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

Hi Jenna, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
I love discussing this topic. I may have the unpopular opinion that work-life balance (and balance in general) is in the realm of possibilities. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve lived many years of my life in overwhelm and off-balance up until a few years ago, but I think that’s why I am so passionate about this topic. I finally hit a point of realization that I have some control over this when I really put the effort in. I love to discuss this with others, both for the sake of sharing what I have learned but also to continue to learn and grow in my own life. I’m a problem solver, so when something isn’t right, I am usually quick to start picking things apart to figure out how to fix it. During times of reflection, I have often identified a few key contributing factors to inbalance in my life: taking on more than I should, transitioning and adjusting in new seasons, and a lack of setting or enforcing boundaries. Taking on too much and lacking boundaries are often intertwined, so I’ve found that learning to have healthy boundaries in my life is a great first step, especially in the juggle of work and life. Accepting too much work may also stem from improperly pricing myself so that I need to work excessive hours to make ends meet. Whenever I notice I have overbooked myself I think about where I hit my limit in that given situation and what amount of work would have felt better per week. Then I keep that top of mind as I book out my calendar in the future. When seasons change things can sometimes feel a bit crazy as well, and juggling all the aspects of life can get overwhelming. Sometimes we add a new stream of revenue to our business, or maybe we are just starting a business in general! I often think about the idea that building a business is analogous to going to college and taking on necessary internships to acquire the dream job we hope for. If we want to do it right, we have to spend a whole lot of time and money to learn as well as to practice under some of the very best in the field to gain real-life experience. All of the time and energy dedicated to that learning means we have to work in addition to that in order to pay our bills. That is a lot to have on our plates, and it is exhausting! Most often, we need to put in the hustle, and we need to hustle really hard, just to get to a place of balance. The pay-off, I’ve found, is that if we do things right and work hard for long enough, our work gets easier, business begins to snowball, and we can start to pull back on hours in front of our screens and spend more moments doing things like traveling for leisure and spending time with family. Changing of seasons in our personal life can also throw off our work-life balance. Sometimes we hit an extremely hard season and just need to work the bare minimum of hours to survive. Other times we experience a more exciting life event but it still requires pulling back on work. My most recent shift was having my first baby. Figuring out how I want work and family time to look has been a new curve ball! After about six and a half months of being a mom, I started to find a bit of a groove and continue to slowly up my work hours as time goes on, but it’s been a fun challenge, to say the least! If you are in a season of building, changing, transitioning, or just have taken on far more than you can handle, know this: there is always an opportunity to find a breath of fresh air in a season of work-life balance ahead if we just do our best to see what isn’t working now and adjust for the future!

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 wedding photographer, and though most would say my medium of art is through photographs, I find such a joy in the art of creating an experience for my couples in front of my camera. My mission as a photographer is to create a comfortable and stress-free experience so that genuinely joyful imagery is a natural byproduct. Though I have worked through many challenges of stressful wedding days in the early years of my early career as a young college student, these trials have been the driving force to help me hone and communicate my values and then carry them out so that my clients truly enjoy their wedding photography experience.

Any great local spots you’d like to shoutout?
Temecula, California is such a little gem in Southern California! We are known for our wine here, so hitting the wineries is a must. Wien’s has some of the best whites. Ponte Winery has stunning scenery to enjoy as you sip and walk, and South Coast is a great place to stay and even plan a spa day at. Old Town Temecula has some of the best restaurants in town. The Goat & Vine is a personal favorite as well as 1909 and EAT Marketplace.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have so many people to thank for anything good that has come in my business. While there are so many more than I can name in one short paragraph, I have to start with my in-person mentors and peers who have helped me to grow as a wedding photographer on a daily basis from the very beginning to now: Michelle DePeugh, Maria Longhi, Rachel Sloan, and Carla Kayes. Two other huge sources of encouragement and contribution to the entrepreneur I am today, both through their online platforms and personally in my life, are Natlie Franke and Katelyn James. Natalie Franke has been an incredible source of guidance through my evolution as a leader, and Katelyn James has taught me that I can do so much more than I ever imagined to impact lives through my photography business beyond just taking pictures.

Website: jennajoseph.com
Instagram: @jenna_photo
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennnajoseph
Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/jenna-joseph-photography-temecula

Image Credits
Jenna Joseph Photography