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The Pursue Purpose Podcast

The Pursue Purpose Podcast

Written by: Jacqueline Benét
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 Welcome to the Pursue Purpose Podcast. This podcast is for ambitious women who want to cultivate a meaningful life in the pursuit of their purpose. After achieving the highest level of academic success yet feeling unfulfilled, I was left wondering what was next. Through photography, I discovered my purpose in helping women feel seen, understand their self worth, and live their best lives. I quit my scientific career path for a life full of freedom and flexibility. And now I want to teach and inspire other women to pursue their purpose. Thank you for being here, and let's get started!2024 Art Careers Economics Personal Success
Episodes
  • How to Stay Motivated in the Pursuit of Your Purpose

    How to Stay Motivated in the Pursuit of Your Purpose
    May 13 2025
    In this episode of the Pursue Purpose Podcast, I'm diving into what it really takes to stay motivated in the pursuit of your purpose—especially when distractions are everywhere and progress feels slow. I share how reconnecting with your why can help you move beyond busywork and focus on what truly matters in your business and life. From heartfelt stories of recent client sessions as a Seattle Maternity Photographer to honest reflections on motherhood and ambition, this episode is a gentle reminder that you're probably already living parts of the dream you're chasing—and that purpose-driven work is worth every step. Welcome to the Pursue Purpose Podcast. This podcast is for ambitious women who want to cultivate a meaningful life in the pursuit of their purpose. After achieving the highest level of academic success, yet feeling unfulfilled, I was left wondering what was next. I discovered my purpose in helping women feel seen, understand their self-worth, and live their best lives. I quit my scientific career path for a life full of freedom and flexibility. And now I want to teach and inspire other women to pursue their purpose. Thank you for being here, and let's get started. Hey guys. Welcome back to the Pursue Purpose Podcast. Today I want to talk about staying motivated in the pursuit of your purpose. It is really challenging these days to stay focused and motivated when there are so many distractions out there—with social media notifications that pop up, we get on our phone to look for something and suddenly our attention turns to something else because of a popup. And then we forget the thing we actually went on our phone to do. With that, we have constant focus issues and also just feeling a lack of motivation sometimes to really do the things that are going to move the needle forward in our business. I think we often look for low-hanging fruit—the tasks that just keep us feeling busy. There will always be so many tasks to do, but we need to look for which ones to prioritize that will actually move the needle forward toward your end goal in your business. For me, editing, for example, is something I need to do. It's an easy task for me and it's fun because I like to watch silly reality shows while I'm editing. But it's not actually going to find me more clients, so it's not a task that's really important in that sense. I shouldn't be doing that first thing in the morning or as the first thing I do that day, because I might end up taking the whole day to edit—and it's fun—but I should be doing the things that will actually help me serve you, help my clients, or find more clients. That's where I started thinking more about how we stay focused, how we stay motivated toward the end goal in our businesses. And the key is going to be finding your why, because business is really hard and we need to have a reason for why we're doing it. It can't just be to make some money. Of course, in a business you need to make money, but to find your why is really the heart of it all—the reason you're actually pursuing something. The purpose for why you're doing what you're doing. And if you can find that and constantly remind yourself of what it is, it will help you stay motivated to move the needle forward in the tasks that might be harder but are truly more important. For me, I do the work that I do because I want women to feel seen, to really embody a beautiful life for themselves that they are cultivating—because the day-to-day can feel so mundane sometimes. The women that I work with are so ambitious. They are always striving for the dream life, for the next thing, and I help them see that they are already living it. I recently had my motherhood event, and the feedback I got from that just helped me solidify that I am pursuing my purpose and following my why. It truly helps me stay motivated and keep going. One mom said, "It has been a while since I have felt that beautiful as a new mama." She said, "I have been deep in the new mom struggle, and I am so glad I treated myself to this." Another mom said, "I am sure all the mamas felt radiant and so special because of you." And that just made me feel so good because I spent a lot of energy and focus toward making sure these moms felt super seen, felt beautiful—and they haven't even seen the images yet. They just had that experience of feeling like someone was looking after them and really helping them see who they are in this moment, as someone who's just living this beautiful life. And when you're a mom, it can feel so hard. Yesterday, I had an artwork call with a newborn session client and she was oohing and awing over the photos, which was amazing. And then she said, "I wish I still looked that pretty." And she kind of laughed, but I think there's something deeper there, because being a mom is so hard—and when you're in the thick of it, especially in those first six months when you sometimes can't even leave the house. I think it's so ...
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    8 mins
  • Three Steps to Build Your Business Around Your Dream Life

    Three Steps to Build Your Business Around Your Dream Life
    Apr 16 2025
    In this episode of the Pursue Purpose Podcast, I'm sharing a nine-month update since leaving my corporate job and stepping fully into life as an entrepreneur. I talk about the unexpected challenges I've faced, the wins that have kept me going, and what I've learned about building a business that truly supports the life I want to live. This episode also dives into Three Steps to Build Your Business Around Your Dream Life—a framework to help you align your work with your values, your energy, and your definition of "enough." Whether you're navigating a big transition or craving more intention in your business, this conversation will give you both encouragement and clarity. As a Seattle Maternity Photographer and a Seattle Wedding Photographer, I've been photographing people for over a decade and love helping women pursue a life of purpose—and I'm so excited to share more of that journey with you! Hey guys. Welcome back to the Pursue Purpose Podcast. Today I'm giving you a nine-month update since I quit my corporate job. I'll also be talking about building your business around the dream life you want to live. I'm recording this just as spring has sprung, so it's super exciting to have better weather. I've been seeing more sunny days now, and my garden is popping. I've got daffodils going strong, and I just planted a bunch of flowers in the window box outside the front of our house. I'm starting to wear sundresses more, which is super fun for me too. I just love spring so much. The cherry blossoms are blooming, and it feels like life again. We are definitely coming out of those winter blues, and I was really feeling them this year. Part of that was just constantly getting sick—over and over—and our nanny and her family getting sick too. We were just in and out of sick cycles so much. But the last few weeks we've had very steady childcare. No one's been getting sick (knock on wood), and it's just been so nice to feel alive again. On the other hand, I did injure my back and strain my quad and hip flexor. I was sprinting at the gym, and it was super dumb. I thought "mind over matter" and pushed myself too hard because my brain was like, "You can do this!" But I think it's a reminder that even if you can push yourself, it doesn't mean you should—especially if you have an aging body like I do. I definitely strained some muscles and tweaked my back, so I was out of the gym for a good two weeks, which was really, really sad. It was painful mentally to not be able to get up and do the things I wanted, to feel like I was making progress on my fitness goals and then suddenly have to stop. But it was also physically painful too. So—don't do that. Make sure you're taking care of your body. If you're going to push yourself, do it gently and be kind to yourself. Listen to your body. That's my TED Talk on not pushing too hard. On the business side, this week has been amazing. I booked three weddings, and it was such a welcome relief after a few months of not booking anything wedding-related. I've definitely been booking boudoir and maternity portraits in my studio, which is amazing, but I was wondering what was going on in the wedding world. It was so nice to get confirmation and validation—and to have three new weddings on the books this week alone. I also started a four-month mentorship for a coaching client. It's a one-on-one, biweekly video call setup. I give her feedback, assignments, and we have a whole roadmap for getting her to where she wants to be. It's very individualized, and I love doing these. I have two spots left. If you're listening and want one-on-one help—if you've been thinking, "How can I get to the next place in my business?"—I would love to support you. I enjoy it so much. Looking back at when I started my business 10 or 11 years ago, there's so much I would do differently now. And I love the excitement of building something from scratch. Even if you're partway through building your business and feeling stuck, or you've hit a plateau, I love troubleshooting and figuring out how we can get you to where you want to be. I only take three one-on-one coaching clients at a time. It's very involved and a lot of work to put together, but I like being able to fully support each client instead of doing it halfway. So—just a little PSA if you want to do a four-month mentorship with me. Those are kind of the updates for what's been going on recently. It's lovely to still be in full-time entrepreneurship, momming, doing all the things, and not working a nine-to-five. It still feels really good. I will say, though, it was really tough not booking weddings for a couple of months. Cash flow gets tricky, and it's hard when your business is seasonal and unpredictable. It messes with your mind—you feel like you're doing all the right things and nothing's happening. You wonder, "Why aren't the bookings coming?" And then, suddenly, they all come at once and you're like, "Why now?" The ...
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    18 mins
  • How To Stand Out in a Saturated Market

    How To Stand Out in a Saturated Market
    Apr 3 2025
    Description: In this episode of the Pursue Purpose Podcast, I'm sharing how you can stand out in a saturated market and build a business that's true to you. I talk about my own experience navigating the crowded photography industry, what I've learned about personal branding, developing your unique style, and building real relationships that lead to lasting success. If you've ever felt overwhelmed by the competition or unsure how to set yourself apart, this episode will give you practical steps and encouragement to carve out your own space and grow a purposeful, sustainable business. As a Wedding Photographer in Seattle I have been in business for over a decade. I have moved locations and although I still do San Diego Wedding Photography I have experienced what it was like to start from scrach and then start over again in a new market. I hope my insights help you! Transcript: Welcome to the Pursue Purpose Podcast. This podcast is for ambitious women who want to cultivate a meaningful life in the pursuit of their purpose. After achieving the highest level of academic success, yet feeling unfulfilled, I was left wondering what was next. I discovered my purpose in helping women feel seen, understand their self worth, and live their best lives. I quit my scientific career path for a life full of freedom and flexibility. And now I want to teach and inspire other women to pursue their purpose. Thank you for being here, and let's get started. Hey guys. Welcome back to another episode of the Pursue Purpose Podcast. Today I am talking about breaking out of a saturated industry. How to market yourself and stand out among the crowd. And of course, I'm doing this from a photography perspective. But if you're in a different industry, you can probably still take away relevant information from this. I actually recently got back from a conference. It's called Hybrid Co. It's for photographers who shoot both film and digital photography. A lot of them are wedding photographers. And it was really cool to be able to go and see some of my online friends, people that I've known for many, many years. I've been in this community for so long, and I've always wanted to go to this conference, but I was never able to because I had my nine to five and with the nine to five and the two kids and all of the things. I just felt like being away for four or five days for a conference just wasn't in the cards until this year. So it was really amazing to go and get to see everyone. And it's funny because some people recognized me, some of them didn't even know why I looked familiar necessarily, but it is weird because we see each other's faces online in posts. I have actual online friends, but to see them in person is different. And so it was really exciting and cool to get to connect with people in person. Being recognized wasn't something that I was expecting, but that made me realize that in a sea of photographers, somehow I have stood out to some people. That being said, there's also 300 people at this conference and most people didn't know who I was. And so of course, there's work to do there. Because we're all doing the same things. We're all contributing to the noise on social media where we're posting the same kinds of images. And when you think about your clients, if you think about brides looking for a photographer, there's a lot out there and it's overwhelming and it's hard to sift through and know who is the person that is your ideal photographer for you. The right personality, the right style, all of those things. And so to be able to stand out of that sea of images or a sea of people, it's crucial to be able to run a solid business. So that's what I want to talk about today. For me, it has always been about investing in myself and the education of either on the photography side or on the business side to continue to find ways to improve and grow. Nothing that I want to say today is going to be that short term quick fix all of a sudden. You've gone viral and you stand out. It's really about putting in small nuggets of pieces that will help you grow slowly over time. If you're looking for this to be a career long term, that's really what you need to be thinking about. Your end goal years from now. What is your actual purpose and where do you want to take your career and business and life. And so thinking more on the terms of what pieces can I put into place now to slowly grow over time and then stand out amongst the crowd. Those are the things that I want you to be thinking about. When I first started photography in 2013 shooting weddings, our brand was called Whiskers and Willow Photography. It was my husband and I. It was not cat related, but I got a lot of questions about are we cat people because it says whiskers. But it was actually supposed to be a nod to my husband, masculine, whiskers versus Willow being feminine. And so it's supposed to be the masculine and feminine. I think around that time, that brand, the ...
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    20 mins
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