A Lesson Learned -- or Three

On this rainy day I am hearkening back to a sunnier one earlier in the week when I attended a meeting at Gonzaga with my friend Amber. Amber is an advisor (soon to be manager!) for Lia Sophia jewelry and when she invited me I had no idea what I was in for. However I took it as a learning experience. I figured that even though I am not  directly involved with them that there was still something to be gleaned. Plus it was right behind St. Al's, one of the places I dream of shooting at one day.

I guess I shouldn't have been surprised when I found women who were energized and excited to be doing what they love -- sharing their favorite jewelry with their friends. I sat and absorbed all I could, spellbound.  Here are some main points I came up with to share some of my personal goals and hopefully inspire you to pursue your own today:

Recognize your successes. A lot of times women (especially me) can get bogged down worrying about how they aren't "enough" -- not doing enough, not booking enough, not shooting enough. When I was brand new at photography I didn't count the successes. I only counted the things I didn't have -- the "right"equipment, the "right" blog layout, the "right" kind of logo. This especially resonated with me because it's so easy to get caught up in that idea that turned out to be only half-baked rather than the one that turned out golden. Whatever you're doing in this life -- whether you are writing copy, fixing cars, or making widgets -- recognize your successes. Those little victories that make up a greater story. And that story is the one worth telling.

Invest in yourself. My jaw about hit the floor when one of the leaders brought up this simple life truth. If you're not willing to invest in yourself, how can you expect others to? Treat yourself the way you deserve to be treated first. For me right now this means working toward attending WPPI (a conference for wedding and portrait photographers) next year as a means to grow as an artist and learn more. I need to invest!

Give your heart. At the heart of every business is other people. Whether you are shooting wedding photos, rocking barista skills at Starbucks, or juggling schedules as a stay-at-home mom, you do your best when your heart is in it. One of the photography blogs I read  put it best:

We just work harder for people we care about. It's not something that's intentional, it's just true. We do better work. We care more. We get more inspired. We're more set on fire.

That's why I like to get to know my clients well. Because the more there is to know, the more there is to love and the harder I work. May that be true of all of us.