on pancakes and gratitude

I woke up this morning with a craving for pancakes after having a dream about them last night. According to dream moods, pancakes "represent gratification and pleasure in your current situation. You take pleasure and comfort in the simple things of life." I have felt like I am on top of the world this week. I had a consult with a wedding couple when I was in Burlington last weekend, another consult on Monday evening after I got back to Waupaca, and another consult with a bride over the phone this afternoon. I just booked THREE weddings in one week. I only need to book one more wedding to hit my goal for next year!

I feel like this is all I blog about these days, but sometimes I still have to pinch myself that this is all real and happening to me. I stopped at Hardee's to get food after my consult on Monday and told Melissa, "Every single day I am grateful that I quit this job." And it's true. This time last year, I was winding down from busy season and trying to figure out what was next in this photography journey of mine. I took a bunch of free webinars and some classes and sat down with my planner and got to work trying to rebrand and really rebuild my business from the ground up. I redid my website from H2T (ANTM reference anyone?) and finally created something I am proud to say showcases me, my brand, and my business. I couldn't have done it without Jenna Kutcher and Jenni Maroney; I will forever sing their praises and how quality their classes are!

Then I got sick and I spent most of December rotating between my bed and hospitals  and waiting rooms and doctors offices (and rinse and repeat for the rest of winter). Y'all, the waiting was hard. Feeling like I couldn't go out and take pictures, or not wanting to because I didn't feel good, was the worst. I faced some major anxiety about if I was doing the right thing not having another job because at the time I only had three things on my 2019 calendar: Emily's wedding, Brittany's wedding, and Abby's senior pictures. In my head, I always told myself, "You just need to make it to April. Wedding season starts and SPRING will be here and busy season will start again."

And then I blinked and now it's the end of August, and I'm planning for fall mini session releases, and brain dumping trying to figure out a good Black Friday deal, and Christmas presents for my family clients as a little thank you for supporting me this year. I have sessions in my blog post queue for my website that aren't going live until December. That in and of itself sorta blows my mind until I take a step back and realize that I have been pretty busy this summer (and it's not over yet!). I only need to book three more sessions and my editorial calendar will be full until next MAY.

I'm just so damn grateful that I get to do this every day. That I get to wake up and work for myself and set some weeks where everything feels like go-go-go-go and then take a week or two off to rest and catch up on editing and galleries and shipping products before I go-go-go again. That's the beauty of this whole thing. I'm really blown away that everything I was dreaming about 9 months ago while I was laying in a hospital bed is finally coming true.

You just gotta put in the work.

And, as Noelle reminded me today, "You are taaallleeennnttted. And ya deserve it. You work damn hard. And you have invested a ton of time into becoming a great photographer, a lot of money into building your business, so now you get the reward."