A few awesome things are going on. For one, tomorrow I’m leaving with my family and best friends on vacation again. A wee one, (ha, a wee one!) but one nonetheless! We’re off to the Tahoe house for the long weekend. We have plans to picnic, horseback ride, send the boys out to gamble (and win us money, you hear that boys?!) and watch the big fireworks show over the lake.
For two, I got asked today to fly out to Canada to shoot a wedding. I’ve always dreamed that one day someone would fly me somewhere cool to take pretty pictures. I’m going to get a free, albeit short and working, vacation in November. I also get to meet one or three of my best (web design) clients turned internet friends! And you know I love weddings… I can’t wait!
Also, I’m working on a neat project with my Aunty. I’m helping her get her photography business started. I designed her logo, made her flyers, set up her website and made her order forms this week. Next week I’m going to help her shoot her first big commercial gig, and teach her how to use her website. And go to one of her Portrait Parties… I might get a real photo of me to put on my business websites! It’s neat to be a part of this process with my Aunt, to be able to help, to be asked to help. I’ve always admired her so much so it honors me to be a part of this birth of a business. She’s been an extremely successful businesswoman all her life, I’m sure she’ll do great on her newest venture.
And WOW! Business rocks right now. I’m sooooo booked. Doing all kinds of cool stuff. I really worried that the economic downturn was going to kick my arse but so far I’ve found that businesses have decided that this slow period is the perfect time to revitalize their web stores. I’ve been telling my business associates for a while now that I’m prepared to take a few months off, that I think it’s going to slow.. that people should seize this time, when they have the time, to redo their sites- but I feared they wouldn’t. And Thank God Almighty I have been wrong, and right. It’s not slow, and people are getting their sites redesigned right now.
This phenomenon has also helped me decide which direction to take my business. For a while now I’ve been waffling- should I stay or should I go? Should I be JUST a web designer, or JUST a photographer? But I’ve learned that during economic downturns, people don’t spend as much money on luxuries like photography. But they sure do invest in their businesses! Since there is no written rule that says I can’t be both.. I’ve decided it’s in my best interests to just try and balance the two better.
I still don’t know what I’m going to do with my websites. Right now I’m leaning towards keeping the individual sites, phaedrawebdesign.com and phaedraphotography.com - and just putting a splash page up at rhodescreative.com. That’s a complete 180 from the last time I yammered on about this topic here, I know. I’ll make up my mind by the time I have the time to work on it. Which is looking like November sometime.
Oh, and I delivered my first photo book order today, and the recipient was ecstatic. I was pretty proud of them myself. Gorgeousness. I look forward to making a few more for my upcoming shoots and then ordering myself samples to show off to prospective clients. I’m thinking I’ll do my first photography show next spring.
Anyhoo- despite my current health problems and worries, life’s good. Really, it’s great. Can you tell I’m trying to convince myself? Ha.
Will show ya’ll pics from our trip when we get back. Have a great Labor Day weekend!!
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