I came home from Las Vegas tired, overstimulated, a little emotionally bruised… and incredibly proud of myself.
Trips like this always look glamorous from the outside. The photos. The networking. The stage lights. The creative energy.
But the truth is, these experiences are intense. They ask a lot of you mentally, emotionally, and physically. And sometimes the biggest growth happens in the quiet moments when you’re sitting alone afterward processing everything that just unfolded.
This year in Vegas, I had a lot of those moments.
And when I stepped back and looked at everything that actually happened over those few days, I realized something.
Heavy is the crown.
Not everyone is meant to wear it.
What Actually Happened in Vegas
When I first sat down to reflect, I started listing everything that took place during that trip.
I completed three client shoots. Two women decided to take a trip out to Las Vegas for the first time and do it up in STYLE!!!! My last client was a Las Vegas local that I cannot WAIT to tell you more about later!
I hosted my very first solo workshop. Jazmyn and Ben were AMAZING!!! While Jaz is a professional model, her partner Ben was in completely new territory. Combined, it was a fiery combination.
I prepared a presentation for the show floor for Floricolor.
I became a vampire and got fangs installed!
I opened the AIBP awards book and saw my images printed across two full pages for Boudoir Photographer of the Year through the Association of International Boudoir Photographers.
I organized a strip club outing for a group of photographers.
And while plenty of people bailed, the ones who showed up were the ones who mattered. The ones who were curious. The ones who wanted to connect. The ones who were willing to be present.
WPPI just so happened to be occurring at the same time as a huge construction convention. Imagine a room full of men just sitting at the stage notttt tipping. We headed outside and had more fun twerking and laughing until out ride came.
Those are my people.
Beyond the schedule, beyond the shoots, what mattered most were the connections.
One of the most surreal moments of the entire trip was getting to spend time with Lindsay Adler at Kayla Douglas’ Private event.
She is someone whose work has inspired me throughout my photography career. Seeing her work early on helped shape how I think about lighting, presence, and visual power.
So imagine my shock when she didn’t just say hello.
She walked me around and introduced me to friends of hers, describing my work and saying she thought we would connect.
I remember standing there thinking…
Is this real life?
Those kinds of moments stay with you.
They are the quiet confirmations along the path that say:
You belong here.
A Full Circle Moment From Maui
Another highlight was running into my Maui girls.
That moment healed something in my heart.
My first workshop in Maui did not go according to plan. In fact, within the photography community it was jokingly compared to the Fyre Festival of workshops.
It was chaotic. It was stressful. It forced me to confront mistakes and realities that I never want to repeat.
But that experience taught me lessons I will carry for the rest of my life.
It sharpened my boundaries.
It strengthened my leadership.
It forced me to grow up in ways I hadn’t yet.
I walked away from Maui a stronger person.
And seeing those women again reminded me that growth doesn’t erase the past. It transforms it.
The Weight People Don’t See
There’s something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately.
It’s easy to look at someone from the outside and say,
“I could do that.”
But you’re seeing the performance, not the preparation.
You’re seeing the crown, not the weight of it.
Running a business, teaching, leading in your industry, showing up creatively year after year, carrying responsibility for your clients, your students, your team, your family…
That kind of life takes resilience.
And sometimes people close to us don’t understand that.
They haven’t lived our days.
They haven’t carried our responsibilities.
They haven’t had to stand on the stage.
Heavy is the crown.
And not everyone is built to wear it.
What I Know For Sure
What I walked away from Vegas with wasn’t just new connections or beautiful images.
It was a deep sense of pride.
I looked at the work I created.
I looked at the rooms I walked into.
I looked at the conversations I had.
And I realized something very clearly.
I love my life.
Not because it’s easy.
But because I love the woman I had to become in order to build it.
The journey that got me here has been anything but simple. There have been moments of chaos, heartbreak, rebuilding, and lessons I wouldn’t wish on anyone.
But every one of those moments shaped me.
They sharpened me.
They prepared me for the life I’m living now.
And at this point in my life, I’m not interested in shrinking to make other people comfortable.
If anything, I’m leaning further into who I am.
Louder.
Bolder.
More unfiltered.
You can get on the ride or step aside.
Either way, I’m living this life fully.
And I’m incredibly proud of the woman carrying the crown.
Screenshot
March 11, 2026
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