This is the year I leaped into my dream life; how could I not write about it?

I decided to forge on and write this post because I now have time to plan out and write better blog posts. Why is that? Because I finally left my day job to be a full-time portrait and personal branding photographer!! I now tell everyone I have enough oxygen in my brain to strategize and be creative. This post is an opportunity to acknowledge this huge transition and the work I put in to get here. It’s an opportunity to remember my successes and failures, and I’ll write one each year.

1. Operation Leap: Leaving Corporate America for my Happiness

It’s taken years for me to get here, but this year I took a leap of faith in myself and left my Corporate job and salary to focus on scaling my portrait and personal branding photography business. I’ve planned this move for five years, and with the help of coaches and mentors, I finally leaped. There was no “transition phase” once left because it happened while I was still employed. First, setting the goal, then doing the work to make it happen. But I experienced a major mindset shift more than a year before terminating that took me by surprise — suddenly, I stopped drinking the corporate kool-aid and was fully decoupled. My day work was once a priority, but my dream became the priority, and everything else had to fall in line. Probably where I should have been all along.

2. Launch: Diana Prince Lives Next Door

I launched the Diana Prince video and podcast series in August. Like Oprah, but like for you and me because as a portrait and personal branding photographer, I wanted to give the women in my circle who want to be seen and heard a platform to do just that. She may be a client or a business partner; she is welcomed on the show. Diana Prince is also my way of promoting equality by showing the world the contributions women make to the world to make it more colorful, loving, and compassionate.

Episode 4 is in the works as we speak. Yay! Got a story to share? Want to inspire other women? 

Talk to me, and let’s make it happen.

3. New Personal Branding & Messaging

Bringing my studio concept to life has been a process of experimenting for years -constructing, deconstructing, and constructing my personal branding and messaging again

. This year, it finally gelled; we are that feel-good shot in the arm that shows up as a photography studio. BAM! Drop the mic!  

Take a peak at the new website. 

“When you take risks you learn that there will be times when you succeed and there will be times when you fail, and both are equally important.”

Ellen DeGeneres

The major failures that I will continue to work on:

• Didn’t get the Gal Project active. I learned that getting sponsors on board will be an ongoing process, and I’ll have to promote it more.
• Booking more clients. More work is to be done, and the new messaging will help.

Other major successes:

• I took on a leadership role at NJAWBO as the Shore Region Lead.
• Built a community through the R3 Events at NJAWBO.
• I chaired my first in-person networking event.

4. Family

THE BIG DAY

My son’s big day. Not so, unfortunately, I was so present for him (and me) that the few times I raised my phone to snap a picture, I felt disconnected. So my phone is picture starved, but my heart is FULL. (And there was a professional there anyway).

THE FAMILY VACATION

 My MIL also celebrated her 80th this year, so the family organized a vacation to Puerto Rico during Thanksgiving week just for the occasion. Sun. Conversation. Games. Quality time. And Thanksgiving dinner prepared by a chef. Need I say more?  

I hope that despite all of the challenges this year has brought, you and your loved ones are happy and healthy. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never looked forward to a new year more than I am looking forward to 2023! I have more clarity about where I’m going, and I hope you’re just as excited and hopeful for what the future has in store. Thanks for reading and being part of this community. Sending you best wishes for the year ahead.

Angela Atelier is a New Jersey-based portrait and personal branding photography studio empowering women everywhere to live their best life. Contact us to schedule your complimentary consultation.