Holy Woah. I can’t even begin to explain the amount of craziness that was the last two months of 2015.  When I took my out-of-office break for the Christmas season, I was SO glad that I’d be able to breathe for a few weeks before it picked back up again.

And so it has.

January is here, and even though it’s “slow season” behind the camera for yours truly, it doesn’t mean that I’m not working. In fact, I’m trying to make it a goal for myself to stay busy during the lull of no sessions between January and mid-March. I’ve got a TON of things planned for 2016 & I can’t wait to share them all with you.  I spent the better part of my early afternoon today coming up with a HUGE list of goals/plans/dreams/to-do lists for 2016.  After much deliberation (& for fear of using too many pieces of paper!)  I came home with two giant sized poster boards to fill in my goals for 2016.  Phillip looked at me crazy when I came home and walked back into my office with them, and quite honestly, I felt a little insane too.  But now that I have all of my hopes and dreams down on paper (read: HUGE PAPER) I feel a million times better. I taped them to the back of my office door so I can see them on a daily basis.  I know I can achieve it all… & I will.

So here are my goals for 2016…let’s see how much I can accomplish in these 12 sweet months.

BUSINESS GOALS:

+Launch a new brand look & make-over for Emma Loo: I’m not going to lie. This task is daunting and I’m fearing that I won’t be able to achieve it all (to where I want it to be, at least) in only a year.  But..I’m off to a good start and working with a web designer to talk about the look & the “feel” of the new Emma Loo site, as well as functionality, purpose, and production end.  I’m excited to see this slowly but surely take shape.  I’ll keep y’all updated on the progress, promise!

+Create new collections for Weddings and Lifestyle Sessions: This past summer, I created a Collection Menu for my inquiring wedding clients.  It was a great way to showcase my work and give a great first impression to my soon-to-be clients.  I plan on making some updates to my Wedding Collections (adding new images, new information, new collection options…) as well as making more Collection Menus for my many Lifestyle Sessions.  So if someone has questions about family portrait sessions or newborn sessions, all I’ll have to do is send them the Collection Menu and have all of their questions answered. This is a MUST and one of my top priorities during my “down-time”.

+Order new business cards and new equipment.  I may be looking forward to making a big lens purchase sometime this year…however my wallet (& Phillip!) won’t be.  I’m planning on buying the Canon 85mm L lens, new strobes for both my camera body and my second shooter, new flash stands and strobe globes, another backup camera body (Canon 5D Mark II or Mark III), and 1 more pair of PocketWizards.

+Now Hiring: I’ll be looking to hire a post-production assistant starting in June, another shooter as backup (experience is a must), and looking at interviewing for an intern or assistant to help with the holiday rush.  I’ll also be hiring a PA for the 2016 tax season..but that’s no fun. 🙂

PERSONAL GOALS:

+Get a puppy! We’re planning on adopting a puppy in May-June for our first year anniversary.  With two cats, we already feel as if we live in an animal house…but I firmly believe that a house really isn’t a home until you have a dog. 🙂

+Write more letters: I just love walking up and down the stationary aisles, sending little notes of gratitude or love, and sending (& receiving!) mail!  So my goal is to write more letters or cards to family and friends. Acknowledge family and friends birthdays with a delivered card, and maybe start a pen-pal.

+Take a trip to Charleston & to the Mountains: I’ve been dying to go to Charleston (one of my favorite places!) with Phillip! I’d love to visit Charleston in the spring (just before it gets too hot!) and go to the mountains in the fall.  We were given a night in a bed and breakfast in the mountains for Christmas, so we might try there!

+Read all books for bookclub, join a small group, and find a new church home: We’ve been struggling with finding a church home.  Where I’m a little bit more contemporary, Phillip is a little bit more traditional.  We’d love to find a church close to our home and that fits both of our spiritual needs. Finding a church with a great Sunday school program or a small-group would be a plus! I meet ladies for  for bookclub every third Monday night each month. So far, it has been so enjoyable. We read a variety of novels throughout the year, but it’s the fellowship alone that I love most.

+Get in shape, run 5K’s each month, lose weight: I’ve started off the New Year on a good note and I’ve put my running shoes back on.  I’m sure I’m just on a “resolution high” and the early mornings waking up to run will get harder and harder but I’ve set goals to run a 5k every month of 2016…so I have to be on top of my training.  I’d LOVE to run a 10k or a 1/2 marathon by November…but let’s be real.