Meet Julia Cobb

We were lucky to catch up with Julia Cobb recently and have shared our conversation below.

Julia, thanks for taking the time to share your lessons with our community today. So, let’s jump right in – one of the most essential skills for unlocking our potential is self-discipline. Where does your self-discipline come from?

Growing up, my family didn’t have much. Being raised primarily by a single mother of three, there were times when we went without the necessities. Our electricity was turned off, we’d been evicted and moved a lot, we had time periods where we would only have rice for dinner for the week and saltine crackers for breakfast. I rarely had money to do things that my friends did. There were time periods when we were without a home and had to stay in motels. We didn’t have a lot, however, despite struggling financially, my mom taught my brothers and I the importance of being kind, caring humans and helped motivate us to do our best in school.

On the flip side, I visited my dad every other weekend growing up, and he always motivated me to do my best in life, stay active in sports, and surround myself with the right crowd so that I would be successful and financially secure someday and not live the same life of struggle that I grew up with.

I attended Michigan State University on scholarships, married my high school sweetheart, and decided to start a photography business one year after graduating college. I knew that I wanted to live a better life than I had growing up, and I knew I wanted to work a job that I was passionate about and enjoyed – so I opened my business and put every single thing I had into it. I spent countless hours learning the inner workings of running a business and put everything I had into learning how to become the best photographer and business owner I could be.

My self-discipline to continue to grow my business and thrive comes from my desire to provide for my family and raise my future children in a secure and safe home, unlike what I sometimes had. I now run a six-figure photography business and love (most!) every day of doing it!

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I am a full time wedding and college graduate photographer! I photograph fun loving couples in North Carolina and beyond, as well as college graduates, primarily at NC State University, Duke University, and UNC-Chapel Hill, excited to celebrate their accomplishments and successes. I have a fabulous team who works with me and they help keep me sane! My cat Punkin is my favorite co-worker, sitting in my lap while I work from my office every day. My husband photographs weddings with me as well as portrait sessions on his own and he plays a huge role in my business. I have been photographing since 2019 and officially went full time in 2022. One of my favorite accomplishments thus far in my business was photographing a couples session in Lake Como, Italy as well as in Santorini, Greece last May.

Outside of photography, my brother and I are also working on launching a digital products business where we will create digital watercolor style prints of wedding venues, homes, and pets. This is expected to launch this summer and we are so excited about it!

When it comes to my personal life, my husband and I recently bought a home, so we spend all of our free time renovating it! We’ve learned so much and it’s so fun to be doing something new every time we start another project. We also love being active, with 5am gym sessions, hiking in the mountains, and running. I’m a big reader – so you can always find one or two books laying around that I read throughout the day when I get downtime. I’ve also recently fallen in love with gardening which has been a huge learning curve but so far, so good! Our 2 cats, Punkin and Winston, are our world and we can’t wait to eventually grow our family.

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, I think fully understanding and being disciplined, having a constant growth mindset, and being knowledgeable about business (ie marketing, accounting, SEO, etc.) really made an impact on my journey. Pouring my all into my business while staying disciplined and having a growth mindset is what brought me the success that I have today and has allowed me to continue to grow. Learning the inner workings of entrepreneurial life and how to run a successful business was also imperative in my growth. I firmly believe that if someone is a great photographer but not great at business, it will be much more difficult to find long-term success.

The biggest piece of advice that I have for folks who are early in their journey is to pour everything you have into your growth. Listen to podcasts, read books, and commit to putting as much time into learning and growing your business as you can. Consistency is key and over time it will be incredibly worth it. I believe that anyone can be successful in an entrepreneurial role if they are willing to put in the time and effort that it truly takes.

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?

The Power of One More by Ed Mylett has played an important role in my development. The entire premise of his book talks about being willing to do “one more thing”. Whether it’s one more rep at the gym, one more sales phone call, one more social media post, etc. If you’re able to do “one more”, the growth will continue to compound and you will become unstoppable. He talks about how so many people give up on something right before they were about to make big strides, and if they were able to just put in one more day of effort, it would push them through those difficult times and they may not have given up. It suggests that by consistently pushing ourselves to do one more thing, we can achieve extraordinary results and reach our full potential.

In addition to Ed Mylett’s book, I also listen to the Ed Mylett Show weekly, a podcast that showcases peak performers across all industries where they share their journey, knowledge, and thought leadership. This keeps me grounded and motivated to succeed.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.juliareneephoto.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliareneephoto

Image Credits

Megan Morales Photography
Kat Jessick Photography