Practical Wisdom for Beautiful Living

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Giving up photography

I’ve been quiet, perhaps even a little bit hidden from everyone while I spent time writing and writing about everything that’s been on my heart. I retreated to my patio in the mornings and wrote to my hearts content. When we flew to Vancouver, I would retreat to the car we were driving to drive around to just think. I am one who doesn’t mind baring my heart for the world, but for some reason lately, I’ve been keeping my thoughts closer to myself and my notebook than putting it out here for the world to see. But I think I’m ready to let you in, it’s a pretty big deal – at least I think so.

I’ve been thinking very seriously about a change for myself, my business, and Adley Studio. It’s one I want to thread into lightly while also courageously, but with your support. I value you each and every single one of you who comes here to read my words and I would love to know what you think.

A few months back I started doing some research on my business about what you were coming to read, what you commented on/responded to, and also what ignited my fire and inspired me. I was a little shocked to see that it wasn’t my images (I hadn’t blogged a session in over 2 months) but that it was my writing that was drawing you in. I was delighted at this, it confirmed something that had been stirring inside me for some time.

I then looked at what truly got me fired up and excited to talk hours on end about and realized it wasn’t photography. Nope, not even close. Try and talk to me about ISO, cameras, or the latest up and coming photographer my eyes will glaze over. But have me over to talk about business ideas, marketing, finding your niche, your ideal client: BANG, I’m awake! Talk to me about your ideal lifestyle and how your business will help that: I’m there! Tell me your deepest desire for something you long for, I’m already thinking of ways to help you succeed. Even writing those past three sentences about business and lifestyle dreaming cause my hands to shake from excitement!

So here it is, baring it out, for you to see.

I want to move away from photography and work with creative entrepreneurs about building their dream business or helping those who have been in business for sometime but are feeling overwhelmed with the direction their business has gone. I want to work with inspired individuals who want to go after their dream lifestyle! I want to motivate and inspire those who dream to finally, DO!

I dream of working those who want a silent partner of sorts while they begin their journey of starting their dream business. I dream of having business owners calling me up because they can no longer do it on their own and need someone else to come in and support them to get their business on a better track so they can push their business forward. I dream of giving a personalized service to those who just don’t know which path to take or what step to take. I find there are so many books and programs out there with excellent information but we’re not too sure with the How part. I dream of helping them figure out the How part as well as the next steps so that they can accomplish their dreams in a very personalized manner so that it’s uniquely designed for them!

Gosh, that felt so good to write!

So my readers, will you be honest with me, will you be truthful with me as I have been truthful with you? Please tell me what you think of what I want to do and let me know what draws you here and what you want to see more of? Thank you, for everything.

5 comments

AnneJune 27, 2012 - 3:00 PM

Dear Lesley, I am so happy that you are moving in this direction! I hoped you would see that this is the right direction for you. The two times we met your eyes were sparkling when you talked about business. You should go and reach your dreams, live your dreams and be happy along the way. I believe in you. You can have YOUR dream business. If I can help you along the way, I’d be more than happy! xoxoReplyCancel
TanjaJune 27, 2012 - 3:20 PM

Good for you, Lesley!ReplyCancel
anouschkaJune 27, 2012 - 3:23 PM

That is one big step Lesley! I say: do whatever makes YOU happy and makes your heart sing. xooxReplyCancel
Jennifer HejnaJune 27, 2012 - 3:28 PM

so happy for you that you found your passion. I am sure you are on the right way and I can’t wait to read hear more about this exciting time that is coming for you know !ReplyCancel
NataliaJune 27, 2012 - 3:58 PM

This is awesome Lesley. I am glad you are doing this, and I can’t see what happens.ReplyCancel

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Holy crap, my body is changing!

Tags: Amsterdam Boudoir Photographer, Beauty Photographie, Belgium Boudoir, boudoir fotografie, Boudoir Photographer, Boudoir Photography, London Boudoir Photos, Netherlands Boudoir, Paris Boudoir, Paris Boudoir Photographer, Vancouver Portrait Photographer

On my thirtieth birthday (yes, I turned thirty this year) I slowly raised myself from the warmth of my duvet and turned on the shower to begin my morning ritual. I undressed from my winter sleepwear and while the shower began to fill the room with steam I looked at myself in the mirror and was shocked at what I saw. Slowly, my body had changed.

Startled, I examined my body thoroughly and saw that my once tight skin was starting to sag, my under arms were flapping and my legs were gathering fat where muscle used to be. Not exactly what I want to see on the morning of my birthday, but there was a part of me that was happy that I was aging. My aging body was telling me that I’m no longer an awkward teen, or an early twenty year old girl trying to be a woman.

With all the media attention stating that ‘real beauty’ is being rail thin, with a six pack, legs a mile long, and long blonde hair; I should feel ugly. I should feel like there is walking billboard before me saying “Find out who isn’t staying in shape” with a huge photo of myself in the most unflattering position (because the media would get the most attention from that). Thankfully, this is not the case.

I don’t want to my whole life to be filled with hate for my body, that is not the type of memory or leagcy I want to leave behind. I want to appreciate everything it does for me and in return what I do for it. I want my other sisters and daughters in this world to feel that they truly beautiful because they are shaped differently than the girl next to her. I’m tired of hearing that there are as many as 10 million females and 1 million males living in the US fighting a life and death battle with anorexia or bulimia. We need to stop beating ourselves up because we don’t look like what the media portrays as beautiful. We are beautiful, exactly as we are!

Even though I know I should practice my yoga more, run more, eat more salads and less cheese I love this body that I’ve been blessed with. Even though my body is changing I am accepting it as my own way of showing everything it’s been through. The successes, the tears and fears, the weight gains and weight loss. I want to celebrate everything my body has done for me!

Will you celebrate your changing and aging body with me? I’m eating a piece of dark chocolate already!

Tags: Amsterdam Boudoir Photographer, Beauty Photographie, Belgium Boudoir, boudoir fotografie, Boudoir Photographer, Boudoir Photography, London Boudoir Photos, Netherlands Boudoir, Paris Boudoir, Paris Boudoir Photographer, Vancouver Portrait Photographer

3 comments

CarinaMay 17, 2012 - 3:11 PM

No matter the change of your body, you look like a stunning 30’er 🙂
And I must say, the 30’s feel like the best years, so it’s another new beginning for you 🙂ReplyCancel
Cathy EmpeyMay 17, 2012 - 9:41 PM

I love this Leslie!!! I am celebrating right along with you in my 40th year!!ReplyCancel
Denise (Modern Love Photography)May 17, 2012 - 11:24 PM

I am going to print this and read it daily!ReplyCancel

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Knowing when to invest in your business

Tags: Amsterdam Boudoir Photographer, Beauty Photographie, Belgium Boudoir, boudoir fotografie, Boudoir Photographer, Boudoir Photography, Glamour Photography, London Boudoir Photos, London Uk, Netherlands Boudoir, Paris Boudoir, Paris Boudoir Photographer

I’m an artist, a creative multi-passionate, a photographer, an entrepreneur! Every day I encounter services, products, and workshops that my peers are telling me is the ‘Greatest thing on Earth’. I’m intrigued, I latch on, I sign up. Most of my investments have paid off, some…not so much.

Earlier this year I held a piece of equipment, the beautiful Canon 5D mark III, in my hands and had the hardest time putting it down. I was intrigued, I latched on, but I couldn’t sign up. My current gear was working just fine for me, actually better than fine! So when everyone was running to get the latest toy to add to their repertoire, I told Mister, it wasn’t right.

However, on Friday evening as soon as Mister walked through the door I was jumping around the living room like a child high on sugar. “Babes!” I called out and smiled at him, perhaps even batted my eyelashes, and proclaimed I was investing in my business.

That evening I signed up for Marie Forleo’s: Rich, Happy & Hot B-School! It wasn’t cheap, heck the cost of tuition is just under the cost of a new camera body or a really nice trip somewhere, but I knew that this investment was right for my business.

So, you might be wondering: how do you know when to invest in your business? This is my process…three steps that I go through every single time something comes up that intrigues me, I latch onto and think about signing up for:

Will this bring you more clients?

Yikes, I know…we don’t actually know if anything will…but does investing in the latest gear actually going to bring more clients into your door? This also goes for magazine ads, rebranding, meeting a vendor for lunch. Any time you’re about to pull out your card to pay for something, think “Will this bring more clients?”

Can I afford it?

We all dream of owning the latest thing, but before pulling out your card ask yourself honestly can you afford to invest in it? The leader in your industry might proclaim it’s the best in the business but can you afford the monthly fee or the huge investment? If the money is not already sitting in your bank, what is your plan to make sure you get clients in the door so you don’t end up in debt. Be smart about where you’re putting your money.

What is your intuition telling you?

The universe, God or gods, your destiny, gut – whatever you want to call it – it will let you know if the investment is right for you. And listen intently. If you know me, you know I’m all about intuition, and I make sure I”m very in tune with mine. After analyzing steps One and Two I take a hard look at what my intuition is telling me. You’ll know whether you are getting excited about something because everyone is raving about it or because you know it’s the right thing for your business.

Once I went through my 3 steps I knew without a doubt that attending B-School was the best investment for me. I have dreams of where I want to go and I am going about this with intention of getting more out of it than I ever expected (which means A LOT since I have high expectations for it!). I’d love to have you join me!!

Tags: Amsterdam Boudoir Photographer, Beauty Photographie, Belgium Boudoir, boudoir fotografie, Boudoir Photographer, Boudoir Photography, Glamour Photography, London Boudoir Photos, London Uk, Netherlands Boudoir, Paris Boudoir, Paris Boudoir Photographer

5 comments

NatalieMay 15, 2012 - 1:34 PM

That’s so exciting! Congratulations on taking the steps to make your dreams a reality, wishing you all the best with B-School! : )ReplyCancel
LesleyMay 15, 2012 - 3:50 PM

Thanks Natalie!! 🙂ReplyCancel
NataliaMay 15, 2012 - 4:18 PM

Lesley, so happy you are doing this. As always I am always enjoying reading your blog so keep posting! I am very curious to know how your experience goes with the B-school so please share with all of as you learn. You are such a hero of mine. 🙂ReplyCancel
Denise (Modern Love Photography)May 15, 2012 - 5:59 PM

I KNOW this is going to be a great experience for you, soooo excited!ReplyCancel
LesleyMay 19, 2012 - 2:24 PM

Thanks Denise and Natalia!ReplyCancel

Monday, April 23, 2012

fuerteventura, canary islands

We spent 8 days bathing ourselves in the Canary Island morning sun, partaking in siesta by sleeping afternoons away under white cotton sheets, and enjoying evenings on our balcony while sipping Spanish wine listening to the waves wash against the rocks below. We reminisced about our past. We envisioned our future. He spoke lines to me from the latest novel he was reading and I lost myself in the ocean, daily. We dreamed of living a life by a tropical ocean, at least for a time.

Now, we’re back in gray cloudy Holland working side by side to welcome old friends into our new home and looking forward to reminiscing about the past with them while envisioning a bright future!

This is what I look like after spending multiple days at the beach and not wanting to style my hair. WILD!

1 comment

Jennifer HejnaApril 24, 2012 - 12:17 PM

It must have been so beautiful and refreshing to be at the sea and in the sun while in Holland everything is dark and grey.ReplyCancel

Thursday, April 19, 2012

defining your success

Tags: declaring success, how to define success, plan for success, roadmap to success, workplan for success

Recently in a blog post I declared my success and that I was proud of all that I accomplished. However, in my excitement of declaration I forgot to share how I define success!

In the photography industry there is a funny conversation that happens when two photographers meet as if it’s apart of doing business and networking:

Photographer 1: “Hey, so nice to finally meet you!”
Photographer 2: “Thanks, I’m excited we finally get to meet as well! Your work is amazing”
Photographer 1: “So, how many bookings do you have this year?! What are you charging?”
Photographer 2: “I’ve got 10 so far, it’s low. I start at €700. How about you, how are you doing?!”

These two photographers are comparing their pricing and the amount of sessions they have booked against each other to either make themselves feel better or perhaps they leave the meeting feeling worse because Photographer 1 has booked 5 sessions at €1000. If the milestones you set in your roadmap to success are money alone than perhaps you’ll feel great or depressed depending on the situation you are in. However, there are so many different factors in deciding what exactly your success will look like.

Know the bigger picture but set proper milestones.

I’m a believer in knowing what the bigger picture looks like as this is what gets me out of bed in the morning and after spending hours upon hours behind a computer I know exactly what I’m working towards. However, when the weight of the big picture is sitting on your shoulders you can easily get lost and feel like you aren’t measuring up if you haven’t set up proper milestones (street signs if you will) to know if you’re on the correct path or if you’ve strayed.

If your ideal situation is to have a brick & mortar space to hold your business in 3 years, GREAT! But what are the milestones you need in place to make sure you can see it a reality. Sometimes it helps to think backwards as to what your space will look like and everything you did to get there. I find this is a great way to know exactly what milestones you need to meet and what steps lead you where.

If you just dream of the bigger picture but never work through the milestones you’ll feel like you’re never going to reach your goal if you can’t see all the steps you’re making along the way.

Don’t wait for it to feel perfect.

Sometimes with all our dreaming and planning we can get so caught up in what the ideal situation can look like, that if we allow ourselves to only rely on that dream to dictate how everything will be, we will miss the mark.

We had on our travel goals this year to go on a beach windsurfing holiday as I love the beach, Mister loves windsurfing, and we were both longing for some hot weather. After saving, researching, booking our flight and hotel, packing, departing and landing we stayed a whole week on a Canary Island (see all the milestones there are just for going on holiday (; ). We spent a whole week by the beach completely relaxed. Although we watched many windsurfers Mister didn’t go out on the water once. Our goal was a beach windsurfing holiday and we easily could have said our time in the Canary Islands didn’t make the mark, but we know that we can’t wait for everything to be just right or perfect for us to say, SUCCESS!

Your success should only be relevant to your needs and wants.

When I started working towards building my ideal lifestyle and business I wrote down exactly what I wanted it to look like; everything I could possibly think of. I started with defining what my ideal day looked like, to how I wanted to treat my clients, how many I knew I could take on while providing the quality of service that I had said I wanted to give, to where I would live, and how my business would benefit my life.

Success is different for everyone: for some it might being able to purchase the latest tech toy, to get a manicure every week, to travel and run every marathon around Europe, to get rid of the tv in their living room, to have a baby, to finally cook a meal at home.

When you know exactly what your definition of success is it won’t matter when you’re questioned on how many sessions you have, how much you’re making or why you eat soup and salads for dinner every week. You know exactly what you’re working towards and won’t feel bad for declaring success!

Consider this: Your definition of success should be so personalized that it’s practically a fingerprint that you know it won’t suit anyone but you!

I am not claiming that following my advice will lead you to success or that I know everything about how to achieve goals, I’m just sharing my process of how I define my goals and how I know when to celebrate along the way. Everyone is on their own journey.