I’m super excited to be photographing my first wedding of 2019 this weekend! It is extra special because I’ve know the bride since she was a teenager.  Amanda would occasionally babysit our “little ones” so Jeff and I could escape and act like a couple instead of parents for an evening.  Amanda’s Mom taught both our sons for 1st and 2nd grades so we have some history  😆 Stay tuned for what I anticipate to be some gorgeous sneak peeks next week!

BELIEVE

As I have been busy preparing for this weekend I have also been working on my plans for SFP during 2019.  Last week I revealed my word for 2019 is BELIEVE.  What does it mean to me to have a word? Well, sometimes it just means writing it all over my daily notes, or calendar as a reminder while I struggle with doubts and frustrations. Sometimes I use the word to encourage myself to push forward into something I am doubting.  The classic saying “What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail” comes to mind. To put it another way “what would you do if you BELIEVEd you would succeed? Or at the very least learn something….

PLANS

Last week I had the opportunity to meet with fellow photographers and we all shared one of our business goals for 2019. I always try to choose goals that will stretch me personally but also grow my business. I BELIEVE strongly in growth (learning). Today I learned some new technical aspects of photography and it just gave me a thrill. On the other side of that are the times I try to learn but the light bulb just doesn’t shine into those dark corners of my mind. It is at this point I have the choice to BELIEVE I can, and push on, or give up in a fit of frustration and ignore it for awhile (sometimes forever). 

So one of my business goals for 2019 is to grow an email list and begin a newsletter.  😯 Why? Because those that I respect in my profession swear by it! They say it is a must and will help grow my business more than anything else. But oh my word!!! I am already struggling with another of my goals (weekly blogging) what on earth will I have to say in a newsletter?  But then it occurs to me that it would be an amazing way to communicate directly to you when I have specials or news that I would like my clients to know about. I have been reminded that Mark Zuckerberg  owns FB and IG and whenever he hiccups and changes algorithms suddenly my visibility goes down the drain.  So developing an email list that is my very own and Zuckerberg can’t mess with is now at the top of my goals for 2019 list. 

So I have a lot of research to do. I will most likely be crying, swearing and possibly patting myself on the back as I move through this process. I’m not above paying someone to do this for me but at least for now I am accepting this challenge. 

It might be like catching bubbles but I’m gonna BELIEVE.

Have an awesome day friends! Thanks for stopping by!

Shelly