We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Joely Hackmann a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Joely, 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.
When building confidence and self esteem as a photographer, or in any creative field it’s a journey that involves overcoming self-doubt and learning to trust your own vision and abilities. How I navigated confidence and self esteem was embracing your unique style and voice, practicing, getting constructive feedback, set and achieve small goals, learn to handle criticism and rejection, celebrate success, build a supportive group of friends, step outside your comfort zone, and finally believe in yourself. Overall building confidence as a photographer is ongoing and is rooted in self reflection, perseverance, and open mindset towards growth. It’s not about achieving perfection, but learning to trust in your journey and your own expression.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
Starting a photography at the age of 15 was a bold step, but let alone I was in my freshman year of high school still figuring things out. This helped fuel my passion and determination to learn everything I could about the business side of things. Through my school’s Innovation academy I was able to take business classes, and figure everything out when it came to owning and starting a business. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for those classes. By the age of 17 I gained enough confidence and experience to book my first wedding. This was so rewarding and milestone I didn’t think I could reach at the age of 17. Along the way I learned that photographing seniors is one of my favorite things to do. It allows me to build relationships with girls my age, but also be creative with locations. Every single experience I have been given has taught me perseverance, and continuously helped me navigate the challenges of running a business while still in high school.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Looking back on my journey there was three key qualities and skills that were most impactful in starting and owning a photography business at the age of 17:
1. Self Discipline and Time Management: At a young age balancing school, personal life, and running a business is a challenge. Self discipline and time management are absolutely essential. I’ve had to learning to prioritize tasks, gallery deadlines, and make the most of every hour. Photography isn’t about just taking picutres its managing your workflow, booking clients to editing and handling administrative tasks. How I keep my crazy life together is a detailed calendar, my never ending to do list, and setting aside time blocks for different tasks.
2. Adaptability and learning mindset: Being open to learning and adapting was crucial. Photography is constantly evolving whether its now gear, editing software, or trends in the industry. The past three years I’ve adapted to new challenges like figuring out how to run a business, handling different types of shoots, or learning about the legal and financial aspects of owning a business. I’ve had such great mentors in this journey like Lexi Fishe, and Morgan Larson and I couldn’t have done it without them.
3. Client Relations and behind the scenes of owning a business: When understanding the business side of photography is just as crucial as mastering the camera. Early on, I learned about pricing, contracts, marketing and how to manage client expectations. Building strong relationships with clients being personable, professional and delivering high quality work and was key to getting repeat business. Understand the importance of clear transparent communication with clients from the start. It not just able taking good photos but its building trust and creating a positive experience for those you work with.
As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?
When starting a business at a young age it an idea that people don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it, this reshaped how I approach my client relationships and marketing. This encouraged me to find my why in capturing meaningful moment and telling unique stories through photography which gave me clarity and confidence as I built my business. The wisdom from my friends, family, and teacher was so helpful. My teachers helped me technical skills and encouraged me to push my creative boundaries. My family always supported me and helped me stay motivated. Last but not least my friends were there for helping me provide constructive feedback.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sites.google.com/view/joelyhackmannphotography/home?authuser=0&pli=1
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joelyhackmannphotography/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joelyhackmannphotography
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