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

Hi JAWANDA, what’s the most important lesson your business/career has taught you?
Being in business is a lot of work, challenging, intentional and strategic work, but at the end of the day it is one of my the rewarding opportunities . Being able to provide a service that allows others to see themselves from a different perspective, and or having the ability to help them showcase their own products or services gives me great joy. Since starting my business I have learned the importance of connecting with potential clients, delivering a quality service and creating a lasting relationships. However I must say the most important thing I have learned, is that everybody is not my client. Coming to that realization helped me to change the focal point of my marketing efforts and it saved a lot of time and energy on pursuing any and everybody.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am a photographer focused on serving small business professionals. As a full-time business professional who’s spent the last 10 years working directly with small businesses I understand the daily challenges. I am passionate about helping small businesses get the knowledge and resources they need to grow their small business while increasing their customer reach through visual storytelling. Starting out was not easy, about 90% of the knowledge I have was self-taught, there have been times when I wanted to let it go and return to the normal Monday – Friday, 9-5, because it was “safe,” but when passion and purpose collide there’s no stopping what you were called to do.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Photography is a very competitive industry, and starting out it’s often quite challenging learning the skill and may different techniques required to perfect your craft. I am thankful for the support, guidance and mentorship of some of the best in the industry, Crystal Gray of Gray Manor Creatives, Eric Dejuan of Eric Dejuan Photography and Elle Danielle of Elle Danielle Photography.

Website: JLATISEPHOTO.COM

Instagram: @J_LATISE

Linkedin: @J_LATISE

Facebook: @JLATISEPHOTO

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutHTX is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.