Today we’d like to introduce you to Lucy Jacobs
Lucy, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
After graduating from Clemson University in May 2022, I knew that I wanted to combine my passion for creativity with a strong foundation of business knowledge. That led me to pursue an MBA at Clemson, which I completed in December 2023. Throughout my time in school, I honed my skills in business strategy, marketing, and entrepreneurship. Little did I know, this would set the stage for an unexpected journey into building my own photography business.
During college, I had always enjoyed capturing special moments for friends, particularly graduation photos. It was something that came naturally to me, and I quickly realized that photography had the potential to be more than just a hobby—it could be a real side hustle. I began booking more sessions for friends and acquaintances, gradually expanding my portfolio and gaining confidence in my ability to capture those meaningful moments.
In January 2024, I jumped into a full-time role as a Growth Marketing Specialist at World Finance. It was an exciting opportunity that allowed me to apply my marketing expertise in a corporate setting. However, I always knew I wanted to have a creative outlet outside of my day job. Photography seemed like the perfect way to channel that energy, so I made the decision to invest more time into developing my skills.
By July 2024, I had upgraded my gear, and that’s when things really began to take off. With better equipment in hand, I started to see a significant increase in my bookings. Word of mouth was powerful—friends, family, and even past clients started recommending me to others. Social media also became a key driver for growing my business. I leveraged my marketing knowledge to promote my work on Instagram and Facebook, create engaging content, and optimize my website for SEO to attract new clients.
I’ve continued to use what I learned from my MBA program to keep growing my business, from building a brand that resonates with my audience to using data-driven strategies to reach more people. What started as a fun side hustle has quickly grown into a thriving business, and I’m excited to continue this journey, blending my creative passions with the business skills I’ve developed over the years.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Some of the struggles I encountered initially was definitely learning how to work a camera and teaching myself how to handle sessions with a variety of different people. A lot of this was self taught through experience and just fine tuning different situations that came up.
Another struggle was learning the ways of the business, making contracts for people to sign, tracking income and expenses, and other behind the scenes things that are necessary to stay organized in the long term. I learned a lot this through a mentor and becoming connected with others in the business!
Thirdly another struggle was finding the courage to invest in myself. A lot of this required immense upfront costs and thus it required a lot of hard work and belief in my ability to convince myself it was all going to be worth it.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a wedding, portrait, and lifestyle photographer. I specialize in portrait photography with lots of experience in family, graduation, and senior photos. However, I have recently begun breaking into the wedding industry. I think what sets me apart is my creative and ability to capture candid moments. I really enjoy a typical posed photos now and then but what really makes me most proud is when I capture that perfect candid moment of laughing or smiling alongside loved ones. These are the pictures where you will look back and remember excactly how you felt in that moment. I think my passion and joy for this profession makes it a much better experience for my clients. This job is not a job to me, it is a very fun and important hobby. That is what makes me special. I am not going to price gouge you and nickel and dime for every minute we go over in a session. I truly enjoy what I do and I want to make this a fun experience for my clients and myself!
What does success mean to you?
I define success as being proud of myself. Some moments when I am super busy or booking a lot clients I definitely feel more successful than other moments. But the most successful in my opinion are when I really feel proud of a certain photo or gallery and get excited to share it with a clients. Or maybe when I come up with an exciting new marketing idea, I feel proud of myself.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://lucyjacobsphotography.mypixieset.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lucyjacobsphotography/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/lucy-jacobs-photography-greenville
