I Took the Chance. A Week Later, Here’s What I Know.

It’s been a week since I got back from the Flourish Retreat. I’m back in Colorado, back in the rhythm of real life, and yes… still missing the beach a little (okay, a lot). But more than that, I’ve been sitting with everything I experienced. Letting it settle. Letting it shift from excitement into something a little more steady.

I spent a few days in California at the Flourish Retreat with Meg Marie McMillan, and I can honestly say I didn’t come home the same. Not in a dramatic, everything-changed kind of way. But in a grounded, clearer… I know where I’m going kind of way.

Why I Said Yes

If I’m being honest, this season of business had felt a little quiet. Not in a panic way. But in that “I know there’s more here” kind of way.

As a personal branding photographer based in Colorado, I spend a lot of time helping other women show up confidently in their business. But I could feel that I needed to do the same for myself in a different way. I needed space to step back, get clear on where I’m going, and figure out how to move forward with more intention.

I had been craving clarity, momentum, and direction. Not just more content or more ideas, but a stronger foundation for how I’m building my business. And I could feel it. Staying where I was, doing the same things, wasn’t going to move anything forward.

That’s what led me to invest in a photography retreat focused on both mindset and business strategy. So I took the chance.

I invested in myself. In my business. In my growth.

Even when it felt like a stretch.

What This Actually Was

This wasn’t just a sit-and-listen kind of retreat. It was a mix of mindset work, business strategy, and hands-on learning. The kind where you’re not just taking notes, you’re actually applying it in real time.

We spent time shooting, asking questions, trying new approaches, and learning directly from Meg in a way that felt practical and immediate.

It was being in a space with photographers who are building their brands, growing their businesses, and figuring things out as they go. Not perfectly, but intentionally.

There was a rhythm to it. Learning, creating, connecting.

And then there were the in-between moments. Conversations that didn’t feel surface-level. The kind where someone says something and you think, “wait, you feel that too?” Those moments stuck just as much as anything we learned.

The People

I think this surprised me the most. The connection.

Being surrounded by women who are building something, growing something, and showing up for it… even when it’s not all figured out.

There was nothing surface-level about it. The conversations were honest. Encouraging. Real. The kind where you realize you’re not the only one navigating the in-between. Not the only one questioning things, pushing for more, or trying to do this in a way that actually feels aligned.

And there’s something really powerful about that. Being in a space where people get it. Where you can talk about business, life, growth, and everything in between without having to explain yourself.

That kind of connection sticks.

What Shifted for Me

This is the part that’s stuck with me over the last week. Not just in the moment, but in how I’ve been showing up since I got home.

Momentum doesn’t come from waiting until you feel ready. It comes from moving.

Clarity doesn’t show up first. It follows action. That was a big one for me. I think I had been waiting to feel more certain before making changes. Before refining things. Before really stepping forward in a bigger way.

But that clarity I was looking for? It doesn’t come from standing still. It comes from doing. From trying. From adjusting as you go. And investing in yourself is part of that.

Whether it’s education, coaching, or even stepping in front of the camera yourself, there’s something powerful about choosing to grow on purpose instead of waiting for things to shift on their own. Because the thing I kept coming back to is this:

It is possible.

It is possible to build something meaningful and still be present in your life. To homeschool my kids, be a good wife, a good friend, and grow a business that actually supports that life.

It’s not about doing it perfectly. But you can’t learn if you don’t try. You can’t grow if you don’t take the chance.

What I’ve Noticed Since Coming Home

In the week since returning from the Flourish Retreat, I’ve started to notice a shift.

In how I think about my business. In how I approach my work as a personal branding photographer. And in how I prioritize my time.

I don’t have everything figured out. But I’m not in the same place I was before. There’s more clarity. More intention. More forward movement.

I’m no longer waiting to feel ready. I’m starting. And that matters.

The Takeaway

It is possible. Not in a “everything falls into place overnight” kind of way. But in a real, steady, build-it-over-time kind of way.

It’s possible to take the chance. To invest in yourself. To try something new, even when you’re not completely sure how it’s going to work out.

What I’m starting to realize is that I’ve been thinking a little too small. Holding myself to what feels safe. What feels predictable. What I know I can manage on my own. But I don’t think we’re meant to do this alone. I think there’s something bigger at work. A purpose, a calling, a direction that we’re being led toward… if we’re willing to listen and actually move.

And maybe growth doesn’t come from having everything mapped out. Maybe it comes from trusting that there’s more for you than what you’ve allowed yourself to believe.

We don’t grow by staying where it’s comfortable. We grow by stepping into it.

If You’re Sitting on the Edge of Something

If you’ve been feeling that pull… like there’s more you want to step into, but you’ve been holding back or second guessing it, you’re not alone.

I was there too.

And I’m still figuring it out. But I’m starting to trust that those nudges, those ideas, those moments where something feels bigger than you… they’re there for a reason. That maybe you’re being led somewhere, even if you can’t see the full picture yet.

And sometimes the first step isn’t having it all figured out. It’s just being willing to follow that pull and see where it leads.

And if part of that looks like showing up more confidently in your business, with visuals that actually reflect who you are and what you’re building…

that’s where I come in.

If you’re feeling that pull, I’d love to create something with you. You can explore my personal branding sessions or reach out to start the conversation.