Seven years ago, I won the lottery.
Well, kind of. It wasn’t the Powerball or anything. I didn’t become a millionaire overnight. But I did get to spend money freely on exactly what wanted without it having to make sense. And it changed everything.
Here’s the story:
At the time I was just wrapping up a job at Mountain Tactical Institute and scratching my head about what would come next. After years of working for various start-ups and e-commerce businesses, I figured I’d probably dive into some freelancing before finding a “real job” again. I’d done some freelance web design, graphic design, and marketing strategy over the years and it seemed like the easiest way to bridge the gap while I searched for a new gig.
In the process of getting that launched (digging out old contracts and sprucing up my website), I heard about a scholarship opportunity. Karen Clark, a resident of my hometown, received a terminal diagnosis and created a scholarship fund with her estate before she passed away. It was a tragic situation, but as a successful, independent woman who had created a lot of wealth throughout her career, she knew the importance of pursuing continuing education and her goal was to help women in Wyoming do just that—an incredible vision and gift to give.
When I heard about the scholarship fund thought “maybe I could apply…but what would I use the money for?”
If I was going to win the continuing education lottery and get to spend a couple of grand on anything I wanted to learn more about for my career, what would I choose?
For me, the two things that popped to mind right away were coaching and photography.
It didn’t make a ton of sense that I’d spend money on those things because I didn’t have any formal training in either area, so it’s not like I was exactly “continuing” my education. I did have lots of DIY experience in photography (that’s another story) and some form of coaching had been a part of many of my prior jobs, but I certainly didn’t have a career in either of them. Pursuing these subjects would be all about foundational training without any guarantee to make either of them into something that could help me pay the bills.
But, somehow I just knew that pursuing both of these skillsets was important to my future.
When you have the opportunity to move away from what’s practical, or reasonable, or what “makes sense” and instead lean into your true desires and your intuition, it can feel a little confusing at first.
I did some initial research into some programs, got super excited… and then put it aside for a while when all of my “rational” questions came flooding back in.
“Why wouldn’t I just apply to an MBA program or something more practical? Shouldn’t I take the money and get training to build on the work I’ve already done? Maybe it would make more sense to get some sort of training or certification that provides a clear path forward instead of pursuing two separate ideas… There are already plenty of photographers out there already. And coaching? Isn’t that a fluffy BS job anyway?” (Clearly my inner critic got really uncomfortable with these ideas)
My brain was throwing up all of the stop signs, but my heart and my gut was telling me otherwise.
When I finally pulled out my old journals and notebooks and it became crystal clear that these two subjects have been at the core of who I am and what I love for decades. It made perfect sense that I wanted to pursue them both.
Capturing my own reflection while shooting at Ft. Missoula in 2017
I won’t get into all of the details but suffice to say that art and creativity, as well as coaching and leadership, have been a big part of almost anything I’ve loved or been successful at in the past. So, I applied to go to introductory training programs at the Coaches Training Institute and Rocky Mountain School of Photography and got the scholarships to cover them.
Then the fun really began!
I flew to LA for several long weekends for coach training and spend over three weeks in Missoula, MT for photography workshops, and it all felt so right. Like I’d finally found my thing. Er, things.
I added coaching to my services, took on a bunch of clients pro bono, then started marketing like crazy. Over the next few years, I worked with dozens of my own individual coaching clients, as well as hundreds of clients as a coach for Make It Work Online. The work of coaching creative entrepreneurs, founders, and solopreneurs was so aligned with my previous skills (working in business, startups, as well as leadership education) that once I added the coaching know-how it all just clicked.
Meanwhile, I started shooting a ton, too. I did weddings, headshots, engagement photos, product imagery, branding and lifestyle photos—the works!
But, even after years of shooting, I’ve always resisted officially claiming that I’m a photographer. I’ve done dozens of shoots, created thousands of images, and have had fantastic feedback from my clients…yet I felt funny about putting it out there.
I could write a lot here, but in part, I think it’s because art is so subjective and my inner critic is ALWAYS looking for external validation. It’s like I wanted someone to give me the “A” or officially hand me the certificate that says “you’re legit.” But of course, that will never happen.
Leading a group workshop with past coaching clients at MIWO Live in 2018
One of the other factors was that marketing best practices tell us to niche down. Simplicity is where the money is! Offer too much and you’ll confuse people! And that maybe be true to some degree.
However, at this point, I see a super clear connection between offering coaching and photography to my clients because so much of what I do is help people step into the proverbial spotlight and bring their business adventure* into focus.
Whether they’re a leader who is ready to truly shine, a creative who is ready for more visibility, or a business owner who is ready to make a bigger impact, I help them come out of hiding, feel confident, and own their talents.
As it turns out, that can be done as they start to take action and feel different. But it also happens when they literally see themselves (and their work) in a new light. The combination of those two services together is downright magical!
Why am I telling you all of this?
In part, it’s simply to say out loud that I’m finally embracing and owning my multi-passionate pursuits and putting them all under one roof. I work best when I do what lights me up, and some variety has always been key for me. Creating my own damn niche feels like freedom.
But perhaps the more important part of this story is to give you permission to do the same. If you continually feel drawn to offering a few things that seemingly aren’t under the same umbrella, I’m gonna tell you that you don’t have to choose. You can do both. It might feel wonky for a minute and you might have to refine your message to encompass it all…but you get to do it your way.
Here’s to trusting your gut, doing business on your terms, and following the green lights.
And if you ever get stuck, let me know. I can definitely help out!
*Special thanks to Michelle Clayton of Let Her Fly for helping me see this!