10 years later...

10 years ago this week, I realized that TV Production was no longer a fit, and it was time to put on the big boy pants and step out on my own.

I remember the moment I walked out of HR, still emotional from having the words, “it’s time for me to go,” come out of my mouth, and thought to myself:

“What the hell am I going to do now?”

I wanted to be a full-time photographer, but had no idea of the next right step to make that a reality.

I didn’t know my ass from my elbow in terms of running a business. After all, I worked in a TV talk show bubble for 9 years.

That’s why there were many nights spent freaking out over not knowing how to get people in the door.

In those first couple years, those doors were pretty lonely - unless you count all of the “great exposure” gigs I photographed.

Spoiler alert - they weren’t “great.”

What also wasn’t great was feeling desperate enough to say yes to any paying gig. The pay sucked. The work was uninspiring. And, I started to feel burned out all over again.

Regardless, I never regretted the decision because I loved how the camera felt in my hands and creating magic with it.

Moving on was the right call - I just needed to find my footing.

The turning point came once I realized I needed to lean on others rather than simply relying on myself.

The people I befriended in those early years through social media and in-person events were established professionals who spoke, coached, trained, consulted, and wrote books.

They’re experts in their topics, and are in the business of helping solve other people’s problems.

Through their generous offer of guidance, motivation and advice, they helped me see what I couldn’t see for myself (and still do to this day).

They gave me hope and a plan, when I needed it most.

To list all the folks who’ve helped me along the way would exceed the character limit for this article, so I’ll just say this: you know who you are, and you know how grateful I am for you.

Your generosity inspired me to ditch the jack-of-all-trades thing and deliver magic exclusively for people just like you.

You helped change the game for me.

I cannot thank all of you enough for that :)

#yeahabsolutely #delivermagic