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Showing posts with label taylor swift. Show all posts
Showing posts with label taylor swift. Show all posts

The Importance of Personality Based Branding

7/23/2015


I've been trying to pour more and more of my heart out on the blog lately. And even just out and about with my couples. I wanted to be relatable and rememberable. For a while, I thought I still wasn't doing enough. I had always thought to myself, "oh, no one wants to hear about that." Katelyn James PREACHES about getting out there, being yourself, sharing your day to day life. That's how you find and connect with real people. If brides are your clients, more likely than not, they can't connect with your small business problems, so why share those?! She always talks about brand boosters, and things that you don't even have to do to have people think of you. And I'm so glad she shares her heart for teaching, because I'm really not sure where I'd be without her at this point.


I feel like I've made a huge progression this month - this is my sixth blog post so hopefully this is becoming a habit. (It still blows my mind how Katelyn blogs like almost every day!!) I'm working to personal challenges as well as some blog challenges within my photographer groups, so I love reading and learning from everyone out there at the same stages in life and photography as I am. The industry seems so cut-throat sometimes, especially around here, so I'm glad that I have friends around the continent that are based on community over competition <3 

My month was made, when the other day a past bride texted me. She said, "is it weird that overtime I think of Taylor Swift I think of you?" HECK NO! This is a marketing win on my end. Taylor is my spirit animal. I would be her if I could. So if I'm emulating at least that much, that's a personality branding win in my books. All. Day. Long. It just gives me that much more encouragement to be sharing who I truly am online. If someone doesn't like what I'm sharing, they'll leave, and that's okay. Because the people I can serve the best are those I can truly connect with on a personal level. 

As much as I love teal, I still think of Katelyn when I see it. When I think of Disney, I think Jaime Davis. Red lipstick, Taylor Swift (and that's still a relatively new one!) You know what I mean?! I never thought I would be able to have anything like this associate to me. How do you get people to think of you?! But the more and more I share, it just happens.


People read. People remember. It still is so humbling to think about the number of people who asked me how Barbados was when attending a wedding industry function. It's like, what?! People read my blog?! Other people in the industry and not just brides?! Not just my family?! 

This is for all of you photographers, even just small business owners, who were like me. "Nobody wants to hear about this..." If it means something to you, it will connect you with someone else. Whether you have 5, 50, 500 or 5000 daily blog readers, they expect and deserve to hear from you. Share your heart.

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Taylor Swift - 1989 World Tour in Ottawa

7/07/2015


If you've known me for any more than a couple of months, I think I can say I know people knew this was coming. Taylor Swift has been my inspiration, and best friend at times, since the moment she came onto the scene in 2006. And it's probably a little corny, but I legitimately say I'm not sure if I would have gotten through high school without her. It was a tough time for me, and I've never been one to use my words well. And for that, she said it for me. I've been her biggest fan since I'd Lie, which was never even really released as a single.

I know a lot of people criticize her for a lot of things, including her transition from country to country pop and then not country at all, but really, if that's what she wants to do, who cares? She's had that hard time, like everyone else, finding who she is, and New York really changed her. Anyone can tell she's just in a much happier place in life right now, and I'm so proud of her.

June 2009

Back in 2008 she always drew a heart on her foot in permanent marker. On her self-titled CD cover, every award show, every publicity; it was there. A lot of people thought it was a tattoo, she confirmed later that it wasn't but that she would get it done if her Fearless album went double platinum, which it did. But she didn't keep that pact, probably primarily that she was super passionate about being that good role model and that daddy wouldn't approve, but I did for her. Not JUST for her, I've always thought things like that were cute, but it was appropriate.

I saw her live for the first time in May of 2010, with my mom & my friend, Morgan. I am still so disappointed when I didn't go see her when she opened for Brad Paisley. Mind. Blowing. Performer.

Sign I made for May 2010 show
May 2010
May 2010
So I'll definitely tell you I had high expectations going into this show. So different, but still just as incredible of a performance. I was worried I wouldn't enjoy the show as much as I am still acquiring taste for her 1989 album but I'm glad I was proved wrong. So happy to have had Max along side me this time, so show him how amazing she truly is. I have no more words. She just is.

In so many ways, she's changed, but in a lot of ways she is still the same old Taylor that she ever was. She's grown, she's an adult. But she's still modest as hell, humbled by her fans, loves just standing there being overwhelmed by the screaming crowd, hair flips, and having long talks with the crowd. She will forever be my idol, and I hope there's someone just like her when the time comes for my own children to look up to.

Of course we had to visit our friends at Majic 100 & my girl Laura
2010 vs 2015. My same old Taylor <3 
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Ending my 22nd year

4/09/2015

I don't know about you, but I'm feeling twenty-twoooooo!!!!


Max & I at Easter dinner
There's something so surreal about this year. This birthday. Every year comes around and it's a a birthday, it's my birthday. But something just doesn't feel the same about turning 22.  Saturday will be my 22nd birthday. Beside the fact that my girl, Taylor Swift, now has an anthem for me...I'm really not sure what it is. 18 is adult, 21 is adult. I'm not sure why 22 seems so different. But it does.

Maybe it's just me and that thing my gut does. Ask anyone. I'm that girl who goes by her gut and only her gut, and it's always right. I believe in intuition. I believe in faith and fate. Maybe this is the takeoff year, and it's just my own way of prepping in my heart for it.

This will be a big year for me. Not just of the things I already know will happen, but for the things unknown I feel coming. Maybe not happing this year, but a light at the end of the tunnel for a lot of things.
My little Honda

- It has been 2 years since I bought my first car
- It has been 2 years since graduating college
- It has been 4 years since graduating high school
- I have been with Max for 4 years
- It has been years from what I like to call the blackout days
- This year will be my first "real vacation" and first time on a plane
- I am blessed with the most AMAZING brides & grooms this year
- I can see the horizon of moving out
- I feel confident in my business
- I'm putting back the effort I lost with Him
- I feel like I am making adult-like financial goals
- I know so much more about who I am

Bella clearly likes taking photos with me.
And maybe these things don't sound overly profound to anyone. But I just feel so much more stable than I used to. I am perfectly content with where I am in my life - and anticipate everything that can happen in the future. And even the struggles that come, I wish I could write to my high school self just to let her know that things will be okay. If you're struggling, just keep pushing. Life rewards the people who try.

 Keep trekking. It will come. Your moment will come. I never write like this either so apparently that time came....I have my profound moments ;)


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Virginia + Washington DC

9/26/2014

Half of the time I was driving by myself, I would think "I'm in Virginia….this is crazy!!" Primarily because I never thought I'd be giving myself opportunities like this at this point in my business.

Brain dread after the most incredible two day workshop with Ms Katelyn James & hubby Michael (see part 1 & part 2 on the blog), Max & I cruised on over to Virginia Beach for our 'yearly vacation.' We are so sad that we did not book our stay longer, because we fell in love with this beautiful ocean side town (of course we tried to extend our stay but it was a Friday in ocean awesomeness town!!) 

We spent an unfortunate minimal two nights in Virginia Beach, spent the morning there longer than intended so only had like three hours in Washington, DC. We'll have to go back for that one - but fortunately we have the blessing of living in our own country's capital! The least we can say is that we will definitely be hitting up those two spots again - on top of going to see Katelyn, Michael & Bokeh again ;)



Taylor Swift's family's last house before moving to Nashville


My first palm tree sighting ever!!













Sunrise from our room























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