Unboxing Her Story: Jaime, Overflow Creative

I get to open this series with one of the most inspiring entrepreneurs I know.

I've known Jaime for 18 years. She photographed my first born and has done our family photos every year since, and somewhere along the way, that turned into working together on the business side too. I've watched her take a hobby on the side and grow it into a full-time business, one that's shaping lives and businesses by telling their stories.

What inspires me most about Jaime - she's every person's and every business owner's biggest cheerleader. She doesn't just post the photos, she shares a story or something inspiring about the person or project. And that leans into exactly what we're trying to do here, share stories and spread inspiration.

Here's her story, in her own words.

Jaime didn't set out to become a photographer, a graphic designer, and a website builder all at once. She started in graphic design after high school, drawn to layout and typography and the way things visually fit together. Photography came later, though the seeds were there since she was a kid, taking photos for a 4-H project, watching her mom document everything. A local photographer, Jodi Sjolie, took her under her wing and helped grow that love into something real. Websites came last, out of the commercial side of photography, a picture in her head of how photos, layout, and branding could all work together.

"I definitely don't consider myself a traditional web designer," Jaime says. "What I offer is probably better described as 'website assembly.'" For her, all three pieces feed each other. Good photography makes the design better. Good design makes the website better. Together, they make a business feel like itself.

Before Overflow Creative was full-time, Jaime was working in design while building photography on the side, photographing families, including mine, pretty early on. She also spent years in children's mental health and social-emotional learning, helping kids build confidence and work through emotions. When COVID hit and her hours changed, she leaned harder into photography and design to help support her family, and realized how much of what she'd learned in those other roles still applied. "Helping families feel comfortable in front of the camera, helping someone see themselves a little differently, helping a small business owner feel more confident in how they show up, those things all felt connected."

With her fiancé Ron's encouragement, she took the leap. In 2021, she leased her studio in downtown Perham and started the next chapter, already carrying years of client trust and experience with her.

Her tagline, "Spaces. Stories. People.", comes down to making all three feel seen. "I've never been very interested in just putting someone in a spot, telling them to smile, and calling it good," she says. "I'm much more drawn to the story that's already there." She looks for the inside jokes, the worn wood, the lived-in corner, the moment that wasn't planned. "Not everything needs to be cleaned up, straightened out, or made to look like something it isn't. Sometimes the crooked smile, the weathered surface, or the moment that wasn't planned is the part that makes the whole thing feel real."

Building a business hasn't been without its hard parts. Jaime names learning to hear no, separating herself from criticism, and managing overwhelm as the lessons that took the most practice, less about photography and more about running a business. "A lot of my energy these days goes into not just becoming a better creative, but becoming a better communicator and a better business owner overall."

What keeps her going is the families who keep coming back, some for over 15 years, and hearing that her work made someone feel seen. "They look like HER in a way I can't even explain." Her family cheers her on too, including Ron, who she says is "usually the one reminding me when I need to slow down or step away for a bit."

Her advice for a woman scared to build a business around her gift is simple: "Being scared doesn't necessarily mean she shouldn't do it. Sometimes it just means it matters. You don't have to have everything figured out before you start."

We asked Jaime what she had to unbox to get here, and what mark she hopes to leave.

"I had to unbox a lot of my own ideas about perfection, people pleasing, and what I thought I was supposed to be doing. I've had to learn to trust my eye, trust my instincts, and believe that the way I see people and stories has value. What I hope to leave is pretty simple: I want people to feel seen and a little more comfortable being themselves. If people leave time with me feeling a little lighter, a little more confident, or just glad that a piece of their story was noticed and saved, I think that's a pretty good mark to leave."

That's Jaime, of Overflow Creative. Thank you for trusting me with your story. Website - https://overflowcreativemn.com/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Overflow.Create/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/overflowcreativedesign