Young Professionals Spotlight: Studio.1328

Young professionals in the Corridor region are on the rise. Being one of these individuals, myself, the Corridor believes it is important to highlight all the awesome, successful people living in the area. So, without further ado, I present you with Jennifer Moeller.

Jen is the owner of Studio.1328 and MoneySaver Magazine. At only 24 years old, she has really made a name for herself up in the Spirit Lake area. Photography and design have been her creative outlets ever since she made the big move up north last year.

“I worked at an architecture firm in Ames for a year after I graduated from UNI. It didn’t give me the creativity that I was craving. I finally got sick of it, packed up and headed out this way.”

Jen, a Grundy Center native, claims she has always loved the area ever since her family began vacationing up there during the summers. Her parents own a home on East Lake Okoboji and currently allow Jen to live there full time, coming to visit from time to time.

“We rented a place one summer and I fell in love with the area. The next summer I just had to be up here full time, so I got a job at the Gardens and then at Captain’s & Oak Hill Marina the following summer.”

When Jen would spend her summers in Spirit Lake, she always had her eye on the building she currently rents out for her photography studio.

“I always loved this building. I did photography on the side all throughout college, so I decided to give it a try full time. It has really taken off; I can hardly keep up at times.”

The studio is located at 1703 Hill Avenue in Spirit Lake.

Jen is also the owner of MoneySaver Magazine. She was planning on advertising in the publication during the first few months of business before she was asked to purchase it.

“Shannon Dunham called me the day after we spoke about running an ad and asked if I did design. We talked back and forth for a bit, and then she asked me if I wanted to buy the magazine from her,” Jen smiled. “I thought about it for a few days and ultimately said yes. I have revamped the whole thing; it’s really cool and something I love.”

Studio.1328 has grown immensely over the past year. So much so that Jen has just hired someone to do all of the sales for the company and has an intern ready to go for the summer.

“I would much rather design than sell, so hiring Emily will be a great addition for me. It’s absolutely unreal to think I can actually hire employees now.”

Jen explained how awesome it is for her to be her own boss.

“I call Monday’s “Pajama Monday’s.” I stay in my PJ’s and work from home designing a bunch of ads. It’s great. When summer comes, Emily and I may have to change it to Bikini Monday’s and work from the boat!”

Jen has also found some personal success while living in the Corridor region.

“I just got engaged in January, so we’re here to stay. My fiance has lived here for about 5 years. I actually met him when I worked at Captain’s one summer, and now we’re getting married. Crazy!”

When asked why she chose Spirit Lake to spearhead her storefront, Jen responded with the perfect answer to depict the area.

“I came from a small town. I wanted that small town vibe, but still be able to have all the amenities of a bigger city. I love the water and wake boarding. Every day is literally a vacation up here.”

Check out some of Studio.1328′s stuff here. Jen truly does amazing work and is very versatile in what she does: head shots, weddings, babies, you name it. MoneySaver is also a great place to advertise, so make sure to contact her if you’re interested!

Check out the rest of our blog here!

- Alexa Guessford