Cheers to 1 Year

As I sit here reflecting on my first year of self employment, I almost have to pinch myself and ask “has it really already been one year?!“. Being my own boss was something I dreamed about for as long as I can remember. It has definitely been one of the most rewarding experiences but it’s also been just as challenging. As with anything, you experience the highest highs and the lowest lows. While there’s no better feeling than waking up every morning and loving what you do, there’s also no one else there to motivate you when you’re in a rut. There’s no one else that is going to help get your work done when you’re sick or in need of a personal day… or when the wifi stops working right before a deadline (thank God for hotspots!).

This past year was full of beautiful weddings with the sweetest couples while working alongside some of the best vendors in the industry. I was also fortunate to capture some of the cutest babies I know. I traveled to Paris for a week long business trip and met an awesome group of fellow girl bosses. I relaunched my stationery business after separating it from my photography business. I redesigned two websites! I started booking weddings for 2019 (which is crazy to think that I already know what I am going to be doing on a particular day that happens to be 18 months away!) I even explored more parts of this world in the last 365 days than any other year. Jetting off to Bermuda, Chicago, Vermont, Maine, Newport, London, Nashville, Louisville, France, Martha’s Vineyard + the Cape, New Hampshire & Saratoga for both work and pleasure made this one of the most unforgettable years ever. I designed and executed a styled shoot that was published on 3 blogs and some of my very own couples have even had their sessions published as well. Also, how can I forget that Style Me Pretty closed and then reopened… what a roller coaster of emotions! P.S. Martha Stewart Weddings, I still have my eyes on you.

There’s definitely been moments of panic where I questioned what I was doing with my life. There have been moments where I doubted my talent and felt I wasn’t good enough or even an imposter. As many creatives do, I often compared myself to my peers and how my journey didn’t seem as successful as theirs. There’s been endless of rejection emails from prospective clients and industry blogs who just didn’t think you were a right fit. But with all the bad, comes a whole lot of good. There’s the clients who adore you and often send glowing reviews that make it all worth while. There’s the gratification of seeing happy vendors after a successful wedding or photoshoot. Also, your heart can’t help but smile when you spend every weekend with a couple who is absolutely smitten with each other. Plus, meeting other creatives who eventually become your friendors, rather than just a vendor, makes this journey a whole lot less lonely.

I look back and remember all those times people told me to just take the leap. “It will all work out and you’ll even be surprised to see how far you come”, they said. Well I’m excited to say they were right and I anxiously await to see what the next year will bring. Cheers to 1 year and for many more to come!