When people ask me what I do, I love telling them about photography, and mentoring other photographers, and about the inspiring people I get to photograph and work with every day. I had one of those conversations the other day and someone said, “Photography sounds like a great mommy job.” And my blood started boiling. But then told her that I’ve spent almost 7 years building a successful artistic business that not only feeds my creative soul, but also provides for our family, allows us to travel, allowed us to pay off student loans, is letting us save for Hudson’s college, is growing and thriving and that I pour my whole heart in to it daily. And at the same time, I love being a parent and love that my job gives me flexibility to be with Hudson multiple days during the week. In our exchange, I realized something: that the world is still uncomfortable with successful moms (and really just women in general). That somehow either my job or my parenting has to be minimized in order to make sense in their head. I mean, would anyone ever tell a male photographer that their job is a good “daddy job?”

Everywhere I look, I see amazing women doing amazing things. Don’t let people minimize you or what you do because you are young or because you are old or because you have kids or because you don’t have kids or because you’re single or because you’re married or because you’re short or tall or *fill in the blank* – ultimately, it starts with us. Be great, be kind, and kick some ass.