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A lot of people think I’m a super mom.

If I had a nickel for every time someone asked me ‘how I did it all’ I’d probably be rich. Between a job, running a business, raising a daughter, and still finding time to nurture relationships with family and friends…there are a lot of balls constantly in the air around here.

And it’s not easy, but I do have a bit of a hidden superpower that does help me ‘do it all’ (more on that in a second…)

This weekend, with a gentle nudge *ahem* shove, from a special mentor, I tried the super mom title on for size for real AND brought my pint size sidekick along for the ride.

In case you’re wondering — YES, we did go out in public like this.

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You see, I’m about to leave tomorrow for a 4 day business retreat where one of our pre-work activities involved waltzing around town in full super hero get up for 2 full hours.

I almost hurled when I got the assignment delivered to my mailbox.

Instantly I settled into the fear of looking like a fool, finding the right costume, and wondering what in the heck people would think of me — a grown adult — wearing a cape. Eeeek!

Then, as I thought about it a bit more, I remembered that one time my HS girlfriend and I dressed up in costume and went to Target on Halloween night our senior year, and that other time when I lost a college bet and my friends made me dress up in a cow costume and sing karaoke.

I had a ton of fun doing those embarrassing things. Why not have fun doing this too, right?

Especially if it would earn me ‘mother of the year’ in my child’s eyes.

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What began as a scary homework assignment from a trusted coach, quickly turned into a full on crafting project with one friend designing and sewing us capes by hand, an awesome husband and daddy making us foil armbands to complete our getup, and one other friend tagging along to capture our adventures in taking on the world.

Best quote of the day?

That most definitely came from the police officer who rolled down the window to exclaim, “Lookin’ good ladies!” as we whooosed across the street.

Brie and I certainly weren’t your typical wonder woman, or bat girl. But we were super heroes in our own right.  And we both had a blast if you couldn’t tell.

The truth is, for those of you who wonder how I ‘do it all’, I really don’t feel any more organized or on top of my game than any of you. (especially with a sink full of dirty dishes and piles of dirty laundry mocking me from across the room as a I type this…)

But this super mom’s hidden power is enlisting a team of helpers to encourage us, laugh with us, and help us accomplish our silly task. It’s these special people that make life interesting and keep things running smoothly.

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As I’ve built up my business the past few years, I’ve also been lucky to have the help of some amazing friends, coaches, graphic designers, and copy editors. And today, I’m excited to also welcome a brand new email assistant extraordinaire into the mix!

blogside_v5I’d like to introduce you today to Blaire. Brought together by our daughters who are only a few weeks apart in age, we quickly discovered a shared love of coffee, hair bows, and photography.  Blaire will also go down in my history books as the very first person to make me feel like a celebrity in the middle of our local outlet mall (a story for another day). She is the talent behind Second Avenue Photography and snapped the photos you see here today on the blog. I’m lucky to have her here assisting me a bit behind the scenes in the upcoming months and helping make sure you are all taken good care of.

Plus she’s my constant reminder that with the right sidekicks, anyone can be a super hero!

Before you go today, tell me — what’s makes you a super hero? Do you have a special super power that everyone constantly raves about? Or are you just lucky enough to have some incredible sidekicks like me?  Tell me your own super hero story here today. I can’t wait to hear about it. xo.

 

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Yesterday I had the incredible opportunity to be interviewed for an online woman entrepreneurial summit that will be aired this summer (more on that coming soon…). It was a total blast getting to Skype with another mama who is living out her dream of building  successful business and sharing with her just how surreal it is that I am about to live out mine.

Towards the end of our call she asked me an intriguing question:

What advice do you have for other moms who want to be fulfilled and have something for themselves while wanting to feel like an awesome mom to their young children?

I absolutely loved this question and think my answer spans beyond the woman entrepreneur and can be applied to any mom who is seeking fulfillment (aren’t we all?)

My advice was simple and is something I’ve been living out in my own life. It’s also something I try to instill in every single mama who wants to learn to love taking photos as much as I do. My words of wisdom?

Start Somewhere

3321926939_92413944cb_zThis is me. Starting.

On March 1st, 2009 I started a 365 project because I thought it was “cool”. I used a Point and Shoot camera. I didn’t know what the heck I was doing. I never intended to become a professional photographer let along start a business. I just wanted skills to be able to better document our growing family and life.  And now look at me. I’m teaching moms how to not only use their cameras but love the life they’re capturing too.

Somedays Everyday that still blows my mind.

If you are a mom like me who feels like you’re serving your own soul AND providing for your family every time you snap a photo, I know exactly how you feel. I know you have high expectations, and long to capture professional quality images overnight – at least that’s what I wanted to do when I began my 365 journey.

I also know how easy it is to fall into the trap of comparing your photos to the ones you last saw on ____________ (your Facebook feed, on that beautiful mommy blog, on Pinterest, on your neighbors wall, etc…)

I want to encourage you to stop beating yourself up and stop comparing yourself to others right now, PLEASE!

Because every one of those AMAZING momtographers was once in your shoes.

I promise.

Today I want to prove my point. I did some digging through my archives. And I found some gems. Some of the very first ‘professional’ photos I captured for my family and friends. These were taken late 2009/early 2010. I can’t believe I’m doing this, but here they are in all their badly lit glory…

blog5-8 These make me cringe every time I see them! But they also remind me of the journey I’ve been to fully understand my camera, find the right light, and develop my own recipe for taking beautiful photos.

So next time you’re looking toward feeling fulfilled through photography, remember….do not compare — simply start.

Start Somewhere

Because for each bad photo you snap, you’re learning something. You may not achieve your desired end result right away, but those bad photos are certainly helping you get to more beautiful ones in the long run.

In my own experience, starting with those bad photos above slowly led me to where I am today.  I learned from my mistakes and kept playing, kept experimenting.

And now today I’m equipped with the ability to quickly and *almost* effortlessly capture snapshots of my own family like this unedited one I took like night.

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So, my next question is for you and I’d love to hear from you in the comments below. Where will you start today? What will you do to stop making excuses, stop comparing, and allow yourself to feel fulfilled and accomplished?

If you not quite sure where to start on your photography journey and feel a bit stuck, try starting with this technical lesson and then comment below and tell how it helped get you going.

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5 tips for turning date night into fun night

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I’m just coming off of a whirlwind of a month birthing and bringing a brand new ‘baby’ out into the world.  Laying my heart and soul work out on the line and releasing it into the world is *almost* as stressful as childbirth and motherhood. The feelings are quite similar actually. And really it was [...]

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3 Ingredients For Cooking Up Perfect Photos

April 24, 2013
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Last week a new cupcake shop opened up in town and I was one of their first customers. As a terrible baker I rely on others to help me indulge in my sweet tooth every now and then. You see, I never really had the patience or the desire to learn to bake properly so [...]

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