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

Hi LaJune, let’s talk legacy – what do you want yours to be?
I need my legacy to be to my kids what President Barack + Michelle Obama are to the Black community. I want my legacy to be something my children are proud to continue. I want to create a wealth throughout my journey that will set them up for success. I want to show my grandchildren that owning your own business can secure you financially. When I die, I want my portraits to live on. I want to be remembered for the joy + light exuded from my soul. How I made women, families of color, and everyone in between feel when they graced my camera or my presence is how I want to be remembered. I want those who know me, to chuckle to themselves, when they put on red lipstick. I want to remembered for giving my ALL in everything I put my name on. I want people to remember that I was here.

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.
To explain what I do I would sum me up as: creating the change I want to see for families of color. I want to put out nothing but positive images of families and women of color. My goal is always to shift the narrative to show people our glow up. My client experience sets me apart from other photographers. It’s so good that I provide a course on it. As a black woman in business I’ve always wanted to break the stereotypes. I love where I’m at in my business. It has taken me a while to get here, but I am finally seen. The most fascinating part about my business is offering my clients the Pink Starburst experience. Ensuring that they love and enjoy their investment with me is always my end game. As a Black woman, I still face challenges throughout my business – Diversity + Inclusion. As a Black woman in business, I have to be great. I bet you’re wondering what that looks like. I’ll tell you. I have to go above and beyond to make sure my brand holds the weight of having my five star Google reviews. I have to find ways to stand out from others, so my ideal client can find me. I can’t afford to fail at my processes. White female photographers don’t have to be great at business or the client experience. They can say whatever they want (as they have during the killing of George Floyd), provide a forced apology and not be great at business, but still have raving fans support their business. The best lesson I’ve learned throughout my business is simple – to be authentically me. I continue to show clients and people who I am daily. This builds their trust. I’ve also learned to value myself. I understand my worth in business. I need the world to know that me creating joy with Families of Color takes nothing from anyone else. I do this because of how the world sees us. I always search for excellence and capture that. As a Black woman in business, who has built her brand on joy, I am extremely proud of that. I AM A PINK STARBURST.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If the circumstances were normal I would take my friend to all of my favorite places. My goal is to make her feel good while she in town. We’d start with a makeover. I’d get her booked with Timberlin Oden in Arlington, TX. After that I would schedule a makeup session with my favorite makeup artist Allure Faces By Nikki, then purchase her something feminine and fun from House of MERCI. Of course, I’m taking her lifestyle portraits. For lunch we will head over to Roots Chicken Shak, then top that off with dessert from Cookie Society. Maybe even schedule a Grapefruit poundcake order with Knife + Faulk. By now, it’s surely nap time. Let’s rest our “not so young” bodies for an hour or two. After we wake, we’ll enjoy a nice mani and pedi with my favorite nail tech. The night is so young that we’d end it with wine + cheese and my Intro Pandora station. Every day after that we will shop small + support all Black businesses in the DFW area.

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?
My husband and 2 kids. They keep me humble. My close friends who allow me to bounce ideas off of without betraying my trust. Dr. Tomayia Colvin has made me unafraid to educate my peers. Year of YES allowed me to step out of my comfort zone and say yes to everything that scares me. After watching Becoming by Michelle Obama, I felt so compelled to do + be more. My Mama + Daddy for giving me to gift of purpose.

Website: www.photosbyLJK.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/photosbyljk
Linkedin: LaJune King
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ljkphotos
Other: I can also be found on Google.

Image Credits
photosbyLJK – Personal Branding + Frisco Family of Color photographer