Meet Jen Roberts | Photographer

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

Hi Jen, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
As I have gotten older, I have learned the importance of having a work, life balance. In the past, I would try to meet everyone’s needs and would often overlook my own needs. Although I knew photography was my passion, I quickly became burnt out and found myself on the edge of quitting. It was then, that I knew I had to create boundaries for myself so that I could give back more within my business without feeling burnt out. Now, I dedicate certain times of my day to working on my business, which gives me time to meet my needs outside of business such as physical, mental, and spiritual needs. Balance in my eyes, displays multiple elements working together in harmony. Each area has the same amount of focus. When one area is overworked, that can throw the other areas off balance. By identifying my needs in life, I was able to structure my time to have balance in both my work and life outside of work.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I started learning how to do photography when I was in high school. In my sophomore year, I took an advanced photography class which was the initial moment where my love for photography began. My photography teacher at the time had entered one of my photos into the regional competition in our state capital. Later, I found out that it had gotten an award. My photography teacher was excited about my work and had offered to help me if I had chosen to do photography for my senior project. His excitement about my work helped me to believe in myself to continue looking for avenues to explore the possibilities of starting a business in photography once I finished high school.

As my senior year rolled around, I had the opportunity to shadow under a photographer. I was very skeptical about starting my own business at this time and wanted to learn what it was like. I had only shadowed for a short while before diving into a new career path, real estate shortly after. Years later, my boss at the time had asked me to take photos during one of our real estate events. I felt excited to get behind the camera again. My dad, then invested into buying me my first camera.

I decided to go back to school to finish up my Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and Design. I also changed jobs from real estate to marketing. During this time I had taken another course in photography at a university level. My photography professor had reached out to me and said that if I had any room left in my degree, I should continue with photography. Unfortunately, I did not have room to do that, but his comment has stuck with me, so perhaps in the future I might go back to earn another degree in photography. I had learned later that he had told the dean of design about my photography which continued to build my confidence.

During my marketing job, I learned a lot about what it takes to own a business and how to market a business. I had also had the opportunity to do a couple of branding shoots for the company. When leaving this company later on, my boss had told me she felt that photography was my passion and that I should try to pursue that. About a year later, I decided to take a leap of faith and start my own business. I had the knowledge and tools to create my own business and everything it entailed, like a logo, website, pricing, contracts, invoicing system, business cards, editing software, marketing, etc. I met with a couple of photographers who became my mentors and put me under their wing. Without their help, I wouldn’t be where I’m at today.

A few months into starting my own business, one of my friends who is the executive producer of a couple of magazines featuring the top realtors in the area reached out to me to be a photographer for their magazine, as well as another magazine for local businesses in the area. This opportunity was in my eyes, directly from God. It has given me the opportunity to build my business on multiple levels while building even more connections in the real estate industry. I have also been able to learn other techniques of photography outside of portraiture such as real estate photography for listings as well.

I have been able to travel the world doing photography, learning landscape, portraiture, food, architecture, branding, weddings, and so much more.

Overall, my business wouldn’t be where it’s at today without God. I can see how He has directed my path from the very start. He has given me opportunities to learn and grow and has brought certain people into my life who have been able to mentor me to help me get where I’m at today. I hope that I can glorify Him with the talent He has given me and be able to give back to the communities around me.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I currently live in the Spokane & Coeur d’Alene area. If someone was visiting the area for the week, there are a number of places I would take them, one being Coeur d’Alene Lake. Coeur d’Alene is a beautiful little lake town with an abundance of local shops, restaurants, and amazing coffee. It’s home to endless hiking and biking trails and has some of the best scenery in the country. Some of my favorite things to do there are to go boating, kayaking, paddle boarding, swimming, and hiking. You can also go parasailing and take a seaplane over the lake. Spokane, on the other hand is where I grew up and is home to many local businesses, coffee shops, lakes, and hiking trails. One of my favorite places to visit is Manito Park. This park is filled with beautiful gardens, trails, and even a couple of ponds. Downtown Spokane also has a variety of fun things to do like taking the gondola over the falls and Spokane River. You can also walk along the Centennial Trail which overlooks the river and downtown. Kendall Yards is also a fun place to visit in downtown Spokane with some of the best restaurants and coffee in town.

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?
Jessica Mumm. She has been a mentor of mine since I started and has helped me succeed in my business.

Website: www.cascadia-designed.com

Instagram: @cascadia_designed

Linkedin: Jennifer Roberts

Facebook: Cascadia Designed

Image Credits
Jen Roberts