alignment was in photography and mentorship for other business owners and brand builders. It took a few years to establish myself as a brand photographer and eventually a brand mentor and strategist. The pandemic in 2020 pushed many business owners to recognize the value and need for online marketing and social media content. That really propelled my brand photography business to take off in 2021.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I’m a brand photographer, mentor, and strategist for business and brand builders. My strength as a business mentor and strategist plays a huge role in planning a business’ branding photography project. I help them gain clarity on what needs to be created in order to authentically and professionally leave with images and/or videos that they’re more than happy with and connect them with their ideal clients and customers.
I live in Maryland and travel a few times a year to work with clients in the Tampa, Florida area. I love to travel, so I’m open to working with businesses nearly anywhere. I’ve also had clients travel from places like Michigan, Colorado, the Carolinas, Florida, and Germany to work with me for brand photography in Maryland.
I’m currently building and am excited to launch digital products and a video podcast in the near future. I want to create resources and education to help businesses brand strategically and effectively while aligned with their purpose. The best way to stay up to date on these launches is to sign up for my email list and follow me on social media. I’m most active on Instagram.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
I highly value alignment in business, brand strategy, and excellence in everything that I do. I believe that these core values drive what I am doing today and how I can serve my clients to grow and succeed.
For those who are early in their journey, or at any stage but feeling stuck or ready to quit, I would recommend that you hire a business mentor if you are able. They will be a fresh set of eyes to be able to help you see where there are any problems that need to be solved or areas for growth. If you are not able to hire a mentor one-on-one, I recommend that you find a few good ones who have knowledge of your industry and consume as much of their free or low-cost content as you can and apply it.
How would you describe your ideal client?
I love working with businesses that are either just starting out and want to launch with excellence, businesses that have gotten stuck and are ready to make the changes needed to bring their business and brand into alignment, or businesses that are growing and ready to take their brand and business to the next level. I can serve businesses in any of these situations in brand mentoring and strategy and/or brand photography.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jennashriver.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennashriver/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JennaShriverPage
- Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/jenna-shriver
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBonPWGpWpGv_TvA2ixhHaw
Image Credits
Images photographed by Doris Ponce and Kimberly Woods, edited by Jenna Shriver.