I have shared that Adventure is one of my favorite words. I get excited every time I feel like there is an Adventure waiting for me. 

One of the awesome aspects of being a business owner is the ability to create and follow your heart. While I have always encouraged my clients to choose locations for their sessions that fit their style I haven’t really marketed Adventure Sessions.

Well that is going to change for 2020.

Adventure Sessions at SFP

While I realize this will only appeal to some, that’s ok! I enjoy all types of sessions!

However, I would love to do more photo sessions (senior, families, engagement etc) that involve more of your personality.  Does your family love to hike, climb, cycle, or play on the beach? Do you have a passion for horses, race cars, rock climbing or canoe trips?  Adventure sessions are meant to give you and your family the opportunity to highlight those interests at locations you love!

I have photographed on ski slopes, from boats, in the Gorge, on the beach, from a tree and while standing waist deep in the water. I love it! If you have some ideas lets talk and get an Adventure Session planned for you this year.

2020 Goals for SFP

BUSINESS

1. Keep growing!  I was shocked when my CFO (aka Jeff) informed me that my business grew by a whopping 20% last year! WOW! I am so grateful for that! But it’s scary! I have to keep growing! The opposite of growing is death…
2. Marketing – Obviously one of the ways to keep growing is to be sure I have a solid marketing plan. So far it has included having a studio on Main St.  VISIBILITY! Also weekly blogs help with my SEO which helps my Google ranking. 
   1. I am currently working with someone to design a magazine. This is a one time magazine not a monthly deal. The magazine will highlight what SFP offers, what to expect during a session and how to prepare. I plan to use it when people ask about my business. It will be in both PDF and print form. I’m super excited about it! I hope to have it finished by the end of February.
   2. Grow my email list – having an email list and growing it are two different things! Also maintaining SFP News is an on going challenge. I’m happy with how it has gone so far and I plan to continue to grow and improve.
3. Learn– I love to learn something new! It’s so empowering! The process can be humiliating but the end result is worth the pain. There are always new things to learn in this industry. I plan to take 3 classes this year which focus on areas I believe I need growth.
4. Maintain – There are some days I just don’t feel like putting myself out there. It can be really challenging! But I know consistency is the name of the game.  While recognizing that I don’t want to annoy people I am committing to open communication about my business through weekly blog posts and monthly newsletters as well as social media posts. 

Those are the big 4 that I will be focusing on for 2020. While I have other smaller goals these goals build upon each other.

Personal

1. Healthy Eating – Yes, its a cliche to say I want to eat better and lose weight but that’s where I am. As of this moment I am halfway through week two of a plant based diet. The book I choose can be found here https://www.amazon.com/Plant-Based-Diet-Meal-Plan-Kickstart/dp/1939754569/ref=sr_1_6?crid=3SBJBQE0RWB11&keywords=plant+based+diet+cookbook&qid=1579039806&sprefix=plant+based+diet%2Caps%2C214&sr=8-6 I needed a cookbook with a meal plan and I’m loving this one. This is my first time trying something like this and so far I like the way I feel. Not only does this cookbook have a meal plan it has a grocery list for each week. Yes, I need lots of hand holding and this book does a really nice job! AND I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve made so far! Disclaimer – Beets have been brought up a couple of times and I’m just not even gonna try! YUK!!!
2. Positive Talk – I am my own worst critic. The mean voices inside my head are so darn MEAN! It’s beyond time for me to shut them down! So many times I hear people tell me why they hate having their pictures taken. They proceed to say the meanest things about themselves! I think jeez would you say that to someone else? It’s so easy for me to tell them how ridiculously hard they are on themselves and that they need to STOP IT!! Time to practice what I preach. 
3. Adventure – Every year I’m looking for adventure and this will not be the year I look any less for it! I want to embrace opportunities as they come my way! One of the ideas forming is a back-packing trip with some girls. I have never back packed and I think it would be a blast to gather some friends and do a section of the PCT this summer.  I just need this foot to heal!
4. Date Nights – Jeff and I have committed to a weekly date night again this year. We did it for several months last year, we loved it and then life got in the way. We are busy empty-nesters.  Because of that we are often going separate directions and there isn’t as much quality time together as you would think. So the plan is to be deliberate about spending some time each week just focused on each other.

So there you have it friends. Feel free to keep me accountable! While I am not striving for perfection, I will strive to move forward and grow!

Did you set goals or resolutions for the new year? How’s it going? I would love to hear what goals you are striving for! Feel free to comment on the FB post or here on the blog.

What I’m Reading – The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Last night was book club night! We discussed The Giver of Stars and overall the opinion was 5 starts. We all loved it and we all love JoJo Moyes!

While I have heard many people mention The Kite Runner for some reason I had never read it.  I am loving it! While there are definitely some uncomfortable parts to the story it is so human! It just touches my heart. I thought I knew where the story would lead but then suddenly there was a turn I did not see coming and frankly I was not happy with! It is a book that I long to have the time to just sit down and read in the middle of the day.  The story is based around a man who grew up in Afghanistan but then moved with his father (mom died in childbirth) to American when the Russians invaded. He is a tortured sole with a dark secret. 

Confession Time – I’m a bad dog mom

Many comments come my way regarding Lucy our Australian Shepherd. The comments usually involve how spoiled she is and what indulgent parents we both are to her. She has definitely become a member of the family!

One of the things we enjoy is each evening after we have climbed into bed ( I with my book) Lucy is invited (she’s very well trained) to jump up and join us. This is the only time she allows us to snuggle her and I just love it! When I turn my lamp off to go to sleep she jumps down and sleeps on her own bed during the night. It’s a handy arrangement.

Upset Tummy?

This week, while she was on the bed, I heard her stomach making disconcerting noises.  She was a bit restless and jumped down before I turned my light off. I could still hear her rumbling. I was concerned she was sick to her stomach and we would have a mess on our hands. Jeff and I both tried taking her outside but she wasn’t interested. I was racking my brain about the day and what she could have gotten into to upset her tummy. I was drawing a blank. 

Poor Pup!

Then it came to me. We didn’t feed her dinner! Her tummy wasn’t upset it was growling from hunger! I felt awful! I hopped up and immediately filled her bowl with food (at 11pm she always eats at 5pm).  Poor kid!

Thanks for stopping by!

Shelly