It takes a lot of effort to keep a business running, as Mary Jane Cole knows all too well.
The 25-year-old runs her own photography business called Mary Jane Cole Photography (MJCP), and more impressively, she does it all alone. I sat down with Cole to get the details on how MJCP was born, the challenges she faced, and her plans for the future.
Planting the Seed.
Cole always knew she wanted to be an artist. Right from the moment, she could hold a pencil, all she wanted to do was draw. Sleep be dammed.
Her love for Photography started a bit later. She found an old Nikon Coolpix while rummaging through a closet and started taking pictures of whatever caught her fancy.
One thing led to the other, and before she knew it, people from all over her town were offering to pay her to take photos of their families.
She wouldn’t realize it until much later, but this was a very significant moment in her life. It was the first time someone acknowledged her skill, saw value in it, and was willing to pay for it.
This small moment was a seed that eventually bloomed into MJCP.
The Birth of MJCP
After graduating high school, Cole moved to Ventura, California, to pursue her art. Moving to California was a big decision with many risks, and for the first few months, Cole worked odd jobs. She saved up what little she could and was eventually able to buy a decent DSLR.
Cole knew that if she wanted to be successful as an artist, she had to improve her reach, so she posted her pictures on Instagram. She stumbled her way through a Facebook business account and had business cards printed out.
They said Mary Jane Cole Photography.
Early days
In the early days, MJCP wasn’t the thriving, successful business that it is today.
In the first place, Cole still worked a day job, so she could not devote as much time and energy as she’d have liked to MJCP. Her client base was sparse, and apart from the occasional $100 shoot here and there, she’d sometimes go weeks without a single client.
But Cole was nothing if not persistent. “I think Passion and Persistence are both really important to make a living in Photography or any art. she said to me. “You are the only person holding yourself accountable for getting the work done and sometimes working long hours doing things that aren’t ‘fun.’ You face a lot of rejection, and you have to really want it. If the passion isn’t there, it won’t be worth it.”
Cole’s passion drove her persistence, and she refused to give up. If anything, she only became more tenacious. “I gave my card to waitresses and retail workers anytime I was out and saw someone that I thought could fit a vision I had.” She says. “Every year, I put a little more work into building a portfolio and finding an editing style and buying camera equipment and trying to create an online presence.”
Taking the leap
When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, Cole was affected just like everybody else. However, she decided to turn this challenge into an opportunity. “the COVID-19 19 pandemic hit, and my hours were significantly reduced at my job. I had so much free time all of the sudden to work on my website and write advertisements and invest in marketing education.”
She worked on improving every aspect of her business throughout the lockdown period, and when the lockdown ended, she took a leap and quit her old job.
The bookings have not stopped coming since.
Challenges: Efficiency vs. Authenticity
Running a business alone Is a lot of work, something Cole soon realized. She was in charge of every facet of the company, from customer relations to the actual shooting.
She has always had a fierce independent streak, so she struggled to outsource any of her work. She wants to maintain the integrity of her work, and that would be compromised if she gave parts of her work to others.
“I feel a lot of pride and responsibility for the work I do,” she says, “so I struggle a little bit with time management, sometimes not being able to delegate tasks or outsource. I want to always be honest about my work being solely my own. From a business standpoint, that limits my income ability and productivity a lot to do every part of the process, from the communication to editing alone. But I know my clients appreciate that I do what I do with integrity and a lot of passion.”
Resolving this conflict was one of the most significant challenges she has faced so far in her career. She said, “I’m learning my limits time-wise and energy-wise and becoming more organized to help streamline the parts of the process I can. I’ve had to learn to say no to projects I’m not passionate about to leave space for things that fit my vision and clients that value my work.”
The Future
Cole has a lot of plans. Big plans. One is her first solo gallery scheduled for completion next year. She’s also thinking about starting a culture collective, custom clothing, and even ar magazine.
Her words perfectly capture her dreams for the future.
“I basically want the future to be more of the present, but hopefully on a bigger scale.”