Amelia Island Photographer – Things that make you grow.

I spent last year and this year investing in a lot of education for my business and recently had the fortune to stumble across the “KJ Consistency Course.” I attended “The Event” in January, which hosted some powerhouse photographers and other industry leaders who have a passion for helping others grow their businesses. Katelyn James is a rock star photographer and was the closing speaker at The Event. Hearing her speak made me shed more than a few tears. She echoed things that I had been wanting so badly to fill those holes in my business with. See, I am certain that God has given me this photography business, but because I am not very business minded I have often questioned Him. Why would you give me a business to run!?! So at the same time I was realizing my love for photography, I was graduating from nursing school and the two have always been intertwined for me. I often joke on wedding days that it’s easy to be so relaxed when you’re literally dealing with life and death two days a week. I have struggled with wanting to give up nursing because so many photographers have acted like if you aren’t a photographer and ONLY a photographer than you are worth less than they are, but Katelyn didn’t say any of that at all. Instead, she said something about her business that resonated with me. She said that her business was not her own, that is belonged to God. Her business had a higher purpose than just taking pretty pictures; her business was created to cheer on marriages after the wedding day – because marriage matters. That’s what I want my business to be about!!! I want to cheer on my couples after each wedding and with every milestone anniversary. I want to cheer on families as they grow. I want to serve my clients well. I also want to cheer on my nursing team the few days that I am there and that’s when it hit me…  I don’t know that God called me to be just a nurse or a photographer, but that  maybe he gave me these talents to be something else entirely. Maybe I was created to be a cheerleader. To cheer on marriages and families and the high school seniors I photograph. Maybe my business is here to remind people of how precious their time on earth is and to surround yourselves with the things that really matter. Maybe it’s OK for me to bring my wit to a place where people are literally dying and just looking for something to smile about. I want to speak life to dry bones!! I firmly believe that I (and you!!) were created for a higher purpose and that realizing and living out that purpose will bring so my joy to your life and the lives of others.

If you get the chance to hear Katelyn speak in person, do it! I promise you won’t be sorry. If you’re a photographer, the second best thing you could do would be to sign up for the KJ consistency course. I learned so much valuable editing and marketing information in this 6 week course. It was so worth it and I would do it all again, but what I learned from Katelyn was much more valuable than just speeding up my workflow. So Katelyn, thank you. Thank you for being willing to put yourself out there and speak truth to me. I shot my sessions last week with such joy! I laughed as the baby ate sand, and prayed that I was helping this family create memories they would cherish when times get hard. You will probably never know how much I appreciate you!

If you want to check out Katelyn’s work or courses, you can find them here: https://katelynjameseducation.com