an interview, if you will…
Posted By: Jennifer
If you are here today, I am guessing you saw Linda’s video from yesterday. She nailed it! This is not meant to be a self-deprecating comment at all…but really, I am not sure I can convey the “journey” more appropriately than Linda has done. I loved it and though it was her words, her story, it was such great symbolism for the whole SOAR process. So I am simply going to let Karen and Fay’s questions conduct an interview with me 
the state your business was in last january…
Non-existent, actually. I told my husband just a few months before January that I hoped, maybe one day, that I could learn enough to create a photography business. But in January, there was not an ounce of a formed business in me! Just the dream.
(from our self-portrait object exercise-january)
who were you then? <a metaphor>…
Ha! I have to go with the blushing bride on this one. That somewhat naive, overwhelmed, excited girl whose life is about to change-she’s just not quite sure how. And it would probably do no good for a wiser, married person to try to explain about how, on so many levels, her life would change…Basically because the bride and the married person just don’t speak the same language yet.
(self-portrait exercise-jan)
three new skills you now have <photography aside>…
<One> Using the “What is So” framework for thinking through a situation and making action steps in that situation. I have to laugh because, even in conversations I’ve had with Michael, we’ll totally use that phrase to work out family situations! And if you were spying on the voice in my head, you might hear things like this sometimes…”Okay, what is so is that my daughter and her friend just turned on the sprinkler and now all the children I am watching have clothes that are soaked. I have a choice about how I react to them (calm down!). Once I deal with them, how am I going to clothe all of them while their original outfits are in the dryer (make action steps)…”, etc. “What is So” is kind of a life-saver for me, business or not!
<Two> Writing shorter, more to the point blogs!
<Three> Being more clear about goals…instead of, I’ve got to get business!, which is vague and overwhelmingly undefined, decide what monthly income targets I want to reach and help let that determine when I can work and other details. (I want to book 5 sessions this month-what am I doing towards that?)
what do you wish you would have known then versus now…
That’s easy. That success does not look like what I thought it looked like. I had many preconceived notions about a successful business woman-how she acted, how she thought, her confidence, what she looked like on a teleconference call . Thank goodness there are REAL women running businesses everywhere. Fay clarified my comment and spoke about how my notions were completely relative to how I viewed myself. She said, “We judge ourselves on pictures that aren’t real.” Yep. I certainly did!
(I took this picture while on one of our teleconference calls. We were asked to do an exercise and all I could find was my children’s pen and their construction paper…I was laughing at how “professional” I was!)
a metaphor for you today?…
I’m not sure it gets more cheesy than this but, a roller coaster. Right now, I’m best described, riding the ride. Peaks and valleys, exhilaration and disappointment, but moving forward and always supported. Sometimes feeling the support is more valuable than being on the top of the peak! (I think Karen may have said that best).
(my girl–hanging on for the ride–taken earlier this year)
It’s unbelievable to me that we are at this point, writing about where we see ourselves “now.” This now is something I couldn’t have even dreamed (certainly not the SOAR part). And riding the ride is a heck of a place to be. I am so thankful.
Thanks for doing this with us. And stick around…there’s a little more to come!
Let’s do this y’all,
jen
Jen – you are so good with the metaphors and I love how you have interpreted and described your SOAR journey. They may be ‘your words, and your story’ but I relate to everything you have said and recognize so many similarities in my own journey. You have taught me so much – particularly about acceptance of who I am and the ability to make choices about how I want to act – I can’t tell you what a difference that has made. Hang in there! LOVE YOU!!!
Jen- Sorry I have been an absentee friend on the comments lately… a million excuses, no excuses. I have read all of the 3 previous blogs that you have written though and am just going to post all of it here.
You know there are plently of women who run successful businesses with their kids in 8-10 hours of day care a day; the poor girls only get to enjoy their kids when they are feeding them, bathing them, and putting them to sleep. They most likely are very poised and professional… but at what cost? What I admire about you is that you are first a wife, second a mom, third a business-woman. True, when the priorities are set correctly, one may not be the most polished executive out there, but who cares, she will be the most authentic. And in my book, authenticity always wins. I’m proud of you. You do beautiful work and have an even more beautiful heart.
Jen, I always love reading your blog posts. You have such a wonderful way of sharing your heart and thoughts. You’ve grown in so many ways…and what’s amazing is the path your growth has taken you. So proud of you, so excited to chat with you and the girls tomorrow. xoxo, m