If I was going to do this post right, I’d have fireworks and a confetti shower to accompany it.  No really.  I would.  My life’s work is to help people make big things happen.  In business.  In life.  In every moment.  When I started the Making Things Happen Intensive three years ago, I never imagined just how much of a 180 my life would take.  Just read my blog from three years ago.  You will SEE the change.  Some of you have been readers and friends since I first got into weddings almost a decade ago.  What a remarkable decade it has been.  I’m 32 and I can honestly say I have done everything I ever wanted to do.  All I want now is to know God more and more every day.  I want to give my all and share my experiences to help others until I have nothing left.  That’s it.  I want to give my all without fear.  CUE THE FIREWORKS!!!

During the last 32 cities that we’ve visited, I’ve met some pretty incredible people who have gone on to do some pretty remarkable things.  From leaving full-time desk jobs to pursue their passions to finding balance in their lives, witnessing transformation sets my heart on fire!  Mind you, the MTH alum have made big things happen because they did the hard work on their own.  Nothing magical happens in the workshop.  MTH is just the spark that lights the fire.  They showed up, dove in and made. life. happen.  CUE CONFETTI SHOWER!!!

You know how important my family is to me.  Time with Grace is my number one priority.  So, setting out on a 10 city tour this year was a huge decision. And one I have zero regrets or fear about. Oh, yes, I will cry when I leave.  For sure.  But, I’ll survive because this is the work I am supposed to be doing.  It is worth the sacrifice of being away.  For me to say that is huge.  I hope it shows you just how important this work is to me.  This work opens doors, challenges self-imposed limits and makes people make things happen.   It brings people together.  It makes collaboration happen.  It makes creativity happen.  It makes balance, peace, friendship, marriage, and life happen.  It makes happy happen.  And it makes me take big scary life-changing action, too.  Emily, Gina, Natalie and I get just as much out of giving the Making Things Happen Intensive as the attendees do.

Double bonus? So many of the MTH alum are now my closest friends. Making things happen isn’t just about coming to a workshop one day.   That doesn’t do anyone any good.  It’s about accountability for a lifetime.  It’s about community.  It’s about being supported AND supporting others just as much. It’s about being surrounded by like-minded passionate creatives who want to take things to the next level.   It’s about doing the hard work. If you want to make things happen, you have to decide to do the work, but there will be a huge community of people doing the same things right along side you. They will cheer you on. They will lift you up. They will remind you why you do what you do when you forget. And you will forget. I do sometimes and there are always friends there to lift me back up.  They will text you just to tell you you CAN do it. They will shower you with high fives. They will also offer to shower you with confetti when you do a scary speaking engagement (thank you, Michelle Edgemont! HA!). The MTH alum are the best encouragers around, hands down! I’m so grateful to be a recipient of such awesome encouragement on a daily basis.  Hi friends! I love you!!!

The intensive itself is pretty simple. We spend a day talking in a small group. We talk about our fears, our dreams and how we are going to make them happen. We spend a good 8-10 hours together, so we really get to know each other. When you spend a day talking about your fears and dreams with someone, it challenges you to take the leap.   Whatever that big leap is for you.  We hold each other accountable.  And the incredible thing for me is that, as I grow, so does the power of the intensive.   I know the same is true for Emily, Gina and Natalie as well.  Oh, what incredible progress we’ve made in our lives since this all started!  We are so grateful!  I’ve been through it in the last year.  My heart is more focused than ever. My companies are on the most grounded clear path they’ve ever been on. Things are at a whole new level. I can’t wait to share all I’ve learned and all I’m doing to simplify my life and make what matters happen.

People ask me all the time if we can do an online version of Making Things Happen. It’s like picking out a wedding dress from a catalog.  You could do it, but there is nothing like feeling the magic of slipping into that gown in person. OK, for the guys (or gals, too!) out there… it’s like fantasy football. Awesome, but not at all the same as being there on the sidelines. You can’t phone Making Things Happen in. You have to sit in the seat and look in the eyes of the person next to you.  You have to take a risk and be present.  You have to sit in the seat to really harness the change you want in your life.  Quite simply, you have to show up.  As you are.  Fears and all.  Everyone else is in the exact same boat. We tell people to come in comfy clothes.  No heels.  Leave the decked-out duds at home.  MTH is a place to come and just be yourself.  It’s the greatest feeling to just let go with people that get you.

As usual, we’ve chosen cities for the 2012 Tour that are easy to travel to.   Registration is now open for ALL 2012 CITIES! The Spring Tour: Chapel Hill, Atlanta, DC, NY and Boston! The Fall Tour: Austin, Phoenix, LA, Chicago and one last city yet to be determined.Every intensive (except NYC) will be by the airport, too, for convenience. About 60%-80% of attendees fly or drive in from another state to attend. Lucky you, if you happen to live in one of these cities!  By the way, people are always looking for roommates if you want to share.  You might make a friend for life, as I know so many alum have done!

We have are so passionate about this work that we have given a lot of partial scholarships in the past. We want people to be able to make things happen, no matter their financial situation. So, to give EVERYONE the chance to get a partial scholarship, if you enter the contest below, you will automatically get 50% OFF until the regular rate, just for telling us what you want to make happen! (West Coast cities have till July 4 for early-bird registration at the same 50% OFF rate.)  We also have very flexible payment plans.  Just email Marissa to get set up with one. 

We want to make this easy for you.  Y’all, I’m going to push you on this because I believe in this work so very much. If you think this is right for you, do yourself a huge favor and apply so you can either win a scholarship or get the half-off rate. Save the other half to invest in your business or your family or whatever sets your heart on fire. You will thank yourself. And register before your city sells out. I’ve been doing this for three years and it sells out every time. I want you to make things happen with us. I want to get to know you. Really, I do. Because your story will teach me something and I hope mine does the same for you.

Want to know more? Read the post that started it all and take The Challenge and read and this and this and this or any of these posts from alum.  Ask an alum about their experience.  I can’t wait for you to be inspired to make big things happen!

We have had some very generous alumni step forward and donate to a full scholarship fund yet again. Year after year, the generosity of so many amazes all of us!  So, we’ve decided to match that and give two full scholarships this year.

Two ways to enter:

The Alum Scholarship: Leave a comment here an tell us what you want to make happen.  Also, please tell us the city you would like to attend. Anyone who applies for a scholarship will be given the ability to register at 50% OFF if they are not chosen. So, you have nothing to lose and EVERYTHING to gain by entering.

The MTH Match Scholarship: Leave a comment here telling us what you want to make happen AND spread the word! Tell your friends about Making Things Happen, too! Tweet, Facebook, Blog, Pin this, send smoke signals… whatever you want to do to tell people about Making Things Happen and just link to this post.  Leave a separate comment here telling us you did so. We will pick a random winner for this second scholarship, so the more entries you submit, the better!

Deadline: You have until midnight on April 1st to apply. Again, if you enter to win a scholarship, you’ll still be given the chance to register at 50% OFF the regular rate if you aren’t chosen.  We want you to be able to make this happen no matter what!

It’s a remarkable coincidence that I’m posting this on Leap Day. Today is your day to take the leap, my friend. I have goosebumps typing finishing this post because I am genuinely so excited to read your entries.   We all are!  I never cease to be inspired by what makes people really come alive.  So, what do YOU want to make happen?  Join us!

P.S. We’re working hard behind-the-scenes on a brand new Making Things Happen website as we speak! So, the main site is currently offline for a major overhaul.  Yeah!!!  Get ready.  It’s packed with phenomenal inspiration and incredible alum stories!  Your story could be next.

P.P.S. THANK YOU for the outpouring of support and encouragement I received from my last post.  WOW.  So many notes and messages and letters and open hearts.  I am sincerely grateful.  Your kind words helped me and so many others.  You just never know how much even a blog comment will encourage someone else.

UPDATED:

If you want to be inspired, just reading the scholarship entries below will do it. This was such a hard decision for us to make. There is so much fire and determination in every single entry! No matter what, all of you are destined for great things, regardless of if you attend MTH or not. Just your words alone, and your ability to share so much of your true selves, shows your passion and your drive. Thank you all for sharing your hearts! Amazing!

Making Things Happen started in the spirit of paying it forward and, after 30 cities, we are just overjoyed to continue on this track! So, if you are not the main scholarship winner, don’t fear. You may be getting a phone call from us in the next day or so. Check your email and check that voicemail over the next few days!

CONGRATS to everyone who entered! If you applied for the scholarship below, you get 50% off registration! Email Marissa@laracaseyreps.com for your special registration code. The tour is almost sold out now, so let Marissa know ASAP if you need a payment plan as well.

Congrats to scholarship winners, April Foster and Emily-Claire! (email Marissa to get your registration set up) We CANNOT WAIT to see everyone in a few short weeks! Time to make big things happen, friends!

Welcome to The Challenge.  One month – or a week if you’re feeling extra fired up – to revolutionize your life and business.   Are you ready?   I’ve pulled out all the stops to give you all my top advice on how to make things happen.  If you are ready for big change, take The Challenge.  Take each step day by day.  By the end of this month you will be clear, fired up and so ready to make things happen!  Need some motivation?  I have a MEGA GIVEAWAY as incentive.  Read on and get movin’!

STEP 1: Download, write your three action items for the day, write tiny action steps under each, do them.

STEP 2: Next, clear more clutter in your environment and on your computer.  Work it!  Take no prisoners with that clutter!

STEP 3: Prepare for Greatness.  Set yourself up for success tomorrow, next week and next year.

STEP 4: Take a break! Active rest. Plan breaks in your day, week and month to get renewed and recharged to make things happen.

STEP 5: Leap!  Face your fear.

STEP 6: Encourage others.  Spread the love and you’ll get it right back.

STEP 7: Define and implement solid boundaries.

STEP 8: Celebrate your success and give thanks!

STEP 9: Define and DO what fires you up.

STEP 10: Don’t stop.  This is just the beginning.  God has worked intensely on my heart this last year.  I have worked hard to do the right work.  I’ve made a ton of mistakes along the way, but as my dear friend Michael always says, no mistakes; only lessons.  I’m so grateful for where my life is now from doing this work daily – de-cluttering, setting solid boundaries, giving it all, letting go, facing my fear and choosing to be remarkable – and I’m committed to just as much work in the year ahead.  Good work.  The right work.  My favorite quote as of late…  A year from now you will wish you had started today. - Karen Lamb.   I’m so glad I started a year ago.  My life is night and day from just 12 short months ago.

If you want change, choose it.  Choose to be remarkable.  Start now.  Begin anywhere. [photos above: left Jory Cordy, right Gina Zeidler]

OK, who’s ready for a MEGA GIVEAWAY!?

TO ENTER: read The Challenge posts above and comment here on your progress as you go through each step.  Comment as much as you like.  The more the better to keep yourself accountable.  Even if you started The Challenge with me a couple weeks ago, get those comments in!  Weigh in on your progress with each step.   FIVE lucky Challenge-takers will win one of the following:

1. Wedding season is kicking into full swing and, as a result, I’ve gotten a TON of consulting inquiries lately.
Prize number 1 is a half-hour one-on-one branding/business coaching session with me to help you make things happen!

2. You’re going to need some killer headphones to get those office dance parties kickin’ (read the posts to know what I’m talking about) and I’m SO excited that the fine folks at Skullcandy have given me a pair of Holua Galaxie Earbuds to give away!  I just recently purchased these rockin’ wood earbuds myself and I can’t wait for one lucky reader to hear what these babies can do.  Thank you, Skullcandy!

3. You’ll have a TON to celebrate in this challenge and you’ll need some new tunes!  So, prize #3 is a $50 iTunes card!  Download my Making Things Happen playlist is here in the meantime.

4. These are my friends TJ and Brooke.  They are awesome and they make rad t-shirts and they’ve made a lot of things happen this year.

They have given me a stash of Walk in Love T’s like the one below that I wrote about. One lucky winner gets their very own! [photo below Gina Zeidler]

I love all of their T’s because of the message behind them and how crazy comfy they are.  [P.S. head over and donate to their store opening.  They are so deserving!]  Thanks TJ and Brooke!

5. Last but not least, the raddest bow tie from Buttered Toast that we featured in our last issue!  I WANT TO WIN MY OWN GIVEAWAY.

Knowing the results so many have had from The Challenge already, you’re all going to be winners for just starting this.   It doesn’t matter how much of The Challenge you complete, so get moving!  Just make sure you START, OK?  Begin anywhere.  Remember: progress, not perfection. Comment here and spread the word (twitter, facebook, smoke signals – get people involved)!   You never know who you will inspire in the process.   UPDATED: Challenge ends April 30. Make. it. happen!

Who’s in?!

CONGRATS to the randomly-chosen winners! EVERYONE won big here just for doing The Challenge! And remember – this is not just a one month stint. Keep up the great work! One-on-one branding/business coaching session winner: Anda Marie. SkullCandy Earbud winner: Jeremiah Daniel. Buttered Toast winner: Natalie Clamp. Walk in Love T winner: Jessica Goldschmidt. iTunes gift card winner: Judith Beverly. Congrats, everyone!

I’m excited to announce my partnership with Emily Ley Creative that marries effective, authentic, powerful visual branding with clear, purposeful, dynamic strategy: Making Brands Happen.  Emily and I saw a great need for creatives to be able to have a seamless, simple way to bring brilliant ideas and unique brands to life.  This partnership has been a long time coming and the second all the pieces aligned it was like fireworks. There are so many options out there, but none of them encompassed everything our clients needed …and got it done in an efficient time frame   …and for a fee that allows you to make it happen with confidence. Making Brands Happen is the answer.

We’re only taking 6 clients per month and we’re just about full for the next three months. So, jump on it if you want a new brand or a rebrand for 2011. Reserve your spot now before we are all booked.  The process is easy, fast and we’ve made it affordable with flexible payment plans because money is one of the biggest things that holds people back from making more of it!.  The results will blow you out of the water! 

The process begins with an in-depth review and strategy development sessions. Then, ELC comes in to develop and design a visual identity – including a new color palette, logo, fonts, patterns, graphic elements and collateral to tie your identity together. Just a few sessions – and four short weeks – later, you have a seriously strong, transformed brand and marketing strategy, as well as all of your design files and a Style Guide to carry your visual identity consistently across multiple platforms.

Some notes on branding: Your “brand” is the combination of your visual identity and your client experience. Most people think that having a great looking website, slick business cards and a few color-coordinated collateral items means you have a great brand. While those things are key, they are just your first impression. A great visual identity creates attraction, trust, and gets your foot in the door. An extraordinary client experience and brand culture create lasting powerful success. A great brand has a heart, integrity, purpose and consistency. A great brand anticipates desires and always OVERdelivers to the client. A great brand doesn’t sell you a product; it sells you a way of life. Would your ideal client want to live your current brand’s way of life? Is every aspect of your identity – website, business cards, social media, blog format, collateral, email correspondence, watermark, packaging, workflow, voicemail greeting – building up your brand, or are you just getting by? That’s what I’m here for – to help you evaluate where you are now and where you need to be to make big things happen in your business. Once we target the heart of your brand, what makes you tick and what will help your ideal client see your ultimate value, Emily steps in to create a visual identity that really sings. It’s pretty simple. Brand experience + brand image = powerful branding.

Whether you know exactly what you want or you are just in the first stages with a new idea… whether new to the business with loads of questions or a seasoned pro that needs a branding facelift… whether photographer, planner, writer, designer, stationer, or any creative professional… let us know what you are thinking and we will help you fill in the missing pieces.  Just remember – all big ideas start somewhere.  No matter what path you choose, you just have to start.  ‘A year from now you will wish you had started today.’ Life is too short to play small.  Your dreams are too powerful to just think about them.  Act!  You never know where that leap of faith will take you.  All you have to do now is take that baby step to BEGIN.

Remove the word trying from your vocabulary.  You’re either doing it or you aren’t. – Ralph Marston No more excuses.  You have a choice to be remarkable.  We look forward to making it happen for you.

LC

To kick off this new year ahead (only 37 days left in 2010 – wow!), we’re giving away a mini Making Brands Happen package.  One session with me to dig deep into where your brand needs to go and one session with Emily to develop your brand board.  Start 2011 with a bang!  Leave a comment here telling us why you want this and what you want to make happen in 2011. Ends January 7th.

UPDATED to add: Congratulations to our winner! Due to the success of Making Brands Happen for our clients, we now offer three different levels of service. All the details: Making Brands Happen.

We traveled to 13 cities this year to challenge people to conquer fear and harness their true potential.  Never in a million years would I have guessed the result.  I can’t take credit for what the MTH Alumni have accomplished since we first met 7 months ago.  They genuinely lived what I said: Feel the fear and do it anyway.   The feedback has blown me away. Photo below :: Jasmine Star.

One of the biggest factors in all of this success has been the community that has formed from MTH.  The support I see every single day from past attendees is just phenomenal.  There aren’t words big enough to describe what these people have done for each other to help one another conquer fear and make really big things happen in their lives and in business.  There have been countless late night phone calls, group Skype chats to offer encouragement, weekly meet-ups, a thousand encouraging texts, uplifting emails (I know all of this because I’ve been a recipient myself!), hourly Twitter messages to encourage and support, many tears, frustrations, hurdles, triumph, and remarkable advances. Photo below :: Poser

I am so excited to announce new cities for the Making Things Happen Tour!  Salt Lake City, Houston, Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Maui will be making big things happen this fall!  Register here by September 1st for the early bird rate. Photo below :: Wesley Leytham

Because the seats are so limited –only 10 seats available per city instead of 20– I expect this to sell out quickly.  I wish I could visit more cities, but with the upcoming release of our new issue and a packed schedule, I simply don’t have time.  So, jump on these places!  Many are easy to travel to and are large airport hubs if you are flying in. Photo below :: Photogen

Because we’ve cut the attendee count in half for each stop to keep these groups focused and give more personal time, I am only offering one scholarship (details below) for this round of the tour (yes, really just one unlike last time). There will be no partial scholarships either, but if you would like to inquire about financing plans, email my awesome assistant, Marissa.

I’m also verrrry excited about the big MTH2010 Reunion this December in Watercolor — where all the magic began!  All past attendees are invited to join us for a weekend of inspiration, fun in the sun and a few surprises.  Yes, if you attend the Tour in November, you are of course welcome to join us at the reunion.  I. Can’t. Wait!

Heartfelt thanks to Jeff Holt (who is the reason I started this tour!), Jeremy Cowart, Nick Onken, Jose Villa, Stacie Francombe, Blair and Christy from Junebug Weddings, the amazing First Class, and all of the incredible alumni who have encouraged this powerful journey.  I am forever grateful.  And I have to send huge thanks to Katharine and Emily who celebrated their one year anniversary with me today.  I wouldn’t have the courage to do this if it wasn’t for their daily support.  They always remind me that I can do anything I am passionate about.  I love you both!

With love,

Lara

P.S. Congrats to the past post winners: Elizabeth Hafner from Vignette Photography, Katie from Intertwined Events, Briana from Wake Up, Juliet, Katherine from Solo Dot Mom, and Megan Floyd!  Email me your mailing address for your special prize.  I have read the comments on that post several times over and I never cease to be inspired!  Thank you all for your thoughts.

P.S.S.  The MTH Scholarship opportunity is LIVE!  You have till Monday August 16th to get your comment in. All the details…

So, what do you want to make happen? Tell me the city you’d like to attend in as well…

Life is just too short.  These words have been keeping me up at night, making me do things I’ve never done.   Yes, we hear that phrase a lot, but does it sink in?   I mean really sink in.  Stop right now.  You won’t die if your email, phone, twitter, editing or 10 windows you have up go untouched for a moment.  Come on!  Just stop.  Say it out loud – yes, do it – slowly, swirling each word and the visual picture in your mind around: life is just too short. We only get one chance at this.  You get one chance to breathe each day, to create, love, do good for others and experience all you are meant to do.  [image above :: film. love.]

There was a time last year after I wrote this post that I had just had it.  I was sick and tired of feeling held back, chained to my work and weighed down by a lot of negativity I couldn’t get myself to let go of.  I let myself believe I wasn’t enough.  I let it get the very best of me.

So, I woke up one morning, got on my computer, and –as if someone had taken over my body completely– booked a ticket to Jamaica.  Yes, the next morning, I left for 4 days in Jamaica… by myself.  Ari was studying for a big exam and just wanted me to feel better, so he was excited for me.  Other than him, I only told Emily, Katharine and my mom where I was headed.  Now, I realize not everyone can jet off to Jamaica at the drop of a hat.  I couldn’t either, but I had just gotten to that point where “life is too short” was pressing in, suffocating me.  I had to do something.

Jamaica was more than I expected. I had one rule there: feel whatever you are feeling. I’m constantly around other people, having to keep my positive spirit up to motivate others and set a good example. I’m a consultant, planner, coach, boss and mentor so I always have to be on my game.  I needed a break from the expectations.  I needed to be in a place where no one cared what I did or felt.  I got just that and so much more.

You can read the first part of my journey here.  I arrived in Montego Bay, cleared customs, and as soon as I stepped outside, the catcalls began. I boarded my pre-paid airport transfer to the resort- aka a bus with a bunch of half-drunk college kids smoking pot in the back. What have I gotten myself into!? I kept thinking.  This was a horrible idea! Maybe I should just go back to the airport. HELP!!! I hunkered down next to a window and tried to focus on the fast-moving scenery. We were going a good 90 miles per hour in a diesel bus from 1970.  It was a two hour ride from Montego Bay to Negril.  Longest two hours of my life.

Four Bob Marley albums later, we arrived, and I started to feel a little hope. The Sunset at the Palms staff greeted me with fresh juice and a cold towel while they checked me in.  I just about had a temper tantrum when the gentleman told me there was no wifi.  After a deep breath and kicking myself in the pants a couple times for being so tech-dependent, I realized that I got exactly what I needed: a forced break.  A kind young man took me down a long garden path to my home for the next 3 nights- a tree house. Now, granted, it was a plush tree house, but open to the elements, nonetheless.

That night I tried to just be. There was no room service, no internet, no phone service, no people around but the security guard roaming the property. It was just me and a web-less MacBook which incidentally became my journal.  So, I wrote.  I listened to the sounds of the jungle and let all my thoughts take flight. When I’m home, I find every reason not to face my feelings. I’ll distract myself with work, Twitter, Facebook, phone calls, more work and more phone calls. I had no choice here: sleep or write.  I have a box somewhere filled with dozens of full journals from years past.  How I ever had the patience to write is beyond me.  Now, my thoughts moved faster than my pen, so I type.

I remember feeling a little unemotional.  It was a strange feeling.  I thought I’d type out all my thoughts, fears, frustrations and there would be some cathartic ending… crying, laughing, something! Nothing came.  I just sat with a sort of dull feeling of unrest.  I knew I was there to learn something.  I was impatient.  Like everything in my life, I just wanted to make it happen.  I learned on this trip, that the most sensitive and valuable things for our soul just happen.  If we let them.

So I decided to do the opposite of my instinct.  It was not easy.  When I found myself trying to control my thoughts and find “the answer” I would just breathe.  Somewhere between a solo kayak journey in the ocean and a fierce tropical downpour, little grains of truth started to seep in.  I started to find clarity.  I sat out on the deck in the rain and I started to write again.

Life is just too short.  Too short to not forgive yourself when you fall.  Everyone makes mistakes. Successful people own them, learn from them, and get back up.

Life is too short not to taste, smell, touch and see everything.  Life is too short to say, “what if?”

Life is too short not to wake up every day surrounded by the people you love who lift you up and encourage you to grow.  Life is too short to have people in your life who tell you that you aren’t enough.  Life is far too short not to tell those people to kindly take a hike. Life is too short to be small.

Life is too short to short not to turn the music up, throw caution to the wind and do something out of your comfort zone.  [images below :: my first film photographs]

Life is too short to accept your limitations.  You are the only person who can give yourself permission to be great.

Life is too short not to be loved fully… for who we are… right now.

Life is too short not to give everything. So many people have so little.  You’ll leave this world with nothing anyway.

Life is too short to not laugh, play -even when things are falling apart- and give thanks for what’s right under your nose.

Life is too short not to express.  Say it.  Write that letter.  Make that call. Love deeply.

Do the thing that you fear most.  Step into it, not away.  There is life in that.

My list went on and the fire started to burn.  I gave myself permission to just let go.  I left a lot of pain and self-limiting fear on the beaches of Negril and never looked back.

A few weeks after I returned, we made a magazine.  Three weeks after that, I wrote a post that started a movement and took me around the country to meet the people who are now my best friends.

It’s time to take up a no tolerance policy on your life. You know what happens when you let go of the things that you know hinder you from soaring?  You find freedom… in business, in relationships, and in the deepest parts of your heart that have been locked away since you were small.  When you let go and do what you fear most, you are better for those around you.  You are more creative, driven, rested, clear, successful.  Your genius can finally surface.

Why, after almost a year, is this last-minute adventure in Jamaica suddenly at the front of my mind?  Lately, I’ve been weighing risk: when to dive and when to straight up cannon ball!   The risk I took to do something that was 100% for my soul has paid off a hundred times over since. 

You don’t have to go to Jamaica to find clarity.  But, you do have to stop yourself from just going through the motions as usual.  Change your environment, change the music, change the sheets… just do something to shake things up, force yourself to really listen and do the things you were meant to do.  Don’t know what they are?  You’ll never know unless you try.  Try, fail, forgive, and try again.  Each time you will have greater clarity.

Somewhere, sometime, someone told you that you weren’t good enough… and you believed it.  You just accepted it.  You owned it.  You can begin new right now.  You can begin anywhere.  When you are truly living, there is no such thing as someday. Life is just too short not to start.

xo

lc

Congrats to Brooke aka Mrs. Cupcake who is the winner of last post’s prize, It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want To Be. Email me and I’ll get your book to you.

Pen your own phrase and leave your thoughts here. “Life is too short to ____.” I’ll pick five random comments for a very special little surprise.

Oh, hello blog.  It’s been a while.  I’ve been a little afraid of you, to be honest.  Too much on my calendar?  check.  Not enough sleep?  check.  Overextending myself as usual.  check.  A ridiculous period of severe burnout after returning from WPPI?  Yes, ma’am! (Yes, my blog is apparently a chick.)  I’m actively working on the burnout.  By “actively” I mean working my tush off to change my quality of life and ability to step. away. from. my. Mac.  Post to follow.

So, amidst my recent travels from Vegas to Denver to Los Angeles to Raleigh to New York to DC and back to NC again this past Sunday, I’ve been working diligently with my lovely team to produce Southern Weddings Volume 3… aka awesomesauce.  It has not been easy.  The more I grow and learn, the pickier I get and the harder it is to please my eye.  I’ve said “no” much more than usual on this issue.  I think Emily has started to fear showing me submissions.  Kidding.  She’s incredible and refining her eye as well.  I want great imagery, moving love stories, epic details, the best products, a ton of surprises and inspiring submissions that make me dream big. I’ve filled my desk with clippings, covers that make me swoon, and loads of inspiration.  (recent contents of my carry-on seen here)

In an effort to help you help me (hello, Jerry McGuire), I started a Twitter series last week called #GetPublished.  I want you to do well and “wow” me.  In my opinion, the more we all teach each other, the more we raise our collective level of success as an industry.  I don’t believe in competition.  I’ll tell you if a great wedding is better for another magazine or if I think you should advertise with them instead of me.  I do it all the time because I’d want the same.  So, I’m vowing to try to give as much knowledge and help away as possible in the months to come.  Anyway, I digress.

I’ve been wracking my brain over our next cover.  The stakes are set pretty high considering our last two stellar cover photographers.  (Thank you, Jose and Jeremy)

The photographer I had in mind doesn’t shoot bridal anything anymore, according to her agents.  Swoon…

Soooo… I asked a magical question that opened up the floodgates: who wants to shoot our next cover? Seconds after I asked the question and my phone buzzed and beeped so much that I had to turn it off.  It died within 30 minutes from all the activity!

So, you want to shoot our cover? The following is part exercise for you (it’s imperative that you learn to present shoot ideas with a clear vision and direction to editors/commercial clients) and a lot of help for me to get to know you as an artist.  Even if you don’t end up shooting my next cover, I’ll get to know your passion and vision for future projects.

To be considered, show me what you’ve got!

1. Put together a very short “creative”: 1 part story that you want to tell through the image, 1 part what fashion and accessories you would use, 2 parts location, and 5 parts visual storyboard for what you envision.  Pull images from various sources that paint the visual picture for me of the fashion, styling, location and atmosphere.  Wrap it all up in a nice little low-res pdf and send it on over. (Please put “V3 COVER” in the subject of your email) Nothing fancy.  If you have a vision, this should take you all of 20 minutes.  Keep the text minimal.  This is all about imagery and my gut reaction to your vision.

2. Here’s what I want out of this cover and I’m going to be vague on purpose: summer, blonde model, aqua/teal, hints of orange and gold, very fresh.  (If another magazine steals my scheme, you can see the time stamp on this post, y’all!)

3. This issue drops at the end of July.  You have to have time to do this shoot.  I prefer it is shot in the South, but that’s not necessarily a requirement.

UPDATED: We’ve decided to take the top submissions and help each photographer/stylist produce each shoot.  We’ll give you all the inside secrets on exactly what we want so you can execute the vision.  More details to come, but essentially you are guaranteed publication in either print or online if we pick you for production… and no matter what you’ll have great new material for your portfolio. So, team up with stylists, makeup artists and bridal salons to bring this cover shoot vision to life!  Please include your list of preferred vendors in your creative. If we choose you, we’ll help you get pull-letters for models if needed, guide the styling so it’s exactly what we are looking for, and help you blow it out of the water.

And just so you know, I don’t need a huge name for this cover.  That’s why I’m opening this opportunity to anyone.  I just need an epic image.  Anyone can apply.  Deadline to send me your creative brief is Monday April 12th. Bring it, y’all!  A little reminder…

If you are applying to shoot the cover, leave a comment below letting me know you’ll be submitting (tell me a little bit about what you envision while you’re at it!)  Have a question?  Put it in the comment box below so everyone can benefit.

As a bonus, I’ll choose one random comment as the winner of one of my favorite new books: It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want to Be: The World’s Best-Selling Book (thank you, Jory, for the recommendation!) Winner will be chosen on April 15th.

Be sure to follow along with my How to #GetPublished series and stay tuned for my #GetBranded series coming next.

xo

lc

PS – Today is our 2 year blogaversary.  Thank you for two joyful years, friends.

I got a surprise package in the mail today from Harmony Walton, owner of Bridal Bar, who is is one of the most genuine, giving people in the wedding business.  I can always count on her to lift me up and tell it like it is.  Inside was this book.   When I get a new book or a magazine, I immediately flip through, usually starting in the middle, just to look at pictures.   I’m not sure what that says about me, but I never start from the beginning.

The first page I flipped to…

To name your fears is to destroy them.

What are you afraid of?

Failing?

Making decisions?

Being alone?

Losing your love?

Aging?

Losing your job?

Having no money?

Death?

Not having it all?

TURN IT AROUND –

Transmute fear to energy.

Think positive.

You could be –

Starting over.

Making another decision.

Living peacefully alone.

Finding new love.

Accepting change.

Beginning a new career.

Living more frugally, harmoniously, graciously.

Understanding life and the infinity of the spirit.

Moving forward to a new phase.

Currently listening to Let Go // BarlowGirl

Fear is the biggest thing holding you back from living your best life – the life you know you should be living right now in this moment.  I will admit, I am at a crossroads in my life right now.   My fears have been bubbling to the surface lately as if they mean to stare me in the face and draw swords.  Really sharp, shiny, menacing swords.   God has recently shown me path I need to take and I’m fighting it.  I know I am.  I think I’m not good enough, too busy, too broken to follow it.  I fear how it will change me.  How crazy is that!?  I know full-well that God will protect me with every step, but fear grabs ahold of me and builds massive brick walls around me daily.  It feels like that, but the funny thing is… fear isn’t tangible.  It’s just a feeling floating around in space.  Yet, somehow it paralyzes us.  Nod your head, raise your hand, give me an “amen!” or something if you feel paralyzed or in any way help back by fear.  Why are you letting it rule you?   How much does it rule you?   If you can challenge yourself to answer those questions clearly, I promise that the simple act of defining those answers will motivate an active change in your life.  I’m not at all saying I do this well all the time or that it is easy.  I’m able to talk about this because I’m constantly wracked with fear and work actively to fight it.  I get it because I’m there with you.

Taking the blinders off brings awareness.  Our blinders keep us in our safe little bubble, not challenged or stretched, and not moving forward.

Stop right now. If you are taking the time to read this post, you can take the time to pick up your pen and write this down…

I am afraid of ____[insert fear- no natter how silly, huge, irrational, or crazy it sounds]____ because ____[insert worst-case scenario outcome… the absolute worst mental picture of the scene that would play out if this fear was realized]____.

If I wasn’t afraid of ____[insert aforementioned fear]____ I would ____[what do you know deep down that you are capable of doing or being without this fear holding you back?]____.

If this fear didn’t hold me back, I would feel ____[What would it feel like? Freedom? Light? Clear?  Yeah. I thought so.]____.

Just thinking these answers doesn’t count, folks.   You can burn, toss, or shred your paper after this.  Merely thinking them means that the fear is still floating around somewhere, taking up precious mental space that you could be using to move on.  You could perform the simple act of putting your thoughts on paper by using that pen there… and thereby igniting the flame that may fire you up to live that life you know is right at your finger tips.  There is power in small action.  I’m harping on this because every time I do it, I see the immense power in it.  Just do it.  If it doesn’t help, I’ll give you … well, nothing.   If it doesn’t help, you didn’t really do it.

For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship… Romans 8:15

When we feel fear –that thing inside of us that wells up and makes us want to crawl into a hole, the butterflies, the pit in our stomach– it’s a SIGN!  The big glowing neon sign reads “step into me”.   Yes, it seems counter-intuitive, but fear is a sign that there’s something there worth conquering.  Step into your fear.  Feel it.  Move towards it with care and open eyes.  Fear is meant to make us question our actions and weigh risk.  Fear is an opportunity.

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7

These are actual pages from my MTH notebook.  I never intended to share them, but in the spirit of naming fear, I’m laying them out for you here.  Writing these words –finding the right words– was crazy hard.  I could have just put “I’m afraid of failing” but that’s not really getting to the heart of it.  What are you afraid of failing at?

What does the simple act of naming our fears really do? I came back from the first leg of the MTH Tour with clarity.  After 80 hours of self-reflection in 10 jam-packed days, it was like a mac truck hit me.  I got back and that Monday with a massive list that I was determined to conquer ASAP.  Once you find clarity, you have no choice but to act on it.   It was like I finally had all the puzzle pieces in one place and I just had to get them put together.   I went off the radar for about a week doing the following:

First thing Monday morning, I declared it “the week of getting structured and conquering loose ends.”  We redid the office, cleared the clutter and started over.

I hired a new accountant, poured through financial records and prepared the business taxes.  I am not a numbers person.  This does not come easy for me.  I am the queen of “Sorry if this is a dumb question, but…”

When I started working in the wedding business, I started with Bliss Event Group, my wedding production company. While we still have a few select weddings on the books, as the magazine has grown, I’ve purposely phased this business out over time.  All of our accounts and legal documents were formed through Bliss, which has become confusing since we don’t operate from that business very much compared to others. So, I formed Lara Casey Media as our holding company for Bliss, Southern Weddings® (<— love that little guy) and Lara Casey Reps.  No, it’s not a new company.  It’s just the house they all live in.  This has helped so much lately with accounts and streamlining our brand.

I streamlined Twitter accounts. I got rid of the @WeddingRep twitter account and changed it to @LaraCaseyReps. I started to feel like “WeddingRep” was impersonal and I don’t just work with wedding professionals. I also got rid of about 5 other twitter accounts that were just sitting there doing nothing. This may sound like a tiny change, but it worked wonders to clarify our brand. I made clear goals for each twitter account as far as the audience I was targeting and content.   Think on this: if a new client happened on your twitter page (or Oprah, for that matter… you just never know), what would your first 10 tweets say about you?  Does your bio just say “photographer” or nothing at all?   What does your picture say about you and the experience your clients will have if they hire you? This stuff matters and if you think your clients aren’t reading your twitter feed, you’re wrong. Twitter is meant to be authentic and somewhat spontaneous, but for business use you also have to have a mission for the content you are putting out. Twitter is essentially micro-blogging. Also, remember that the number of twitter followers you have doesn’t mean much. They loyalty and interaction you have with your “Tribe” of twitter followers is exponentially valuable.

I booked all of us tickets to NY that weekend after I got back to take Katharine to Kleinfeld to see Randy and to meet with creative business consultant, Sean Low.   I was ready to invest in someone giving us a solid opinion on our business structure.  Much more about our trip to NY and our meeting with Sean in the next post. That day deserves its own series.

I toiled day and night to clear my inbox.  Many times “clearing our inbox” really means making a lot of decisions we don’t want to make yet.  Instead of returning emails we get on Twitter, facebook, and let distraction rule us.  Writing the email really takes no time at all.  Writing 100 a day on average takes a lot of time.  Wavering on decisions that hold us back from replying to those emails can take an eternity.  Like we always say around here… It is better to make a decision you are 80% sure of than no decision at all.  It’s OK to fail as long as you committed.

On a personal note, I committed to more time in the gym, more time in my Bible, less time working at night and more time doing little things for my husband to show him that –even when I’m insanely busy– he is my first priority.

I started to live my ideal day: waking up earlier, inspired environment, feeding my soul with goodness from the first moment I open my eyes, taking time to do the things that make me feel most alive and whole, and so much more.  This is a principle we teach in the MTH Intensives.  Blog post coming soon.

Most significantly, our Monday morning huddle that week was, to put it mildly, epic. I told Katharine and Emily the roles in our company that I was grooming them for and we clarified job descriptions. I’ve never seen them as focused and fired up as they are now. I realized I wasn’t tapping into even half of their potential and needed to give them more responsibility. No, I won’t tell you exactly what that means now, but you will certainly find out in time. They are brilliant women. Spend an hour with them; you’ll see.

There are 1000 other things, but my laundry list may bore you to tears.  Let’s just say, life around here is more focused and, as a result, sweeter.  It was great before, but great can always be improved.  Great has been re-defined in our office.

Doing all of those things above may seem simple and, despite barely sleeping for a week because I just wanted it all done, it was.  It was a breeze. Why?  Because I had done the work beforehand to clarify my fear and then make an active plan based on what I discovered.  Clarity creates conviction which creates action. Clarifying my fear was not easy.  At all.  As I wrote in my post last week, I spent ten days writing, crying, laughing, getting angry and getting real about my life. The veil was lifted.  While that was a luxury to have that time, I know the power of even taking 10 minutes to read this post and write those answers above.  Every time I did it, in every city, I got clearer and clearer.  Layer by layer, fear started to peel back.

No matter where you are in life or how overwhelmed you may be reading this post and thinking of those fears, just know that your fears do not define you.  You are not your thoughts.  You are not your fears.  Simon T Bailey always says, “Fear isn’t final.”  So true.  Replace fear with love and you will unlock more confidence and humble power than you can imagine.  What does that mean in a practical sense?   I leave in a few hours for Altanta to speak at The Simple Plan workshop tomorrow.  I realize this is going to sound silly, but I’m scared to give a PowerPoint presentation.  Put me in front of a crowd of thousands with no script and I’m all good.  Give me structure and I start to freak out.  Why do you think I work for myself?  So, in preparing, I’ve focused on how I can impart knowledge and really listen to each attendee rather than what they will think of me.  I’m replacing fear (paralyzing) with love (action).

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 1 John 4:18

Oddly enough, 90% of the people I have met on the road are afraid of success. We are afraid of what the greatness within us will command us to do. What percentage of your potential are you functioning at right now?  Imagine if you were at even 70%.  Crazy thought, right?

A favorite quote that my bff sent me one day last week when I was having a rough day…  “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” – Marianne Williamson

OK, off to pack and head to the airport.  I’m traveling solo this week to Hotlanta and Nashvegas.  Thanks for listening and taking this journey with me, friends.

Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. John 14:27

xo

So, what are you afraid of? Name your fears. Destroy them. I know you can.

Thinking back on all the things I’ve done over the last year, I keep asking myself, “How do I know when to trust my gut and ACT?” Why do some risks make me experience failure in order to grow and other risks immediately sprout wings? Believe it or not, the former is always more valuable to my growth. I’ve learned more from failure than accidental or even calculated triumph. Either way, knowing when to take a risk is about weighing the investment vs. return. Solid relationships are the most valuable thing worth risking for and it’s nearly impossible to put an investment price tag on them.

My good friend, Nick Onken, lives in NY. My MTH2010 Tour Co-Pilot, Jeff Holt, lives in Charlotte. Jeff flew to NY this week to help Nick with some major office projects and a shoot today. My web designer, Ross from Flosites, was in NY all the way from Moldova. Although I talk to him almost daily about dozens of projects, I had never before met Ross in person. Ross was staying with young superstar photographer Joey L, who I had heard of through Nick and Jeremy Cowart. I am, to say the least, inspired by what this barely-twenty photographer is doing with his life.

So…  this past Tuesday night. 5pm. Twitter.

Me: I just bought a Rolodex. Yeah, you heard me.

Ross: what about a ticket to NY :)

Me: ok… you, @nickonken & @jeffholt KNOW that I want to come.

Ross: @nickonken @youpluswephoto @joeyldotcom & @jeffholt all want you to come :) do something crazy for the beginning of 2010 ;)

Nick: If @flosites can’t tempt you, then @jeffholt and I will. Come come come to NY!

What is the most important component to making things happen?  People. The people you surround yourself with can 100% change the course of your life, teach you, mold you, and give you the opportunity to love.  We had all just gotten back from Christmas break this week and I was busier than ever with an unusually full inbox and dozens of calls to make. I was exhausted. What trumped all of this was the thought that I could be changed by surrounding myself with these people.  I hit a point early this week where I knew I needed a change in environment to shift my thinking. After writing my last post, I felt a little too vulnerable and woke up thinking… what did I just write?  It is not easy to put myself out there.  I felt an overwhelming need to rein it in, get focused, and surround myself with the people who just get me.  Ari, Katharine, Emily and Whitney certainly do get me. More than I realize sometimes. After all I experienced in the last two weeks, they told me to just go. Ari and Katharine said the exact same thing to me… “You need this. It will be good for you.” I’m so thankful for their honesty and care for me. So, around 2am, I took a deep breath and hit “purchase” on a ticket to NY.

Me: @nickonken @jeffholt @flosites @joeyldotcom @danielkudish #peerpressure You win. What’s for dinner tomorrow? How’s that for #MTH2010!?

I do not say this with the slightest bit of exaggeration … the 24 hours I spent in NY completely changed the game for me. My perspective took a major shift and I left NY Thursday night with more confidence in my direction than I have ever felt. I was ready for it.

How? It started the second I made the choice to go. The moment I purchased the ticket, I had a responsibility to take my decision –my investment– and run with it.  If you’re going to do something, do it 100%.   Otherwise, why make the investment in the first place?  The more we risk, the more we stand to gain. Financially it was a big investment, my time was a big investment, spending a night away from Ari was a big investment, being away from my office and my work for a day was a big investment, and the thought that I’m traveling to 6 cities starting next week and could exhaust myself crept up on me in the form of fear. Everything you invest in should have a return — whether that means learning from a failure or soaring from a strategic choice–  it is your responsibility to make that happen. If you’re going to take a vacation, take a vacation.  I have, over time, learned this the hard way.  Unplug, leave the laptop at home, do whatever it takes to use that time wisely. It’s an investment. When you come back to work, you will be refreshed and ultimately benefit from having let yourself take a break from your inbox. Your perspective will have shifted. I knew that no matter how great the investment, taking 24 hours to go to NY could shift mine and make me better, clearer, more focused in the end, help me step away and figure out what has happened in the last weeks, and give me the opportunity to possibly ignite a fire in people I care about.

Nick and Jeff are two of the people I count in my very small “inner circle”.  They have become like my family… with a sense of “Dead Poet Society” adventure.   We share something I’ve never experienced before and I’m just starting to recognize this in myself: we want to truly experience life with all five senses, encouraging everyone we meet along the way to do the same.  As Nick said in his recent blog post about making things happen, “What do I want out of 2010? A well balanced passionate life with great people, great food, and great wine. I want to be a better photographer, grow my business, start more business, build better relationships, and much more.  Live life for the epic moments. Life is short and who knows how long it will be.”   Amen.  Live life for the epic moments. I want to experience life with my eyes wide open, authentically, with people I can share my life’s passions with.  I trust them.  That’s rare. And I never would have solidified these thoughts had I not taken a risk and clicked “purchase” on Orbitz Tuesday night. Yes, that kind of investment is money.   Money most people don’t have to spend, including myself.  But, what price can you put on friendship, inspiration in its highest form, and building relationships that make this journey of life worth experiencing?  You just can’t.  It’s priceless.

How can 24 hours change you?  You have to let it. I got to Nick’s place and immediately we jumped into conversation about our futures, adventures and vision, friendship and pushing the limits with our work, possibility and change… over nachos in Nick’s kitchen.  I got to see his new book that comes out in March.  It’s a gem.  It will rock the photography world and encourage so many to travel, to adventure, to — to use the book’s title — “Photo Trek.”

We headed out in the crisp cold NY air to dinner at Alta and met Ross and his wife; photographer Angelica Glass; my new buddy Ben Spell; Joey L; Lindsey Thorne; and Daniel and Davina, who drove from Canada to be there at dinner with us.  With Joey to my left and Nick to my right, dinner ensued with passionate conversation, laughter, and a sense that we were all among game changers.  I sat back at one moment, looked around the table, and thought to myself, “how did I get here?”  I took a risk.  As Gary Vaynerchuck says in Crush It, I valued legacy over currency.  I wanted to experience life with good friends and be there to build them up.  I wanted to ignite a shift.  If you follow me on Twitter, you may have seen me tweet this around 10pm:

Me: We just ordered the whole menu. Seriously. The whole shebang.

We really did.  All 50+ items on the menu.  OK, ok, it’s a casual tapas place and there really is an option to order one of everything called “The Whole Shebang”.   But, it gave us a good laugh to say that we “ordered the whole menu.”  That was oddly symbolic for me and summed up my entire trip:  experience all of life, with eyes wide open, surrounded by people who encourage and build you up, who you do the same for 100 fold, and taste, smell, touch everything along the journey.  Live for the epic moments.  Building a business is great.  Building an empire is fantastic.  Building a life is what making things happen is all about.

Someone said to me today that if they are meant to do something, the money they will need will come without them trying too hard to get it.  Like “fate”.   I disagree.  If you are really meant to do something, you figure out how to make it happen.  You build a plan, a strategy, you ask for help, you educate yourself, you just get it done.  When you find that clarity of knowing you are really “meant” to do something, you have no choice but to act.   Life doesn’t just happen to us, we make, act, do, choose, compose, plan, activate, cause things to happen.  Happiness (and money) will come when you are living your passion, living a balanced whole life, living your personal brand with authenticity and when you have a solid business structure to back it up.

Sean Low. Oh, Sean Low.  Let me count the ways…

A few days before NY, I had a conversation with Nick and Jeff about Sean Low.  I met Sean for the first time at Engage08… what feels like eons ago.  I’ve said it before and continue to see it in action; Sean shifts my perspective every time I listen to him.  I’ve been telling Jeff for a while about Sean’s brilliance and his gift with creative businesses.  I told them the story of how Sean took Preston Bailey from major debt to planning for royalty and taking in an average of $600,000 for his design fee.  Yes, just for design.  For his art.  Sean knows how to monetize and add value to people’s creative genius.  I emailed Sean that morning to see if he was available to meet.  I knew that bringing he and Nick together would create those once-in-a-lifetime sparks that fly when creative minds align and challenge each other.  Bringing my three favorite creatives together at one table was like magic.  I just sat back and watched our lives change with each word that was uttered.  If you’ve met Sean, you know what I mean.  If you’ve met Nick and Jeff, then you really know what I mean. I wish I had a recording of those three mind-opening hours!  Unreal.  Sean was thrilled to hear about what we are doing with MTH2010 and solidified for me that we are on the right path.  He tells his clients, “I don’t want to work with you if you don’t want to change the world.”  That stuck with me.  That’s where my heart is.  I want to enable people to change the world through my life’s work.  I want to invest every part of me into this… which means making a lot of adjustments in my life.  I have to live this to teach it and I’m committed to that.   I have friends like Nick and Jeff who keep my mind in the right place and my heart open to whatever comes next.  I have found my passion.  Sean looked at me and said, “Lara, you’re there.”  Thank you, Sean.  I am taking those words and running with them.  I’m hitting “purchase” on my life starting here and now and every breath I take will not be taken for granted.  I know that sounds like a grand statement, and well, it is.  I feel it.  This is new for me.

More to come… I’m still processing it all.  As Nick said after we met with Sean, “I think my head still has smoke coming out of it.”

OK, now, I have to start packing for the whirlwind ahead next week.  Dallas, Seattle, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Chicago, here we come!

images :: my iPhone

P.S. I’ll be announcing the MTH2010 First Class Scholarship winner on Monday.  Thanks to everyone who entered!

A little surprise giveaway… we just finished Crush It here in the office.  Leave a comment here and enter to win our office copy with a note of encouragement in it from all of us.  Giveaway ends next Friday, January 15th at midnight.

I’m warning you that I am not editing this post.  I usually have Emily, Katharine or Ari proof for me, but I just need to get this out tonight.  And I sure did have a completely different post planned for today, but this just couldn’t wait! 

In the last two weeks, I have received some of the most heart-felt, sincere, honest, vulnerable emails I’ve ever read.   Not just one, but dozens every day and it just keeps growing.   I’ve gone from a really busy person to needing to hire another full-time employee to manage this sudden influx.  Ever since the first MTH2010 Intensive in Watercolor (attendees pictured above) just a few short weeks ago, something happened that I did not expect.  People I don’t know write to me and pour their hearts out about real life… everything from business to death to marriage and everything in between. I feel so so grateful to be entrusted with these thoughts and at the same time feel horrible that I can’t immediately drop everything I’m doing to call these people and talk them through things. That’s what I feel they deserve, not just a return email. I will return them all be week’s end, but I just had to write this to say thank you to everyone who has written me and to tell you that I have prayed more for people this week than I ever have.  Please keep writing me. No matter how busy I get, I’m always listening.

Seeing people one-on-one is what satisfied me the most in the first MTH2010 workshop.  And while we’re at it- this is not really a “workshop.” I’m not giving people quick-fix tips and tricks.  We’re talking about real life and what it takes to take an idea or brand from concept to blow-them-out-of-the-water reality… and how to live your best life while doing it.  The letters I’m getting are exactly why I’m doing these intensives: so I can meet people in person and give them the attention these matters really need, one-on-one.  I’ve gotten to the point where I can barely read some of them through without tearing up because they tug at my heart-strings so much.  I guess y’all know that already.  I’m a sensitive person. I’ve been through a lot- far more than I share on this blog.  People want comfort, to share, to trust and for someone to tell them it’s all going to be ok.  I was a personal trainer many moons ago.  I relish the opportunity to do that. 

OK, I have to stop for a second. Yesterday… oh, yesterday.  It was one of the hardest and oddly, best days of my life. That’s all I can really say. I cried, Ari comforted me and my closest friends (who I count on less than one hand) prayed. I wish I could say more, but for me, personally, it was one of the most “connected” moments I’ve had with God. Why? Because I gave up. I let go of control of my life and just said, “Lord, I’ll do whatever you want me to do. Just tell me.” Now, I realize I talk about God on my blog and that might turn some people off, but this blog is my place to tell you how I make my decisions. I pray about every single personal and business decisions. Granted, most of the time I fight it and don’t want to listen, but when I do, He never ever fails me.   And I’m always happier in the end.  So, yesterday happened.  I came home with Ari and fell asleep at about 9pm in my clothes, so tired.  A little pain woke me up around midnight and I did what I always do when I wake up- reach for my phone.  There was a message from Christopher Confero saying that he and Emily Ley had gotten together than night and decided to start a scholarship fund to bring someone to MTH2010. I welled up with tears and immediately got online to find that they had already –in just two hours– started a huge buzz on Twitter, a donation site, and raised several hundred dollars. I was floored.  Let me just tell you very clearly and honestly that I cannot take credit for what happened at that workshop. In fact, I was having probably the hardest day for me of 2009.  No joke.  They didn’t know this, but that morning as everyone was getting ready, I got some really rough news and sat on the bathroom floor crying.  Jeff came in and found me there.  He had never seen me cry or be anything but strong.  He talked me through it, brought me some hot tea, literally let me cry on his shoulder and I slowly but surely pulled myself off the floor and back together.

I summoned all of my courage and marched into that conference room, so fearful that people would see my pain.  Then… and Jeff and I still marvel at this moment… the second I asked the first question, there were tears from the attendees and suddenly I was the one being taught.  That day was such a gift and as the intensive went on and hearts opened wide, I felt all of my strength rush back to me.  All I did that day was enable the individuals in that room to find the answers that they already knew.  That was my goal.  Sometimes all it takes is answering the questions you wont take the time to answer on your own because you’re “too busy” “it won’t make a difference” you’re “scared” or you just “don’t care”. Let me ask you this… those of you who answered these questions, did it make a difference? I have an inbox full of emails I still haven’t had a moment to answer that all point to YES. Sometimes all it takes is knowing you are supported, understood, and knowing what not to invest your energy into. Sometimes, when a group of people comes together like that with open hearts, sparks fly.  Not little tiny sparkler sparks… big huge firework explosion sparks!   So, amidst the rush of the holidays, staying on top of my regular slew of business endeavors (no, I still haven’t taken a day off) and sorting through these letters, the “First Class” of MTH2010 has been doing nothing short of making HUGE things happen… even while I sleep. It’s been less than 24 hours and they’ve already collected over half of the scholarship funds needed to send someone to MTH2010. Probably all of it by the time I finish this post.  More on that in a minute…

The MTH2010 movement has begun and blows my mind every day. In one week I’ve experienced one of the hardest days of my life, turned 30 somewhere in there, Ari and I had some very sweet quality time with my family that I will never forget (if they played Apples to Apples in Vegas, my mom and I would rule the Strip!), I’ve been building the MTH2010 official site with Ross at Flosites, and at the close of this year, I’ve made some difficult and purposeful decisions to live my best life for God. This was not easy.

I’ve been trying to piece together how the last two weeks happened and my mind still hasn’t caught up. But I have one overwhelming thought that I can’t shake… I’m going to be very honest here because my heart has been really heavy the last few days trying to sort all of this out.

Fact: people want to break free from pain, suffering, financial distress and major fear so their life’s work can take wings.

Fact: most people don’t want to do anything about it. Most people want someone else to come along to fix it and they will wait, complain, blame a million things until one fine day they realize they actually have to DO something to make it happen.

I told the MTH2010 First Class that what happened in the workshop really didn’t matter unless they DID something about it the second they left. Making things happen is about harnessing momentum and acting.  It’s physical. Pick up the phone, the pen, the kids, whatever you have to do to get out of your rut and move forward. Like we always say in my office, it’s better to make a decision and go for it than not make one at all because you think you might fail.  Think of the alternative to taking a risk… you could spend this year right where you were last year… stuck.  Stuck thinking, mulling it over, whining, worrying, telling yourself you’re just not good enough when in your heart of hearts you know you need to just walk the plank. The water is warm and there are loads of people swimming around waiting for you to join them in the crystal blue waters.

OK, enough metaphors. Let’s get real. You want to know how I make things happen? On top of all of these things, I educate myself and I invest. In investing, I take huge risks. Prime example: something I love about Katharine is that when something is on her mind, she goes after it right that second.  She doesn’t waste any time and she doesn’t beat around the bush. I was working on location for a shoot one morning when Katharine called.  She carefully explained that she loved her job and wanted to make a very long-term commitment to working with me. But (after expert calculations that of course only Katharine would make) she needed a raise.  Now, keep in mind she and Emily had been working for me for less than six weeks.  (By the way, If you haven’t read Emily’s story, you need to.  It paints a very clear picture of what purposefully investing in something can do.)  My first thought was “oh my goodness, I will go broke. I don’t have this money to invest in them right now.” Katharine made her case, point by point, like a good lawyer’s daughter.  She knew her value and that showed me so much about her character. She laid out the facts as to why she was a good investment and how she could help the company grow.  I knew deep down that my return on investment in she and Emily would be well-worth it and that they would bring me more personal happiness than all the money in the world could pay for.  Before I could let the fear sink in, my gut instinct said “Yes.” I remember the fear creeping up for a moment and saying, “Lara, what did you just do!? You have no choice now but to get it together and make this happen for them.” I had spent enough time with them to know they were brilliant beyond their years and that if I fostered their growth and let them soar, they 110% would.  I am so thankful every day that I hushed the fear that morning and did what I knew was right, even though it was scary and I was unsure and there was always the possibility that I could seriously fail.  I knew that I had the choice to sink or swim from that moment on.  I repeat- I had a choice.  I invested (you realize I’m not just talking money here) and continue to do so every day.  I’ve discovered that if it feels comfortable, it generally doesn’t get me very far.  The more you give, the more you are able to reap.  Just remember though, it takes calculated risk.  If you don’t know where to turn or what to do, don’t waste any more time and get solid help now.  Read the section titled “People” in this post.  You have a choice every day to make good things happen.  I walked the plank, dove right in, and I’ve never looked back.

What plank do you know you need to walk right now? Tell me. What do you know you need to do to make things happen? Who do you need to call, meet, reach out to? What do you need to write, give, share or teach? What the heck is holding you back!?!? Part of the magic of MTH2010 for me was getting individual time with each person to ask that very question and look each person in the eye. I am so grateful for the answers I got because the second they came out, people did something about them.  Have you seen what’s been happening with the First Class since December 21st? Holy cow, I can’t even believe it every day. They don’t go more than 2 minutes without all talking to each other and putting plans into action. No one is resting on their laurels and no one is holding back.  A huge part of the momentum happening with the First Class is accountability.  I stressed that from the first few moments…”by the end of today, I want you to have found someone in this room who you connect with most… someone who will stop at nothing to make sure you stay on track and who will listen to you when you have doubts.”  I offered to share Jeff, but he’s about to be really really busy.  Since the 21st, the energy doubles by the second and the First Class is already conquering 2010!  Again, I am not doing this. I’m blessed to be a part of it, but things like the MTH2010 First Class Scholarship are born out of the fire the First Class has created themselves.

This scholarship is very special. I’m just still so humbled that they all rallied together to make this come to life in just 24 hours. That’s what happens when people experience something life-changing together… they form a lifelong bond, can literally move mountains and best of all…. can make anything happen for other people.

To donate to the scholarship, click here.

To apply for the scholarship, leave a comment here telling me three things:  the city you would like to attend in, why you want to attend and what you want to make happen in 2010.

Since the tour starts in less than 2 weeks, this scholarship opportunity will end this Friday at midnight and the winner announced on Monday the 11th.  Huge thanks to Emily, Chris and the First Class of MTH2010 for being phenomenal and blessing so many with this opportunity.  What a way to start 2010!

With love,

(and Jeff!)

I did a Twitter poll asking people which cities they most want the Making Things Happen™ Intensive tour to visit. Here’s what you told me, starting with cities that got the most votes. (I only included places that got more than one vote)

Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, Atlanta, Nashville, Dallas, Las Vegas, Houston, Denver, Pittsburgh, Hawaii, Raleigh, San Francisco, Austin, Charlotte, Orlando, Cayman, Washington DC, Minneapolis, Portland, Orange County, Monterey Bay, San Diego, Tampa, Saratoga, Santa Cruz, Seattle, Charleston, Richmond, Australia, Costa Rica, Wilmington, Detroit, Grand Rapids, Baltimore, Traverse City, Telluride, Little Rock, Philadelphia, Miami, Memphis, Indianapolis, Berkley, Oakland, Puerto Rico, Jacksonville, Savannah, Eugene, Napa, and Jackson Hole.

I listened.  The top cities have been confirmed!  Until January 1st, I’m giving early bird registration pricing for the following cities.  After January 1st, pricing will increase.  Each city has a different size limit and some cities may be broken up into two days depending on demand (highly possible for LA and Atlanta).

Dallas :: January 14th *the entire Southern Weddings team will be there for this one!

Seattle :: January 16th *guest speakers: Blair and Christy from Junebug Weddings

Los Angeles :: January 18th *guest speaker: Jose Villa

Minneapolis :: January 20th

Chicago :: January 22nd

Atlanta :: February 8th *guest speaker: Stacie Francombe of Get Married

Nashville :: February 10th *guest speaker: Jeremy Cowart

Las Vegas :: March 7th during WPPI

Denver :: March 11th

New York City :: March 22nd *guest speaker: Nick Onken

Washington DC :: March 24th

Raleigh :: March 29th

Hawaii :: TBD

Pittsburgh (Go CMU!) :: TBD

This is your year and my goal is to make sure you harness it to its fullest potential.  Why am I doing this?  Because I’ve come to realize that life is just too short.  Every moment should be lived with a sense of adventure, excitement, and knowing that you are on the right path in your life’s work.  It’s time, ya’ll.  It’s time to make big things happen in your business.  You know where you want to go.  Let’s do this.

Want the inside scoop from someone who has experienced #MTH2010? Watch this and check out what people are saying.

I can’t wait to start this journey and meet everyone on the way!  Who’s coming with me?

xo lc

image credit :: kyle barnes shot at the Winter Shoot last week in Breckenridge, Colorado