It was the end of her workout, all she had to do was run one more mile. I could tell she was exhausted, that she was close to tears (and probably puking) and yet we all rallied around her. We were tired from our own workouts and thinking about the work that lied ahead of us for the day but instead of leaving her on her own, we laced up our shoes one more time and hit the pavement to cheer her on. We walked when she needed to rest, we shouted enthusiastically, we were in this together. We didn’t want her to go through it alone, we wanted her to know we were there. Together we were stronger, together we could accomplish just about anything, together we were going farther and it was far less painful with people on your side cheering you on. This is how I feel about this industry I am in… 

A lot of times it is easy to feel crazy isolated when you work from home, all by yourself. You human interaction consists of walking to the mailbox and hoping a neighbor is on the sidewalk to say hello or talking to your pets like they are your coworkers… both of which I am guilty of. Going from a job where I was constantly surrounded by people, it was a mega shock to my system to realize that my days would be spent alone – just me and the occasional visit from the UPS guy. I will be the first to admit that at times I tend to be a homebody. If given the option to stay in or go out, I’d likely stay in which means more sweatpants, less makeup, and a lot of cuddling on the couch. I started to feel like I was walking this path alone in an industry that was oh-so saturated but entirely lonely. 

Not a lot of 25 year olds run their own businesses, none of my friends work from home, here I am: a big pile of questions and no one to ask… or so I thought. It seemed like the industry was flooded with secret keepers, people who were afraid to share what they do for fear that someone would snatch up their idea right before their eyes. I felt as though everyone was forging their own paths and no one was really going in the same direction. Looking back I sent out a lot of emails asking for help, advice, ideas and more often than not they were unanswered. I had a few strong women who took the time to share some insight – an invaluable gift that I will forever be indebted to. Once I found those people, I clung to them with tons of gratefulness and many many joyful responses. Surely there had to be more than a few people who realized that the industry was far bigger than our own efforts. Certainly I wasn’t the only one who felt alone and lost while I navigated the tricky nature of starting a business… 

As I slowly started to reach out and share the lessons I have learned, offer mentor sessions, check in with beginning photographers, I realized that I wasn’t revealing secrets – I was really sharing what I was passionate about, what I wish someone would have been brave enough to share with me. Surely if there was a big secret to my success, then I wasn’t truly successful. Just as we ran that mile together, I realized that this industry was lacking the camaraderie, the support, the encouragement. I started to find friends – real friends who also loved the art of photography, the kind who will call to check in on you, edit with you in a coffee shop and comment on your blog posts. I started to feel not so alone, not as isolated. The more I share, the more I grow, the faster I learn, the more I feel inspired. From emails to messages, I was giving information, sharing my process, telling life lessons, and each time I hit “send” I felt myself grow a little stronger. I never have claimed to know it all, to be perfect – all I know is what I have learned on my little journey, but perhaps someone else is starting their own little journey and they need a little help. Life is too short to go through life believing that you have to forge your own path alone – grab some friends and start together… one step at a time. Together, we will go farther. Let’s go! 

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