2019 Year End Thoughts

I always love to sit and reflect at the end of the year. I feel like I can’t move onto the new year until I’ve celebrated this one first! As I think about 2019 there are 3 things that come to mind. This will be the year I look back and know I finally felt confident as a working mom and photographer. I know I will see where I figured out so many things to better serve my clients and make being a work from home mom possible. So here we go, my 3 favorites from 2019!!

  1. Streamlining my workflow by using photo mechanic. It’s hard to believe at the beginning of this year I was still culling images in Lightroom!!! Basically, Lightroom is the program I use to edit all my images, but now I cull (decide which ones I’ll keep, which ones I won’t send to clients) in a different program called Photo Mechanic. This has saved me SO much time!! Instead of downloading thousands of RAW files onto my computer I just download the keepers! Doing this and really staying on top of my editing has allowed me to deliver images so quickly to my clients. This busy fall season I was able to deliver images 4 or 5 days after the session, and I worked hard to be able to keep that quick turnaround time. But, I also loved how I could serve my clients well and not feel overwhelmed by not letting the editing pile up! I am so excited to continue this new system in 2020!
  2. Simplifying mini sessions. I started using a new system for booking mini sessions that felt so much easier. Instead of emailing back and forth, clients could see which times were still available, pay in full and be done with it! I love how easy this was, and can’t wait to use it for spring minis next year!!
  3. Confidence in myself as a photographer and working mom! The biggest achievement in 2019 was definitely feeling like I could do this! Being a work from home mom can have it’s challenges, trying to take care of my kids, my home, myself and my clients can be a lot. But, like I stated earlier I found systems and new workflows to keep me on top of everything that needed to be done. I found a new love for my planner, and found with each day I knew my top priories of what needed to get done. Now I look over my planner while I sip my first cup of coffee and I know what I will focus on each day!

Over the summer I was definitely not feeling this way! I had a lot of limiting beliefs about being a work from home mom. It can be hard to be interrupted every 5 minutes while editing and someone always needs you while you are answering emails. I was feeling so frustrated when Amanda Hedgepeth started sharing about being a work from home mom photographer as well. I honestly believe God brought her into my life to show me I can do it too!! I really needed to change my attitude, and that’s exactly what I did. I kept showing up for my business and my kids during the day. I know they are still young and need me, and I want to be the best mom for them! I know I can do both, and keep learning new ways to serve both them and my clients. It might take me 25 minutes to answer one email, and the old me would be resentful about that. But now I focus on he fact I have two beautiful children AND a thriving photography business!! I am SO grateful to have both!!! It means juggling a lot, but I am passionate about both! I choose to see what I have instead of how it can be challenging.

I am SO excited for what 2020 has in store! I am starting the new year with mentoring from Amanda, the same photographer who inspired me to keep going this year! AND, I also get to meet her in February in the Outer Banks!! Can you tell I am just a little excited about that?!! Ha!!

My biggest lesson from 2019 was if something isn’t working, find a new way. I had to adjust my attitude and work systems as my business grew this year. I am SO thankful I did because I can’t imagine doing anything else!

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