Your Expertise Breeds Life Into Those You Serve
Your Expertise Breeds Life Into Those You Serve…
…what a wonderful way to serve, isn’t it?
When you are able to share your expertise in a way that transforms people’s perceptions of themselves in such a beautiful and meaningful way, there is nothing more fulfilling and satisfying.
It exemplifies and reinforces your why, and, I gravitate towards that sentiment on a daily basis.
I was fortunate enough to have this experience the other day with a very special client, Esther, a comic and actor, who currently living with Cancer.
She has performed at the White House 21 times, which is impressive, but, I was more impressed with her amazing outlook on life despite her current circumstances.
Oh, and she has a filthy fuckin’ mouth, so, you know, that’s right up my alley, :)
I met her through a mutual connection, and, the moment that I heard her backstory, I knew I wanted to help.
I lost my mom to cancer, and, having gone through that experience, it’s given me a very soft spot for anyone going through that same struggle.
And I want to help in the best way I know how, which involves a camera in my hands.
Since she has gone through a radical, physical transformation due to the chemotherapy, her headshots were out-of-date, and was in desperate need of a refresh.
I immediately scheduled a complimentary, studio headshot session and told her that she better be ready to have some fun and light shit up.
And, that’s exactly what happened, :)
Her energy and passion for life was palpable throughout the entire 2-hour session. Outfit after outfit, she was so excited to be participating in this session.
At first, she was thinking about bringing wigs, but, we canceled that idea because she wanted to show the real her, where she is in her life, and let that natural hair rock out the image.
And, it did…
Now, when I conduct headshot sessions, we stop down in between each outfit and review the shots from the previous round. After the first set, we headed back to the office and once she saw the first few, she almost started to cry.
She shared that looking at her in these images made her feel beautiful and inspired.
And that’s when the makeup artist and I begged her not to cry and run her makeup off her face, lol
Truthfully, focusing on that prevented me from crying, :)
Fortunately, we all held it together and completed the session, and, after reviewing the hundreds of images, we came to a consensus on three main headshots:
She was so proud of these photos, and as I walked her down to her car, she could not stop thanking me for the gift that we created together.
Her parting words were that when she looks at these photos, they represent life and a future, and that’s something that she needs right now.
It was a beautiful moment, and after I hugged her goodbye, I had a tough time fighting back the emotions.
You know, we all need to work and make a living to sustain ourselves, and it’s important, of course. But, when you can leverage your art and passion in a way that provides those who are in need of small victories, I mean, this is why I do what I do.
I want to empower those I serve, because it’s in service to others that breeds life and a future within me.
It’s one of the most gratifying feelings I can ever experience, and I believe it’s one of the most important contributors to living a truly fulfilled life.
PS - For those of you who aren’t in the know, I mail out these blogs 3x a week, and lemme tell you, they’re a real party, so, if you’d like to get in on this, sign up for it here and I’ll throw in a free gift for you, because I care, :)