Conversations with the Inspiring Erica + Jon Hayes

Today we’d like to introduce you to Erica + Jon Hayes.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
If we were telling our story from the very beginning, Erica started shooting eight years ago when she earned her favorite and best title of ‘Stay at Home Mom!’ Her hobby started out with shooting friends as guinea pigs and turned into her shooting weddings and families and anything in between. Jon was pursuing his career in corporate America while at the same time, dreaming of the day he owned his own business and worked for himself. Flash forward (pun definitely intended) to where we are today, we are full-time commercial brand photographers! And that’s not exactly what we set out to be. We jumped into our business full time in 2017 with the intention of establishing our name within the luxury wedding industry. It’s amazing to look back and see how God was defining our path because our gears completely shifted when the market and our clients were screaming from the mountain tops about what they wanted from us. They were chomping at the bit for new brand images, fresh photos to use throughout social media and help with planning and styling their branding photo shoots! We finished out 2018 with all of our lifestyle photo sessions and started out 2019 with a FRESH rebrand, new website, and new business model. We feel right at home with our position as a husband and wife brand photography team!

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s been the smoothest, bumpy road we have ever been on! And by that, I mean that entrepreneurship is not easy. It is a bumpy and rocky road BUT, it’s smooth at the same time because it’s getting you to where you want to be. It’s the road that’s taking you on your journey of chasing the dreams you have always dreamt of and that’s why Jon and I have been able to find peace in the unsettling. We’ve had, and still have, our fair share of “no’s.” We have doubted and questioned ourselves more than ever. We’ve missed out on opportunities and have made mistakes, but it has all gotten us to where we are today. If I had to give someone a piece of advice right now, it would be to NOT compare yourself and/or your entrepreneurial journey to anyone else’s. Strive to make yours stand apart from the rest while cheering everyone else on!

What should we know about Erica + Jon Photography? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
We partner with commercial and personal brands to plan, style and intentionally create compelling imagery. The result is professional photography that promotes people, products, and personalities for impactful marketing that stands out. What sets us apart from others is that we don’t just show up and shoot. We work through a process that allows us to grab onto your vision. Then, we plan and style your brand session and lastly, we photograph it and capture all of the goals you have for your images! We pride ourselves in that complete service and in the experience we provide. We like to call it the E+J Effect.

It would be great to hear about any apps, books, podcasts or other resources that you’ve used and would recommend to others.
We love Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey. Becoming debt free truly is the foundation we built to allow us to jump into a full-time business so quickly. For success in life, we use the Every Dollar app and for success in our business, we use Planoly to help us keep organized (and sane!) with our presence on Instagram. If you haven’t tuned into the Bokeh Podcast, you definitely should. It’s a great photography podcast that covers so many helpful topics!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ericaandjon.com
• Email: info@ericaandjon.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ericaandjon/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ericaandjonphotography/

Image Credit:
Erica + Jon Photography

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