Oh man. My palms are sweating and my stomach is in knots writing up this blog post today. Before COVID hit, I had toyed with the idea of getting into mentoring as month after month someone new would slide into my inbox asking about an opportunity to do so. Each time I rattled something off about how at this time that wasn’t something I offered. I felt I wasn’t good enough. That I didn’t know enough. That I hadn’t earned my spot at the table to teach.. Let alone inspire people to follow and pursue their dreams. But the idea grew and expanded. My heart started to feel more pull towards stepping into something new. While I’m completely terrified that this will be a short term adventure (like will anyone actually want to learn from me?!), I would never let go of the “what if’s” if I didn’t give it a try.

But I guess that’s what a business is. It’s trying new adventures (even if they fail), it’s adapting as you grow and develop, it’s not closing the door on new possibilities and expanding into those that make your heart sing.. But it is SO easy (& I mean so easy) to get lost in the possibility of failure.

I jumped into this business with both feet first. I had no marketing experience, no photo experience, no running a business experience. I didn’t know what taxes needed to be done and that I should file quarterly. I didn’t know that sales tax was required in the state of Wisconsin for services & I didn’t know how to manually shoot. I simply closed my eyes and jumped in. I learned and cried and paved my way as I figured out shooting, editing, and the million other facets I juggle. Working with clients & being in the customer service industry. I learned it all and I think that’s where the fear stems from..

It stems from the fact that I navigated running a business blindfolded.. Yet nothing majorly went wrong. I hard my hard years and times that I felt too overwhelmed to press on. Times where I messed up an email or got the wrong address for an important meeting. But reflecting back on all my “errors” the ones that felt life altering to me weren’t in fact life altering. I continued to press forward because being a wedding photographer is what I wanted my life to look like. Photographing the big moments for people is what I wanted to do. I wanted to be my own boss and create something for myself & somehow, amongst all the fear, tears, worry, stress there was a whole lot of happiness, pride, excitement, love, and joy. I created something I am proud of and I want to share that with you.

The you that may be wanting to step into photography. The you that wants to run your own business and be your own boss. The you that wants to create a legacy. To make a name for yourself. To be what you aspire to be. I want to work with you. I want to help you cultivate a business that brings you everything you dreamed of.

It goes without saying that I don’t know everything about photography and running a business, but I have learned a lot over the last 8 years. With 100+ weddings under my bet to in print and digital features, I have built a business that fills me to the brim with empowerment. A business that I wake up everyday proud of & one that is sustainable, profitable, and down right awesome (if I do say so myself).

This is just the beginning of The Caynay Courses (or so I hope) and I can not wait to expand more on this and see where this new adventure takes me. Below you’ll find a layout of what I’m offering. If you’ve been around here for any length of time, you’ll know that I am an open book so please don’t hesitate to ask me any questions.

When I built this model I had a few things in mind. I wanted it to be customizable and I wanted you to build a mentorship that works for you. With different avenues, I didn’t want any topic to be left out. So whether that’s editing, shooting, working with clients, my work flow, or simply wanting to pick my brain.. I have a chance for you to do that in whatever way works best for you.

See MORE information on mentorships HERE

I also owe a HUGE thank you my parents, Lauren, Philip, and Courtney Cullen. Without you all, I wouldn’t have taken this big step and I am so unbelievably thankful for your continuous love and support. Means the absolute WORLD to me.

Ahhhhhh LETS DO THIS!