Meet Meech Jennings: Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Meech Jennings and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Meech, what do you want your legacy to be?
I want my legacy to be about sharing resources, unconditional love, and impacting others in positive ways, always. Without the ability to love others unconditionally, sharing resources nor impacting others would be possible. Any opportunity given to me is not just for me but for those I love and support too. I’ve learned that simply mentioning someone’s name in a room can allow a door to open for them. Hate doesn’t get anyone far so doing everything in love is huge to me. Putting someone else on won’t diminish what you have to offer, it only elevates you and your character. That’s what I represent.

It’s so important to me that people remember that I’m not a role model but I’m human. I’ve had ups and downs but I smile through everything because I know I’ll prevail. I want people to remember that my joy and unconditional love is everything that I am and what keeps me positive in life. I want my life to be an example to myself but still serve as inspiration to those around me to be even better than what I am.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am the owner of Meech Made Media, LLC and I use my photography business to capture my clients in their most intimate life events. Whether it be birthdays, their music, weddings, pregnancies, or products/merchandise, I work very hard to adapt and shape an experience that allows my customers to be most comfortable and happy with the vision they want to bring to life.

I’ve been in business officially since December of 2020, however, I’ve had experiences with film photography long before getting my first professional camera. I’m a one-woman show and I take pride in the fact I am trying to figure this all out by myself. It’s not easy but I try to stay encouraged in all ways I know how!

Growing up, I’ve known for a long time that media and photography would be my career goal. Working 9-5 jobs have been instilled in myself and many others like me for a long time but I realized that didn’t suit the creative individual I am. Initially, I wanted to go into radio but once I graduated from UNC-Greensboro, I realized how much I needed to work to get into some kind of financial stability.

This ended up pushing me into a job that I didn’t want to be at for about 2-3 years. I was grateful, don’t get me wrong, but everyday was difficult because I knew I didn’t want to be there. At that point in time, I was just doing photography as a side hustle because I was scared to rely on it as my full income. I had a lot of doubts and I sure didn’t believe in myself 100% so that held me back more than anything.

I don’t really make New Year resolutions but coming into 2020, I had every intention on leaving my job in December of that year to become a full time photographer. It had to be God´s reassurance because I was SO sure of myself this time. I knew that I was truly holding myself back from everything that was already planned for me.

From that point in 2020, I started to move different. I started to save more, prepare my plan, search out everything I needed to follow through with my business. I even started to change my attitude about my 9-5. It wasn’t until then, I started to see and feel things shift for me. I started to appreciate my process and I felt like God seen that in me too because when October came around, I was offered a position as a school photographer.

I felt that everything was perfect timing. Even being blessed 3 months sooner with what I prayed for just had me in awe. My current job works perfectly with my business schedule and allows me now do what I love every day. This journey to get here truly took letting go of those fears and trusting that God would provide and make a way out of what I thought was no way. It took me a while, but my biggest lesson in this process is not to compare your journey to anyone else’s.

Any path you choose that’s less traveled is always going to be hard to follow through with. There’s no manual to life or having a business and everyone’s timing is never the same. I have no regrets because I could be upset I didn’t push myself sooner but there’s something in me now that I didn’t have then and that was probably what I needed to get here. Choose yourself everyday and do what elevates you in the direction you want to go in life.

My business has yet to reach its potential and it’s easy to just stop right here but I only plan to keep going. I’m excited to see where my business goes from here and to being an inspiration to others that need it!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’m a foodie so if anything, we’d be eating more than anything! I’d take my best friend to some of my favorite restaurants in Charlotte like Pío Pío, Midnight Diner, Stir, Queen’s Soul Food, Freshwaters, Cajun Queen, and New Zealand Cafe. There’s a lot of cute arcade bars like Slate, Pins Mechanical Co, and Slingshot that have great drinks and games like skee-ball, pool, and ping pong. Some of the most fun things to check out in Charlotte are the Airport Overlook where the planes take off and the PlantHouse where you can build your own terrariums.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to shoutout God, first and foremost, for blessing me with the gifts I have and allowing me to share them with you all. I want to shoutout my sister, my mom, and brother for being my source of encouragement and love everyday. I want to shoutout my supportive boyfriend for pushing me into my calling and gifting my first camera. I want to shoutout all of my friends (that are really my sisters) for always hyping me and being my biggest fans through everything. I want to shoutout and thank every loyal client that has booked with me and believed in my work. I’m forever grateful that I have been chosen many times to capture their biggest life moments. Thank you to those who believe in me and anyone who’s ever reposted my work. Lastly, but definitely not least, I want to shoutout Chi Ilochi for mentioning my name for this opportunity. She used her platform to elevate mine without even being asked and I am forever grateful for that.

Website: meechmademedia.com

Instagram: instagram.com/meechmademedia

Facebook: Meech Jennings

Other: https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=19247283

Image Credits
Meech Made Media, LLC