Jenni Chase is a mompreneur who has a knack for pursuing creativity and turning it into a business. But more than that, she knows her value -- as a wife, as a mom, and as a creative. Join us as we talk about knowing your value when it comes to saying yes - and no - as a mompreneur. 

Connect with Jenni...

...over her art on Facebook, IG, or her website.  You can find her art for sale at Coastal Flow Gifts

...over her photography on Facebook, IG, or her website

Jennie's favorite gadgets are her electric tea kettle and  her Instant Pot.

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This is a transcript of the This Mom Knows Podcast - Episode - 30

Jennifer Uren
Jenni Chase is a wife, Mom and lover of Jesus. She and her family chased their dreams and moved to Florida where they have been able to flex their creative muscles and try new things. Jenny is a musician, photographer, artist, and designer. So welcome, Jenni.

Jenni Chase
Hi.

Jennifer Uren
Uh, well, we just introduced you. But maybe tell us a little bit more about yourself. Like where you're from originally your favorite thing about Florida, which I think I know..

Jenni Chase
Yes...

Jennifer Uren
Things like that.

Jenni Chase
Well, I'm from Illinois, I was born there. And the only time I ever lived anywhere else from my childhood was when I went to college. So I basically was in Illinois, most of my life and went to college in St. Paul, Minnesota, and then came back and worked there for 10 years or so after college. And so now we live in Florida. We've been here for five years. And the thing I love most is the beach and the warm weather. And yeah, I wouldn't - I wouldn't change it. I pid my dues with the Midwest and I'm thoroughly glad I live in Florida. But...

Jennifer Uren
Well I was gonna say the shelling was your favorite.

Jenni Chase
Oh, yes. Shelling too! I guess there are several favorites. So beach includes the shelling.

Jennifer Uren
Now, did you go to Northwestern?

Jenni Chase
No, I went to Bethel.

Jennifer Uren
You went to Bethel. Other side of the lake. Got it. Okay. I was baptized in that lake. So...

Jenni Chase
I forget that you have roots up there that you had connections up there.

Jennifer Uren
Yeah, yeah, that's where I grew up. So um, well, today, we're going to talk about something that I've observed that you you're very good at, which I think is cultivating creativity. And you and I met several years ago, I don't know if you remember this, but you were the photographer for a wedding. And I was the wedding coordinator. And your second shooter had a camera bag that I fell in love with.

Jenni Chase
I don't remember that at all. That's funny. Was it? Do you remember what the wedding or who it was for?

Jennifer Uren
Yeah, I think it was the Papritz Wedding.

Jenni Chase
Yes. Okay. I was gonna say, I think it was the Papritz, which I've only done like three weddings. I'm not a wedding photographer.

Jennifer Uren
Okay.

Jenni Chase
I mean, I'll do it when I can. And you know, the people I love. But that's funny that of all the places we ran across each other that was it.

Jennifer Uren
That's where we met! So yeah. And then I just continued to bump into you, which you know, was often around Upwards sports photos. And, and then you had your Studio Share. And one of the things that really has always impressed me was how you pursued business in a way that was simple, elegant, and it served your family. And so you know, I'd love to know how you went about setting up your businesses that way? Did you..was it accidental? Was it intentional? Did you change things? Tell me about how you set things up.

Jenni Chase
Actually, it was interesting to hear you describe it with those words, because I was like, Huh, I guess I really haven't seen the thread of that through all of these things. So I, you know, I think it's just part of my own desire to see it come to fruition in a style that I wanted it to. So I don't think it was an intentionally set out that with those specific words of, you know, how they were going to play out, but just came from my personhood, I guess. Right.

Jennifer Uren
But, but they were that way. So. So what did you do when you set up your businesses to keep them simple and to keep them working around your family's needs?

Jenni Chase
Yeah, would describe to me more what you mean by simple does it just in that, like, it looks like easy from your perspective, or that -- describe that more to me.

Jennifer Uren
So what I observed was, it was very clear, this is what I offer, you didn't offer 47 things you like this, it was very clear how you got it, how you went about doing it, and you had good boundaries, it wasn't a, you know, walk into a giant menu board and you know, and if somebody my observation was, if somebody came to you and said, I'd kind of like to do it this way. If it was within your parameter, you might do it. Otherwise, you might say, Yeah, I don't I don't do that. So but yeah, person does. That's kind of what I was observing.

Jenni Chase
Well, I think some of it comes from just sheer experience, like 2006 is when I picked up a camera for the first time. And so I've had a photography business, if we're talking about the studio share or other things like that for a lot of years, and so just interacting with all kinds of clients and learning what I love to do and what I didn't love to do that that's where it started. But I also did pay for and seek out business coaching, which was super helpful in just really defining exactly what I was doing and what I wanted to accomplish. And it was worth that investment of time and money to get a clear purpose and stick with it. So that has really helped to,

Jennifer Uren
Okay, so it's really all about clarity, this simplicity comes because of the clarity of what you want to do, not only you, in your business, but what you want to do within your business and what you want to outsource?

Jenni Chase
Yes. And definitely Yeah, there was more, it was a personal growth thing. And it was also a, understanding my clientele thing. So knowing exactly who my target market was, and exactly the things that I love to do that I stuck doing those and the things that I didn't love to do that hire that out. So, um, it just, it was clarity to understand exactly what my role was and who I was serving and how to serve them best. So yeah,

Jennifer Uren
I think that's, I mean, that's a really important place to start. Because I think a lot of times we see, I want a business, and we don't think that through. When you hired your coaches, was that something that - were you already profitable and you said, "Now it's time for me to take it to the next level?" Or did you kind of strategically say, "Before I invest time and money into this, I want to make sure I'm going in the right direction?"

Jenni Chase
Yeah, it was kind of it was a dream that I had, and that my husband supported. And that referring to the studio share, well, actually, probably to both of these, the photographer in me and the studio share where I rented space to other photographers. It, it started with risk involved, and not knowing exactly where we were headed. And then it took some refinement, and some risk to hire the coach because it was not a cheap investment. So I looked at it more as a foundational thing, and that I was gonna, I was gonna have to pay for it in order to to get where I wanted to go next. So I don't know. And it depends on how you define profitable too, because yeah, that's a whole other issue. But...

Jennifer Uren
Right, right. Yeah. Are we talking? "It" pays for itself? Or I'm making money?

Jenni Chase
Yeah. I learned a lot in that process. And I know, there's a question. They'll ask me later, that will shed some light on that. But yeah,

Jennifer Uren
So well. And the other thing that I've really observed by you, this really makes me sound like a stalker, like, "I'm watching"

Jenni Chase
It's good feedback for me like, "Oh, I wonder if that was really true."

Jennifer Uren
But I've seen you try different things, new things from that studio share, which I thought was a brilliant business model, to creating seashell chess sets, you know? How do you decide what you're going to try for fun and learn? Because I've also seen you do this with the - what do you call it? The pour? The pouring?

Jenni Chase
Oh, yeah. Acrylic pouring

Jennifer Uren
Acrylic pouring. And then what to turn into a business?

Jenni Chase
Yeah, that's a really great question. I think I've learned over the years that I am just a creative person by nature, and it's gonna take on different forms. And I went to school for music, and I love music. And that was a part of my first adult job. And you know, I've done that, but then it kind of shifted into more of a visual art and photography, and then, you know, in using acrylic paints, and so I don't think that at the base of my, what I love has changed. I don't think that's changed. I think it's just taking on different forms, depending on what season of life I'm in and what I'm doing. And as far as it becoming a business, I think, because Matt and I are both my husband, Matt and I are both creative people. And because we don't fit the mold of a standard nine to five jobber. It just, it was a natural flow from doing the things that we love to making an income out of that, because we didn't want to be doing things that we didn't love. And we might as well make an income with it. So...

Jennifer Uren
Yes, yes. Well, and you strike me as a bit of a minimalist. And so if you're going to be making things, it makes sense that you would then sell them.

Jenni Chase
Yes!

Jennifer Uren
Because you're not gonna collect them.

Jenni Chase
No. But if you can tell me how to be a minimalist and an artist at the same time, I want to know, because I don't feel like that's possible.

Jennifer Uren
I think that's why you have a studio for the art stuff.

Jenni Chase
Yeah, right. Hopefully, we'll get another one of those soon. So

Jennifer Uren
Yeah, yeah. Well, that's, that's cool. So you just sort of say, I'm enjoying this, I'm learning this skill. Maybe I can make some money from it, or is that kind of the path it takes?

Jenni Chase
it is. And that's kind of a dangerous path, though. Because then you run into this constant dilemma of doing things you enjoy and then doing things you have to work at. And then moving into I'm have to do this because I have to earn an income. So it's this constant cycle of, do I love this? And do I need to make it a business? You know, does it have to be something that I can only do and find purpose in if it's making an income? That's not something that I ever fully land on the right answer. It's kind of an ebb and flow in that

Jennifer Uren
Right, right. Well, and I think that's true with just about anything, there are days you love it and there are days that you're Like, erm, no = being a mom, I'm like that some days. I mean, so nothing is 100% joyful. Yeah, that's true. But it's Yeah, deciding is it? Is it still life giving? Or is it now draining?

Jenni Chase
Yeah, I like the life giving part of that because I, I want to I it's both and that's perfect. You know, if you get to make an income with it and you get to love it, then it's a it's a win win. But

Jennifer Uren
Yes, yes. Well, you've often it seems like have included your kids. Your husband has a very unique business and the whole family goes along for that. So I don't know if you want to tell us about that, yeah. Have they kind of caught the entrepreneurial bug from you guys?

Jenni Chase
I think so it's kind of a dangerous thing, too, that because Matt and I are both this way that our kids are just doomed for the rest of their life. Let me out Matt's job is called The Hovercraft Project. And we go around the US in an RV, traveling to schools where we serve mostly fifth and sixth grade students. And they build and test and ride hovercrafts that are powered by leaf or leaf blowers that are battery operated. So it's a STEM project, and we love it, and then we're gone. Well, post COVID, it remains to be seen, but pre COVID. It was, um, that we were out about three months in the fall and two or three months in the spring, traveling all over. But...

Jennifer Uren
That's great

Jenni Chase
It is great. And it's it's so unconventional. And I'm sure people look at us, like what are you doing? And our kids, you know, I think are gonna be in counseling when they grow up, but aren't everybody's kids gonna be counseling?

Jennifer Uren
Or something!

Jenni Chase
We're gonna damage them regardless. But the skill sets that they will learn watching us be entrepreneurs, are going to be different than somebody else's skill sets. But it's yeah, it's a good thing.

Jennifer Uren
Yes, I was to say your kids will be in counseling, because you didn't give them a brick and mortar home, and my kids will be in counseling, because I didn't take them anywhere. So you know, it's, it's no win.

Jenni Chase
No, I know, either way you lose out. But it is fun to watch them as they become their own persons, you know, to be thinking about finances and dreaming about things they can create. And, you know, Olivia's constantly designing things and building things and, and Haley is constantly making lists of all the things she's going to accomplish. So..

Jennifer Uren
That's great. So how do you with all of this creativity and entrepreneurial stuff going on? And doing it as a couple? And as a family? How do you keep things separate? How do you keep space for you as a couple, and not you as business people, you know, so it doesn't just sort of, you know, pervade in every aspect every minute of the day? How do you? How do you balance that?

Jenni Chase
Right? That's a good question, too. I think we succeed at it sometimes. And we fail at it a lot of the times, but in some respects, we enjoy working together. Like I'm sure there's couples out there that can't function the way we do. But we enjoy designing things and building things and dreaming. And so it's not that one of us is moving, and the other one is staying put, you know, it's this constant recycling or, you know, generating new ideas and places to go and things to do. So, I don't, a lot of times, I don't feel that we you know, we haven't made time for each other. Something simple we do, which I don't even know how this really started, but is getting up before the girls do in the morning and having coffee together. He wasn't a coffee drinker when we first got married, and then he somewhere along the way realized how important coffee was to me, and decided that, you know, getting up and having a dialogue about even just what the day looked like, was a good thing. So we call it coffee time. And we do it just about every morning. And sometimes the girls are up and we just say go away, find something else to do. But many times it's it's before they get up. So I think that's helped. And it also helps to be plugged into a church and doing other kinds of things together, like, you know, doing ministry together and things that aren't related to business. So that helps, too.

Jennifer Uren
Yeah. Do you ever feel like your, your businesses and and their needs are at odds, like he's like, we're gonna be on the road these three months? And you're like, well, I promised to make these things for this store. Does that ever become a problem?

Jenni Chase
As far as what Matt needs to do and what I need to do or between us and our kids? Or maybe all of it?

Jennifer Uren
No - when you're when your business ventures sort of butt up against each other and you have conflicting needs.

Jenni Chase
They do. They conflict - they conflict. Yeah, so I, we it's constant communication. I remember when we were nearing the end of the studio share era and Matt was just pretty vocal about knowing that my time - my attention was really divided. So I, it was never a job that I could like shut the door and be done with it was there was constant interruptions. So phone calls or emails or somebody needed this. So there's glitter in the studio and "who brought the glitter in?", you know, like all of these kinds of stupid little things, but yet things that were needing attention. And so I never was fully present with my family. And I began to see that too. I hated that that was the way it was. But even if I tried to get someone else to, you know, do that specific job, but my attention was justreally divided. So then that spiraled into hiring yet another coach to really analyze all my numbers to see if it was something we just needed to close the doors on. Because if we weren't making a profit at that point, it wasn't worth my time investment, for this season in our lives. So that took a lot of conversation between Matt and I to understand what was really the highest value and priority in our lives at that time. Trying to do our family under the model, that one person was to make the income and the other person was supposed to stay home. And that was it but they couldn't overlap. That's something that we've, that's one model. And then I'm more of a both. And so Matt is an either or guy. And I'm a both and girl. So if there's any kind of problem that's in our family, he's looking for the black and white answer. And it's either this or it's this. And I'm like, but it could be both. So we move in and out of the one person makes the income, the other one stays with the family and the high fiving each other on a daily basis between one job and the other. So right now we're, I think we're well, in a mode of, we're going to do both, and it's going to take - and because we only have one car, we choose to have one car - that one person has to be home while the other person goes out. And it requires us to, like high five each other in the day, you can go do these couple hours, you can come back and do this, you know, and it helps now that I'm doing more art stuff, because I can do that from home. Yeah, and I don't have to be away from the house too. So it's, again, another balancing act, and everybody functions differently. So...

Jennifer Uren
Yes, yes, well, that's helpful. And it sounds like, it sounds like he helps keep you in check for being able to be present. Because it would be it's can be really easy to become all consumed with the project, the business. Yeah.

Jenni Chase
But it helps that he's a, he's a great dad, like, he loves to be with our kids, and we homeschool our kids too, which adds another element of complexity to it all, but he does most of that. So, um, and he's, uh, he just is a great cheerleader for me. So I know that he's cheering for me. And so then in the times where he's like, rope it in Jen, rope it in, you know, rein it in, that I just want to adjust my investment in all the other things out there. So...

Jennifer Uren
Yeah, well, being an entrepreneur does take risk. You've talked about that a little bit. Some of it, you can calculate, and some of it just happens. Yes. How do you guys how do you handle risk? How do you approach that?

Jenni Chase
Matt is a bigger risk taker than I am, and but over the years, I've realized that I can do that as well. And so part of it is just doing it like, this is kind of a funny analogy. But as I started working with acrylic paints, and that particular avenue of art, you just kind of have to dump the paint out and see what happens. It's not something that you can like, say, this is gonna go here, and this is gonna go here. And then this color is going to show up over here, you just have to, like, have a base knowledge of what's about to happen, and then just dump it out. I think that's the same true with any kind of risk in an entrepreneurial scenario, you know, you can calculate all you want, but at one point, you just have to jump and try it. And if it doesn't work, um, learning to know that that's not failure. That that's just another data point. Which sounds so unemotional but it's really true that if you don't try it, you don't know what's going to happen. So you do try it then you can adjust yourself for whatever the next jump is and, and work from there. So...

Jennifer Uren
Yeah, that's, I like that. I like that imagery. So let's talk about, you know, I've seen you start things and I've seen you shut them down. And you've alluded to that with your studio share. How do you know when it's time to stop and how do you do it gracefully?

Jenni Chase
Yeah, that's a good question too. Umm - consulting other people and leaning into the people that are closest to you. I could get emotional just thinking about this, because that meant so much to me.

Jennifer Uren
Yeah

Jenni Chase
Um, because you put so much effort and time into it, it's like, if you're in this far, can't quit now, you know, yeah. But we just with that particular thing with this studio share that we had. The time investment versus what I got paid was literally nothing like everybody else that I hired, got paid. Yeah, but I never recovered or never got beyond the fixed costs, the fixed costs were just too high, to do what we needed to do. And the photographers were not charging enough to pay more to rent the space to make that come above that those numbers. And so that that's the kind of time where I need to just step back from my relationship mindset in the for the people that we were working with, and look truly at the numbers. And so I paid someone a really good amount of money to spend like six weeks where all we did was just pound and pound and pound the numbers and look under every rock and every crevice to try and figure out, you know, what we were missing and what to do next and to cut and we both knew, I hired him to tell me at the end of it, whether he thought this thing could be successful, or whether I needed to shut the doors. And we came to the conclusion that we needed to shut the doors. And that was not that was not what I wanted to hear. And that was a really emotional movement, you know, to go that direction. But going back to your question. Learning to just understand at the time, what my most important thing is, and being not afraid to go on to something new, like, just because it worked and, and it had purpose doesn't mean that it has to continue for 20 years, you know. I just needed to know that. I know, without a doubt that the five years or however long we had, it was worth every emotional investment and financial investment for it. And the people that we met and the lives that were changed because of that, I, was so worth it. But it was done. Like we needed to move on to something new, and my family needed my attention. And I was trying to run it from Florida, because we just moved and I ran it two years from down here. And anyways...

Jennifer Uren
Yeah. It gets hard.

Jenni Chase
I don't know if that answers your question.

Jennifer Uren
Well, it does. And I think the fact that you you sought out somebody who was objective, yeah, who could say we're gonna look at this, and we're going to the goal was not to tell me to shut it down. It was just tell me can this work, or should I? I mean, so I think the fact that you found someone who could be objective, and went through it with you, I'm wondering was that process - six weeks is a long time - and so even though that's not the outcome you wanted, it seems like that would really have primed you to go, "Yes, I'm, I'm, I'm on the same page, and I'm coming to the same conclusion." Was that your process key in you coming to that decision?

Jenni Chase
I think so. I mean, I it was definitely valuable, whether I already knew before we started that I should shut it down. Or and he was just confirming that or, I you know what, now that I think about it, it really was an eye opening thing for me to just have clarity in it. You know, we talked about that a little bit earlier, but because I really wanted to make it work, and I loved what I was doing. And I loved the people. And I didn't want to let anybody down in it. But it also knew that it needed to be profitable, or it was not worth continuing. And so I think as we started unpacking things, and having those set of eyes that were, you know, objective was a critical thing. So,

Jennifer Uren
Yeah, well, that and that's a good that's a good reminder, to ask people and get input as - not just opinion. But I mean, that's the other thing I think is valuable is it wasn't his opinion, it was it was data driven, and

Jenni Chase
Yeah, absolutely.

Jennifer Uren
And it was it was clear. We just said that - clarity.

Jenni Chase
I was just thinking, it also helps to have people that aren't necessarily just on your team, like they, you know, they're, you can have your mom answered this question, but you can have a guy who's done this for 10 years, you know, and knows exactly how all businesses work. Like both of those opinions matter. But at the end of the day, the expert that can give you the clarity is the voice you have to listen to. You know you just can't keep all your cheerleaders around you to get the right answers. But

Jennifer Uren
Yeah, yeah, but sometimes it's that cheerleader that gives you that push to take that risk.

Jenni Chase
Oh, absolutely.

Jennifer Uren
And so they're they are important. Well, I'm sure there's a mom listening who's like, I have this hobby or I have this thing. Maybe I could make it a small business? What is something that she should think about? Like, what's the first thing she could should think about if she wants to move this hobby into making it a business?

Jenni Chase
Yes, I kind of chuckle at that question, because it brings up a whole list of things that need to be looked at. When you move something from something you love to do to a business, I think a lot of times, people don't realize how much extra work it is, and how many things you have to do that you really don't like to do. So, you know, moving something from a hobby to a business requires you to set up things like a business ID number, and, you know, paying your sales tax. And it just, you know, if you want to turn it into a sole proprietor, you do that of your personal finances, or you need liability insurance, and all of these things start eking their way into the time you have. So I think, looking at how much time you actually have to give to it is a huge indicator of you know, whether you should just keep it as a hobby or move it forward. You know, it always, I always found it fun for photographers who were at this point in their, in their hobby, if they were if they're in a situation where there was another breadwinner in their household where most of their finances were dependent on that. And they had the freedom to try it. And to just, you know, put some of those things in place and be able to do some exploring. But when you're when you're the sole breadwinner in your household, and you're trying to make this decision, that's a whole other level of like, having to really look at time and numbers before you jump into it. But

Jennifer Uren
Well, and and hobby is one thing, like you were saying you enjoy what you're doing. But you add in marketing. And you if you turn it into a business, sometimes you find that you're not spending nearly as much time doing what you enjoyed. As, when it was just a hobby, and a few people would buy it from you.

Jenni Chase
Yes. And I even when I was back with that the business coaches that I was working with learning to know whether I truly fit in the role of a business owner that had people underneath me, or I fit in the role of a creative. And I think I can do both. I think I landed that, that I could do both. But I really flourished in the creativity part I didn't like thrive on the business ownership part. I can do both. So really just understanding can can the person that wants to take this from hobby to business, you know, thrive in that part? Because it's a lot of work.

Jennifer Uren
Yes, that's a great point. Well, let's talk pricing for a minute. Because you, you are very well connected. And I know a lot of your friends are clients and your clients have become friends.

Jenni Chase
Yeah. Both.

Jennifer Uren
So I know it can, it can for me. And for a lot of people I know it can feel really funny taking money from friends. But you are very good at saying having these clear boundaries and saying, "Well, here's my pricing. This is what you get. And here's all the stuff I'm doing that you don't see. And that's built into this price." So how do you how do you figure out a price that is not going to take advantage of you that you're going to get what something is worth?

Jenni Chase
Yes. It takes a lot of practice. And it also requires me to not be worried about relationship. And to understand the value of what I'm doing. So, um, I I would rather have three shoots a month, you know, not I don't even have that right now, sometimes, but three shoots a month that were what I wanted to pay for it. So in Illinois, Florida is a little different. I'm still learning about it. But in Illinois, I can probably get an average shoot of about $1,000 for a portrait shoot. And there are people that that charge $200 or $50. And there are people that charge $5,000 for their work. And I I knew that I was worth that much money, and but being able to separate that from my personhood, helped that ability to just stay with it. I don't want to work $200 shoots for six months straight and pull my hair out. I want to work for the three clients that will pay $1,000 that I can do you know, three times a month. And not work that hard. But that took a lot of practice and a lot of maturity to, to know that that was okay that I didn't have to take everything that came my way and I could charge what it was worth and stick to it. And when it comes to relationship with friends, I just had to know that some of these people were not going to hire me and I didn't care. I remember when I first made my first biggest price increase from just beginning to explore my business to really wanting to take it seriously. And I just wrote them all a letter, I'm sure it was way more wordy than any, you know, a male would not have done this. But the female relationship person in me said, I need to write everybody that I know and tell them that I still love them, even if they can't afford me anymore. So that's what I did. I just sent out a letter and I said, I love you and I want a relationship with you. But I completely understand if you can't afford me anymore. And I'm okay with that. So don't be afraid to let that you know let that look different. So, yeah, anyways,

Jennifer Uren
Well, I think that that's good. Those are good words of keeping your profession separate from your person. Yes. That's excellent. So are there things? Like do you have a list of things you want to learn and try it? Like you're like, I'd love to learn and figure out you know, I don't know how to knit or whatever it is? Or do you just sort of go, "Oh, I saw this the other day, it looked interesting. Let me YouTube it and start figuring it out."

Jenni Chase
Right!? It's probably a little bit of both, I think with the acrylic pouring. And then that part of things I, I researched for like six months, I didn't do anything, I just watched YouTube videos, because I just love the idea of combining colors and just the I don't know the spontaneity of this type of art. And so I just did research for six months, and then I pulled the trigger on getting the paints and everything. But I anything that's artistic catches my eye at some point or another. So, um, just being able to know what resources I have, and what kind of funding I have to try it, you know, plays a role in whether I can jump into it or not. But yeah.

Jennifer Uren
Well, and I want to revisit the pricing for a moment, because I also, I just want to tell people that you're also one of the most generous people I know. You, I remember early in COVID, you made these pictures with verses of encouragement on them. And you said, "I've printed - I don't know - 20 sets of these, let me know if you want them." And then you mailed them out. And I think you started getting a demand. So then you started selling them, but I have those I have a frame and I switch them out they're in my kitchen. And and it was just it was just thoughtful. And even the the basketball pictures you would do you know you did that on this grand scale. And you made it very, very affordable for everybody there to have pictures of their kids doing the sport. So I just I wanted to say that lest it sounded like you are, oh, I'm gonna charge big bucks. And I don't care about you I want that to come across at all.

Jenni Chase
Oh, no. Yeah, well, I think too. And once any entrepreneur or any business owner knows that they can charge what they're worth, then they have the freedom to do things like that. So I don't have to, you know, feel guilty or like, be bothered by the things that I want to give away. Because I can do that. And yeah, because you know, God just asks us to be generous people and he'll figure it out. Like, if he's called us to do something, then we just provide the reason he'll provide the resources that are needed. But it's a healthy balance between knowing the value of the thing you're doing and also having the freedom to give it away when you need to. So...

Jennifer Uren
Yes, I love that, that I that right there I think is is the takeaway from this whole thing is recognizing the value of what you're doing and having the freedom to give it away if you want to. And I think that's really good. Well, I have enjoyed our conversation and we're coming to an end. But one thing that I ask every guest because I'm a gadget girl, I love the right tool that's going to make things easier. And so I want to ask you, what is your favorite time saving gadget system or tool?

Jenni Chase
I really had to think about this because we are kind of in a minimalist phase of life and we don't have a lot of gadgets of anything right now. And um, but I had as I was looking around the room trying to think what is it that saves me time. I really like my electric tea pot. I don't even use it for tea all that much. I use it for everything. And when I'm having guests over, it just heats the water up really fast. So I don't have to put a teapot on the stove. I can just plug it in. And it helps on the RV too because it's a lot faster than any other way. So

Jennifer Uren
yeah, I love that. Have you ever tried hard boiling eggs in there?

Jenni Chase
No, but I haven't. I haven't Instant Pot too, so - the Instant Potis where I hard boil eggs. I am I used to be the worst hard boiled egg person out there until I found the instapot Yeah, now it's been seamless ever since. So

Jennifer Uren
That's wonderful. And that's where I'll do them in bulk. But if I just want one or two, I'll do them in the electric kettle.

Jenni Chase
And I'm gonna have to try that

Jennifer Uren
They turn out really well. So the trick is after it stops boiling, let it sit for another 10 minutes or so, then take him out.

Jenni Chase
See I just forget them in there and they would all explode everywhere. And then I would have these eggs that looked.

Jennifer Uren
Oh, they wouldn't explode

Jenni Chase
They wouldn't?

Jennifer Uren
They would just, they would just keep cooking.

Jenni Chase
They'd be hard boiled!

Jennifer Uren
It would turn off, you know? Oh, well, we can keep talking about this. So Jenni, how can people connect with you?

Jenni Chase
Um, business wise or personal, Facebook is a big place where I a platform where I'm at on and Instagram. I have an art page on Facebook, actually on both Instagram and Facebook. I have an art page, and then a separate photography page. So depending on what your needs are,

Jennifer Uren
Okay, well, I'll put links to all of that in the show notes. Yeah, so and you're in Florida. And so if people are in Florida, they can hire you to do photoshoots and you do a lot at sunset correct?

Jenni Chase
I do. I love was love the sunset. So yes, I do beach photography a lot. I've done a lot of product work recently. I'm not a wedding photographer. I would do it if I had to, if I didn't have to do the reception, but I love to do high school seniors and large families. Like if someone's coming down on vacation and they need, you know, pictures for everybody. That's fun. That's a lot of fun for me, so

Jennifer Uren
Excellent. Yeah, we'll put links to all of that below. And hopefully people will look you up when they come through.

Jenni Chase
Yeah, I do have one more place to I realized I forgot this. But my art is sold at two different stores down here too. So I can give you the link to those. Those places, but

Jennifer Uren
Excellent. Great. Oh, good. Well, Jenni, thank you so much for your time today and for sharing all this and, and the encouragement that you've given to take risk and try things.

Jenni Chase
Well, you're welcome. Thanks for having me.