Daily Inspiration: Meet Jaylynn Nash

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jaylynn Nash.

Hi Jaylynn, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Hello! My name is Jaylynn Nash and I am originally from South Dakota, went to college in Mankato, Minnesota, and currently live in North Carolina. I have over ten years of experience being a graphic designer, photographer, social media manager, content creator, web designer, and marketer. What I am most known for and a good majority of my work is being a professional sports photographer for over 8+ years.

My work has been featured on ESPN, Getty Images, Sports Illustrated, The Washington Post, USA Today, SB Nation, Forbes, NHL, the Canes hockey mural at the RDU Airport, murals in and outside of stadiums, billboards, Cane’s marketing materials, Canes socials, along with Capitals, Dallas Stars, Anaheim Ducks, Calgary Flames, Rangers, ACC, NC State, Duke, Wake Forest, Clemson, and other teams.

I started working in professional sports when I was 19 being a photo intern in the NBA/WNBA for the Minnesota Timberwolves/Lynx. Along the way, I was invited to learn and cover the other professional sports in the Minnesota area all while being an honors college student, having two jobs and two other internships in Mankato, MN with my photo one being in the Minneapolis area.

Upon graduation in 2016, I moved to North Carolina, not knowing anyone, having multiple jobs while covering sports nights and weekends. Finally, it came to a point I have always wanted since I was nine and I was able to take that leap of faith into the freelancing world.

Some of my include the NHL Carolina Hurricanes, Atlantic Coastal Conference, NC State Athletics, Duke Athletics, Wake Forest Athletics, NASCAR, INDYCAR, USA Today, Pittsburgh Steelers, North Carolina Football Club, Bauer Hockey, Brown, Notre Dame, and more.

I would not be where I am today without the amazing support from my family, friends, and wonderful networking connections who have helped and pushed me along the way. I am very thankful to do what I have wanted to do since I was little and continue to grow and learn every day while also trying to be an advocate for women in the sports industry and younger photographers.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I am forever thankful for the wonderful amazing opportunities I have been given and the connections who have helped me along the way, and am still growing and learning, but the road to get to where I have not and still is not easy.

To take the scary leap into the freelancing world not only did I have to be financially ready for everything to become out of my pocket (yes including insurance on myself and my cameras), but you have to be diligently organized, ready to market yourself/ put yourself and your work out there (daily!), and time management is key.

For years, I had multiple jobs working during the day while shooting on nights and weekends until I was overworked and ready to do what I have wanted to do since I was nine years old. To this day, I still freelance graphic design and social media for some clients along with marketing my own work. Keeping in mind I do shoot everything (weddings, engagements, brands, studios), along with sports.

The other factor that plays a part in the industry I am in is the fact that I am a young female. I started in professional sports when I was 19, which is very young and most college kids start with college sports then work in pro sports, but I did the opposite, so everything was a very fast-paced, learning curve.

When you are that young your mind is still not intaking everything that it can which is hard when you are surrounded by others who have been in the industry for more years than you were born. Along with being in a male dominant industry, I was, and still, am constantly having to prove that I am “there for the right reasons”, and am educated in the sports I work, along with having many years of knowledgeable experience in them and the photo industry.

One of the craziest things that I will not sugarcoat is that when I first moved to the South, being one of the only females in the media rooms/covering the games, I wore dark colors, and avoided outfits that showed off my feminine features, to every game I covered for two years. I was not easily accepted in the media rooms, along with being disrespected, so wearing darker colors helped me to blend in and hide just so I can once again “prove myself”.

Finally, after a couple of years, my work started to improve, my equipment upgraded, and people would accept I was going to be there to get the work done I was assigned, I started to wear pink. Pink has now become my signature, what started out as a color easily for my parents to find me on TV has now become a statement for myself but also for other younger kids, especially girls, wanting to get into this industry.

Don’t blend into the mold they have had for years, stand out, stand up, and be yourself. “Women in this professional sports (photographers) industry have to work twice as hard, for half the respect”- An old male mentor of mine.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I have over ten years of experience being a graphic designer, photographer, social media manager, content creator, web designer, and marketer. I have designed for startups, sales, corporate, sports, healthcare (including Duke), and family companies.

Along with I have extensive experience in covering professional sports, minor/junior leagues, college level, and youth. I have covered NBA, WNBA, NHL, NFL, MLB, MLS, Red Bull Crashed Ice, NASCAR, INDYCAR, NCAA (including local ACC games and ACC Championships), and my work has been featured on ESPN, Getty Images, Sports Illustrated.

The Washington Post, USA Today, SB Nation, Forbes, NHL, the Canes hockey mural at the RDU Airport, murals in and outside of stadiums, billboards, Cane’s marketing materials, Canes socials, along with Capitals, Dallas Stars, Anaheim Ducks, Calgary Flames, Rangers, ACC, NC State, Duke, Wake Forest, Clemson, and other teams.

To add, I have also worked full-time in some of those leagues listed above in the graphics/digital marketing department, so I understand how the Creative Services department runs. Some of my clients include the NHL Carolina Hurricanes, Atlantic Coastal Conference, NC State Athletics, Duke Athletics, Wake Forest Athletics, NASCAR, INDYCAR, USA Today, Pittsburgh Steelers, North Carolina Football Club, Bauer Hockey, Brown, Notre Dame, and more.

Not only have I covered some of the top sports, but I also have covered popular brands in the US as well as helped many startups with delivering their first digital content needs. Some brands/fashion, I have covered are Bauer Hockey, Mott, and Bow (NY Based), Blue Shark Vodka, LSKD, UNRL.co (popular MN Clothing Brand), Medlies formally Zupa Noma (sold at Whole Foods), The Mayton Inn-Hotel, byNiche (NY Brand), Team IFA, Tin Roof-Raleigh, TrueRest-Cary, and for Metta World Peace’s clothing company.

All of which dealt with models, influencers, and well-known athletes. I am originally from Sioux Falls, South Dakota (ironically a state with no pro sports), college from Mankato, Minnesota (where I was officially trained by the pro teams), and currently live in North Carolina (for five years), and love the beach and mountains.

You can view my work at http://www.jaylynnnash.com and follow along with my photography at @photography_by_jaylynn on Instagram or @JaylynnNash on TikTok (12k followers).

Who else deserves credit in your story?
I would not be where I am today not only without my parents but the amazing connections who have given me incredible opportunities I could never have imagined. Every single event I cover, photoshoot I do, or sport I am capturing someone there has been a connection or knows a connection that took a leap of faith on me.

I ALWAYS tell my clients how thankful I am to cover for them and the point of contact that helped me get the assignment. I am blessed with being able to cover many things so there are too many names to write out here to thank individually, but I am sure they are fully aware of how thankful I am for them since I tell them constantly.

While I may have to market myself sometimes, those networking connections are the ones who are the “You have to start somewhere” people. Those are the people who have believed in me since the very beginning, watched me grow, supported me along the way, and push me to get better.

Contact Info:

• Email: jaylynn.nash@yahoo.com
• Website: www.jaylynnnash.com
• Instagram: @photography_by_Jaylynn
• Facebook: Photography by Jaylynn
• Twitter: @Jaylynn Nash
• TikTok: @JaylynnNash

Image Credits
Jaylynn Nash