Daily Inspiration: Meet Jennifer Adisa

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Adisa.

Hi Jennifer, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My name is Jennifer Adisa but Leigh (pronounced Lee) is my middle name & I go by Jennifer Leigh on social sites and in business. I call myself a Jen of All Trades and Master of Most. I wear many hats. I’m a Mom first and foremost but also a freelance writer & personal blogger, certified videographer / photographer & content creator. I was the chief blogger for a clothing line called Conglomerate Affiliates based in ATL but rooted in NYC from 2009-2011. During that time I worked with the lead designer C.Rich to establish my own brand identity & launched my personal blog in 2009, titled No Forehead Kisses Here. In high school, I hated writing papers but my teachers would also compliment me on my writing style. When I got to college my English professor told me I should major in Journalism but again, I hated writing, apparently I was just good at it. Hindsight is 20/20. I should’ve majored in Journalism or something in the Arts because look at me now.
Originally the purpose of my blog was to document my life in chapters, to eventually write a book. However, the transparency of a few entries didn’t bode well with some, so in 2012 I shut it down. Fast forward a couple of years, and after yet another conversation with C. Rich, who said, “you have to live in your truth, don’t let anyone silence your story”, I did a soft relaunch of my blog in 2021. Same title, “No Forehead Kisses Here”, new mission: to document the trials and tribulations of dating after divorce while trying to navigate motherhood, entrepreneurship, and keep your sanity from coffee:am to wine:pm.

Backstory: In 2017, I relocated back to my hometown of Indianapolis, IN and most recently became a contributing writer for Indianapolis Moms Blog collective, which is a part of City Moms, a national organization and collective of women writers in major cities throughout the US. Prior to any of that, I launched my freelance video editing business NFKH Media. At the time the vision was to create post-production video edits for entrepreneurs to promote their businesses. That was a bit ahead of its time, so it didn’t do as well as I had hoped. However, in 2020 during the height of the pandemic, I had a friend ask if I would create promos for a clothing capsule he was creating. The promotional video campaigns I edited for “We Havin’ Things” breathed new life into my business, so much so that decided I didn’t just want to edit, I wanted to shoot. I’ve always had a camera in my hand since I was a child, so why not perfect that craft? I joined Shooters Camp Intl which is a six weeks photography and videography training intensive and two days in-person certification training in Atlanta run by Brandon Dixon aka @brandonshotme and Pinnique Singleton aka @pinniquesingleton on IG. Since completing that certification and solely via word of mouth, I have secured multiple retainer clients & had the pleasure of working with entrepreneurs in various industries over the past year to either revamp their social media pages, create brand identities, or shoot / edit marketing campaigns for product launches.

However, I feel like the keyword during the pandemic was “pivot”. For me pivoting looks like getting back to the basics and back to YOUR why, discovering yourself and then living in your truth and doing what aligns with you. That being said, now that I have moved back to Atlanta, I am recentering as a writer, social justice advocate, and content creator, while pivoting NFKH Media as a videography/photography agency that specializes in Couple & Engagement shoots, Lifestyle & Boudoir photography, and Post Production Editing. This style of videography and photography more closely aligns with my personal blog for which the initials NFKH stand for and tie into the idea that Love is found in the details. Ironically & once again without any promo and solely via word of mouth, I’ve already completed my first project in the relationship space, curating a wedding anniversary video collage from photos for a client who did not have videography services at their wedding. Since my first project I have prided myself on client satisfaction the first draft, no revisions. That all goes back to my attention to detail. It’s been one heck of a journey but rewarding and confirming none the least.

So when I’m not tending to all of the above, you can find me making light-hearted content on my personal IG page @iam.jenniferleigh, centered around life, relationships aka “Tales from the Situationships” and the journey as an entrepreneur, while enjoying a cup of coffee, glass of wine or resting unapologetically. I dubbed myself the Musical Storyteller. because you won’t find many posts that don’t have sound. I have a song in my head for any occasion. Music helps us navigate the emotions of life and music was my first love. That’s how I connect it all. I tell my clients before starting any project that probably the most important piece of the puzzle is the music choice. Even in my writings, I don’t think there’s one entry that doesn’t reference a song or a verse from a song. Music sets the tone for it all.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely hasn’t been smooth. There’s the disruptions of day-to-day life as a single mom and trying to build a business while working a 9-5. My children are also carving out their lanes as creatives. My son is pursuing entrepreneurship, also in the video editing and content creation space, shout out to DeuceEnt, my oldest daughter is cheerleader & an aspiring visual artist, like she can actually draw really well, and my youngest daughter is an aspiring gymnast & content creator as well. So with a house full of talent, sometimes being Momager takes precedence.

Then of course there’s self-doubt that creeps in from time to time. Especially when you’re in the creative space and you start to Network. It’s difficult not to compare yourself to others and get discouraged, but I realized a while ago my journey is my journey and what’s for me is for me. Timing is everything. Both my business and my blog were started years ago but it took this long to define them correctly. Knowing your target audience is the key to success.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a freelance writer and a certified videographer / photographer. I say videographer first because video editing is my lane. There are photographers that offer videography services and there are videographers that offer photography services, but there is a difference. I think what sets me apart is my attention to detail. I’ve been editing videos for so long & I am very meticulous. I tell people all the time my pricing is based on my skill level and the time it takes to find those little imperfections. I was timing videos to songs before there was software to do it for you automatically. There are shooters that outsource their editing and there are editors that do their own shooting. I’m the latter, anyone can hold a camera, the magic comes after.

I’m most proud of becoming a blog contributor for a national blog collective, that was confirmation to me that my writing is what I’ve been told it was all my life & I’m also proud that despite many hiccups along the way, unsolicited opinions, setbacks, etc. I defined my business and my brand for me and now the sky is the limit. I’ve always said to myself I’ve had 1-2 clients a month for over a year without ever marketing the business once. Imagine what will happen when I bet on myself. Sometimes pivoting means getting back to where you started & I did just that by moving back to ATL.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Always bet on yourself. Drown out the noise. Sit in solitude and find your inner voice. People are always going to have opinions about what you’re doing. Take what you need and leave the rest but never let it knock you off your path. I’ve been on a six month hiatus because I had to figure out what worked best for me and my business. Once I figured that out, the Universe put the rest in motion.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.iamjenniferleigh.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/iam.jenniferleigh?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iam.jenniferleigh/
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCIgVL5Y–1cPsCf8OsI137w
• Other: https://calendly.com/nfkhmedia/15min?month=2022-05

Image Credits
DL Marie Photography Sarah Boutwell Photography Martina @ Drea & Company