I have been dreaming of the day that I would sit down to write this post. The day that I would put into writing and make official a big big dream of mine that I have been working towards for almost 3 years now. This is it. This day has come. And it doesn’t feel real at all. This is the day that I announce that when the clock strikes 5:00 this Friday, I will be a…

FULL TIME WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER!!

Ahh!!! Even seeing it in writing doesn’t make it feel real! I can’t believe that this is my LAST Monday at my 9-5! I can’t even tell you the excitement I am feeling about this HUGE milestone in my business! This is a goal that I have been working toward for SO long now and it always felt like it was such a distant dream. This is a path that I never envisioned my life would take, but I am SO glad that it has!

Let’s take a little stroll down memory lane to see how we got here. For those of you that don’t know, I have been working as a Software Developer for the last 4 years. It was my first job out of college and it is what my degree was in (Computer Science). People were always so surprised to hear that was my job, since a young preppy girl isn’t exactly the type of person you’d imagine being a Software Developer! About a year after starting that job, I started my photography business. I don’t know that I would even call it a business at that point since it was just something that I was doing for fun on the weekends. I never imagined that it would turn into anything more than just a hobby. But then after a few months,  it started to take off and I realized a passion for photography that I never knew I had. I was very quickly drawn to shooting weddings and felt that was where I belonged. But even as the business grew, I never imagined it would become a full-time gig. I was the sole breadwinner in our house while Branden was in medical school, so being able to live off of this business was never something I thought was possible. Then the business continued to grow as did my passion for it.

You always hear people say that if you love what you do, then you’ll never work a day in your life. I never thought this would be the case for me because I never had a passion for any particular career field. It wasn’t until I started this business that I understood what that meant. The work is hard and the hours are long, but I’ve loved every minute of it. I have such a drive and passion for this ‘job’ that I have never felt before, so I knew I had to give it my all and take it all the way. So the idea crossed my mind of taking the business full time, but it was never something I seriously considered. It was always just a “we’ll see” kind of dream.

About halfway through my 2015 season last year, I knew something had to change. I was shooting as many weddings as full time photographers, while still working a 9-5 job 40 hours a week. People always asked me how I did it and I honestly don’t know. Free time was just a luxury I couldn’t afford and I learned to live without it. But that meant that I wasn’t giving 100% to every aspect of my life. I wasn’t getting to spend time with my husband and family. I wasn’t able to take on as much photography work and put as much into my business as I would’ve liked. And I certainly wasn’t giving my day job my best effort, which isn’t fair to them either. I knew that something had to change and I knew that I just couldn’t give up on this business that I had grown to love so much.

So late last year we made the decision that I would most likely go full time in the Spring of 2016. There were still some things up in the air that might have changed that- Branden’s residency placement, number of 2016 bookings, etc. So we didn’t want to view it as a sure thing. But then Spring came closer and everything was falling into place like it needed to, so we made the decision to go for it! I picked the date, put my two weeks in, and that was that! I had started my countdown to becoming a full time business owner!

I wish I could tell you that I am totally consumed with excitement and joy over this achievement, but I can’t deny that there is great deal of fear involved as well. There’s no magic number or formula to tell you when you can take a business full time. There is no particular number of bookings or amount of revenue that I could reach that would ensure that leaving my day job was the right decision. So I find myself second guessing my decision as to whether or not this is a smart move. How much of this decision was influenced by emotion? Is this a responsible decision? Can I really afford to do this? And in all honesty, it probably isn’t the wisest decision financially. Of course we would be much better off financially if I kept doing my 9-5. We would be set and money wouldn’t be an issue. But that would come at a big sacrifice. Quality time together would be few and far between, stress would be at an all-time high and I would be in a constant state of frustration. And no amount of money is worth that to me. I would much rather tighten the purse strings and get to live my life to the fullest with my hubby (and puppies!). Having a job that I am able to work around my life instead of one that my life has to work around is going to be such a blessing!

I know that I’ve already gone on long enough with this post, but when it comes to something this big, you know I’m going to have a lot to say about it! But I can’t end this post without the most important part. Giving thanks. I don’t know where to begin when thanking all the people that have made this dream a reality. To my friends and family, thank you for believing in me and encouraging me, even though the idea of leaving a cushy corporate job to be a wedding photographer may not have made sense to you at times. To my dear friends in the industry, thank you for your constant support and encouragement. We could easily be bitter and jealous over each other’s successes, but instead we choose to love and support each other which has played a HUGE role in getting to this point! To my wonderful amazing spectacular every-good-word-in-the-english-dictionary couples. When it comes down to it, YOU are the people that made this business possible. You are the ones that believed in me enough to allow me to be a part of one of the most special days of your life. And beyond that, it is you all that have been my biggest cheerleaders and supporters. You’ll never know how much that means to me. And most of all, thank you to my husband. You believed in me and this business more than I ever did. I can say with complete certainty that I would not have taken this business as far as I have without you. It was your constant support and encouragement that got me here. If it were up to you, I would’ve taken this business full time a LONG time ago and you would have gladly lived off of Ramen noodles. You have sacrificed so much to help me grow this business and I will never be able to thank you enough.

Phew, ok! If you made it this far, then you are a champ! I think it’s safe to say that I am so excited to be making this announcement today. It’s one that I have dreamed of making for so long. This wild and crazy journey has been quite an exciting ride and I am so glad to have you all follow along with me! You guys make me feel like I can achieve anything with your unwavering support!

And what would a big announcement be without a giveaway! Everyone has some sort of dream, so I know that everyone could use a mug like this to brighten up their day! Head over to Instagram to enter the giveaway for this cute mug!

 

Well friends, I dreamed it and I did it. Today is the day that I announce that this dream I have been working towards for so long now has become a reality. When the clock strikes 5 this Friday, I will officially be a FULL TIME wedding photographer!!! I don’t know how to put into words how it feels to say this out loud. There’s a lot of excitement but also a healthy dose of fear!! I can’t wait to see what this next phase of life has in store for me! More about this big milestone on the blog! And what would a big announcement be without a giveaway??!! Follow the steps below to enter for a chance to win this adorable mug! 1. Follow @audreyrosephoto on Instagram and like this image. 2. Tag 3 friends in a comment that could also use a little push towards chasing their dreams! 3. For a bonus entry, repost this image on Instagram and let me know you shared it in your comment! Giveaway ends at midnight tonight and winner will be announced tomorrow!! #audreyrosephotography #audreyrosegoesfulltime

A photo posted by Audrey Deyerle (@audreyrosephoto) on Apr 11, 2016 at 5:14am PDT