Brian and I want to thank each of the nominees for the Chicago Running on Empty contest.

We read every one of your stories, sometimes two or three times…struck by your strength to carry on. The heaviness you are carrying must leave you out of breath. And yet, you are still going. Still caring for your little ones. Still choosing to wake up every morning and give of yourself. We are deeply moved.

To narrow this down to one woman is never an easy task. I’m glad I don’t have to decide.

Brian and I consider it a great honor to leave one spot open in each workshop for a Running on Empty mom. And with every workshop, we pray that not only the winner but every nominee is blessed in some special way.

For the Chicago workshop, the Running on Empty Winner is Nicky!! Nicky was nominated by her friend Kelly!

This is Nicky’s amazing story that Kelly posted…

I absolutely have to nominate my friend Nicki. Without a doubt. I think she has been “running on empty” for years. We met and became friends a LONG time ago. Before kids. Before even the weddings. We met at work – interviewing on the same day for 2 different positions in the company. We were both hired and started right away. We both had fiancées and were married within 2 weeks of each other. Then, 2 years later our lives took very opposite directions when she came down with lymphoma; cancer of the lymph system. They caught it fairly early. But even then, the chemotherapy was harsh and exhausting. I really cannot imagine going through it myself. But she was a fighter. I remember admiring her so much for her positive attitude. I remember she never said anything negative about her situation. I even remember telling her how amazed I was that she had so much strength and confidence. She just smiled and told me she just wasn’t going to let it beat her. And it didn’t.

Right after she finished her treatments and was in the clear for a few months, they found out she was pregnant! Which was supposed to be impossible to have happened – but by a miracle it did and nine months later her little boy Duke arrived. So much happiness! But just a few months later, Hurricane Ivan hit their beach front condo and they had to move in with her husband’s family in town for 6 months until their condo was livable again. So, things started rolling downhill again.

Nicki’s husband lost his job. It was a very stressful time financially with the baby, the new condo, and just life. She started working back at the same company we worked together at years ago. She tried getting a second job with a makeup company, which didn’t end up working out. I just remember she was working so hard and racking her brain to come up with a job to do that she would love and make some money.

And when the crazy mortgage times hit, they lost the condo. Her hubby ended up finding a job, but they had to move and start all over again. Then things at work started changing with her picking up another employee’s job. So now she’s working 2 jobs, not getting paid nearly enough. They were into the rental house trying to make ends meet.

That’s when she & I both discovered we LOVED taking pictures. We took pictures of our kids all the time. It was an addiction =) And it was Nicki that suggested we take a class and learn to do it right and start a business. So, we did that about 2 months ago. And she got your DVDs to help us out even more. And she has encouraged me and helped me all the way. She has been such a good friend to me.

So, I can’t think of anyone who would need a day off and attend a photography seminar with you – more than her. And have something positive happen in her life. Something encouraging and enriching. And empowering. She is truly running on empty.

Please choose her and spoil her and let her enjoy something she’d be able to do only once in a lifetime.

Kelly

________

Well Nicky, you have been chosen, and we guarantees you will be spoiled and this weekend will be life changing! You, my dear, get to give to your creative self for a whole weekend with 20 other wonderful women! We are so excited for you!

Nicky, we ask that you contact us by this Friday to confirm you can come. To contact us, email Genie at genie@fioria.us with your info. If we don’t hear from you by this Friday, we will assume the opportunity didn’t work out.

If this is the case, we will contact the runner up. The invitation to come to the workshop will be extended to her. (If any of you, besides Kelly, know Nicky, please email her and share the good news so she doesn’t miss out on this opportunity!)

Again, thank you to everyone for nominating these amazing women. If you’d like to nominate someone for the upcoming Seattle’s Workshop in December, we will begin accepting nominees on Thursday’s blog post this week! Keep a look out.

All our love to the Chicago nominees. Your strength and commitment to keep going is strength to the rest of us. Thank you for sharing your stories with us. Thank you for not giving up, even when your Running on Empty.

Much love, Me Ra and Brian

________________________________________________________________________________________________

For fun photo exercises, check out our popular Instructional DVDs Refuse to Say Cheese (see the downloadable version that is now available if you live outside the US!), our 101 Kits for starting or expanding a business in photography, click on the words of your choice! To read a great review done on our DVDs, click here!

Upcoming Workshops: Two more spots were bought this weekend! If your considering the Seattle December Workshop as your Christmas gift to yourself or loved one, now is the time to register!

Click HERE to register!