Meet Jessica Hanlon

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jessica Hanlon a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Jessica, 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?
How did I find my purpose? Well, it took me a long time to find my purpose, but I always knew that I wanted to be a photographer since the age of 12, and it was a long journey of actually becoming one because when I was 21 I was told “good luck – you should find a rich husband if you want to be a photographer.”  When I heard that comment I started to believe that I couldn’t become a photographer. So I started to study other things.

I eventually studied graphic design and became a graphic designer, but my passion was never in graphic design. It was in photography and I always wanted to combine photography with my graphic design work. Eventually, I fell out of love with graphic design and I started to pursue other jobs.

In 2008 I took over a clothing store in Las Vegas it was there at the clothing store where I would I would take photos of the store, and clothing and I would take self-portraits to promote the business on Facebook to bring clients.

But then I met my now Swedish husband a year and a half later and I ended up moving to Belgium where he lived. And so I had to start my life over in another country.
I would wander the streets of Brussels with the camera that my husband gifted me. And I would take photos and just explore my new surroundings. I even sold photo prints on Etsy for a while but I didn’t make much money from that.

But along the way I started to photograph my friends for free and I loved interacting with people. So I started to build a portfolio of work.

But then we moved again in 2015 and this time it was to Sweden. I arrived with my 8-month-old and 3-year-old and I had no clue what I would do for work at the age of 37. I didn’t speak the language and I didn’t know anyone. So for a little while I felt a bit lost.

But then I had an opportunity open up for me which forced me to get serious about being a photographer. And that was being a behind-the-scenes photographer for a commercial that was being filmed. I was so excited because it was my first real paid job in Sweden. But then that was the only job I got for a while because I didn’t have a clue where the next client would come from.

It’s hard to believe that I waited until I was 37 to become a photographer and to get paid as one.
Building a business in another country was difficult in the beginning because I didn’t speak the language and I didn’t know anyone, so there were a lot of challenges with building a business abroad. Moving abroad forced me to become a photographer because I also felt like how am I going to make a new life in this other country. How am I going to make a living and who is going to hire me?

So I heavily invested in online education and started to learn about business, photography, branding, and marketing because I didn’t know how to run a photo business.

Along the way, I tried out many different genres of photography from family photos to maternity and personal branding. And then I realized that I loved personal branding and sharing people’s stories. I loved helping solopreneurs become visible so that they could promote themselves.
I just loved talking about business, social media, and strategy, and how to show up online as a business owner to attract clients. And so I slowly found my purpose as a photographer and I eventually became a visibility and Branding expert.

Finding my purpose was a long journey of figuring it out and believing in myself. I believe that having self-belief is the number one thing to becoming who you want to be. Because if you can’t believe it yourself then it’s really hard to manifest it and make it happen.

And so I think the camera chose me a long time ago I just didn’t believe in myself. But that’s the beauty of life, it’s going on a journey of self-discovery.  We can eventually connect the dots when we look back.

Another challenge that I had to overcome was my mindset because I also lacked confidence and self-worth. When it came to asking for money for my work I struggled to ask for what I wanted. I would lowball my offers because I was desperate to get paid. Now I am confident in asking for what I am worth but it took a while to get here.

I also struggled with imposter syndrome because I also had to become visible and promote my work and promote myself and so I had to do a lot of inner work when it came to being visible online. And now I teach solopreneurs how to be confident in front of the camera and to build a brand online.

My purpose as a photographer is to inspire solopreneurs to pave their own path by helping entrepreneurs build their brand online so they can have freedom and support themselves doing something that they love and that lights them up because we can make money by being in service to others by using our skills, knowledge, talents, and passion. And that is how you find purpose.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
Jessica Hanlon is an American branding and portrait photographer living and working in Stockholm, Sweden.

I specialize in empowering female solopreneurs who want to confidently grow their businesses by building an authentic personal brand. Unlike other local personal brand photographers, my approach is comprehensive: I capture clients’ uniqueness through adaptable photography styles and engaging videos, and provide valuable support to overcome mindset obstacles, allowing them to step into their entrepreneurial power with unwavering confidence.

Jessica is also the host of The Elevate Podcast for entrepreneurs. This is where I share stories of different entrepreneurs so that we can inspire and help you build your brand online.

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?
Things that impacted my journey were learning as much as I could from other people, having tenacity, and building a network.

I think that finding other people who have done what you want to do is a good place to start because success leaves clues. And while your path may not be the same maybe you can take some of their strategy and apply it to your business.

In the end, just go for it! We only live once so why not try something out and see where it leads you?

How can folks who want to work with you connect?
Yes! I am looking for more inspiring entrepreneurs to share their stories on my podcast.

I am looking for entrepreneurs who have been in business for 3 years or more to share how they started their businesses, and to also share some tips and knowledge.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Photos shot by Jessica Hanlon

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