Today we’d like to introduce you to Jen Seris.
Hi Jen, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Somewhere between taking photos on a Minnie Mouse film camera with disposable flash bulbs and designing album covers in Microsoft Publisher for CDs burned from Napster, I became the person documenting everything and making it look intentional.
So while “I’ve always loved photography and design” may sound predictable, it’s true. I was the family and friend-group documentarian from early on, and I’ve always been drawn to the overlap of creativity, technology, and figuring out how things work.
I grew up in Columbia, Missouri, as the child of two Mizzou grads, but my own path to becoming a Tiger took a detour through Kirksville when I chose Truman State University for undergrad — just far enough away that I couldn’t bring my laundry home every weekend. I started undeclared and briefly considered business, until one course called “The Legal Environment of Business” helped me realize very quickly that was not the path. I declared Visual Communications instead, which turned into five years of fine arts foundations, photography, printmaking, design, campus publications work, and an internship at Relevant Magazine.
After graduation, I ended up back at Mizzou, where I spent nearly 10 years in the Recreation Department. I started as a graphic designer supervising a small team of students and eventually became Creative Director, leading a team across design, photography, video, and social media. Getting that kind of role right out of college — especially under supportive, visionary female leadership — shaped so much of how I think about creative work, leadership, and ownership.
At the same time, I was building a wedding and family photography business on the side. That season taught me how much the client experience matters: how people feel before, during, and after working with you; how clearly you communicate; and whether the final product feels like something they can trust and return to.
When my family moved to St. Louis in 2018, my business began shifting into the earliest version of what it is today: helping small business owners create a stronger visual brand across their photography, website, marketing, and client touchpoints. I didn’t have local clients right away, but in 2019, one of my first St. Louis clients was a gym owner preparing to grow from one franchise location to two. I recognized a place where my skillset could serve her beyond one project — brand consistency, photography, digital signage, design systems, and ongoing creative support — and that relationship became a major turning point.
Over the past eight years, that partnership has evolved in many directions and opened doors to new clients, new industries, and a clearer understanding of the kind of work I do best.
A little less than a year ago, I rebranded my business as Shift+Click Studio to better reflect where the work had grown. Today, I help service-based business owners bring their brand, website, photography, and client experience into alignment — often through a micro-agency model that allows us to move intentionally, build the right team around each project, and create a more cohesive result from the start.
Looking back, the path makes a lot of sense. I’ve always been interested in how things look, how they work, and how people experience them. Shift+Click Studio is really the combination of all of that: design, photography, systems, strategy, and the belief that a business feels stronger when every touchpoint is working together.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely has not been a perfectly smooth road, though I’m grateful for the way each challenge has shaped the business.
One of the biggest transitions came when my family moved from Columbia to St. Louis in 2018. I had experience, a portfolio, and years of client work behind me, but I didn’t have a local network here yet. Starting over in a new market was humbling. I had to rebuild relationships, learn where my work fit, and be willing to put myself out there before there was any guarantee it would lead somewhere.
Not long after that, motherhood and business ownership became even more intertwined. I found out I was pregnant with my second child right before the world shut down in 2020, so much of that season was spent navigating pregnancy, work, parenting, and then postpartum life in the middle of the pandemic. Like so many people, I had to make decisions with limited information and very little separation between home, work, and family life.
That season changed the way I thought about sustainability. I’ve always had a strong work ethic and a high standard for the work itself, but I had to learn that being able to push through is not the same thing as building something that can last. Time, energy, capacity, childcare, client expectations — all of those things became part of the business model, whether I wanted them to or not.
Another challenge has been learning how to run a business while also being the person doing the creative work. I was trained as a designer and photographer, not a business owner (starting with a legal course was not the move!), so pricing, systems, boundaries, capacity, marketing, and long-term planning have all been things I’ve had to learn in real time. There’s a big difference between being good at the work and building a business that can support the work sustainably.
Over time, I’ve also had to learn that just because I can do many things doesn’t mean I should offer everything in the same way. My skillset spans brand design, web design, photography, content, and client experience, which is a strength, but it also required me to get much clearer about the kind of projects I do best and the level of support my clients actually need.
That clarity is a big part of what led to rebranding as Shift+Click Studio. The challenge now is continuing to build a business that can serve clients well without depending on me being the only person touching every detail. Developing more of a micro-agency model has been part of that growth — learning when to bring in the right collaborators while still protecting the strategy, quality, and client experience that make the work feel like 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?
Through Shift+Click Studio, I help service-based business owners create more cohesive, strategic brands across their websites, photography, marketing, and client experience.
My work sits at the intersection of brand design, web design, photography, and creative direction. I’m not only thinking about how a logo looks or whether a website is beautiful. I’m thinking about how the whole system works together: what a potential client understands in the first few seconds, whether the visuals match the level of service being offered, how easy it is to take the next step, and whether the brand can keep showing up consistently after the project is finished.
I specialize in helping businesses that have outgrown a pieced-together version of their brand. A lot of my clients are very good at what they do, but their online presence no longer reflects the quality, depth, or direction of their work. I help them clarify the message, strengthen the visuals, organize the website, and create the kind of brand presence that feels more aligned with where the business is actually headed.
What sets my work apart is that I can see both the details and the full picture. My background spans graphic design, photography, websites, content, and client experience, so I’m usually looking at more than one deliverable at a time. A brand photo is not just a pretty picture. A website section is not just a design block. A client inquiry form is not just admin. They’re all part of how someone experiences and builds trust with a business.
I’m most proud of the long-term relationships I’ve built with clients. Many of my best projects have grown from one initial need into years of creative partnership because clients trust me to understand their business, make thoughtful recommendations, and help them keep moving forward. I care a lot about making the work feel clear, useful, and sustainable — not just polished for the sake of being polished.
At its best, my work helps business owners feel more confident about how they are presenting themselves and more equipped to share their work consistently. That is the part I’m most interested in: creating brands that are not only visually strong, but genuinely easier to use, explain, and grow with.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
I’ll always believe good design matters, but I also think small business owners deserve more than “pretty.” (And definitely more than AI-generated, generic, plug-and-play visuals that could belong to anyone.)
A pretty logo is great. A nice website is great. Beautiful photos are great. But if no one can understand what you do, where to click, why they should trust you, or whether you’re actually the right fit, the pretty part is doing a lot of unpaid overtime.
That’s the work I care about most—making the whole thing make sense. I want the business owners I work with to feel like their brand is not just something they have to keep up with, but something that actually helps them explain their work, show up consistently, and make better decisions.
Also, I will probably always care too much about margins, file names, and whether that almost-right shade of green is actually in the brand guide. I’ve made peace with that.
Pricing:
- Shift+Click Studio projects are custom quoted based on scope, timeline, and creative needs. Inquiries typically begin with a discovery call so we can determine the right level of support.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://shiftclickstudio.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/shiftclick.studio
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/shiftclickstudio
