It is time to come clean!  It is time to admit this to myself and the world!  They say confession cleanses the soul.  So here it is.  I am a groupie.  There, I said it!  I AM A GROUPIE!  Do I need to climb a tall building and scream it from the rooftop?  Ok, maybe that is extreme.  Let me back track.

On Monday I found myself sitting in a rather dark and hot ballroom at a local hotel.  I was surrounded by a hundred or so people who, despite it being only noon time, were already wilting.  We were all at a conference for photographers.  The morning session was amazing.  Justin & Mary Marantz, two local wedding photographers, had rocked the house with their presentation.  Everyone’s head was spinning as they all contemplated how to incorporate what they had learned into their own businesses.  It was wonderful yet exhausting.  But there was more to come.

That morning I had befriended a few other photographers.  A few other ladies who were all their for the same reason.  To learn more, to grow, to expand, to become the best photographer/business owners/people they could be.  We had swapped notes, stories, and ideas all through lunch.  My brain was full.  My heart swelled.  I really hadn’t expected to make friends that day and was amazed by the open and gracious attitudes of those I met.  But the best was yet to come.

my new friends

She walked up to the front of the room.  Jasmine Star.  The woman who has played a key role in the last 6 months or so in my business and in some ways my life.  I feel drawn to this woman because she reminds me of me.  Like me, she started in the world of photography when she realized she wasn’t fulfilled by the path she was on.  She faced challenges, criticism, and even some self doubting demons, just like me.  And just like me, she walked into a world with INSANE competition.  And she has rocked that world.  5 years later she is at the top of her field (though some curmudgeons would like to knock her down) and living a dream come true.  If she can do this, so can I!  I want to rock that world too.

So how did I come to know Jasmine Star?  Well, “know her” is relative here.  Until this day I had never spoken to her directly.  But this is how it happened.  This woman had the kahunas to shoot a wedding, LIVE with a production company called Creative Live and broadcast it all over the world.  (did I just use the word kahunas in blog post.. I guess i did)  I watched every last moment of the long weekend where she unabashedly shared every last detail of what she does, the good and the ugly.  Her personality was infectious.  That weekend she shared her successes, her struggles and her tears.  She alluded to some of the criticism some in the industry doused her with.  I saw me in her.  I saw hope that I can build myself as a photographer, a businesswoman, and yes even as a better person.

So there I sat.  In a room full of other photographers, hot, tired, and suffering from a mushy brain.  But it didn’t matter.  I had come to learn from someone I have followed closely for the last 6 months.  And learn I did.  The brain mush fell away and I gained a second wind.  I jotted down notes.  I asked myself questions.  And I came away with a new plan, a new hope, and a better path.

At the end of the presentation a lined form.  Everyone wanted to say hello.  I was no different.  I handed my camera to one of my new friends as I reached out to shake Jasmine’s hand.  And… ok, I was a bit “Star struck.”  You know that moment when you finally meet someone  you have wanted to meet forever.  Tongue tied I was.  What do I say?  So I just said thank you.  Thank you Jasmine Star because without you, I might have given up already.  A few photo snaps later and my moment with her was gone.

So there you have it… I’m a groupie.  I’ll wear that badge proud.  Some day I hope to get more than a few moments with some of my favorite photographers/business people/bloggers.  But for now, I’ll wear my groupie badge proud!

ps.  Jasmine is only about an inch or maybe an inch and half taller than I am.  The girl was rockin’ some HUGE heals!