Meet Jacqueline Benét

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

Hi Jacqueline, other than deciding to work for yourself, what was the single most important decision you made that contributed to your success?
The single most important decision that contributed to my success as a business was getting very clear on my brand, which took inner work to understand why my perspective is different than others and who I resonated working with the most. This led to a clearer vision of the work that I was putting out, and led to attracting the amazing clients that I get to work with today. It may have taken 10 years and is ever-evolving, but I am so happy with where I am at today.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I started photographing weddings in 2013 in San Diego, while I was in a PhD program for Biomedical Sciences. While I enjoyed all aspects of my scientific career, I found myself more passionate in creating a business and life full of freedom. I saw myself as my own boss, I saw flex time with my family, and I envisioned a life on my own terms. When I moved back to the Seattle area in 2019, I had to restart my business in a new market, while still photographing events in San Diego. This was challenging to start over and I was thankful to have a corporate science job that supported my family while my husband was in law school. I re-branded to a new name, re-networked in a new area, while still maintaining connections from San Diego. By 2023 I was ready to make the leap to full time entrepreneurship and set myself up to go full-time in 2024. I am so proud of how I have been able to replace my corporate salary with a creative business that not only fuels my passions, but allows me more time with my family and the freedom and time flexibility that I envisioned for my life. It has truly been a dream come true.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Having moved away from the city and still return every year, I am hyper-aware of the places that are most special to me. Things I miss most are the Cali burritos from El Cuervo, a delicious cocktail from Polite Provisions, and the sunsets at Sunset Cliffs. I remember watching the bioluminescent algae at Black’s Beach, surfing at La Jolla Shores, and hiking Iron Mountain. City Tacos have the best and most interesting tacos. And I always brought guests to Caroline’s Seaside Cafe for the amazing views during brunch.

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?
I would love to dedicate this shoutout to my husband, Matt, who has been an amazing support system building my business over the last 11 years.

Website: https://jacquelinebenet.com/san-diego-wedding-photographer

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jacquelinebenetphoto/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacqueline-benet-photography/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jacquelinebenetphoto

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@jacquelinebenet2211/featured 

Image Credits
Headshot of myself by Anna Peters Photography Images from my portfolio: Jacqueline Benét Photography