I had been interested in journalism (I spent many weekends in high school helping produce the school newspaper), but what I experienced with her was much more than that. There was nothing surface-level or fluffy about these stories - they were in-depth, detailed, emotional. My first story was that of a student-veteran, who had been a combat medic in Iraq. It entailed taking hours and hours of interviews, and writing his story in a way that did it justice. That brought people overseas with him. I spent years working for her, learning how to tell deep, meaningful stories. Not only did the experience shape up my writing abilities, it changed my viewpoint on the word story...

For years after college, I jumped from job to job seeking something that would be as fulfilling as that internship. I had several great jobs, but none of them filled that void. I knew I wanted something more, and that I wanted the room to create. I hated working for other people, and I figured something was just wrong with me. I was told I just couldn’t commit to something.

On a whim (but a long time coming), I decided to start my wedding photography business in 2019. Not knowing it was exactly the path I was looking for. I have been able to tell the best kind of story - a day filled with joy and love - in a creative way. I love connecting with my couples, and helping them along the wedding planning journey. The most rewarding, personal part of this journey has been realizing that I am fully capable of creating the exact life I want to live. Writing my own story, if you will.

After believing for years I didn't have enough discipline to start my own business, I dove headfirst into business and modern marketing. I love photography, and I equally love the behind-the-scenes work, strategies and endless possibilities that go into growing a business. I’ve fallen in love with doing things on my own terms, but more than that - I have developed a deep conviction that everyone is capable of building the business they want, and thriving within their own passion.

Top: My favorite thing to do on the weekends! Left: I'm obsessed with seeing the world (and having the flexibility to do so!). Bottom: Two of my favorite things. Skiing and wine (white, sweet only)

You will not connect with your audience, you will not develop loyalty and trust, and you will not make money if you just sell. They want to know you and the stories behind your brand. They want to know why you do what you do.

I’ve always been one to be interested in a lot of things at once. When I was a kid, I played baseball, basketball, soccer and tennis. And I wanted to be good at all of them (tennis stuck the most. Baseball and basketball, definitely not.). I remember walking around at a job fair after college, talking to potential employers about how I had a degree in journalism and economics. I expressed that I wanted to do something that combined both of my interests, but I had no idea what that was.

Turns out it wasn’t a job description I was looking for. It was a way to serve others using all of my passions at once. It was a career that I could design myself. It was a platform to stand on and say, “Hey, you can actually create whatever you want to create. You’re not stuck here. You don’t have to keep believing the stories you tell yourself.”