JJHomes Photography
PARTNER SPOTLIGHT
Give JJHomes Photography a call at (918) 312-5937 to schedule headshots or photos of your next listing!
What's your story? Tell us a little bit about yourself!
It started when I got my very first camera back in 2007. I would just go around taking photos and videos of my parents, siblings, dogs, friends, and so on. It was only a hobby for me up until 2018. I kinda lost touch of always having my camera in my hand when I entered high school because the only thing I had my eyes on was becoming a professional soccer player...up until I tore my ACL during my sophomore year, followed by another knee surgery when I graduated.
That changed everything for me. When that happened, I told myself that I needed to find a new career path to focus on, which then had me chasing the idea of becoming a dental hygienist. I spent my senior year becoming a licensed Dental Assistant and immediately hit the workforce when I graduated high school. While I was working, I was also in college studying to become a dental hygienist but, in 2018, everything took a major turn when my dad committed suicide. When that happened, life literally stopped for me and I soon realized that all the things that I thought I loved were actually things that I was just settling for and filling my time with.
I then took a pause from going to school and focused on things that truly made me happy. I started a Youtube Channel and recorded myself vlogging trends, which happened to bring me back to my camera. I just knew I excelled at taking photos and videos which is why I started to offer my photography services to the public at the beginning of 2019. From there, I learned what I loved taking photos of and what I wasn't a big fan of. I can proudly say, I've never been happier in my life than when I am holding a camera in my hand being my own boss.
How did you get started with your business?
While I started to offer services in 2019, I was also working at a luxury apartment complex as a leasing agent in Tulsa and considered getting my real estate license due to me loving doing it at an apartment complex. The more time I sat around thinking about it, I came across a course on real estate photography, which immediately caught my attention. I bought the course, finished it, and just knew that this is exactly what I wanted to do. It gave me the best of both worlds: real estate and photography. As soon as I finished the course, I started a business plan, and then came JJHomes Photography in February of 2021!
How did you choose real estate as your niche?
Honestly, I know this sounds cliche, but it almost fell into my lap in the time I needed it the most. I say it found me before I found it.
What are you passionate about?
I'm passionate about helping others feel encouraged to chase everything they've ever wanted and more. Forget about the "what ifs" and think about all the things you could gain from taking that one risk. I believe every single person on this planet has a purpose and is meant to be here. Sometimes, being in a world with so much noise makes it seem untrue to some, which is why I like to remind them of their purpose by encouraging them or freezing a beautiful moment into picture form.
What makes you stand out in your industry?
What makes JJHomes Photography stand out in our industry is that we have a giveback program. With every session that we complete, $5 is donated to The Foundation of Suicide Prevention. This goes to helping those in need of free counseling, free virtual group sessions, free resources, and so on.
How do you manage your work/life balance?
I'm very self-aware about how I spend my time. Every morning consists of me waking up when it's still dark and doing the things that make me feel good, such as meditating, working out, journaling, and making myself breakfast. I call this my "me time." It sets the tone for my day, makes me feel good, and gives me all the energy I need to knock out all of my "to-dos." Once my to-dos are completed, I like to spend time with friends to help me completely disconnect and enjoy the present moment happening around me.
Who shaped you into the person you are today?
My dad. My dad was the goofiest, most selfless, and kind-hearted person I know. He was someone who would do anything for anyone, no matter what his circumstances were. He taught me to never take life too seriously, to go after anything and everything I wanted no matter how big the dream was, and after he passed, he taught me that my "me-time" was the most important thing in life. That saying, "you can't pour from an empty cup" became my reality and because of that, my "me-time" became a non-negotiable.
How do you define success for yourself?
Success for me will be to see where JJHomes Photography is in the next 5-10 years, to see the lives we've helped through our giveback program, and to be utterly proud of myself for turning my little girl hobby into a full-size company.
How is real estate important to your business?
Real estate is important to me because I help realtors with their marketing when it comes to their newest listings! With everything going online, photos and videos are the first impressions to the potential buyer, which is everything. Without high-quality images along with cinematic video tours; a lot of opportunities are missed.
Tell us about your family and what you like to do outside of work!
I'm a twin! To a boy; we're fraternal and couldn't be any more opposite, but he's also one of my best friends. I have an older sister that lives on an island in the Gulf of Mexico and she has made me an aunt to two boys, Jax and Silas. My mom has remarried my stepdad, Mike, and I talk to her almost daily. She is also my best friend. Anytime I'm outside of work, I'm either having brunch with my girls or working out! I try to spend as much time outside as possible when the weather allows it!
