I attended WPPI (Wedding & Portrait Photography International) in Las Vegas in March. It was third time I’ve attended but the very first time I got to attend for MY business rather than for someone else’s. I was more on fire about this opportunity than you could imagine. I signed myself up for 7 classes in 3 days. I wanted to soak up every bit of knowledge I could.

One class was about “taking back your time”. Work/Life Balance. It’s something anyone who runs their own business struggles with… It is so challenging to figure out what the right balance is. Is it 50/50? Is it 60/40? 80/20? Let’s be honest, it’s not 50/50… although it should be. When you run your own business, time is money. If you’re not working, you feel you’re not making money. It turns you into a workaholic REAL fast when you have bills to pay. It fires up that hustle like nothing else. This is true for anyone in sales too, that works for “the man.” Not just business owners! It’s true for anyone who has to bring their work home.

Working hard is great. Everyone who works hard for what they have finds pride in being a go-getter; working 60-80 hours a week; and just going going going. But ultimately, your personal life will suffer. Your romantic relationships will suffer even with the most understanding of significant others. Everyone has a breaking point.

So the simple note from this class that really resonated with me is that “It’s ok if one week is 80/20. Sometimes it has to be. But if that’s the case, make the following week the opposite. 20/80.” You don’t always have to strive for it to be 50/50 – that’s not the most realistic way to see it. But to recognize when you’ve over worked, and make up for it with your family the following week is VERY important.

So when I have a weekend where I work 3 weddings back to back, the following week I make an extra effort to be done on the computer when my fiancé walks through the door after work. I put down my phone, I make dinner, and I spend quality time with him…. I even put my expected work hours in my signature on my emails to help me enforce that it’s ok to turn it off after 6pm! Even though I don’t ALWAYS stick to that rule, I sure try.

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Here are some images from one of our Shy Heart Studios weddings at Wedgewood Upland Hills. Photographed by our talented Executive Photographer, Lauren.

With Love & Balance,

Brianna