Meet Trailblazer Jessica Goen

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Goen.

Jessica, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I loved photography in high school, but I had no confidence and no idea where to go with it. I chose to go to college and became a medical assistant, then into the administrative side of healthcare and built my career and continued my education from there. I chose to go back to school after finishing my associates and finished my bachelors in Healthcare administration, while also becoming the Center Director for urgent care and Occ med center. I decided that in order to go any further in my career I needed to continue my education and am currently a graduate student, working on my Masters in Organizational Leadership, intending to finish my MBA after that. With about a year left in school, it’s exciting and starting to feel real. But for the last six or seven years, it has been about raising my daughter, developing my career, and focusing on school. I felt like I truly had nothing that I did for me. I had no hobbies and no activities outside of my business and educational world. I love my daughter and being a mommy, but everyone needs something for themselves as well. I knew I still had a love for photography and decided that was my escape from my daily life. I bought my camera, started doing some random shooting and immediately that passion and love for it came right back. I am so new in the industry and have so much to learn and cannot wait to see where this new journey takes me. I love being able to capture moments that others will cherish forever. My favorite quote is “It’s not about the breath you take, but the moments that take your breath away”. As cheesy as it sounds, those words by George Strait and his song “The breath you take” has been something that has had such a big impact on me and my passion for what I do. Capturing “the first look” between a bride and groom at their wedding, the first time a new mom holds her baby for the first time after giving birth, the moment the question is popped and an engagement is created, all those life-changing moments are what I want to help people remember for years and years to come.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The road I have traveled to get to where I am has been anything but easy. Addiction including alcohol and drugs has run its course throughout a large portion of my immediate family and has taken several of them from us as a result. I grew up with a single mom, financially we struggled and faced some significant hardships to overcome. After completing only a year of college, after barely completing high school because I chose to work rather than focus on my studies the way I should have, I found I was pregnant with my daughter. At the age of 19, I became a single mom, making minimum wage, and had to figure out a way to finish school, raise my daughter, and keep my sanity. I struggled with postpartum after she was born, and it was a very rough few years to work through. But I was so determined to give her the life she deserved and be the mom I knew I was capable of being. I had a large support system behind my including my mom, my sister, my daughters God mom and her entire family. Without them, I would be lost and unable to achieve what I have. I have been fortunate enough in my professional career to have an incredible mentor who to this day still cheers me on and I am thankful for his presence and guidance. He took me under his wing and help make where I am today possible as well. I have faced some really tough scenarios that continue to push me further and refuse to allow me to settle. My daughter deserves the world and I would jump through any hurdle or hoop to give that to her. I had so many things that should have made me another statistic and kept me from achieving. But instead, I took things like the loss of my brother, the addiction my family has faced, the battle of postpartum and all those other items and used them as strength and motivation. Never settle, break the cycles, and live for you. Independence is a beautiful thing, and you are so much stronger than you believe or have ever been told. Find that inner strength and push it to the next level. Leave the “crutches” for the sick and injured, truly make all of this life that you can.

We’d love to hear more about J Goen Photography.
Full time I am a Center Director, running urgent care and occupational medicine center. But that is not where my true passion lies. Photography has captured my soul and gives me an outlet I am beyond thankful for. I do not want to limit myself to just one area or one specialty, because I feel like that limits the difference and the impact on people’s lives that you can make. I have done weddings, family photos, holiday pictures and so much more. I am really excited to venture into items like maternity shoots, newborn photos, even birthing moments. Something that I have a real interest in is that of Boudoir photography. I have struggled with my weight, confidence, and loving myself me for years. That style of photography can be powerful and empowering to women. I truly love all aspects of the industry. It is about the people for me and helping them to capture those moments of happiness and those instances they want to keep vivid for years to come, no matter the walk of life it comes from.

What’s the most important piece of advice you could give to a young woman just starting her career?
Remember that you need an outlet and a “you thing”. Self-care is so incredibly important and finding something you are passionate about doesn’t always come easy. I love being a mommy and my daughter is my entire world. But it is ok to say “I need something for me”, find that, and run with it. Be proud of who you are, find your inner strength, break those cycles and knock down barriers. Statistics are simply numbers, and they should not be what defines someone or shapes the rest of their lives. Make all you want out of your life. Be grateful and thankful for those who choose to be apart of your journey because a support system is powerful and never anything to take advantage of.

Contact Info:

• Phone: 303-549-6177
• Email: jgoenphotography@gmail.com
• Instagram: j_goen_photography
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/jgoenphotography

Suggest a story: VoyageDenver is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.