You know how sometimes, you have those days or weeks or even months that you feel like no matter how hard you work or how much you cross off your to-do list, you're still not accomplishing enough. Your wheels keep turning and you have so many great ideas, but the must-do list just grows longer and longer and longer. It's the epitomy of a funk... it stifles your creativity and kills your confidence. I proudly raise my hand that this was my past two weeks (okay, let's be honest, more like two months... learning to come clean about the struggles is a gradual process, y'all).

But then, this week happened. And it was just the recharge and reassurance I needed to crawl out of that funk and regain the energy to start molding my business into what I dream of for myself. Like last weekend's spring cleaning extravaganza, I needed to go out with the old and in with the new in every aspect of my life.

On Monday, I started step 1 of Southern Weddings editor-in-chief Lara Casey's The Challenge. I came across this blog post I think about a year ago, just quicky scanning over it, and have been putting off actually taking action ever since. But after watching webinar #1 in the Making Brands Happen series, I decided it was high time I started and boy, has it shaped me up in just 4 days. I'm already feeling less stressed, more organized, and on my way to making things happen NOW.

"A year from now you'll wish you had started today"

I hope that all of you reading this now will join me in taking The Challenge. I promise it will change your life.

On Tuesday night, I had the opportunity to hang out with an INCREDIBLE group of local photographers. And in the spirit of keepin' it real, I'm admitting that about an hour before leaving for the meetup at Natty Greene's, I wanted to come up with some lame excuse like "I lost my car keys" or "i'm not feeling to well" or "my dog ate my homework" (... that one still works right?). The fear and intimidation was creeping in making me feel like maybe I woudn't fit in or maybe this type of thing just wasn't for me or maybe everyone else already knows each other and they don't have room for more friends (I know... it's irrational). But being that I did help make arrangements for the gathering, I forced myself to go, and you know what, it was ALOT of FUN. I made some great new friends and am so grateful I didn't choose the safe route and stay home watching Netflix :)

And then, when I thought my week couldn't improve, I got an email that I got from one of my college professors. I received an email from her several days ago requesting information about what I've been doing since I've graduated so that they could share it in a student profile post on the Black School of Business Facebook page. I followed up with her this week, almost embarrassed that I wasn't well on my journey to the top of the corporate ladder or finishing up my Master's like some of my fellow alumni or even like I thought I would be doing by now. I told her that I was following my passion for wedding photography, with my husband and dog in tow, and had begun a successful business. And instead of receiving the expected standard email letting me know that was great and they would be posting it in a few days, she took the time to look at my website, forwarded it on to her daughter, and then replied to me with the most amazingly kind comments from the both of them.

And it's not that I NEED the affirmation, but it sure does feel nice to be reassured by someone other than your Momma that you're not, in fact, just spinning your wheels.

And since every post is better when there's a photo in it, here's one of my sweet Monty...

A huge thank you to Lara Casey and the MTH crew, Dr. Pinto, and all of the Greensboro photographers that I met this week! You're all AWESOME!