Brand Photographer Brittney Jean Guy-Atakpo on helping women show up confidently on camera

Describe your business in a few words?

I'm Brittney with Brittney Jean Photography & Company. I help women show up confidently in photos and on social media to grow their brand and business. I'm a Brand Photographer and Strategist. I have over 5 years working for Fortune 100 companies in sales and marketing and over 4 years in the photography industry. I love helping women see the amazing qualities they have that they can be used to help connect deeply with their target audience as well as using their personal stories to sell their services and make a big impact. 

What was your background prior to starting your own business?

My background prior to starting my own business was in sales, marketing and recruiting. In fact my first job out of college, I was a 1099 contract, Career Coach, where I helped college athletes find corporate sales jobs after graduating college. I then moved on to sales where I worked for the #1 human resources software company in the country and gained invaluable and world class sales experience that definitely helped me know how sell for my business even with little experience. 

Did you always know you wanted to be an entrepreneur?

I didn't always know I would be an entrepreneur. In fact, when I was younger I wanted to be famous. Haha. Doesn't everybody? I thought I would end up being an actress, but I played softball all through high school and college. Sports took away time from me being able to get involved more in theatre so my path led me to adapting key business characteristics like resilience, goal-oriented, hard work ethic, competitive, leadership, team-work and confidence. Without those skills, I don't believe I would be where I am today. 

Take us back to when you first launched your business, what was your marketing strategy to get the word out and did it go as planned?

When I launched my business full-time, my marketing strategy was to post on social media, network with other women entrepreneurs and use instagram ads to get the word out. To be honest it wasn't very planned. I just knew how to do what I knew best and that was sell myself, sell the benefits of working with me and give valuable information to help my target audience. Come to find out it worked and as I got more comfortable and had more time to focus on marketing my business, I got very clear on what I needed to create to get my ideal client in the door. 

What is the biggest challenge you have encountered along the way and what did you learn from it?

The biggest challenge I have encountered along the way has been doing it all myself because when you first start off you are doing it all yourself. With the funds I had, I hired a web designer, copywriter and graphic designer to help me with tasks I just couldn't do or should be spending time on. I also hired a bookkeeper and business coach to help my business grow. The next thing for me is to hire help with admin and some social media content. In trying to do everything myself I learned that it only will lead to burn out, less balance and time away from revenue generating tasks. 

What is the accomplishment you are the most proud of to date?

The biggest accomplishment I'm proud of to date is marrying the most amazing man for me, my soulmate and husband, Andrew. Without him, I honestly feel I wouldn't have taken this journey to help women build their brand and grow their businesses so they can design their dream life. 

Do you believe in work/life balance? What are some of your best tips?

I believe in creating a life that works for you and that brings joy and gratitude. Balance to everyone means something different, so instead of trying to chase balance, I believe you can find joy in designing a life that brings you the most joy and impact through each phase of your life.

What's next for your business? What can we expect to see over the next few years?

I'm excited to launch a course to help women entrepreneurs gain confidence in promoting themselves as their personal brand. I want to educate women on how to sell themselves while still being true to who they are and in return make an even bigger impact while growing their income.  

What excites you about being an Entreprenista League member?

I am excited to be apart of The Entreprenista League because I get to be around and connect with talented go-getter women and I believe that if you want to become successful, who you spend your time is very important.