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

Hi Jay, what is the most important factor behind your success?
This is such a good question. Honestly the most important factor behind my success, and the success of my brand has been me. I think it takes a lot out of someone, physically as well as mentally, to be operating their own creative business. You are consistently “selling” or “pitching” yourself to people, companies, brands, and social media. You have to really believe in yourself, as well as what you’re doing, and everything else will follow suit. Of course it helps if you are organized, someone who can naturally network, and have a group of people you can collaborate with often.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
In 2021, I decided to pursue photography, which had always been a hobby of mine. At this point, I had never taken any proper courses, and really had no “training” on how to do it. From that point forward I spent most of my time, like we are talking every day, working on learning some aspect of the creative world.  Some days I would be  shooting, but other days I would be doing research, watching videos, networking, editing, and finding inspiration.  I started to learn not only about my camera and the actual shooting, but I was teaching myself marketing, advertising, how to use different editing programs, how to put together castings, and mood boards, how to reach out to brands or artists to work with them, and so much more. As of now, most of my clients are either fashion based or music based. I enjoy “painting a picture” and telling stories. Music is a hobby of mine, so when I get to work with artists on their projects, I get to combine two worlds into one.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I love when people come to visit me in the city! I always try to tailor the experience to them. First thing I always do is get a roll of 35mm film for the adventure. Film is always my go to for memories!  On the top of my list of things to do is walk over the Brooklyn Bridge (no matter the time of year), TimeOut Market for some of the best food in the city, and Fotografiska Photography Museum. Outside of that, I look for things going on in the city, any shows or concerts, pop-ups, or one-off-things that my visitor may like. Food is a huge part of anyone visiting NYC, so we are always eat good!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
The list is so long, however I would love to shout out Lord Scorpio! She has not only put me on to people and opportunities when I had zero connections or even work to show, she is also an overall great support system. She inspires me daily to develop my craft, look for new doors opening, and reflect on my journey as a creator.

Website: jaycharliishotme.format.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaycharliishotme/

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