Let's get the conversation started!

Welcome ThrivTALK's first episode of season 1. Jenn Ocken and producer Samantha Morgan kick off the conversation by explaining who should be listening to this podcast and what exactly they're going to be talking about.

Hint... it's for people who need a some legit energizing to act on their own creative endeavors. These are real talks, and we want you to talk back! Drop a message or a comment to be part of the conversation. GO!

AUDIO VERSION

This version is different than the video version.

TRANSCRIPT

Samantha Morgan: All right, let's give it another-

Jenn Ocken: So this is our first official recording of ThrivTalk.

Samantha Morgan: It is. This is it. I mean, we have done practice episode zero, but this is the official episode one. Jenn-Jenn.

Jenn Ocken: Jenn-Jenn.

Samantha Morgan: We are here having a conversation in your living room with all the dogs, with all the noise, with all the things, because we really wanted to show you in your real-life authentic self.

Jenn Ocken: This is it.

Samantha Morgan: Because so much of what you have to share with other people is your authenticity in the journey that you've taken over the last 20 years. So I thought today, if we could set the stage, and fortunately everyone cooperated.

Jenn Ocken: They all got the memo.

Samantha Morgan: They all got the memo to be authentic. But if we could set the stage and you could tell everybody a little bit about your 20-year career in photography and how it started and how you got to be here today.

Jenn Ocken: Right on. Well, it is interesting working with you, Sam, because we do have a lot of raw, organic conversations, and so doing this podcast like this is just right up our alley. The thing about it and what we've been talking about a lot is that the Jenn that is the photographer that everybody sees today is in a lot of ways the same person that started off. I never really got burnout. I never really lost steam. I did have highs and lows in my career, but I have that same drive and passion and excitement when I create and take pictures, which I think is a super awesome blessing, but it's something that I cultivate. And because I've expanded and cultivated into this blossoming career, I now have an amazing team behind me that works with me, has been working with me for years. So with all of that to be said, we're introducing ThrivTalk. We're introducing me. We're introducing what it takes to be a creative and talking through the highs and lows of moving into an entrepreneur. But what you see now doesn't have to take 20 years to produce, but is 20 years in the making because that was my journey. And so for one, I want to come right off the bat and I don't want anybody who is listening, no matter where you're at in your journey that is listening to this podcast, that you are going to be me because I'm not even where I want to be. Like I'm still expanding and I'm still doing things and trying out things and going through some stuff that I want to evolve on. But at the same time, I was a solo person. I had a lot of highs and lows. I had a lot of trials. I had a lot of tribulations. I had a lot of celebrations. I had a lot of noes. I had some, "Oh, hell, yeses." So when you see me as the person that I am today as a creative making it and really making it, I have done it and I'm very grateful for it. But this isn't an overnight success. This isn't something that I cultivated in the last three or four years. I move a lot faster now. I move a lot faster now, and that's what I wanted. Sam and I had this really great conversation just this morning about how, even though I've been at it for 20 years, not everybody has to take that long. I really want to share experiences and share the tools and share the things that I think that are very important to create a foundation so that creatives and an entrepreneur can move through things faster than what I did.

Samantha Morgan: All right, because I'm in my 40s and I'm looking to do something different, and I've started this secondary career, and I definitely don't want to be 65 before I am enjoying the fruits of my labor.

Jenn Ocken: Right. And I've got other things to do and just because I'm starting a new avenue and starting over in a career doesn't mean that I have to take as long, work as hard. I don't have to make the same mistakes. I don't have to feel the same shame or even different shames.

Samantha Morgan: Or go through…

Jenn Ocken: It's a maturity that I can share, yeah, that I can definitely share and some tricks, and it's just going to be really raw, organic. What do you need as listeners? We're really open to hearing what you guys need so that we can move through experiences and move through what it takes to actually become successful in your definition of success.

Samantha Morgan: Let's jump back to the word team because I really think that that is something that we tend to all do. We stack ourselves up against people. It's a natural thing. You see somebody on the street, your immediate thought is, you start comparing them to yourself. So when we see people on social media or on their websites or in business, whatever we're doing that we're interested in, we tend to start trying to replicate that without realizing that there's a whole group of people back there doing a lot of the work. So if you could share with people what your team involves and includes, let's start from who are the people that are part of your team?

Jenn Ocken: My longest running team member has been an office manager, someone to help answer the phones, do the invoicing, and fortunately, I've had the same person for almost 10 years. I've had a variety of office managers that have been very loyal to me for 13 years. That's one of the things that I really decided, that was what's going to generate more income for me. Not somebody else that's going to go out and photograph. I do have other photographers that go out and shoot for me and for the company, and I've been working with them for almost 15 years now. But the office manager, the someone to do those, answer the phone calls, even if they couldn't answer the questions, they could filter them so that I was still shooting, I was still doing things, being able to meet with clients and not have to worry about spreading myself too thin. And she has been one of my most... She, because I've always had a female, one of my biggest assets. That mind shift thing about having to pay people was having to pay somebody. She literally is my favorite bill to pay because of all the value that she brings, the sanity and the extra income. I can't specifically point out how much income she brings to me, but I know I bring in a lot more income, probably more than doubled my income over the years because of having a office manager, somebody to help me organize and stay organized.

Samantha Morgan: Well, I mean, the old saying goes, you got to spend money to make money, right?

Jenn Ocken: You do have to spend money to make money, but you have to have that mindset behind spending that money. You can't be scared to spend money to make money. You can't be hesitant. You have to affirm. I was talking to a colleague, fellow creative the other day, and again, we have been working side-by-side for years now, and he's like, "Jenn, I have in my mind what I want." And we realized that he tried to problem-solve when he couldn't find what he wanted instead of waiting and being patient for what he wanted to come. And so he was spending money, but he really wasn't spending... That's not where he wanted to spend the money. That mindset behind the money is very valuable. We're going to do a podcast on pricing and all of that coming down in this season, I think.

Samantha Morgan: It's so important. And let's give a little preview of the season. Since this is the first episode, let's tell people what they're going to be expecting to hear this season. If you could give a little tease. A little tease.

Jenn Ocken: Well, it's pretty interesting because as I have been a mentor in creative business people, I've realized that the way we think about all the parts and all the layers, and especially our foundation in creating a business foundation is about mindset. So we're going to lean into what I call different pillars of points of views that I feel is very important, that very much helped me establish direction in where I wanted to go. I did not have that early in my career, hence the 20 years in the making. If I would have known what I do now, I move through things so much faster now because I have the mindset and I have the tools. I go back to some of these tools on the reg just almost daily because of the stuff that I have created to help me stay organized and to help me stay focused. So I want to talk about a foundation that gives creatives the ability to stand firmly and confident for themselves. Not comparable against what other people are doing, but these are my talents, this is my experience, this is what makes me so valuable. And to hone in and cultivate and celebrate those once you understand what it is that they are. In talking about what the season is going to be like, it is going to be... I don't want it to be all about me. There's a lot of valuable lessons that I can relate to in explaining things, but I want it to be just touching on how you can build that confidence, lean into what it is that you love doing, what brings you joy, cultivating and harnessing that passion that you have for what you do as a creative, whatever that is. Or even if you have a social movement that you're moving through, if you're working with people in the community, if you are a healthcare provider or even an intuitive healing practitioner, what is it that just really brings you a sense of purpose, and let's lean into that and cultivate that. And what brings me a sense of purpose and the feels I get from that is totally different than anybody that I work with, so I can't really give you a step-by-step process, even though I have the lean in exercise and the mindset exercises that help you actually hone in on what it is that you're good at, whatever that is, however that looks to you, then cultivating it into confident.

Samantha Morgan: I'm not sure if this is correct or not, but I hear that you have these exercises on your website.

Jenn Ocken: It's totally, we do. And they're free, courtesy, or not courtesy of...

Samantha Morgan: She was about to give me the credit for all of her work. It's awesome. All I did was hit upload or copy and paste. That's it. That's all I did.

Jenn Ocken: No, yes, I have. And they're called the lean in exercises because that is what you're doing. You're leaning into something that is giving you purpose and passion, but you just don't know how to really utilize it.

Samantha Morgan: So let's give people maybe a little bit of homework to do if they want to go onto the website. Where would be the starting point? What would be the thing that they want to look at first?

Jenn Ocken: It really depends on where you're at. And you can go on the website. There's four different free downloads depending on where you're at. But the great thing is, you go on there, you've assessed what is on there, you download it, you get an email from me. If you respond to that email and ask me a question, that exact question, where do I need to start, and give me a little background, I will answer that email. The only stipulation is you have to do it once you become someone interested in what I have to offer. You don't have to buy into anything. I don't have paid membership as of now. I don't know if I ever will. That's the beautiful thing about ThrivTalk is that it's organically ever evolving into what our listeners are going to need. And that's very, very, very, very, very important to me. And going back to the community and the team that I've cultivated, I have the office manager, I have the second photographers. I have Sam as a podcast producer. But the other thing that have-

Samantha Morgan: Slash website extraordinaire.

Jenn Ocken: Absolutely. The other thing that I have is the community that is of benefit for us both to rise up together. And I can't really be here without them. And so I'm encouraging interaction with me on some level. If I am online, I want you to ask questions. I want that organic, raw, real conversation because in that space, we're going to be able to speak truths that aren't manufactured, that aren't contrived, that aren't trying to sell anybody anything. My whole philosophy has always been, if we come up together, then we're all going to be successful. And it goes back to some of my interns that just don't have time to work with me anymore. And it's like, "That's the goal. We need you to fly." I need you to do that because when you go out and you're successful, that's bringing more success back onto me. And then you're passing on your success to the next set of people that need, however that looks, whether you're utilizing your talents or you're utilizing your knowledge or wisdom, only you can answer that. But the main thing is that group of people that you surround yourself with is very important in the success and part of the team and a part of my persona. I mean, I live a very balanced life because I have created a solid set of friends and people that I connect with on a social level or on a personal level that uplift me. And then I have colleagues that uplift me, and then the people that work with me and for me, and together the solid foundation where we all are like-minded in the respects that we're here to build each other up.

Samantha Morgan: Perfect. I think that frames up what we're planning to talk about this season. We've had plenty of crazy chaos moments today, so I think you get the idea. Real candid conversations. Well, we will see you next time and... We've got no good sign off, so...

Jenn Ocken: Yeah, we're still working on that.

Samantha Morgan: Oh, wait, I got it. Ready?

Jenn Ocken: Right. Right.

Samantha Morgan: Get out of our house.

Jenn Ocken: Until next time, y'all.

Samantha Morgan: Or that.