Ever since I heard the slogan for The Rising Tide Society, I knew it was something I wanted to be a part of.  “A rising tide lifts all boats.” – John F Kennedy  It was like a breathe of fresh air.

As a small business owner (and an LLC at that – woot woot) in a saturated wedding market, I am constantly trying to think of how I can compete against super talented and established photographers who already have a great network of vendors to support them.  My first instinct (please don’t judge!) was to keep as much information secret as I can so that I have an edge. Why? Because that’s what I was taught to do when I was a company photographer for a pretty successful business years and years ago.  When I worked for a company, random photographers would ask me questions all the time – they’d send me emails, write comments on my blog, and even find my phone number to get any little bit of information they could on how to start a successful business.  But I had signed a very strict contract saying that I wouldn’t say a word and could be sued over the secrets of the company.  I tell ya…it was a lonely time as a creative.  And being super secretive didn’t do a whole lot of good.  It made people think I was kind of a snob, and that made my heart heavy.

So I’m determined to go against my instinct and be an open book to fellow creatives.  Want to start a business? Need help with a camera setting? Want someone to cheer you on as you take on a scary risk? I’m your girl!  I will do my absolute best to be a supporter to your cause. Why? Because when someone else succeeds in our industry, it makes us ALL stronger.  The freedom in that is one of my favorite life lessons EVER!

The Rising Tide Society is based off of these amazing principles and I am proud to be a follower of that movement.  I was so excited today when Two Bright Lights tagged me in a Facebook post from The Rising Tide Society with my picture on it!  You can see that post and a whole lot more business goodness on their blog.