When I was in college, it didn’t take me long to realize I was going to major in finance. I had always liked numbers and I loved the idea of having a stable 8-5pm job I could depend on. The business world came naturally to me and it felt like I had found my purpose. But once I graduated and worked in the field, I felt like I was constantly searching for something else. Some of my jobs were paying death claims and payroll, training with financial advisors, working with balance sheets and income statements, and so much more, however nothing felt right. I couldn’t figure out why I liked the idea of finance, but when it came to the job, I didn’t have an interest in what I was doing. 

It got to the point where I was so unhappy, every day was like waking up in a nightmare. I would be so angry and upset I’d be crying, which always led me to sulk around in a bad mood. I didn’t have a passion for what I was doing anymore and felt stuck with nowhere to go. Honestly, I don’t think I saw how bad it was until my husband sat me down and made me realize this was not normal.

We began discussing different career options and let me tell ya, my anxiety shot up. Starting a new job from scratch with new experiences was terrifying to me! So where did that leave me? He then suggested photography, and I literally laughed at him (sorry Corey love you!). Yes, I had been doing photography on the side for a while, but that was mainly as a hobby. Looking at all of the famous photographers I literally thought, I could never be where they are. Boy was I wrong!

It took a few months of researching, continuing with a mentally draining job, and lots of encouragement from family and friends to finally say, “screw finance, I’m going to do this!”

After starting out, I remember someone asked me what my backup plan was in case photography didn’t work out. To my surprise I quickly answer “I don’t have a backup plan, I’m going to make this work.” Hearing that as my initial reaction and realizing how badly I wanted this, I’ll always remember that lightbulb moment when I truly felt this was the right path for me.