Last week, a dream multiple years in the making for us and for our business came true.  You can read about some of the background in this post from last week.  Michael and I took a little 3 day adventure across the country.  We visited relatives, saw an architecture wonder we had always wanted to see, and then did the part I have dreamt of: a full day coaching session with Katelyn James, my very favorite photographer.

As loved ones have been asking about our decision to go, I have enjoyed telling them why we choose Katelyn, and how I knew years ago when I started following her that some day I would travel to Virginia for a workshop or coaching session with her.  I adore her work- that was what first grabbed me.  It is light, beautiful, bright, clean, and absolutely full of joy.  But as I began to follow her, it was her, as a businesswoman, a teacher, and a Christian that grabbed me the most.  Her business stands for so much, and I just love what she is doing with it.

A coaching session involves spending the day with her (and her husband, also a mac-loving and cooking genius Michael!), walking through specific parts of our business based on areas that we pre-determine.  I worked hard on my list and made quite a few revisions with Michael’s help, and knew we had a lot to discuss (and almost 6 hours to do it!). The day ends with an Anniversary session, something I was so excited about because Michael and I haven’t really gotten OUR pictures, just us, taken in the 5 years since we have gotten married- and with kids, I’m not sure how often we will! So it was so fun to prep and plan for that- beyond the small handful in this post, those images are coming to the blog (and maybe one day Katelyn’s blog!) soon!

Today, I want to talk briefly about the actual coaching.  The learning. I could write for hours about all of the life and heart Katelyn poured into our business. And all of the different areas we discussed, and how well she was able to speak into what we are doing and help us adjust and revamp while moving forward. But I am excited for some of those changes to be little surprises of ours until they come to fruition.  And really, everything that happened, everything that Katelyn gave us, comes down to one word.  Permission.  Permission.  Permission to dream.  To dream big. Permission to want to grow JGP and permission to use the tools we know of to do it.  Permission to dream together about JGP. Permission to chase the parts of the industry I am afraid to say out loud because confidence holds me back; permission to say I am a Wedding Photographer, and I love it.  Permission to be a mom AND a business owner and let each enhance the other.  Permission to take my last career of teaching and begin melding it with this one.   Permission to charge what we are worth, and not be afraid of it.  Permission to hand off some more of the duties that I have for the business and gain some of my personal time back. Permission to make this business so much more than we ever intended it to be, than I ever dreamed it would be when it began on my polka dot couch in my living room while my first baby slept in his swing.

You see the big picture here.  Katelyn gave us so much encouragement and validation and permission to move forward with where God is taking this business, and to throw our hearts into it, together and fearless.  To turn and face the wind and drizzle, laugh into it, and let our balloons sail in the air.  And we did!