We’re just fresh from our first workshop since Thailand. What an AMAZING group of ladies! Truly blessed to be with all of you. And can you believe it? We’ve got two more coming right up! 🙂
Our upcoming New York area CONFIDENCE Photography Workshop is almost SOLD OUT! The weekend is May 29-30.  We are so excited! We LOVE the east coast! The women have already started emailing the group their stories, why they are coming, what they hope to get out of the weekend, their fears, insecurities and enthusiasm. Brian and I are loving reading their stories. It’s so funny, we even have official, self-proclaimed ‘blogstalkers’! Looking forward to meeting you all! Whether these women live in Washington DC, Chicago, San Diego, Seattle or Minneapolis, they are excited and ready to take their creativity and photography skills to the next level. (Yes, they are nervous before the workshop, but they never let that nervousness stand in their way. And their courage brings beautiful results.)
Do you know a mom who needs this kind of group and weekend getaway? Do you know a mom Running on Empty? If so, nominate her today. Let’s turn her day around and let her know we are rooting for her!
If you know a MOM who is;
A. Running on Empty
B. Lives near Jersey City, NJ or has mileage to spend
C. Can arrange for a sitter and get the weekend free, starting Friday (May 28th for Meet & Greet night all the way through Sunday night (May 30th. Yep, that’s right, Memorial weekend. You’ll still catch the kids at home one day of the long weekend.)
D. Most importantly, has a PASSION for photography
Nominate her TODAY! Nominations must be in by Thursday night, 4/29 (two days from now at 6pm PST).
We will announce the winner in time for her to jump in and make all the arrangements. So make sure your nominations are all in by Thursday at 6pm PST. If you are not familiar with this contest, read below and see what it’s all about! Moms are one of the most beautiful parts of creation. This contest is all about acknowledging their beauty, even when they are Running on Empty.
Here’s how it works!
In honor of how wonderful moms are and all that they do and give, Brian and I keep one spot reserved in every workshop for a special mom like YOU! That’s right, you (or she) will get a free pass to the upcoming CONFIDENCE Workshop in the New York area! (Please note, we don’t provide room/board and travel.)
To nominate a mom, you must post a comment telling us about the mom who you think deserves a big break in life! If you are a mom, you’re probably laughing because we ALL deserve a serious break. But the moms we’re looking for are the ones who have had a ridiculous amount of stress in their life whether from trauma or things just not going her way this year. She is a mom in your life that needs a serious blessing to come her way. She needs a serious surprise that gives her empty tank some fuel. If she is a woman that has miscarried, she is still a mom in my mind b/c I know her heart became a mother’s heart the moment she found out she was pregnant. Don’t hesitate to nominate her too.
I’m proud to say that our previous winners stepped out on a limb and nominated themselves. Take courage in them and feel free to nominate yourself if you know you need a serious break. Who knows, you may have your house remodeled by Oprah!
We’ll collect all the nominees, have a committee of wonderful moms vote, and then announce the winner in the next two weeks!
Nominate her today and turn her day around! Oh, wait! Don’t forget to let her know you’ve nominated her too! If I was a mom nominated I’d love to know my friends were thinking of me whether I won or not! Deadline for ALL nominations is Thursday, April 29th at 6pm PST. Nominations MUST be posted as a comment on this blog post. Either your email or the nominees email MUST be included on the blog post to qualify. Nominations emailed or posted on other blog posts may be overlooked. Please post all nominees here. Thanks!
For more details about the CONFIDENCE WORKSHOP, CLICK HERE!
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Do you live on the East Coast or are you closer to the Seattle area? We have just a couple seats left for our New York area and Seattle CONFIDENCE Workshops! CLICK HERE to get your spot!! And I know we’ve promised before to announce our fall workshops – we will soon! Working out details…all new cities and we may need your help.
Our Refuse to Say Cheese DVD series are now AWARD WINNING! Read the press release HERE ! If you haven’t ordered your own copy yet, check out our popular Instructional DVDs Refuse to Say Cheese and Beyond the Green Box , and our 101 Kits for starting or expanding a business in photography, click on the titles of your choice!
~ Shannon Schmitt (Yes, I said Shannon Schmitt, and we won’t talk about the Naval rank she had as Seaman Shannon Schmitt. Say that 10 times fast! WHAT A TONGUE TWISTER! but I am allowed to pick on her… I’m her sister!) I am nominating her for the Running on Empty Contest, as there is no one I could think of that could need it more.
Shannon has had quite a few hurtles to overcome. A mishap with a surgery on her back left her with recurring pain and more surgeries, but as a mother of 4 girls, Shannon doesn’t let that slow her down. She works a full time job, takes care of the kids, and loves photography. BUT, now that her husband will be stationed on a ship off the coast of VA for the next three years. (Can you believe this man has given almost 20 years to this country? WOW! Last three, here we come!)
Hummmmm but that leaves Shannon a single mother of 4.
This weekend would be a BEAUTIFUL opportunity for her to realize she should have way more confidence in herself and her abilities! AND would provide her husband with a primed photographer to document the next three years of his children’s life.. of which he will miss.
I hope she gets this beautiful blessing!
~Love ya sis!
~ Shannon Schmitt (Yes, I said Shannon Schmitt, and we won’t talk about the Naval rank she had as Seaman Shannon Schmitt. Say that 10 times fast! WHAT A TONGUE TWISTER! but I am allowed to pick on her… I’m her sister!) I am nominating her for the Running on Empty Contest, as there is no one I could think of that could need it more.
Shannon has had quite a few hurtles to overcome. A mishap with a surgery on her back left her with recurring pain and more surgeries, but as a mother of 4 girls, Shannon doesn’t let that slow her down. She works a full time job, takes care of the kids, and loves photography. BUT, now that her husband will be stationed on a ship off the coast of VA for the next three years. (Can you believe this man has given almost 20 years to this country? WOW! Last three, here we come!)
Hummmmm but that leaves Shannon a single mother of 4 for 3 years.
This weekend would be a BEAUTIFUL opportunity for her to realize she should have way more confidence in herself and her abilities! AND would provide her husband with a primed photographer to document the next three years of his children’s life.. of which he will miss.
I hope she gets this beautiful blessing!
~Love ya sis!
oops, only meant for that to be on there once…. sorry
I can’t believe I’m doing this, but i nominate myself for the new york confidence workshop. I am a 30 year old single mother to a wonderful nine year old son (my flickr stream is basically all him). I have always had a passion for photography.
Then life happened.
I went off to college and found myself pregnant at 21. My son’s father is not in his life. I was determined to finish school to have a career to support my son. I enrolled back in college when my son was 6 months old and I became a respiratory therapist. I love what I do! I work three jobs to support my family and provide my son with what he needs. My son is very involved in sports so even my occasional day off I am driving to one sport or another. However, this leaves no time for me. At the end of day I am more than running on empty. I consider it a good day when I get to sit down and do nothing. This weekend away would be perfect for me to learn even more about my camera and how to capture that perfect shot and of course being able to get some me time.
I was always the one with the camera never the one in the pictures. After my son was born I craved pictures of him. I shot roll after roll trying to capture every expression on his face and every milestone.
For over two years now I have been wanting more. Wanting more than just the occasional accidental great shot. wanting more say in how my picture turned out. Wanting more than just that washed out look a flash gives. My older brother is now a professional photographer living in florida. Every time he came for a visit I would grab his canon mark 1D and play around. Then of course I found your website and it only made my desires intensify. This past christmas my brother surprised me with my own DSLR! He got me a canon T1i. I downloaded your DVD beyond the green box to remind myself what everything was on the camera, because as it turned out, i remember NOTHING from high school! So far i’ve been able to shoot my son at his gymnastics meets and now at his lacrosse games. I only have the kit lens that came with the camera so the zoom doesn’t get me all that close to the action but that doesn’t stop me from trying! Now that the weather is getting nice i’m being met with new challenges…sunlight!
I live in new jersey, only about 45 minutes from jersey city so getting there is not a problem.
I would love to improve my photography skills and take my photos to the next step and beyond.
p.s. This year I have been taking a picture of my son every school day. It started as a joke but it has become a great timeline of my son growing. I post the picture daily to my facebook page, Me Rah, we are friends see if you can find it. For this year every picture is taken with my cell phone, but I want to have better pictures for next year. I’m even considering doing a summer series! Everyone thinks i’m nuts!
I can’t believe I’m doing this, but I’d like to nominate myself. I feel like I’m truly running on empty these days, and I’m not real sure which direction my life is going to head from here.
I’m extraordinarily blessed with two beautiful daughters who deserve much more of my time, and an unbelievable husband who picks up more than his share of the slack.
I work a full-time job that I loathe, because I am the breadwinner for our family. But then there’s this little photography business that I’ve been building…that I love…that absolutely consumes me. But I don’t have time for it. I fit client sessions in on my days off, edit when my kids are in bed (or shamefully, when they’re in front of the tv). My husband probably doesn’t recognize me when I fall into bed each night, and my poor kids….they need more from their mommy.
I’ve been burning the candle at all ends, trying my best to GIVE my best to everyone who needs something from me…my kids, my husband, my employer, my clients. Myself?
I’m at a crossroads…do I dissolve the photography business until my kids are older, until a new opportunity comes along with my husband’s line of work? I can’t keep up the pace that I’ve been running on. I’m tired. I’m burning out. Something has to give.
I cry when I think of letting it go. I desparately want to be a full-time photographer. I want to go to a job that I love every day. I want to become a fabulous photographer who can support her family. Until then…well, I don’t know.
That’s my story in a nutshell. Thanks Me Ra. I love everything you do for aspiring photographers and women in general.
Dear Me Ra,
A few weeks ago one of the moms in my son’s preschool class told me I inspired her to pickup photography. It really caught me off guard. While I would love to be able to accept a compliment like that, I would also like to feel worthy of it. I still feel like a mom who takes good pictures.
For the past year I’ve been unemployed. Typically a tragedy for most, it really has been a blessing for me and my family. I’ve grown as an artist and spent time with my family. But I sense that this time is coming to an end. I see a good job falling into my lap. Do I take this position to ease the burden on my stressed out overwork hubby that I cross paths with occasionally each day as he comes home from work and I leave for school? I really am torn. When I was laid off, I told myself I wouldn’t put myself into another unfullfilling position. While this position offers so much, my soul says its not right. Before I take this job, I would love to spend a weekend devoted to myself and photography. I’d like to see if I could hold my own in professional photography.
With all the things I have going on in my life and how many times I say I have too much to do, I still find myself drawn to your workshop. I could learn photography from the workshop down the street, but confidence is hard to find. Each announcement of a new workshop I get excited thinking maybe things will fall into place this time. I admire the photos of the women who have been fortunate enough. Then being disappointed when I am unable to. But I keep applying and hoping persistence pays off. Please Me Ra I’d love to join your SOARority of fabulous confident women.
Thank You,
Stephanie Doran
Stepanie is my younger, extremely talented sister. She has so many creative gifts. I never realized how passionate she is about photography. I know that she takes beautiful pictures, but I’m here sister and thinks she does everything beautifully.
We have worked together for years before we where laid off. I don’t think I ever realized how much her creative juices where smashed at our last job. Now I’m the one that has dropped a new job into her lap, it makes me sad. As a sister, I want her to follow her dreams a do what she loves, photography. As an employer, I want her to come to work for me because I know she will allows does her best. Please give her this opportunity to do what her passion is, photography. I know in my heart if you work at your passion, then it isn’t a job.
Thank you,
Jodi Kolakowski
Hi ladies, a reminder to please, please, PLEASE, include your email addresses with your nominations! None of you has so far and it’s required. So I’m going to officially extend this one more day – to Friday at 6pm, for you to come back and add a comment with names and emails, okay? We really want you all to win! 🙂 Thank you so much!! xox Genie
oh my email is stephanie_doran at hotmail.com
SO SORRY, I thought that by putting it in the box above it would include it.
for the nomination of Shannon Schmitt the email address is Jonnshan@gmail.com
I’d like to nominate my wife. We’re in the photography biz together, but I’m already on the clock with two other jobs. So, as much as I may shoot alongside her, it’s really her deal. Jenni’s a SAHM with two toddlers, taking care of both of their needs, along with everything else that happens in a mom’s world with a desire to pursue a dream in photography.
Here’s a few reasons why she’s at the end of her tank.
1. Sleep. The second job I have is a paper route that keeps me out of the house in the early morning. For the past 5 years, she has been a “single mom” dealing with every crying baby/scared toddler/sick kiddo. She often ends up sleeping in a different bed, or having one or both in her bed… and we know how that goes. She might actually get to sleep for two whole nights in a row if she can go to this conference.
2. Time. My wife needs alone time to recharge and she rarely gets it. We agree that she heads to starbucks for an evening, and instead of being able to read a book, or a blog, or listen to music, or just sit and think, she has a to do list many pages long. A weekend away would give her dozens of hours (including the travel time) by herself… something that would be a big win for her “tank.”
3. Support. While we’ve made some friends in the photog industry here, there’s still more people who would rather criticize than compliment. She has some great friends outside of the photography industry, but few in it. Her work rarely gets the credit it deserves, and as a result, she spends hours worrying that she’s not good enough. We finish a wedding together and she feels like she didn’t get the shots she wanted, even though she nails it with almost every shot. A weekend where she could be surrounded by positive “new” friends who would cheer her on, and who could possibly stand by her going forward would be an awesome win in my opinion!
4. the LIST. Just a few things that are undone in our business, almost all of which she feels the burden to figure out or complete…
~ taxes.
~ workflow set up/improvement.
~ October’s wedding album.
~ two portrait sessions.
~ our business software needs to be set up.
~ our quicken needs to be linked.
~ our blog exists, sorta…
The most amazing woman I know is my wife. With the long work hours that I am forced to spend away from home, she is essentially a single Mom of our two wonderful children. As everyone knows, loving and nurturing a one year old boy and four year old girl is a full time devotion; however, what makes her truly amazing is that she does this while maintaining a professional career of her own. Her day begins around 1:30am soothing our teething one year old – the poor little guy. Her official wake up time is 6:00am when she prepares lunches and daycare bags, wakes up our cherished gifts, who are by no means morning people, dresses their bodies, serves them breakfast, tucks them into daycare, and arrives at her desk by 8:00am. After a full day of work, she retrieves our children with open arms and elegantly cooks dinner for four. She spends the next four hours feeding the family, cleaning both the house and the children, reciting timeless bed time stories, warming and delivering bottles, hugs, and eventually good night kisses. A tiring, but fulfilling day is capped with some clothes cleaning and folding before her head touches the pillow at a later time than preferred. I cannot understand how her fuel source is replenished, perhaps it is her love for our family that powers her perpetual motherly aura. Regardless, if anyone deserves an opportunity to receive nurturing guidance in her true passion of photography, a passion that is only eclipsed by that of her family, it is my dear wife.
Forgot to add her email address: Bethany.Bearmore@noaa.gov
I didn’t get a chance to finish my post, and my other attempts aren’t working, so I’ll end it here nonetheless. Thanks!
My wife’s email address – jenni@awakenphotography.com
my email is kmc979@yahoo.com sorry i figured that by it being in the required mail spot it would transfer over.
Stephanie Doran is a very talented artist in more ways than one, along with being a great mom of two curious boys that give her so many chances of capturing those perfect pictures. Stephanie’s love of photography has blossomed since the opportunity of being unemployed and having nieces, nephews, and family events to coordinate has allowed her to create memorable online photo albums and DVD’s. She has turned a hobby into a future career and she deserves the opportunity to learn what she can to fulfill this dream of hers. Please consider helping my sister launch a wonderful career, as she has plenty of support and opportunity to become very successful. Watching a dream become a reality is a very rare opportunity especially in this ecomony and this state we choose to live in.
sorry for got my email address……leclairski0167@hotmail.com
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