Briefly introduce yourself and your business
Hi there, I’m Jess, the founder & lead photographer at Cheers Babe Photo! I’m a major wedding enthusiast and I love working with fun couples to create photo memory magic. Nothing excites me more than a once-in-a-lifetime celebration, and I bring that energy to every wedding I photograph.
I have a small team of talented photographers who help me serve couples up and down the coast of California and beyond. I also love teaching and am passionate about sharing what I’ve learned with young photographers (especially women)!
How were you introduced to Inessa Nichols Design?
Inessa & I met wayyyyy back in 2015 at the very first styled shoot I ever planned. We were connected by a mutual friend, Tiffany Rogan, who was working as a wedding planner at the time and was my initial collaborator for the styled shoot.
I had only heard wonderful things about Inessa, so I boldly asked her to showcase something truly creative. When I do styled shoots, I rarely direct artists on exactly what the final product should look like, knowing that you’ve got to leave that creative space. Each vendor is an expert at what they do and I never want to diminish the potential of a project by micro managing each person.
In turn, Inessa showed up that day with literal floral art pieces. She created a Mondrian-inspired feature wall and some of the most intricate and stunning bouquets I’d ever seen. Needless to say, I’ve been a fan girl ever since, even hiring her for my own wedding in 2016. We’ve gotten to work on many projects & real weddings together since then and I am still in awe of her creations every time!
How did you start your business?
I studied fine art photography in college and was lucky enough to get connected to the wedding industry through an internship I did. At school, I remember sitting through critiques and feeling like, “gosh, everyone takes themselves so seriously, when is this gonna get fun?”. Then I attended my first wedding as an assistant. I was immediately hooked! I think I even started working on my first website that week because I felt so sure that this niche industry was the right fit for me. Finally I had found a way I could use my photo skills in a way that felt authentic to who I am and aligned with what I believe to be the deep and wonderful purpose of taking photos - preserving memories.
From there, I had a lot to figure out. I was 20 years old and knew nothing about running a business, but I hit the ground running. I learned and absorbed knowledge wherever I could find it, second shot for photographers that I admired and eventually had enough work in my portfolio to book my own clients. There’s something pretty magical about those early days where you’re hustling so hard, so if you are in the thick of that season right now, do not give up! It only gets better.
What drives your business, why do you love what you do?
I legitimately think I have the best job on the planet, OMG. Most people assume I love taking pictures and of course I do, but I love my job because I love people and I love weddings. I’m such an extrovert so being around people is a must for me and I’m so lucky to work with such fun couples.
I’ve always loved weddings. I remember the first wedding I ever went to so vividly that I even remember the outfit I wore - mind you, I was about 9 years old. A few years back I learned I was an enneagram 7 (the enneagram is this ancient personality typing system & it’s fascinating) and it solidified a truth that I’ve always known deep down inside of myself, that I’m a celebrator. Some of my best memories have been in moments of celebration and it’s such a privilege to participate in that year after year for my profession.
What is your women empowerment message to fellow and aspiring female entrepreneurs?
Don’t let the noise in. When you start a business, people will come out of the woodwork to tell you what you’re doing wrong, what you should be doing and tell you you’ll never succeed. Listen only to the voices you trust and most importantly, to your own voice. Only you know what your business could truly become and at the end of the day, you can trust your intuition.
That said, also be wary of when your voice goes into “mean girl” mode and tells you you’ll never be enough, or be as successful as that other gal, or any of that crap because it’s not true. Our culture raises women to think we need to compete so when we see another woman get ahead we get down on ourselves rather than feeling inspired or genuinely happy for her. In reality, there’s room for all of us at the top because we are all so unique.
Comparison can steal a lot of progress and waste your time, so find other women who will build you up and support you. Community is essential in my mind to every entrepreneur, so be on the lookout for your ride-or-die gals who will celebrate your wins, understand your losses and give you a killer pep talk when you need one. You’ve got this, sis.
