Meet Jennifer Heywood | Business Owner & Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jennifer Heywood and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jennifer, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
I would say there are a lot of factors that contribute to a photographer’s success; your technical skills, your work ethic, your organizational skills, but the most important would be the ability to connect with people. Obviously knowing how to use a camera is extremely important, but knowing how to make people feel comfortable in front of the camera makes a world of difference. Being able to engage, pose, and converse with clients makes the experience ten times better for both you and the client. An open line of communication makes sure you’re capturing what they want and they understand what you need from them. Being able to connect with your clients makes them want to help you grow your business, refer others to you, and continue to come back to you for years to come. The amount of times I’ve heard the phrase “you are part of the family now” makes me feel like I have the largest family in the world. Those clients continue to come to me for engagements, weddings, professional headshots, maternity photos, newborn sessions, family photos, etc. I get to be part of their lives in a meaningful way, not just a transactional way. If you think about what a photographer is a part of, there’s no reason to not make meaningful connections. We are with them when they’re planning their wedding, figuring out how to become first time parents, at a new job, etc. Client connections are the main connections, but using those skills to network is also important. You never know when you’re working from a coffee shop if the person next to you is the marketing director who needs updated branding photos or if the friend of a friend at a party is getting married next year.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
My business, Jhey Photo LLC, was created when I didn’t even know I was creating a business. I was in high school and friends were needing senior photos and didn’t want to pay the big bucks (that I now charge). It was an easy and stress-free way for me to get my footing and make a little extra cash, not knowing it would turn into my career one day. I was solving a problem that my friends brought to me (because I was the creative friend). I then continued to solve that problem for friends throughout college and when I was working a fulltime job. Then it grew to solving it for mild acquaintances to complete strangers and people started thinking I was worth more than just some extra cash. It wasn’t until about eight years into my “business” that I started seeing it for what it was, a business. At that point, I put an emphasis on creating processes, growing my clientele, and putting my energy into it going full time someday, which I finally did in January of 2021. Though it seems like this growth was all organic and easy, there were plenty of learning curves along the way. I was putting in a lot of hours outside of my full time job (and not getting paid for it). Lots of sleepless nights, long weekends missing out on social activities and a masters degree all led me to a successful, thriving business, but it wasn’t easy. All of this brought me to a place where I get to wake up every morning and do what I love. At Jhey Photo, I’m able to be a part of these amazing moments in people’s lives, and capture it while making it feel natural and easy.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Lincoln, Nebraska is a little known gem in the middle of our country. There are plenty of amazing restaurants (Lazlos, Green Gateau, Leadbellies, etc), though trying a Runza is a must. As an ice cream fanatic, 402 Creamery and Ivanna Cone are also must eats. Between eating our weight in yummy food, we’ll have to walk off some of that by exploring the Omaha Zoo, the Capitol, the Sunken Gardens and Pioneers Park. We also have a bunch of great local breweries and wineries such as White Elm, Zipline, Capitol View and Deer Springs.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Nebraska Wesleyan University not only gave me the skills to run my own business, but the network to grow my clientele, including being one of my photography clients.

Website: https://www.jheyphoto.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jheyphoto/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-heywood-mba-7965a997/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JheyPhoto

Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@jheyphoto