Today we’d like to introduce you to Justin James.
Justin, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I worked a lot of crappy jobs in the past 10 years – some to survive, some to gain experience and one to build my clientele because it was super flexible.
I never quite fit in growing up because, in my culture, it was all about getting the best education and making a good amount of money, buying a good house, starting a family… and just basically painting a pretty picture on the outside but there was happiness in all of this?
I quit my community college 3 years into it because I refused to go to a university and take student loans and be miserable. During my 3 years there, I hoped I would find THE dream career, and when I finally realized that it wasn’t for me, I quit and started working full time and that is when fell into photography. A buddy of mine (at the time) was starting photography and it inspired me to get in front of his camera because I enjoyed fashion and creating content. One thing led to another and I realized that I had way too many ideas in my head that would translate into beautiful photographs. So, I took a trip out to Best Buy and spent my entire tax refund check on new camera equipment and booked my very first gig shortly after.
Three years of having a full-time job that was indeed flexible but made me extremely miserable, I began to build up my clientele during that period and in March of 2017, I marched right up to my boss and told him I was leaving in just TWO months. I was fortunate enough to have family members who supported my dream of pursuing photography full time but I was still terrified of making it in this industry.
In this day and age, everyone is a photographer or a hair stylist or a makeup artist. I always asked myself how I would stand out from the rest. Would I make enough to survive or would I just fall flat on my face and be called a failure? I wasn’t sure but I took the HUGE leap of faith and just jumped right in.
A year later, I can proudly say that I made it through the good AND the bad. Being self-employed has been the greatest decision I have made in my life and I am just getting started. It is by no means easy. I have failed so many times, I have been rejected many times but I still got up and kept going. I am so thankful to God for my amazing family and friends.
Has it been a smooth road? What are some challenges you have faced?
It has been semi-smooth. There are always struggles when you are starting out in any business. You are still investing most of what you make back into your business for the first few years before you start saving money like you would wish too.
Getting rejected by clients after you had a great meeting and you were confident everything went well but then you never hear back from them. The worst part is you never know why they didn’t pick you but it is part of this business.
Not knowing if you will make it in a slow month and having to maybe say yes to gig you would have otherwise preferred not to do.
Getting the pity looks from people when they find out what you do for a living and still having to be proud of your work.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Just Inspired Visuals – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
At Just Inspired Visuals, we provide photo and video services. I specialize in family, wedding and fashion portraiture.
The proudest moment for me as a company would be when we landed a gig with Make a Wish Foundation (North Texas) because I have always been impressed with the work they do and how they impact the lives of children who are battling life-threatening medical conditions. I believe in giving back and putting a smile on any human being’s face is what I cherish the most.
What set us apart is we provide a wide range of services from newborn sessions to weddings and everything in between.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I always say that Dallas is a mix between New York and Chicago. I love all the restaurants we have especially in uptown and Frisco. So, I would say food is my favorite part of Dallas and the thing I like the least is the traffic and the constant construction going on just about everywhere.
Pricing:
- 1 hour portraits – $185
- Family portraits – $285
- Weddings – $1950
Contact Info:
- Website: www.justinspiredvisuals.com
- Email: info@justinspiredvisuals.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/justinspiredvisuals
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/justinspiredvisuals
Image Credit:
www.justinspiredvisuals.com
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