It’s crazy to think that this February, I celebrated my 4 year anniversary of starting my LLC. I started photographing weddings in 2013. But, it wasn’t until six months after my first two weddings that I established my LLC. Since then, it’s been an unbelievably wild ride! Today, I want to share my best 7 moments since starting my business.

#1 – Going full time.

This one is by far the most obvious, and definitely was one of the most exciting moments of my adult life.  I went full time with my photography business a year and a half after getting my LLC. I quit my job at a photo studio as an editor in October 2015 and I never looked back. Even better, I continue looking forward to all the amazing things I know are waiting for me.

Inspiration: If you’re still grinding at your full-time job and you have a dream of one day going full time with your business, I KNOW how exhausted you are. But I want to encourage you and say that these hustle days will be worth it. Keep at it, and soon you’ll be on the other side.  You won’t just be chasing it, you’ll be LIVING IT.

#2 – Taking two, month-long sabbaticals smack dab in the middle of wedding season.

In 2016, I would have never dreamed of taking a vacation during wedding season.  But in the year 2017, I took two, full months off. One came after a 12-week sprint of weddings every weekend, and one after 10 weeks straight of work.  Thanks to my workflows, I was able to complete all my work on the plane before starting my much-needed sabbaticals! 

Inspiration: Get your workflows in order, STAT. Don’t spend another week of your off-season “catching up” on your on season work.  AND, hire people to help you. Having an editor manage the bulk of my editing was an incredible investment in my business. It allows me to focus on the BEST images, blogging and loving my clients! While I do this, they cover editing the rest of the gallery.  My workflows have allowed me to get everything culled, edited for the blog, scheduled for social media, and sent off to my editor before landing at my vacation destination. It’s TRULY wonderful, and if I can do it, you can do it!

#3 – Being a panelist at the 2018 Creative at Heart Conference!

In November 2015, I attended my first Creative at Heart Conference. This was right after I quit my full-time job and I was transformed. The speaker ignited me with so much passion. I knew that one day, I wanted to speak or be a panelist at the conference so I could pour into others as I was poured into then.  I put it on my dream board in 2017 to be a speaker, and in December, I was asked to be the photography panelist! I cried opening the email. I am honored to speak to the photographers in my group this November! 

Inspiration: Don’t give up on your dreams just because they seem far away.  Most people give up when they see how far they have to go. Forgetting how far they’ve come.  Whether your dream is to go full time or speak at a conference or launch a business for the first time… KEEP AT IT. Don’t give up on your dreams and the things that set your heart on fire! 

#4 – Photographing a wedding on top of a mountain in Vermont. And photographing more than 85 UNBELIEVABLE couples – everywhere from Florida to Iceland to South Carolina to Arizona to California and beyond.

When I was around 14, I attended my first wedding as a guest.  I remember coming home and  thinking “I’m going to be a wedding photographer so I can be around happy people all the time.” When I was 22 I made that dream a reality when I photographed a high school friends wedding.  Since then, I’ve photographed 85+ weddings, and will hit my 100th this year! I am beyond grateful for the most incredible couples in the world! And, I get especially excited when I get to create beautiful magic on top of mountains.

Inspiration: Whatever your heart wants, go after it. And when you get clients, treat your clients like gold.  Find clients that make you LOVE what you do every single day.

#5 – As a result of working smarter and getting organized, I have the freedom to go out for more date nights with Scott and more lunch dates with industry friends.

I remember when October 2015 completely crushed me.  I had no time for myself, for sleep, or even non-microwaved meals! And I certainly had no time for the people I love.  In October 2016, after implementing my workflows, I remember apple picking with Scott. I was in the middle of my busiest wedding month, thinking “I cannot believe I have time for this right now”.  I turned to Scott and said, “can you believe we’re having a date WEEKEND in OCTOBER?”

Inspiration: I’ll leave it at this… if you want your sanity back, you have to get organized. And the first step to getting organized is putting workflows in place. I’ve done the hard work for you with workflow templates ready for you to use today in the shop!

#6 – Speaking at the Rising Tide Society Leaders Retreat + Leading a Challenge to 2500+ Creatives for the October Business Planning Challenge with HoneyBook.

WHAT AN HONOR.  In January, an email came into my inbox asking if I would like to speak at the Rising Tide Society Leaders Retreat. Of course, I emailed back a resounding YES (with lots of exclamation points)!! It was the first time I was actually going to be on a STAGE! I spoke to other leaders about passive income and my heart just wanted to burst at the end. The leaders in the room that day made my heart flutter a little faster because they are all INCREDIBLE creative women.

Inspiration: Find community, love and serve them well. Make connections with people who value the same things you do. And at the end of the day, always lead with your heart

#7 – Opening Registration for The 2018 Fireside Retreat!

In 2016, a dream to launch an intimate retreat for women got stuck in my heart! I’d teach workflows, systems, organization and all things “working smarter, not harder”. The ultimate goal… to live a life full of freedom, passion, and adventure without overwhelm and stress. To read more about the 2018 Fireside Retreat, be sure to check out the recap from those 4 amazing days! 

Inspiration:  If your heart can’t stop thinking about something, don’t stop working on it.

---

In honor of today’s post, I’d LOVE to see ya’ll in our private Facebook group sharing your wins in business so we can CELEBRATE alongside each other!

I can’t wait to hear about all the incredible and inspiring wins you have had in your own business and life this year!