Courage is Contagious with India Jade McCue

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Victoria B. Glass (00:00):
Welcome to the Contagious Victory's
podcast. Each week, we talkinspiration, explore
possibilities, and shareinsights from
creative perspectives.I'm Tori Blackmon and I'm here to remind you, that your purpose in life is to celebrate the victories.
because victories arecontagious.

(00:22):
You may have heard the saying,dream big, pray boldly, and
trust God to do the impossible.So many of us have huge dreams
that seem so out of reach oreven too impossible to take
seriously. But what if I toldyou that with the right mindset
and guidance, you can live outyour dreams in this reality? In

(00:44):
today's podcast, we arediscussing the power of dreaming
big, the importance ofcourageously praying boldly, and
how to trust God to make theimpossible possible. Welcome
back to the Contagious Victoriespodcast.
I am your host, Victoria BGlass. And like I said, I'm so

(01:04):
excited to have thisconversation with our guests
today and share it with you.Today, I'm talking with the
talented and creative India JadeMcCue. She is an artful meets
documentary wedding photographerof over 11 years specializing in
crafting effortless images andteaching other photographers how

(01:24):
to do the same. But her talentsdon't stop there.
She is an award winning actress,the host of the India and Stuff
podcast, wife to filmmaker IanMcCue, and proud cat mom. She
lives in Columbus, Ohio whereshe spends most of her time
sipping on homemade lattes,treasure hunting at the local

(01:46):
thrift store, and planning hernext trip out west. India is a
graduate of Columbus College ofArt and Design. She got her BFA
there in 2019. And mostimportantly, she is a Jesus
person.
Get ready to be inspired by hervictory story as we discuss her
techniques and advice foraspiring photographers,

(02:09):
creatives, and anyone who iscourageous enough to pursue the
big dreams that God gave them.
Alright. Contagious Victorieslisteners, I've got an

(02:29):
extraordinary guest on the showtoday, someone I have been
wanting to talk to for a couplemonths now. I am talking with
India McCue and her businessIndia Jade Photo and all of her
creative projects we're gonnadive into in this conversation.
India, welcome to ContagiousVictories.

India Jade McCue (02:47):
Hi, Tori. It's good to see you again even
though it's virtual this time,but such a cute intro. Thank you
for hyping me up.

Yes. Well, I know that when we first met, one
of the first conversations wehad was about our love for
creativity and, creating films,projects, things with the video
camera, and I know you have aphoto business that we're gonna
talk about, but that stood outto me. So, again, I mean it when
I say that this is aconversation I've been wanting a

(03:15):
half for a minute and you're anextraordinary person. You don't
meet a whole lot of people whohave big dreams like that and
are willing to talk about them.So, I just wanna say thank you
for being so courageous, andwelcome to the show. Yes.

Of course. I'm so glad to be here. I just need
to tell you I love the namebecause I feel like a lot of
times people this is my littletangent for the day. People
sometimes are just like, look atall these things that I did on
my own as if, like, we justarrived at something amazing.
But the the fact that it's,like, courageous is, like,
there's an element of courageand bravery and struggle and

(03:53):
uphill battle to it that it's sotrue for anyone who's come from
anything and then made abusiness or made something
happen. It takes a lot of workto get there. So just seeing the
name of your podcast too whenyou reached out, I was like, oh,
I love oh, contagious!Contagious Victories!!

No, it's ok! I was gonna say I almost named
it courageous, but it iscontagious. However, I always
emphasize just the courage, likeyou were saying, that it takes
to, to show up, and it's not anovernight thing. Like, what is
the I think there's a quotethat's, like, that you're a 12
year overnight success orsomething like that where

(04:29):
nothing ever happens overnight.It's the work that you put into
it. But I, real quick tangentagain.

My dyslexic brain.

No. You're fine. When I started contagious
victories, it was pre pandemic.It was 2019 of, like, I think it
was, like, July of 2019. So, ofcourse, I should have probably
named it courageous instead ofcontagious because that word
kinda like but then once, youknow, everything happened, it
was like, I'm gonna turn thatword and make it courageous, you

(04:57):
know, to talk about.
So Yes. It it does go with that.

Well, either way, contagious or courageous,
victories do spread. I love theway that you've kind of phrased
this podcast and are ready to,like, share stories about that
because it's inspiring. It helpspeople go. So, anyway, I love
it. Thanks for having me.

And while we're talking about names of
things, I know your name isIndia McCue, but India Jade, is
that your middle name, or isthat just the name of your
photography? I was curious aboutthat.

Yeah. That's my middle name. People like to
ask where my name came from. Idon't have a good story. My
family wasn't there weren'tmissionaries in India. They
weren't they haven't been toIndia. They just kinda liked
creative names. So me and mysiblings kinda have unique
names, and I love it. Honestly,it's one of the things that I'm
like, yeah. I like my name.That's kinda fun. It helps me

(05:44):
stand out a bit.

Well, it's a beautiful name. and you take
beautiful photos. And I wannatalk about your business. So you
have from what I was looklooking at online, you have a
very candid style, and it's verypolished to be so candid. And, I
wanted to talk about your style,and I also wanted to ask a

(06:06):
couple questions about how yougot to that style because you've
been doing this for a littlewhile now. You've been in the
photography game for a coupleyears, haven't you? isn't it
like, 10?

11.

Oh my goodness! Okay. Alright.

Isn't that crazy? The thing is people are
always surprised by that becauseI started photography when I was
a teenager. I like, pretty earlyon, my parents are like, hey. If
you want, like, a car or to goto college or anything like
that's on you. Like, we grew upkinda lower income. So I was
like, oh, okay. That's fine. ButI started thinking really
craftily at age, like, 13, 14. Iwas like, alright. What can I do

(06:44):
to, like, start making money?Because I wanna drive a car, and
I wanna go to college one day.So I started saving my
babysitting dollars, and theneventually, I had a camp
counselor who she was like, I'mnot gonna go to college. I'm
gonna do photography. She was afew years older than me, and I
was like, I wonder if she can doit. Like, I wonder if I can do
it. So I kinda, like, saved somemoney, bought my first DSLR

(07:05):
camera, and then just startedshooting friends, family,
offering senior pictures forpeople for free. And then it
word got out. And when I was 16,I was posting stuff on Facebook,
and some girl saw it and waslike, hey. I'm getting married.
Would you shoot my wedding? So Ishot my first wedding when I was
16, had no idea what I wasdoing. But now at 27, it's fun

(07:25):
to look back at, like, 11 yearsof business and be like, yeah.
I've been shooting weddings fora long time. I've done couple
hundred or more weddings at thispoint. So I'm very self taught
as far as, like, the earlyyears. I had a lot of DIY ing
going on on my end. I wasediting in a software called
PicMonkey, if you rememberthat little tool?

Victoria B. Glass: Yes! I loved PicMonkey. (07:43):
undefined

So there was no you know, Photoshop
subscription for me. There wasno Lightroom.
There wasn't much going on withthat. But what I will say is,
like, I had to learn as I grew.And every wedding that I shot,
age 16, age 17, age 18, I'mlearning, oh, okay. This is how
other people's portfolios onlinekinda look. These are the shots

(08:07):
this couple's expecting.
Maybe I should try this settingwith my camera. Maybe I should
learn this thing called raw andshoot in that format that people
are talking about. Maybe I'veheard a lot about Lightroom.
Maybe I should try a free trial.

Yeah. You could go into and be like, I
know what I need to know. I'mgonna approach it like this.
I've seen enough on Pinterest,and I'm just gonna do it. Or you
could come in with that spirit,but a little teachability and be
like, I'm here to learn. I wanta second shoot for a
photographer ahead of me. I wantto jump in on a course that that
someone's teaching. I wanna,like, take the steps to learn

(08:41):
and be malleable through thewhole process. So I definitely
did it the nontraditional route.If I was gonna give advice to
anyone who's just starting theirphotography business, especially
at that young age, I would saysecond shoot for someone first.
I didn't do that until, like,last year!
Oh, wow. Okay.

Okay. Never I had never second shot for
anyone. I just kinda jumped in.I was like, okay. I'm just doing
this. Like, so I would say dothat. Get on a couple wedding
days. Feel confident with yourgear is a huge, huge one. And if
you don't, YouTube University,like, start learning. Or if you
wanna take it to a next level,you know, there's usually camera
shops or or photographers likemyself will, like, offer

(09:19):
coaching or help people learntheir camera. Or if you're like,
I wanna go to college and learnphotography from a professor,
you can also do that. I did do acouple classes in photography
and, like, the old school, like,dark room film photography.

Oh, that's exciting.

Yeah, so that was a lot of fun to kind of,
like, experience that. But,yeah, I would just say, like, it
the biggest thing when you'rejust starting out and and
struggling to feel confident inyour work is, like, once you
know your gear and you know howto serve those people, start
pricing yourself with that levelof confidence. Because I knew

(09:57):
that I didn't know what I wasdoing the first wedding. I knew
how to use a camera at point. Iknew how to take photos of my
friends. But on the firstwedding day, I was like, I'm not
really sure how this goes. Iwasn't even sure if I could eat
the food. I had to, like, textmy dad. I was like, can you
bring me McDonald's? Like, Ididn't wanna ask that couple if
I could eat their food at thereception, but I charged a 100
and $50. I was there for 10hours, and I provided 100 of

(10:20):
photos. And so from that, then Iasked a photographer, hey. What
do you think? She's like, oh,no. No. No. No. No. She's like,
you did such a good job withthese photos. You could easily
charge $850 at the next one. SoI did.

Yeah.

And then I go back to to her and say, what do
you think? And she goes, oh,easily charge a 1,000 at the
next one. So you can kinda, likeyou don't wanna just jump in
with a number and have no marketexperience, no research, no
reference, but you also don'twanna say, hey.
I'll do all this work andknowing that it's gonna be a
good product and be like, forfor $10, you know, a $100. So
there's that balance of, like,keeping it on par with what you

(10:54):
know in your heart you'reproviding for them. And also
being at a flexible price pointthat's like, hey. I'm still
learning. I'm still growing. Andthe customer is gonna they're
gonna get what they pay for.They're gonna be, hey. You're
still learning, and that's okaywith us. We just want a chill
simple wedding in the country.Well, you're in our budget, and
the photos are gonna look great.So, yeah, that's kinda my
overview for just starting, butit's definitely scary. It takes

(11:16):
a lot of, like, mental breakingout of that thought of, like, am
I good enough? Am I allowed todo this? Are they gonna like me?
Put all that to the side andstart, like, doing the work and
showing up, and you'll be proudof yourself that you did.

Well, I love what you said about how in the
very beginning, there werethings, softwares and like,
resources that maybe you didn'tknow that you needed. But you
just started looking into it andYouTube University and figuring
out your camera and things likethat. So there's that, you know,
there's that old saying that's,like, if there's a will, there's

(11:50):
a way. So, you know, if you havethe desire to pursue something,
you're not gonna just jump outand be an expert. However, there
is resources that are available,like the free trials and things
like that where, you know, youcan get your hands a little bit
dirty and then figure it out andrealize if you wanna go further
or if you want to maybe changefrom PicMonkey to photo you

(12:11):
know, like, things like that.
But You would never know if youdidn't start with what is
available. And so if anyone'slistening, who's thinking, you
know, how do I get started? Ihave a camera and I'm trying to
get into wedding photography orany kind of photography, then,
you know, go ahead and juststart taking photos, and you'll
find out what you need more oflater. And in the second little

(12:33):
tangent, what I heard you saytoo is know what you're worth
and also be willing to grow. AndGod, I feel like, always gives
us that promise of, like, look.I'm not gonna leave you
somewhere and then just leaveleave you hanging. Like, there's
gonna be other resources whenyou get there or other people
who can show you teachers,mentors, things like that.
People who can show you the wayor you'll figure it out with

(12:54):
this new resource or whatever,and then you're gonna just keep
growing and keep doing it untilone day you wake up and you're
at 11 years. So love that youare suggesting that courage
again and saying, that you know,you've gotta you've gotta be
willing to learn, and, also it'sthe learning that I feel like
people who I talk to on here andpeople who are in our community,

(13:17):
sometimes it can be a littlescary to learn, but I think at
the end of the day, we all agreeit's the most fun thing about
what we do is that we can thatthere are resources out there
that we haven't heard of orpeople who are mentoring and and
things like that who are willingto help and share what they know
because that's the exciting partis when you grow.

A 100%. And and you'll surprise yourself
too. I think I was surprised inmy capacity to learn because I,
you know, very much grew up in,like, the I was the artsy kid in
class. I was homeschooled beforeI went to school in middle
school, and I was, like, always,like, kinda isolated, kinda,
like, doodling as, like, as akid. I was drawing fashion stuff

(13:58):
and, like, always, like, peggedas that artsy girl. And then I
go to school and everyone's,like, academic or they're a
really good athlete, and that'sfine. But I was like, I'm just
not that way, so I must not besmart. I must not be good at
whatever. That's kinda like thelie that I told myself growing
up. So it's like when I starteddigging into photography and
then realizing it's not justlike, oh, I'm a girl with a

(14:18):
camera. It's like, this is areal business, and this can turn
into a profitable source ofincome for me and my family. It
was it's cool to see my ownprogress in that and to be like,
woah. I'm scared. I don't knowif I can learn Lightroom. And
then be like, no. Like, I can't.I have the capacity to learn.
I'm gonna do the work. I'm gonnainvest in this course. I'm gonna
jump in and put my feet to theground. And then when I look

(14:39):
back, I'm like, oh, you're proudof me. Like, look at that.

It's so empowering. Yes.

Yeah. We tell ourselves these things, like,
I'm not good at this or I'm notpretty enough to be on social
media and talk about my businessor my photos aren't like that
person's or I need the rightgear before I can start. And
it's, like, the best advice is,like, use what you've got, start
where you are, use what youhave, and and then move in
confidence that, like,especially if you're walking
with the lord, pray over all ofit. Be like, lord, you have

(15:06):
given me dreams and desires tocreate, create community, create
artwork, create memories,celebrate people, celebrate
life. Let's go. Like, let's usewhat we've got instead of
waiting to arrive somehowmagically. Like, you don't just
wake up and be like, I'm here!

Yeah.

it's like, oh, you have to wake up and say,
what is in front of me? What canI use, and how can I make it
better?

I feel like when you jump out and you start
living in that truth that youare, you know, who you are and
that you can do anything thatGod gives you strength to do,
you start attracting morecreative people to you. And I
found out recently via yourInstagram that you're married to
a creative. So I also feel likewe have that in common. We're
both married to anothercreative, and that is one of the

(15:50):
most exciting... well other thanlearning new things,
my life, I feel like. And itseems like that same excitement
radiates from your feed and yourfrom you, whenever I hear you
talking about your significantother. So tell me a little bit
about y'all story.

No. Yes. My best friend. I love him. Yeah.
So we've been married for threeand half years. We got married
in COVID, so not a fun time withthat. But we did have a great
like, we were just like, we'reready. Like, why are we gonna
wait until this unforeseencircumstance may or may not end
at any point? So we did a safelittle COVID wedding, which was
great. But, yeah, he's the best.It was honestly something that

(16:29):
when I was dating around incollege, like, I was very
particular about who I was gonnabe with. I was like, listen. I
need a man of God. I needsomeone who takes their faith
seriously. And in my head, Idon't think I knew what career
they would have, but Idefinitely did not think it was
gonna be another creative. I waslike, I'm gonna be the artsy
one. No idea what kind ofadventure could come from this

(16:50):
relationship, but I was like,there is something about this. I
think God was protecting me fromthe, just allure of, like, let
me look for something better.Let me look for something more
stable. That might not be thecase for everyone. Maybe there
are different things that we'reall looking for. But as far as
personality, I was like, this isthe person that, like, instantly
felt like my best friend. So wewe're gonna move forward with

(17:12):
this. And then a year later, wewere engaged. So-

That is so sweet.

We just yeah. It was just, like, such a fun
thing to be like, wow. Like, Ididn't think I'd be with another
creative, but I'm really gladthat a lot of our work and lives
have now intertwined. We do alot of photo and film together,
and it's just been a reallygreat adventure to to be married
to him. So

Aww that's such a good story, India. That
is so sweet, and it really showstoo just how both of you have
stepped out in faith and takenon the beautiful challenge of
what this whole life is about,which is just go in with what
you feel like God is calling youto. And it sounds like, you
know, you had those choices, butit really was obvious that you

(17:54):
wanted to pursue a creativelife. Not that the creative life
is unstable.
One of the things I love aboutit is that it's a lot of
projects that come up thatyou're like, if you would have
told me this, I would've noteven Believed it. So I it feels
like your story with yourhusband is very much like that
where they'll both are doingwhat you love and y'all are
both, happily, you know, marriedand doing what you love, which I

(18:17):
know Yeah. I think that assomeone in a relationship with
another creative, it seems likeit's too good to be true, but
when you're living it, you'relike, no. Like, this is exactly
what I feel like God is wantingme to do.

Yeah.

I had my mom came over yesterday, and she
was, like, asking me about workand stuff. And, I was like,
well, that's one of the thingsabout being a creative. It's
like, you know, I can worktonight, and we can go to lunch,
you know, for Mother's Day orwhatever.

Yeah.

So I just love that that is a part of the
creative journey is having that,like, unknown element, but
having the faith paired with itmeans that you're always on
track and you're always in theright place and, you know, God's
leading the way, so you don'thave the you don't have that
feeling of instability, I guess,is the only word I feel like,
comes to mind. But it doesn'treally capsulate it very well.

But And it's true. I think I think there's a
lot to it that I mean, it ishard. There are times where it's
like because we both I got adegree in something else. He got
a degree in something similar.We had stable jobs for a while,
and we're, like, doing our photofilm businesses on the side. And
then during 2022, I wasdiscerning leaving my other job

(19:26):
at a very great nonprofit,because my side hustle
photography was kinda, like,popping off. And I was like,
hey. I think I need to go dothis full time. So pray about
it, discern it, whatever. Andthen I put in my 2 weeks, and I
exit that job The week that Ileave so I'm already like, okay.
This will be kinda crazy, but atleast my husband's holding down
his film job at this university.The week that I put my 2 weeks

(19:48):
in, Ian comes to me and is like,hey. I think I need to leave my
job. And I was like, excuse me.Like, only one of us can be
unstable right now.

I had that same thing. And so so weird that
we have so much in common. Yeah.Go ahead. I wanna hear the rest.
But I can relate.

I need to hear more about yours too. Yes. We
both quit our jobs within 1month of each other. So June
July of 2022, we were fullyrunning our own businesses. So
it was thrilling in the sensethat we were like, okay, lord.
You are in position to provide.Like, this is all you. But also,
it was a little scary because itwas like, okay. Like, we are

(20:26):
responsible for if we eat nextmonth, we're responsible for our
mortgage. Like, there's noguaranteed paycheck.
There's no clock in, clock out,wake up at this time, show up at
this time. It's all on us. Sothe good thing is, like, we
could choose our own road trip.We got to go and, like, build
out schedules. So on a randomWednesday, we're, like, in Maine
hanging out on a boat with ourgod parents, you know, having

(20:47):
fun.
But then we're also workinguntil, like, 2 AM, like, editing
weddings and, like, emailingcontent and contracts and, like,
posting every day on socialmedia. So there's this balance
of, like, there's a lot ofblessing. There's a lot of
hardship to it as well. But atthe end of the day, it's like
you're just and you'd nothing isstable, and I think people often

(21:08):
think, like, oh, I could neverown my own business, or I could
never be a creative. It's sounstable.
And it's like, yes. But also, aswe learned in COVID, so are
jobs. Yeah. Jobs come and go.You could always get let go.
Like, your career could just,you know, kinda take a shift or
maybe your company gets boughtout. Like, nothing is for
certain, and that's where Ithink for people who are, like

(21:29):
you know, have relationship withthe Lord, that's where that
faith comes in even more becauseyou're like, none of this is
really secure. We just have towalk in faith and say, alright,
lord. Here are the skills thatI've got. Here's the gift that
you've given me.
Like, let's go. Like, lead me tothe next thing, and we'll go on
from there. So yeah.

I love that you brought that up too. It
makes every moment that you'redoing something that doesn't
feel aligned, it makes it soclear Mhmm. That you need to
get, like, you know, back tofollowing what God has told you
and has, placed on your heartand where he's leading you. And,
and that's so beautiful. That'sreally valuable information, so

(22:06):
thank you for sharing that parttoo.
And Oh, of course. I was lookingat your website and saw that
you're also a mentor, and youyou offer mentorship. Yeah. So
it doesn't surprise me at allthat you are so good at pointing
out things like that. Can youtalk a little bit about your
mentorship?

Yeah. No. It's really it's a good question. So
I've been doing photography fora while, and it's been really
fun to, like, watch the bookspop off with weddings. I have
like you said, I'm based inColumbus, Ohio, but I've got
some this year in Los Angelesand Kentucky. I am always trying
to get one in New York City. Idon't think I have one this year
for that. But I'm alwaystraveling because I love

(22:45):
traveling, experiencing newthings, and, like, taking my
photography to new places. Ithink I have, like, 34 weddings
this year, which is kinda crazy.But, because everything's been
taking off, a lot of the timepeople approach me and go, hey.
How do I do that too? You're aself started, you know, business
owner. How do you go from 0 to a100? How do you go from a girl

(23:08):
with a camera to a profitable,sustainable business model where
you're constantly booking higherend weddings and traveling the
country. So I've been having alot of people reach out, and so
I was like, you know what? Ishould offer to educate because
as someone who went to collegefor a different degree, I went
for graphic design, but I wasgonna minor in photography. And

(23:28):
like I said, the classes weregood, but they they weren't
based on how to use yourphotography skill to market and
turn it into a business. It wasvery fine arts focused, which is
fine and has a place. But Ithink in today's economy, most
people are trying to find a wayto make a skill marketable. And
so I was, like, I think insteadof, like, teaching at a

(23:50):
collegiate level or encouragingpeople to go spend 4 years and
1,000 of dollars on a collegeeducation in photography, I
could do 1 on 1 sessions. Thatway people get mentorship
opportunities that are 1 on 1education, and they can say,
hey. I'm struggling to learn thebasics of my camera. I'm
struggling to know what to do ifI arrive on a wedding day, or I

(24:11):
I don't know how to handlecouples when they're in front of
me and they just, like they lookcute, but, like, they don't know
how to, like, it act normal.Like, it's awkward when they're
with me. So I can answer allthose questions.
We do virtual calls. And then,if some of those students are
like, hey. I wanna do this inperson and and work with you or
have an opportunity to, like,see how you work with a couple.

(24:33):
I'm starting to get into styledshoots and content days.

Okay.

And I have one coming up. I have one coming up.
I'm not sure when this episodewould be released, so it might
the ticket sales might be closedby the time it is. But I'm
hosting my 1st content daystyled shoot and overnight
getaway retreat. So this isgonna be for my girlies and
boys. There's a couple boyscoming, who want to learn how to

(24:59):
do the hands on level ofphotography, get some good
content, but also rest. And I'ma very, like, in touch with,
hey. God's given us bodies andenergy and a mind, and we need
to, like, take care of all ofthat. We we're not machines.
We're not just, like, go go goshoot all these weddings. Don't
sleep. Hustle. Hustle. Yeah.Like, I think it's important to
say, hey. Let's, like, go on ahike in nature. Let's sit around

(25:21):
a bonfire and talk with othercreatives, not at a networking
angle to get something out ofthem, but just to, like, hang
out. And what are you strugglingwith? And what do you what could
be different in your business?Or what's your goal for this
year? What's a dream you haveoutside of work? So I'm hosting
an opportunity to do all thatcoming up in Hocking Hills. If
anyone's interested, it's May21st to 22nd. Okay. And we can,

(25:43):
like, plug that in more later ifyou guys wanna head to to look
for those tickets. But that'ssomething I'm really passionate
about moving into this educationspace and doing, yes, the 1 on 1
mentorships, but also more ofthese, like, creative getaways
and these opportunities to makegood work, but also support
yourself as you move throughbusiness and find that balance
of work and life that actuallyis something fun and enjoyable.

Yeah. It looks like it's going to be a
lot of fun, and I've never everheard of a content retreat. So
what a cool retreat.

I agree. Well, the other thing... There's so
much, like, content and, like,stimulation coming in at us at
all times. Like, we wake up, wegrab our phones, get on social
media, and you're seeing andgetting inspired by how everyone
else is doing it. And you'resaying, oh, that person did that
amazing photo shoot. Oh, look atthat luxury wedding that I
wasn't in.

Yeah.

And then all of that feeds. Right? It feeds
into us, and then we go, okay.Well, then I have to be better
than that person. So let me goand pretend like I'm better than
that person and work like I'mbetter you know?
And instead of saying, weshouldn't look at the other
person and go, that's mycompetition. Now I need to one
up that person. We need to putall that to the side and be
like, I'm so happy they shot abeautiful amazing wedding and

(26:54):
gave lifelong treasures to thatcouple. How amazing. I'm gonna
put that over there and justfocus on what inspiration, what
clients has god given me, howcan I serve the people right in
front of me and be grateful forwho they are, and not get
distracted by, like, not havingenough enough clients or the
right kind of wedding orwhatever you're, like, nervous
about?

Right!!

And just being, like, let's just focus on
what we've got and be gratefulfor that, and then move forward
and make something that startshere instead of out here, if
that makes sense.

Yeah. The only competition is who we were
yesterday, and that I feellike-

Yasss preach.

We're all about celebrating other people
and their victory stories. Like,I am so excited to hear about
this retreat, to hear about youdoing mentorship work, and,
starting to educate or gettinginto the education realm. And
you had a really, really coolpresentation. Was it a seminar
earlier this year? Can you tellme a little bit about that? That

(27:47):
is huge. And I Wanna take amoment to, like, really just say
that's awesome. Like, that isincredible. How how did it go?

You're so sweet.

Tell me about it.

Yes. Okay. So if you're not sure what we're
talking about, we basically,since I started getting into
education, I've been kind ofgrowing a little bit online and
catching the attention of someother camera gurus. And so my
place in Columbus, Ohio is closeto a camera education center and
store called Midwest Photo.Shout out to Midwest Photo.
They're great. They do a lot ofstuff for most of Ohio, Indiana.

(28:22):
I think a lot of the, you know,camera sales and stuff go
through them. And they reachedout to me and said that Canon,
the camera brand that is huge,was interested in doing a class
with me. And so they wanted tokinda offer an opportunity for
photographers in the communitywho were not quite sure how to
start getting into couples'portraiture.

(28:44):
They wanted to offer anopportunity for them to learn.
So we worked together and I dida class on a Saturday at this
really beautiful studio inColumbus with Canon and Midwest
Photo, and I got to do a courseon how to get creative couples
portraits, how to make peoplefeel comfortable, feel like
themselves, and not just walkaway with nice photos, but

(29:05):
photos that actually tell astory about that couple. So I
did a little teaching for aboutan hour on that, and then we had
a chance to work with somemodels and test out new Canon
gear. And I got to work withlots of photographers that day
on learning how to master theircamera settings, playing with
different lenses, seeing whatthat looks like, and making some
really cool work. So it was ablast and such an honor. Canon's

(29:27):
like a huge I've been workingwith them for years. Like, as
far as, you know, I buy alltheir cameras. So it was just an
honor to be, like, approached inthat way and to be seen as,
like, a professional in my owncity. Again, like, I started as,
like, a 14 year old girl whowas, like, poor and, like,
bought a silly little camera.
Well You know what I mean? Andit's so cool to, like, watch it,

(29:48):
like, and be like, wow, God.Like, this is where we're going?
That's amazing.

Yeah! I was just so proud of you!

eeeh! Thank
you.

Victoria B. Glass: So, I wanted to give you a shout (29:54):
undefined
out and, point out to ourlisteners that India doesn't
play around.

It was so fun. Yeah. Definitely an honor.

Victoria B. Glass: Yeah, that is so cool! So you (30:02):
undefined
got your your education going,but you're still doing weddings
and wedding photography. Andyou've got some really cool
weddings lined up, traveling andthings like that.

Yes. Lots of weddings. Yes. Well, I would say
at my core, I don't know if youare into the Enneagram stuff at
all, but I think I'm anEnneagram 2 wing 3, which means
I my, like, motivation is to,like, help people and work hard.
And I think that's true, and allof it is centered around, like,
helping someone.
When it's a wedding, it's like,I'm helping this couple remember

(30:32):
their day and relive thesemoments forever. They're gonna
tell their kids. They're gonnashow these photos to their
grandkids. Like, this is notjust, like, a trendy cute thing
to take a quick snap and post iton my own story on Instagram.
This is about them and, like,making sure that they have these
memories forever. And then whenit comes to mentorship, it's the
same kinda like, how can I helpthis person and serve them out

(30:54):
of a place of, like, I want themto have a successful business? I
want them to learn how to usetheir camera and and tell their
own stories and start to offerservices or even just know how
to document their their familyon vacation. You know? So I
love, like, that my business isso hands on when it comes to,
like, helping and servingbecause I feel like that really
meets that need that I have of,like, I wanna help people. I

(31:15):
wanna make it fun.
I wanna serve you. The otherthing I think we chatted with
when we met at the heartconference because we love Evie
and Lindsay and all that theydo. My husband's in film, and
something we're looking forwardto this year is he has been
working on, a script for a TVshow for a number of years,

(31:35):
like, since before I met him.And we're hoping to try to make
some of that start to happenthis year. And if that's the
case, I wanna be on set with himfor that and help him on the
production side as well aspossibly acting in the show. So
it could be really fun, butjust, like, knowing that, again,
that balance of, like, yeah, I'mdoing my creative thing and my

(31:58):
business, and that's amazing.But how cool is it that I've got
this spouse who's also creativeand that we can cross paths? And
I can say, hey. Would you helpme, you know, photograph and and
film this wedding? And he'slike, yeah.
And then I he can be like, doyou wanna act in my project? I'm
like, yeah. Totally.

Of course. Yeah.

We're looking forward to getting the ball
rolling with that series andjust, like, being on set with
him and and creating anothercommunal space of, like, telling
a story that we really careabout and hoping that that can
help serve people as well. Sothat's something we're looking
forward to.

That is awesome, And I'm gonna be
looking forward to that!

We're gonna have to get you on set.
Oh, yeah.

I'll come and do the behind the scenes, you
know, whatever!

Come on over Tori!

Yes. And that's such a fun part too is
being I mean, as Someone acting,of course, is awesome, but also
being just in on all of theproduction and watching
something go from being on youknow, even not on paper to life.
But in your case, being insomeone's head and hearing their
passion and them talking aboutit, watching them, you know, I

(32:59):
guess, like, go with ideas andcharacters and, like, making it
all, like, flushed out and thenputting it on paper. And then
watching that come to life issuch an incredible experience.
And so I am looking forward tohearing about how that goes and
watching it come to life evenmore than, than it is now. And
if, if you ever need any help,let me know. And

I will.

We just need to keep showing up and
advocating for our creativelives and the creative lives of
our partners because that's onlygonna attract more of that same
type of person in life intoreality, into this world, into
God's world. Like, you know, youI feel like he's working in so
many ways with thisentertainment industry, and, I

(33:44):
think in I envision that inabout 10 years, 5 years, it's
not gonna look the way it isright now. It's gonna be he's
gonna use it in a a way that wecan't even really imagine. But I
just, I think it's important tosay don't quit and also, you
know. Keep showing up andadvocating for creatives and, in

(34:04):
our victories, whether they areon stage, behind the camera,
graphics, writing, whatever.It's such a important life, an
important role that we play. So,and it's only I mean, the social
media and stuff, I feel likeit's only becoming more normal
to be creative, and that's sucha awesome, beautiful thing.

(34:26):
Well

Yeah. I think the reason that the creative
industry gets such a bad rap isbecause most folks don't
realize, like, you get what youput like, you get out what you
put in kinda thing. And if yougo in and say, like, hey. God's
given me a dream. I'm gonna workhard.
There are more opportunitiesthan you could ever know.
There's way more jobs in thecreative industry than it ever

(34:47):
has been before. There's socialmedia managers. There's graphic
designers.
There's copywriters. There's allkinds of work. And, yes, it is
harder, and it is, like, whensomeone's like, you know, I'm
married to a filmmaker. I'mlike, okay. We live in Ohio.
Where are the films in Ohio? Butyou'd be surprised how many
commercial projects, how manytimes he's gone out to we got
hired to do a TV show. We wentto Alaska. We went to Nashville,

(35:09):
Tennessee. We've been to NewYork to do filming.
We've been to LA. Like, you justwhen we limit ourselves with
this, like, scarcity mindset,we're limiting what God can do.
We're saying, no. All I see iswhat's in front of me. All I see
is that I'm from a small townand that I'm a creative.
I'm one I'm one person here. Idon't see anyone else around me.
I'm just gonna, like, forget allthis and go, like, work at a gas

(35:30):
station, and that's all I'llever amount to. It's like, hey.
You can pump gas and glorify theLord, but if you've got that
dream, maybe get out of thatbubble a little, get out of that
mindset a little and say, Lord,I'm not gonna operate with
what's in front of me and justwhat I see. I'm gonna let you do
your thing, and I'm gonna trustthat, like, there is way more of
an abundance of what's possiblein this life with hard work and

(35:53):
with your will, and I'm justgonna pray and work towards,
like, receiving whatever isnext. Yeah. It can be really
hard at times too, but I justwanna encourage anyone because I
never ever thought I would be afull time photographer or
married to a filmmaker, and we'dactually, like, have dinner, and
we'd have food, and we'd have amortgage. It's cool to see that

(36:15):
God's providing and that, like,it is possible. It's hard, but
it's possible, but also it'slike that choose your hard
thing.
Right? Like, there's alwaysgonna be a hard choice. And if
it you're something you really,really wanna try, I would say do
it. Go for it because you onlyget one life, you know, might as
well jump in and and be excitedfor what God has.

Yeah. I like that. Choose your hard!. That's
a good a nugget of wisdom there.Okay. So you have a YouTube
channel. That's where where Iwas going. And do you have a
podcast also?

Yeah. So it's the same thing. I post the video
version on YouTube, and then youcan listen to the the same
podcast on Spotify and Apple, Ithink.

Let's talk about that for a minute. I
watched a little bit of thefashion stuff that you're doing.
Tell me how the you're findingsome new inspiration with doing
your YouTube channel and thepodcast and how it relates to
expressing yourself via clothes?

So I started a podcast this year. It's called
India and Stuff. It's a littletagline is, like, behind the
scenes, in betweens, and all theother stuff. So one of the
things that I'm passionateabout, it's kinda like my hobby,
is sustainable fashion. I love,like, fair trade fashion,
thrifting. I love talking aboutways we can move forward in the

(37:27):
fashion industry, which is,like, expressing yourself in
clothes and what you're wearing,but also not destroying our
planet because there's a lot ofnegative stuff that comes with,
like, fast fashion andeverything. So I try to find the
balance of, like, sharing thosetopics on my podcast, in a way
that's exciting and hopeful.Because I think a lot of times
people can just be like, I can'tbelieve you bought that sweater

(37:48):
at Target. And it's like, okay.Well, I did, or I don't have a
$1,000,000 to buy from thisfancy brand. So I like to kinda
try to bridge the gap and say,hey. Like, we can make little
choices every time, whether it'swith food or shopping for
clothes or our own, like,lifestyle that kind of promotes
wellness or promotes somethingthat helps God's earth, you

(38:09):
know, stay intact. So I justkinda, like, do that on my
podcast a lot of the times. It'slike decompress my own travels,
my own journeys, and then talk alot about drifting and
encouraging kind of asustainable lifestyle in a
holistic sense.

I love that you're also pouring into other
people in that way. And, it wasreally exciting for me when I
found out that you had thatbecause I just thought it I was
like, oh my goodness. This is socool. It was another side of
you. And if you're listening,you gotta go follow India Jade.
Her Instagram handle's IndiaJade photo. Right? because her

(38:46):
stories are full of just thatgood hope, and I keep saying
excitement, but you have so muchenergy. And I think that it's
not only entertaining, but italso is uplifting, and you said
hope hopeful. And, no matter ifyou're talking about, like, you
know, fashion or whatever, it'sthat vibe that you have.
And so that resonance that youhear really does show what

(39:07):
anyone can do. You know? Like,you, you give it away so freely,
and so you gotta go follow herlisteners. And then, India, tell
us where else I can find yourwork. Where's your website? And
you've mentioned your podcast,India and stuff. Share all of
the different places that we canfind you online.

Yeah. Thanks. You're so sweet. I appreciate
that so much. Because it is hardsometimes to feel I'm like, am I
just shouting into the void?
Am I being so silly that they'renot gonna take me seriously? But
I'm like, I think I would ratherbe a scroll stopper with my
silliness than just mask half ofwho I am and only ever be

(39:45):
completely buttoned up andcompletely professional all the
time online. I think we all seeso much stuff that it can all
look the same. And if you'relooking for a photographer, you
can just type in, you know,photographer, and then you get
25 girls in a black blazerlooking really cute and
professional. It's like, that'sawesome, but I'll be in my
ratatouille pajamas eatingSpaghettiOs and editing. You

(40:07):
know? Like, I wanna providesomething that's also authentic
and real and true to me becausethen when I show up on your
wedding day or your session,it's like, we have something to
talk about. They're like, oh, Isaw that silly thing you posted,
or, oh, that's so funny. You youlove dancing with your cats.
That's hilarious. Or, like, Idon't know. So I always
encourage people be yourselveswhether that's on the screen or
in person. Like, people arereally craving to know

(40:30):
authenticity in a new way. And Idon't know. I just appreciate
you saying that because I loveit when people just are
themselves.
Like, be real, be silly.Everyone Beyonce at the end of
the day, she still gotta go tothe bathroom. Like, she gotta
take her makeup off too. Like,everyone's a person. Anyway

My mom always says... . So I here I am
talking about my mom again.The Alabama in me is coming out.
But My mom always said, youknow, they put your their
britches on the same way we puton ours. So, you know, I
think you're right!

India Jade McCue: Yes, honey!! HAHA (40:56):
undefined

That that authenticity is very important.
And, you know, you're thephotographer, but, like, as, a
creative, I just imagine thecouples really being just
comfortable in front of, thecamera with you, and it really
leans into that candid stylethat is harder.... I mean,
people think candid is, like,when you're not looking, but,
no, that is the hard stuff toget is when it looks beautiful,

(41:20):
but it's also natural andauthentic. And so, your
personality and having that flowso freely is allow I only
imagine it allows them to showmore of themselves and to, you
know, be more comfortablewhether they're in a wedding
dress and tuxedo.

Yeah.

When those moments are happening, it's
usually not an everyday scenariowhere you're, like, in that type
of dress. So it takes someone aswilling to be free, to get those
amazing shots. And it's I cannotimagine it being easy, but you
make it look easy. So Idefinitely wanna applaud you!

AWW, you're so sweet. Thank you.

This is a audio podcast. I like to share
the video version, and I willhave some of your photos and
stuff. But if our listenerswanna check out your work or get
to know you more, where ....Where do you want them to go to
find you?

Yeah. Yeah. Thank you. Obviously, Instagram,
India Jade photo is myprofessional photography
account. India and stuff is mypersonal thrifted stuff. I do a
lot of silly goofy videos, mytravel videos there, my thrifted
fits. I think we're on TikTok atthe McCue's or McCuties. I'll
have to check and report back.And then we're on YouTube as

(42:32):
well for my podcast, which is onSpotify, Apple. That is also
India and stuff under the McCueschannel. And then my website, if
you are looking for aphotographer anywhere in the
States or beyond, or if you'reright here in Columbus, Ohio,
it's indiajadephoto.com Andthat's the same if you are
looking for a photography mentoror you wanna hear more about the

(42:53):
getaway retreat, that would beindiajadephoto.com /edu

Awesome. And I'm gonna go and look up the
McCues. So you that's, I guess,a channel with your husband.
That is so cool.

We just like being silly on the Internet. I
know. Tori, we gotta hang out.We do. We do. With all of our
our husbands and, like, all thecreative energy. I can't wait.

Well, I'm just so honored that you took
the time to talk to me today andshare your victory story. Is
there anything else you wannaadd?

I think overall, just keep keep going.
Find your creative people. Ithink that community aspect is
so huge and something that'salways evolving for us. The
Heart University, like we'vementioned already, has been a
great place to find some fellowcreatives. That's been one of
those invaluable things that I'mreally glad that I was a part
of, and am a part of. So theyhave a great podcast. I think

(43:44):
it's the heart and hustle. Welove them!
And just finding opportunitiesin your own ZIP code. I always
tell people that one of the bestthings we can do is serve the
ZIP code around us and just say,hey.
How can I make the creativecommunity in Columbus, Ohio
better? Oh, I could, like, teachat this thing. I could host a
getaway. I could even do a lowcost. Hey. I'm gonna be at this

(44:05):
coffee shop. I'm putting it onmy store and say, let's network.
Hey, any creative? Why don't youcome from 1 to 2 on a Saturday,
and we'll just chat? Like,finding ways to find people.

Victoria B. Glass: Yeah. Oh that's good! (44:15):
undefined

Find find ways to connect with people in front
of you, and and don't write itoff as, like, well, I'm only in
Ohio or I'm only in Alabama.There's not very many creatives
here. Just say, you know what?There are people with a dream.
And even if I'm the first one tostep out and and vocalize that
dream, odds are there's a middleschooler somewhere who's looking
at her camera going, I wonder ifI could, like, do something with

(44:36):
that, or I wonder if I couldstart a vlog or if I could be a
dancer, if I could be ascreenwriter. Like, you never
know who you're gonna inspire,and sometimes our own mental
capacity is, like, limiting whatwhat we can do. So I just
encourage people to to put thatto the side, take some time in
silence and solitude with theLord and and be like, alright,
Lord. What do you have? I justneed your voice right now, and

(44:59):
then run it by your closestcircle of people and then take a
step in faith.

Oh, man. That was really good. That's such an
easy way to get with people inyour ZIP code, like you said,
and I bet you'll meet some newpeople and maybe start a new
friendship or something out ofthat. Thank you. Thank you for
speaking to me at the conferenceand saying, hey.
You know, I'm India. You didthat, and that was what sparked

(45:25):
this conversation, like, lateron. So, if you're listening, be
that person that speaks up andsays hi or that brings, you
know, attention to a a like, youknow, other creatives in your
community and things like thatbecause you never know where
it'll lead you. And at the veryleast, you're gonna be inspired
by other people doing theirthing and being them in their

(45:45):
way that only they can be, Andthat's gonna give you permission
to be further yourself and bewho God created you to be.

100%

So... Have the conversations, share the
victory stories, and, be excitedfor your fellow creatives
because the world needs more ofthat that light and those
creative people. So thank youfor coming along.

India Jade McCue: I Agree. Of Course! This was such an honor. (46:06):
undefined

India, I'm looking forward to seeing all
that you do. And, creatives, gofollow India and find her
YouTube channel, find her TikTokprofiles, and, and listen to her
podcast. I'm gonna go do it. Sowe'll all have to follow-up
maybe in a few, months orsomething and and hear how hear
how the retreat and stuff went.I'm looking forward to hearing

(46:31):
how that goes.

Yeah. Thank you, Tori. Thanks, guys.

Alright. We'll talk to you later. Thanks
for joining us for this week'sepisode of the Contagious
Victory's podcast. If the showinspired you to share your own
victory story, I'm here to tellyou the world deserves to hear
it. Submit it to me online atToriBlackmon.com. Review and

(46:56):
subscribe if that feels right.Telling a friend about the show
helps contagious victories togrow. Plus, we all appreciate a
little sunshine. I'm Tori B.Thanks for listening. I'll catch
you soon

All Episodes

Episode Transcript

Popular Podcasts

Stuff You Should Know

Dateline NBC

On Purpose with Jay Shetty

.css-15opob5{left:0;position:absolute;top:0.8rem;} All Episodes

.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}Courage is Contagious with India Jade McCue

Episode Transcript

Popular Podcasts

.css-r6mb8g{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:1;overflow:hidden;}Stuff You Should Know

Dateline NBC

On Purpose with Jay Shetty

All Episodes

Courage is Contagious with India Jade McCue

Stuff You Should Know