Maybe it stemmed from the concussion I gave myself a couple of months ago (another story for another time), but, this summer has been an incredibly transformative time in my life. Maybe it’s just that I accidentally Marie Kondo’d my home and the Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up is REAL. Like, really, really real. Whatever the catalyst, I’ve been inspired to make some real changes in my business and my life.
Every time a client steps in front of my camera, they share a vulnerability with me. Often, just showing up to their appointment is a BIG step for them. Here’s the least shocking thing I’ve learned since transitioning my business from family photography to headshot and personal branding photography - most adults do NOT like having their photo taken. And while there’s only so much I can do to shift that initial response to the thought of getting in front of my lens and being vulnerable, there is SO much I can do once you’re there. Overwhelmingly, the feedback from my clients is that I made the process of getting their photo taken EASY. But, how? Through the course of my career, spanning back to my very first job 23 years ago, I learned that I’m really good at making people feel comfortable. I truly can’t tell you exactly how I do that, but, I think a lot of it has to do with being open and vulnerable. So, moving forward, I’m going to endeavour to be a little more open and vulnerable right here. I’m going to infuse more of myself into my business in a way I’ve never done before. I’ve got a lot of big plans to execute in the coming months. I’m not ready to share them all, but today I am ready to share FIVE things I did in July. And I intend to keep doing this every month.
Outside of photography, I love reading, watching TV and movies, and shopping. I have other hobbies, but I’ll save you from reading about my gym routine - I’ll leave fitness influencing to those who actually know what they’re doing. And, as a mom of three, I have plenty of insight about parenting but I kinda just wing that. If you’ve met my kids, you’ll know what I mean. So, each month, I’ll give you a recap of FIVE things I’ve read, watched, or otherwise discovered that month that have truly brought me joy. Maybe they’ll bring you joy, too.
TV SHOW: The Bear, S2
No spoilers, I wouldn’t do that to you, and full-disclosure, I haven’t finished S2 just yet. But, this show is TOO good not to mention. My son, Jude, got us into it last year. He’s got a keen sense of what’s good in TV and film (he get’s it from his mama, lol) so, more often than not, if he gives it a recommendation, it’s worth checking out. What I love about The Bear… everything. The acting, the characters, the dialogue (oh, so good, so real), the story. It streams on Disney+ and it’s worth the subscription price for at least one month.
MOVIE: Barbie
Barbie has everything. Literally and figuratively. It’s charming, funny, smart, feminist, and surprisingly touching. The sets are phenomenal. The wardrobe is on point, of course. The acting is strong. There’s singing and dancing. The sound track slays. The cameos are amazing. I went with my daughter, four of her friends, and their moms on opening night. It was an EVENT. It was a sea of pink. There were applause mid-movie. I’ve NEVER experienced that before. Take your daughters. They are never too young to hear the message this movie delivers. An instant favourite film for me.
DOCUMENTARY: Wham!
If you’re a Gen-Xer, this is not to be missed. Young millennials and Gen Z, apparently don’t know what a “Wham!” is, or so they told me, in those exact words. Anyway, George Michael had the voice of an angel on earth. He was so incredibly ahead of his time and the Wham! doc only serves to confirm that. I will love him forever. Watch Wham! (On Netflix) and follow it up with Freedom: Uncut (on Paramount+) and fall in love all over again with this incredible human.
BOOK: Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
While I read several books a month, my standout book from July was Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros. This is one of those books that comes along every so often and just consumes me. I could not put it down. It’s a little bit Hunger Games, a little bit Divergent, and a little bit steamy, too! Set in a Harry Potter-esque world but with dragons… it has lots of dragons. As a dragon myself -shout out my fellow ‘76ers, and all who are lucky to have been born in a Year of The Dragon - I have a naturally affinity for dragons. I digress… I’m not here to blabber on about dragons OR to write a book review, I’m just here to tell you that if you liked those books, you’ll equally enjoy Fourth Wing. I expect the Fourth Wing phenomenon will catch fire and we’ll also see a movie from it at some point.
SHOP: RevolutionHER
Okay, this one is a little random. Well over a year ago, I received a bar of dish soap in a subscription box. My first thought… “random, but I’ll give it a try.” That little bar of dish soap lasted me almost a year - I might be the only one who uses it, it didn’t convert my husband from liquid dish soap - but it definitely cut down on our plastic waste and I found it more effective than liquid dish soap. Anyway, when my little bar of dish soap finally dissolved away to nothing, I was having trouble finding a replacement. The branding had long been scrubbed off and the wrapper discarded ages ago. The other day, I wandered into a new store in Mapleview mall called “RevolutionHER” and found the soap. Along the way, I also fell in love with the store and it’s mission.
“The RevolutionHer™ Store features only women-owned products that shoppers love! Sponsored by The Scotiabank Women Initiative, our current location in Mapleview Centre is our flagship permanent store, providing shoppers a unique shopping experience like no other; from housewares to health and wellness products, clothing and accessories to cosmetics and skincare (and everything in between), our store will help shoppers buy consciously for unique items and gifts, while supporting women-owned businesses from across North America.”
How great is that? Right here in Burlington! Highly recommend you check it out.
There you have it, my friends, the first instalment of a new monthly feature. I hope you learned something.
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And lastly, but never least, a month in review would not be complete without sharing one of my favourite images from this past month. I mean, how DYNAMITE is Penny? And in pink! Come on Barbie, let's go party!
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