Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Graham
Hi Jessica, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I was raised in a small rural town called Dade City just above Tampa, Florida. I come from a huge family of artists, so I consider my artistic ability a major part of my heritage. I tell people all the time that my creativity was not a decision that I made, but rather is a gift from God passed down to me. I see it as my responsibility to act on the gift of talent instead of wasting it! When I graduated from high school, I moved to Tampa right away. I have always been enamored with the buzz of a city- any city, really – but Tampa is the one I love. Like most college kids, I changed my major several different times. I guess I have never been a fan of the traditional route. It took years to figure out exactly what I wanted to do. Since “what I wanted to do” wasn’t exactly on the college application form, I decided to go for art and then just emphasized photography. People get a real kick out of me when they find out I love photography and refuse to do “weddings and babies” all in the same breath. My reasoning is simple. I put myself through college by working in restaurants. I’ve been doing this since I was fourteen years old. That puts me right around TWENTY years in the hospitality industry. I really do love customer service. However, I have always said that when I hang my apron for the last time, I want to be done kissing people’s feet – and that would definitely include appeasing new brides and young mothers. Thanks to COVID-19, it appears that day may have finally come. Instead, I’ve had a different vision in my head, and I’m finding myself with an opportunity bigger than ever before. Somewhere in the last ten years, I started working specifically in the travel niche of the hospitality industry. I’ve worked in a couple of hotels, but the last eight years have been spent at the Tampa International Airport. I was honored to be on the opening team of the Columbia Restaurant… and then again on the opening team of the Cigar City Brewery. Tampa has spent billions of dollars on renovating and expanding not just the airport but our entire city. I took a serious interest in this expansion. It grew my passion for Tampa more and more every day. I was blessed to have a management team that instilled the importance of becoming an ambassador of Tampa- of our home! I was taught early on that I play a very important role in this process simply because of my job. Not just any ambassador, but an ambassador of Tampa.
That’s my real job. Every guest that crossed my path in the last ten years… that was my sole role. I didn’t see it at first, but again, I was blessed to work with mentors that opened my eyes to this idea. The more I understood how important it is to play my part, the more I wanted to expand on it. It is only natural that this role would trickle into my entrepreneurial dreams. Before long, I realized that my photography could be used in a way that would continue this role as an ambassador. I could teach the outsiders about the love we have for this great city, and I could use my talent to bless my neighbors with beautiful art that represent places and memories near and dear to their hearts. Currently, my artwork has been purchased by a major television network and is represented in every guest room of two different well-known hotels in Tampa. Since COVID, I’ve had the opportunity to build on my photography and what I’ve learned after being in business for the last five years. I have expanded into helping other small business owners build their companies while using my design skills, developing websites, and implementing social media strategies. Little did I know last March that 2020 would end up being the last push to hang my apron for the last time and truly allow my talents to shine and serve my local community. It has been a dream come true!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
My biggest struggle was knowing exactly how to invest both money and time in my photography starting out. I was blessed to have a disposable income where I could pick and choose different avenues to try to grow my business and get my photography in front of the right people. By the process of trial and error, I have tried almost all the social media platforms and many different strategies for growing a following and raising sales. I have sold artwork from Amazon and Etsy. I tried at least two hand fulls of website hosting. In fact, I have built my own e-commerce website over again from scratch at least five times now. I was featured in several different shows, festivals, and even farmer’s markets. I tried my hand at being featured on different stock photography websites. Ironically, my photography was found in ways I never could have imagined. My first online sale went to a major television network to be used in a very well known primetime drama. In December of 2020, a major hotel opened in downtown Tampa that not only has my work in every guest room but also hosts a large piece of mine in a public courtyard with high foot traffic. While it is frustrating to think of the time and money I wasted on the wrong avenues in the beginning, it still managed to lead me to the right people. There really is no equivalent for time and experience when it comes to being an entrepreneur. It’s all part of the journey.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
I specifically focus on taking quality pictures of local scenes, both well known and hidden treasures. I want my customers to have the opportunity to have their own cityscapes on their walls at home instead of going to big chain corporations and purchasing cookie-cutter canvas prints of the Eiffel Tower or the Brooklyn Bridge.
What makes you happy?
Offering true southern hospitality and being welcoming to others has been ingrained in me since I was young. My career in the travel industry only strengthened that. My photography is actually fulfilling this desire by welcoming people into my home- OUR city. Making others happy first by making them feel included is truly the end goal of my vision.
Contact Info:
- Email: jessica@atimeandplacedesign.com
- Website: www.atimeandplacedesign.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/atimeandplacedesign
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/atimeandplacedesign
- Other: www.inapinchva.com
