Over | Under: Jessica Lowell
I want you to meet Jessica Lowell. Since February, Jessica has been SAACA's primary contributing photographer. The majority of all the photos you see on the blog are taken by her.
Jessica is a photographer by trade. She founded and runs Five Fourteen Photography here in Georgia. From engagements to weddings; graduations to professional headshots, Jessica does it all. In her own words:
I am a wedding and brand photographer out of Northeast Georgia. As the owner of Five Fourteen Photography, LLC, it's my goal to not only serve my clients with beautiful images but to also impact their lives with more joy in doing so. I believe my photography is simply the gift that God uses to drive my mission in encouraging women both professionally and personally. I also volunteer time with and serve as Chairman of The Board with a 501c3 non-profit women’s residential ministry, Freedom Hill Home in Demorest, Georgia. When asked what my greatest accomplishments are, I say, “Being the parent to the most amazing young lady, Macy and marrying God’s gift to me, my wonderful husband, Rick”.
Jessica has been an integral part of the growth of the our team and SAACA more generally. And tonight, I want to give her the spotlight by opening up our Over | Under interview series with her. Scroll down to learn about her in her own words.
Are you over or under the age of 40?
I’m on the dot! 40 and loving it!
Everyone has to start somewhere. What was your first job?
My first job was at a retail clothing store, Cato. I was actually underage; my boss loved me and when I slipped up and said I was only 15 she was shocked! I filled out my birthday on the application correctly but she failed to do the math before hiring me. She unfortunately had to let me go on the spot; she was so upset but welcomed me back with open arms after my 16th birthday. It was there that I realized a career in clothing retail seemed more like an endless task of never-ending laundry folding. However it was just the beginning of my service-based career path.
What do you think of first impressions?
In both business and personal interactions first impressions are everything but they also shouldn’t be the end-all. Sometimes people (myself included) may fail at a great first impression but I believe we all deserve the grace and mercy of second chances. We never truly know what someone is going through at any given moment and once you’ve experienced hard seasons for yourself, you (or, I) tend to be more empathetic and understanding.
Tell us about the backstory of Five Fourteen Photography?
Five Fourteen is based on the scripture that reminds us we are to be the light in this world. I believe it is my purpose to not only empower my clients through beautiful images but to also ensure that they have a more joyful experience simply by being the one who gets to serve them.
Being a photographer was never on my radar however. After serving in womens prison ministry for a few years, I went back to college and received my BA degree in sociology where I had originally planned to be a counselor in the prison system. I have a heart for the people that much of society considers the cast-aways. God had a different plan for me though and after taking a few electives in photography I started photographing people and that’s when I fell in love.
I’ve been blessed that Five Fourteen has been successful ever since I first began dreaming of it and instead of working in the prison system my business allows me the flexibility to volunteer at a local women’s residential recovery home, Freedom Hill Home (Demorest, GA). I can not fully express the joy that I have because I get to serve two completely different atmospheres of life; one where people are celebrating big events and/or careers and the other where women need help, support and encouragement to find a better way to navigate life. (Freedom Hill Home is a non-profit faith-based residential women’s sober-living home. It is completely community supported and their goal is to offer a low or no-cost program to women struggling with addiction. For more information you may visit www.freedomhillhome.com )
What challenges have you faced unique to being a female entrepreneur?
I can honestly say none. I know at one time photography was dominated by mostly male photographers but that is no longer the case. I’ve taken everything I’ve learned in life and realized that all along God was molding me for just this.
What advice would you give your 20-something self if you could?
“Look up, it gets better”! If I’m being completely honest, I struggled with depression for most of my life. I was never that person who knew what she wanted to do with her life and more than once had teachers tell me I would never make anything of myself. Eventually, I believed it. As crazy as it may sound, I was set free when I started seeking God at the age of 27. That’s another story in itself but the short version is that my mother’s terminal cancer made me realize life is just too short to live in sadness and regret and that’s when I began “looking Up”.
Do you have a motto?
I tend to live by two words: Joy + Faith. Without both joy and faith, I would not be the woman I am today. Both joy and faith allow me to be a better mom, wife, sister, daughter and friend. They have allowed me to build a business that I love and that offers me the flexibility to also be present to be those things, also.
Ocean, lake, or pool?
Ocean! Hands down! My husband and I are scuba divers so anytime we can explore the ocean or a ship-wreck 100’ below, we go for it! I’m also a Long Island native; I grew up with so many great memories of the ocean and beach.
What three words describe your current life?
Blessed, Joyful, Abundant. I’m the “momma” to the most amazing young lady, I have a wonderful husband, we love our small-town in the Northeast Georgia Mountains, and my heart is full. Do I still have hard days or seasons, even? Yes. We all do. Part of life is navigating the seasons and I can honestly say I wouldn’t know how to fully appreciate the spring or summer if it were not for enduring the winter.
What advice would give to a woman looking to venture out on her own?
I always say that if you believe God is calling you to it, do it! There are some important things you might want to have in place before leaving the security of a job, of course. But just about every great business started as a “side-gig”. I would definitely follow Dave Ramsey for financial advice and read a few great business books like, The Big Leap, Quitter, The E-Myth, Rhinoceros Success, and Financial Peace. I would also say, spend more time listening to business (and faith) podcasts in the car than you do music. You’ll be surprised how much knowledge you can gain in the time you spend driving! Also, do not be afraid to ask for help; hiring a business coach may be the most important investment you ever make! Just like I type a destination into Waze and it tells me how to get there, having a coach in your industry who has already arrived can direct you on the right path to success.
You can find Jessica
On Instagram as fivefourteenphotography
On Facebook as fivefourteenphotography
On Pinterest as fivefourteenphotography
And on her homepage fivefourteenphotography.com
What a great start to “Over-Under”. I really enjoyed getting to know Jessica Lowell in this article. Fun to get to know another lovely person in your blog world. Have a great week!