When I shared my 2016 dreams for my business, the words flowed easily. I knew my goal was to love and serve others, and the methods were clear.  It was about really establishing what this was all going to be about.  And those goals were met in ways I am not sure I dared to dream. We held our first workshop, we shot a lot of beautiful weddings and connected with amazing clients, I began coaching photographers on their businesses, I upgraded to a showit website and fixed all the mobile issues I was having, I did a few big giving back projects that were dear to my heart, Tuesdays Together grew a lot…it was a beautiful year, and I am beyond thankful for it all.  But there is definitely a lot more work to be done.

I have to admit that this year, putting the goals into words is little trickier for me. Because I think this year is about growth…and that is very very scary.  We are heading into a season with more than 20 weddings, and it is a much more mobile year than last year for those weddings, which I am thrilled about. I am adding another member to my team (more about that soon!), and looking for ways to serve my couples more, and expanding education.  And I am trying to do it without too much fear- and that is just really hard for me.  I am a bit cautious by nature, and definitely carry a heavy fear of failure.  What if I am giving up time with my kids for nothing? What if I left a career of working with teenagers every day, and I am not impacting lives in this career?  It is very scary for me.

But in the face of that- I know I have to look forward.  I know that saying my dreams and goals out loud is a key piece in making them come true. So that you can hold me accountable to the hustle it takes to succeed- and so that I can remember when 2018 dawns what this was all for.  So while this isn’t a full list- here are a few new goals I am looking at in 2017.

1). I want to separate better, especially this coming summer.  When it’s work time, I want it to be all focused and dedicated– and when it’s family time, I want that to be the only thing on my mind. My brain does not naturally work like that, so it is very hard- but I think it is extremely important.

2). I adore working with Michael. When I left the classroom, I was worried we would never work together again- and then God brought this whole wedding thing to us, and we found each other side by side in that environment again, beyond my wildest hopes!  But we know as our kids get older, we need other accessible second shooter options, and my main ladies from the last few years have businesses and families of their own, making it difficult to join me sometimes! So I am looking hoping to train some to join me in a little under half of my weddings this season and into the future for the flexibility we might need.

3). I want to travel a bit more for weddings. We will never shoot a crazily large amount of destination weddings- it just doesn’t make sense with our lifestyle and family. But we would love to do a few a year! High on my list: Nashville, TN…Charleston, SC…anywhere in the mountains…and anywhere with a historic mansion!!!

4). I dream of being able to reach a larger audience with educational content. There are a few different ways I am looking into this, some for beginning photographers or moms with cameras, and some for thriving business owners…hopefully more will come about this soon!

5). I want to get in 2 Workshops for beginners and continue coaching sessions for photographers in business- I am hoping for 2 workshops total this year (the first one is soon!) and 2 coaching sessions a month!

6). I want to plan and execute a big styled shoot. Maybe with my Tuesdays Together group- last year, there was a big styled shoot month and we weren’t big enough at that point to really join in- so at that point I knew we would try this year, and I think we are getting to the point where we are ready!  This group is one of my favorite parts about this career.

7). I also really dream to expand the workshop offerings but that is just such a huge and scary thing.  I really dream of hosting a photographer workshop somewhere where we can all stay together for a couple of days…small group, in our leggings and messy buns, dreaming big and supporting each other’s growth… Michael will cook the food and Sarah will keep me organized…I can picture it all in my head, but have no idea how to make it all happen!

and lastly…

8). This is more personal, and less pretty. I am pretty hard on myself, and pretty tough on myself in the comparison game. “But I have kids so I have so much less time….” “But my house doesn’t look like that….” “But she is SUCH a better stay at home mom than me”. “Maybe we need that much space…” Half the time it’s business and half the time it’s life, but it always centers around me and what I am lacking.  It is so unfair to me- and to whoever else I think has it so much easier. Because I know that is not real life, and it is not true. Everyone who is succeeding is hustling like crazy, and everyone is fighting their own battles. And I need to give a little more grace for my own.