I can’t help myself! I love everything the new year represents.  For a girl who loves goal setting, it is most definitely one of my most favorite holidays.  But before I look forward to the new year I wanted to look back at what I was able to accomplish this year.

THE LOOK BACK:  A list of things that I felt accomplished and grateful for in 2015.

1. The first full year in business in Oregon – We moved to Oregon in 2013 and I started slowly opening up shop in the middle of 2014 and booked a few weddings for that year.  2015 was the first full year as a wedding & portrait photographer in the Portland metro are and Oregon in general.  It was a great year seeing how much I could grow my business and the potential for a great future for Susie Moreno Photography.  It’s hard work being a solopreneur, but it’s so rewarding!
2. The type of clients I’ve attracted – No joke, I am so grateful for this.  I LOVE the people who I was able to work for this year.  I don’t care what you say, work is work and photography work is no different.  But working for such positive, enduring and enriching people makes me love my job and cherish the work I do so much.  I cannot say that I’ve had a “bridezilla” or that we had this big “wedding disaster” that we weren’t able to work through WITH a positive attitude.  I’m glad to work with people who not only trust me, but who believe in my work and vision and believe in the bigger meaning of their wedding day, because that’s exactly what I want to capture!
3. Investing in Myself – This was scary.  And when I say was, I mean is.  This IS scary.  I’m so scared!  I’ve been throwing all my profit back into my business.  Literally, all of it.  I’ve started setting up workflows to help manage my time and smooth processes. I’ve purchased new equipment and software to help provide the best possible end product for my clients.  But the scariest of all scares, the thing that is keeping me up at night right now: I hired a graphic designer to redesign all my branding.  First of all, letting go of even a small fringe of control is pretty terrifying.  I mean, this business is my baby! I’ve been working on it for quite some time, literally it’s been in my head & living in some form since 2009.  But it donned on me, that #1: I really don’t have the time to do the work and #2: Even if I did, I probably won’t be able to design anything in a high professional manner that resonates with me & the business to meet my ideals.
4. Traveling – I’m a firm believer that you must live a happy life, and the thing that makes both myself and my husband extremely happy is traveling.  This year, we ended up driving up to Seattle, WA for a weekend AND Ireland(blog soon to follow).  I love how traveling gives us a new perspective in the world and how refreshing it can be to my creativity as well as our outlook in life in general.
5. Building Relationships – My husband means the world to me and keeping our relationship in the forefront of my life is extremely important.  I don’t care how busy we are, we always make it a priority to spend time together.  We plan dates and trips to continue sharing new experiences together.  I also make sure to call my parents on a regular basis.  They’re extremely important in my life and even though we live in separate states, I try to make time so that we’re all still present in each other’s lives.
6. Starting a Path to Become Debt Free – What more can I say? We took big strides this year to get rid of more than half of our debt and it feels great to have that burden starting to lift off your shoulders.  You have to take a step somewhere and we definitely did it!

THE LOOK FORWARD: A list of accomplishments I will be aiming for in 2016.

1. Start building a brand for Susie Moreno Photography.  Like I’ve mentioned, I just hired a graphic designer to help with the grand.  This year, we will work together to really build a brand that I can stand behind that showcases exactly what I want to provide as a wedding photographer.  It’s nerve-wracking, but absolutely exciting.
2. Continue the strong growth  – Being a solopreneur is hard work! It means I pretty much do all of the leg work for the business.  From initial contact with clients, sending contracts, accounting, blog posts, social media posts, shooting, editing, delivery and everything else I forgot to mention it’s a lot of work, but it’s so rewarding.  I’m excited to continue our growth in Oregon.
3. Continue Exploring Oregon – Oregon is a beautiful state! I’ve lived in quite a few (California, Massachusetts, Nevada, Texas) but I am in LOVE with Oregon.  I hope to continue exploring this vast landscape on a personal and professional level.
4. Buy a House – This is big! My husband and I have been a little nomadic to say the least.  And with a nomadic lifestyle comes apartments with quick move in dates and short leases.  We’re excited to finally plant roots somewhere we love and hope to do so this year.
5. Attending a Photographic Conference – I will be attending a week long conference and expo this year at WPPI(Wedding & Portrait Photography International) in Las Vegas.  I want to continue my growth in this industry so I can always provide my clients the absolutely best the industry has to offer right now.
6. Do 1 Styled Shoot – I’ve always wanted to have my own styled shoot and work with some amazing vendors.  I’m in the brainstorming process of my first styled shoot and hope to reach out to other local vendors to build some amazing images for all our portfolios that really speaks to what we represent.
7. Get Published – This is something I really haven’t ventured in yet but I think 2016 will be a great year to submit new work out for publication.

I guess that is more than enough for 2016! Happy New Year everyone!