Category: Wedding Photographer

I attended a workshop earlier this year with Jeff Jochum of Startup Strategy all about Selling to the Millennial Bride. Ironic, because it was during this workshop that I first said out loud how I want to focus even more in 2011 on working with moms and showing them how beautiful they truly are through my boudoir photography. It had nothing to do with brides for me in the end.

Later that night, Me Ra Koh came and joined us for dinner and a more informal chat afterwards. (I wrote about all of this before in my workshop review post.) Somewhere late in the evening, she suggested that it was important to dream big. Like crazy big. REALLY REALLY BIG. Dream about what it was we wanted to be doing in 10 years. Dream HUGE. Crazy dreams, as if you had no limits.

I realized later that night, I don’t know how to dream big. Not that big, not on that scale.

Or maybe I do, but the voice inside just tears the dream down before it can fully form. Either way, I can dream short term – a year, maybe two out. When it comes to business, I can launch an idea fast. But I can’t always see the great big picture. I don’t know how to dream on a huge scale.

I’ve always struggled for years with the fact that if I make plans and then it doesn’t work out, I’m really distraught over it. It is why I’m not a big planner in my social life. Have plans for 3 weeks from now on Friday? Eh, I don’t know. Maybe. I might do something. This isn’t a good thing. I know this.

I’m learning more and more how important having solid, concrete goals are – having them written down is even better. Next up? I want to learn how to DREAM BIG. Like super big. I could change the world big.

A few weeks after the workshop while I was in Asheville, NC working with Regina Holder and photographing weddings at the Grand Bohemian and the Biltmore House, Jeff Jochum sent me a direct message via Twitter. It was in response to a conversation that I really don’t remember anymore. Doesn’t matter. What hit me was his message to me.

He told me that I underestimate myself. I cried as I realized he was right.

I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. So now I’m putting it out there. My goal for 2011 is to learn to DREAM BIG. Then to hone & craft my dreams. To stop talking and start doing. I’m constantly having small dreams, little ideas come to me constantly, and I talk myself out of them. I’m either too worried that someone else is already doing something similar, or I just don’t have enough time to focus in on where it could really go. I don’t honor my dreams. One step I decided to take towards this goal today was to sign up for the Mondo Beyondo class in January. I’m pretty super duper excited about this!

That is actually just one part of my learning how to dream big plan – I’m also attending Jeff’s Biz Clarity II workshop in Denver next month. I attended the workshop in Houston last month, but I hit upon such a big breakthrough half the day that it sort of rocked me off my tracks. I decided that attending Biz Clarity II will help take me into 2011 on a stronger footing then if I did it alone. (Think that it sounds like something you could use? The December class is full, but Jeff said that January still has spaces available.)

Interesting thing about all this dreaming – I think everyone has the power to change the world, even in some small way. I guess it is time to learn that that “everyone” includes me as well.

I’ll be in Denver, Colorado and have times available on December 17th for boudoir sessions. If you or someone you know would like to set up a boudoir session while I am there, please contact me through my photography site and we’ll get it all set up!