Rocket Ships and Roller Coasters: Our 2012 Annual Review

Dream Big, Dreaming  //  26th December 2012

“I think we should all get back to building that rocket ship we dreamed of when we thought about what our life would be about” – Bob Goff, Love Does

I remember being young and dreaming about what I would be when I grew up.  I loved building things with Legos and K’nex.  My first big Lego project I remember was a pirate ship with sails and all.  There must have been over 1000 pieces, but I knew that if I worked hard, and asked for help when I needed it, that before I knew it, the pirate ship would be complete.

Shortly after my swashbuckling days were over, I moved onto K’nex.  At the time I was growing up, K’nex had just been released as the new must have holiday toy.  For Christmas I received a giant orange case of K’nex.  The possibilities were endless!  Eventually, K’nex came out with a roller coaster set.  I saved all my allowances for months and looked under every seat cushion for long forgotten coins.  When I finally had enough change, I walked into the toy store with my rolls of nickels and dimes and walked out with a box of K’nex that was nearly bigger than I was.  Soon my dreams would come true and I would become a real life roller coaster designer.  Being older and more experienced at building things, it only took me a few short days before the entire set was complete.  It was this love of building things that eventually lead me to pursue an engineering degree.

At the time, I may not have realized it, but in addition to creating a really cool roller coaster, I was also learning how to dream BIG.  When we were little, we had no cares in the world.  Building a rollercoaster in real life seemed just as easy as it was to build one out of K’nex or a pirate ship out of Legos.

However, along the journey of life, it seems as though we often forget this simple life lesson.  That lesson that no dream is too big and that anything is possible.  Instead, we often get bogged down with our to do list and don’t make time to dream…

Four years ago we decided to change that.  We stumbled upon a blog post by the AMAZING Chris Guillebeau titled: How to Conduct Your Own Annual Review.  After reading the post, we decided that we would conduct our own annual review.  That was the year our lives changed… we started our business at our very first Annual Review! Ever since that year, we have been conducting an annual review.  Be sure to check out Chris’s post to learn how you can hold your own annual review too.

In our first annual review, we began assessing our lives, and the dreams we had.  We were both working well paying “safe” corporate jobs but something was missing.  Although we enjoyed what we did, we had a sense that there was something more that we were being called to do.  Instead of living our own dreams each day, we were instead just being paid to live out someone else’s dream.

We started our very first annual review by heading to Spoons, our favorite coffee shop, (Check out our promo video that was partially filmed at Spoons here), and wrote down our dreams for the upcoming year.  While we sat there, we tried to think back to our days as children with huge imaginations and dreams the size of the universe.  It was in that moment, that we dreamed a BIG dream of one day running our own business.  Liz had loved photography as a young child, and as an electrical engineer, I really loved the technical aspects of cameras so we decided to start our own photography business.  At the moment we didn’t really realize how big this dream could become.  But, now four years later, and 75+ weddings photographed, we have realized that our dreams can never be too big.

I am sure by now you have probably heard nearly a thousand times about dreaming BIG dreams and that you can do anything you dream of.  Although this is true, just dreaming a BIG dream, doesn’t make it a reality.  The next step after dreaming up your BIG dream is going out and actually DOING.  And that is what is so amazing about hosting your own annual review.  It is the first step of DOING.

We hosted our annual review just before Christmas this year and wanted to share a few things we did to hopefully inspire you to have your very own annual review and get you one step closer to living your own AMAZING Life! In addition to following Chris’s post as our guide, we have started incorporating a few of our own ideas each year.

Step One: Go somewhere new that will stimulate your creativity and separate you from your normal routines.

In past years we have gone to the Inn at Perry Cabin on the Eastern shore.  We love to sit by the fire quietly to dream BIG.  They also serve afternoon tea… a delight we normally don’t take time to enjoy in or normal routine.

This year, we decided to create our own Inn at Perry Cabin experience in our home.  We turned our guest bedroom into a spa and checked in as if we were checking into a hotel.  We slept in our guest bed, relaxed in the bath in our guest bathroom and made our own afternoon tea to enjoy while conducting our annual review.  (Want to create your own spa retreat at home too?  Check back tomorrow when we will be sharing some ideas on how to make your guest room a perfect retreat for two). 

Step Two: Create an agenda, but leave room for relaxation and spontaneity. 

As with most things in life, it helps to have an agenda or rough outline of things you would like to cover during your annual review.  However, be sure to leave room to be spontaneous.  If you are inspired to watch a movie in bed together, or have an afternoon dance party, then do it.  I believe that relaxation and spontaneity are two key factors to dreaming BIG dreams.  By letting our minds truly wonder, we will think of ideas that are inspired by the things in which we are truly passionate.

Step Three: Disconnect.

Four years ago when we decided to start our business, we didn’t have iPhones and free Wi-Fi everywhere we went.  It was easy then to focus entirely on us, our dreams, and our plans to make those dreams a reality.  Having an effective annual review requires intense focus, soul searching, and asking hard questions.  Emails, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are distractions.  Disconnect from social media, turn off your phones, and focus your attention on your goals and dreams for the next year.

What are you waiting for? it’s time to get back to building your own rocket ships!

 

Dream Storm: Dreams = Reality

Dream Big, Dreaming  //  25th October 2012

As I sit at Starbucks, enjoying a tasty Pumpkin Spice Latte, I begin to think back on how we started our business.  It started with a crazy dream to run our own photography business and live life for us.  At the time we started our business, it was hard to imagine that in less than three years, both Liz and I would be working full time for our business!  Over those three, and now almost four years, we came to realize that the dreams we dream are often actually too small, because when you take the first step, no dream is to big to be turned into reality. Hopefully you all will be able to look back three years from now and think the same thing about your dreams.

If you followed along for our last two posts on Dream Storming by now you should have found your inspirational space and have a list of 3-5 BIG dreams.  Now it’s time to turn those dreams into reality.

1. Take the first step

Before any dream can become a reality, you must take action, face your fears, and take the first step.  Let’s start with the first dream on your list.  Write out three simple things you can do now that once accomplished, you will be one step closer to achieving your goal.  The key here is to start small.  We want to slowly build momentum and see progress quickly. Trying to accomplish your entire dream all at once will just make you frustrated and ready to give up.

I recently posted on our Facebook page that one of my dreams was to one day have a product or book we create sold in Williams-Sonoma.  This is obviously no simple task and will take a ton of work.  But first, let’s start small, simple and fun, because if you are not having fun then what’s the point?  The first step I am going to take as soon as I finsih this post is to go to Williams-Sonoma to really peruse the store to see what types of things sell well, how they are styled, and how we could create something that might one day sit alongside the same shelves.  We LOVE to entertain are always drawn to the cookbook section and fun little prepared food gifts. Who knows, maybe one day we will have our own book on entertaining for couples.  Although simple, even just the thought of taking the step to get out of the house, and envision a product we create being sold in Williams-Sonoma is invigorating.  And that’s the point, we want to start small, take a little step, and then a bigger step, and before we know it, we will have an avalanche of momentum behind us.  Not sure where to start?  Well, that brings us to part 2.

2. Ask for help 

When we started our business, we had absolutely no idea what we were doing.  We LOVED photography, capturing photos, and had a pretty good understanding of how to use our cameras, but after that, we were absolutely lost.  So we asked for help.  It was amazing to see how much people were willing to share when we simply asked for help.  At one point or another, every great idea, business, or product started at exactly the same point yours did.  Most people are extremely grateful and take great satisfaction in helping other’s achieve their goals.  As long as you are genuine, appreciative of their time, and grateful, more often than not, when you ask for help, someone will extend their hand to lift you up.

3. Surround yourself with people that will hold you accountable to your dreams

Accomplishing a huge goal and turning dreams into reality is tough work.  Along the journey, it is often easy to get discouraged.  You might hear “no” or “I’m sorry” a lot so it is extremely important to have someone that will hold you accountable to your dreams.

We recently posted about creating a Board of Life Directors.  One of the purposes of creating our Board was to surround ourselves by people that will hold us accountable.  You don’t have to create your own board but we’d love it if you did. Instead, start by simply telling a friend your dream and ask them check in with you at the end of each week.  Or, ask them if they would mind if you sent them an email once a month listing the progress you have made on your dreams.  Knowing that there is someone you can share your thoughts with is a huge motivation to turn your dream into a reality.

4. Make your dreams known

If there is just one piece of advice you take from this post and put into action then this is it.  Make your dreams known.  You would not image how much of an impact this has had on the success of our business.  The more you talk about your dreams to people the more opportunities that will present themselves.  You never ever know who someone might know or what someone might need.

Don’t be afraid to share you dreams.  We recently mentioned that we would LOVE to photograph a couple for a wedding or engagement session in Europe.  We let people know about our dreams and that we were traveling to Europe earlier in the year.  By doing so, the opportunity to photograph one of our Brides during her dress fitting in Barcelona and a couple for an anniversary session in Paris presented itself.  We are confident that this would have never happened had we not continually shared our love of travel and dream to shoot in Europe with the world.  Check out the photos from our Paris session here.  We would still love to photograph an actual wedding in Europe (Italy or France to be specific) so let us know if you know of anyone in need of an international wedding photographer! :)

If your still reading at this point, it’s time to take the first step.  Leave a comment below and let us know what your dreams are.  You never know who might be reading this post! Go make your dreams a reality!

 

Dream Storm: A Storm of Big Ideas

Dream Big, Dreaming  //  18th October 2012

Good Afternoon!  We hope you all have been having an AMAZING week!  Last week we started off our mini series on Dream Storms by discussing ways to find your inspirational space.  If you haven’t had a chance to find a space that truly fires you up, be sure to check out the post here to learn more.

For part two of our series on Dream Storms we will be discussing “A Storm of Big Ideas” and ways to improve how you set goals, brainstorm, and come up with Big Ideas!!!

You might be thinking, how hard is it to brainstorm, or come up with a list of goals and ideas? Well, when was the last time you really took the time to sit down and do just that?  When was the last time you really forced yourself to focus on your dreams and let your mind freely flow?  This brings us to the first step for creating a storm of big ideas.

1. Make Dreaming a Priority

For the past year, we have had a standing appointment on our calendar each month titled “Big and Big Dreams Planning Session.” The sole purpose of this meeting is to Dream Big. We go to our inspirational space and let our minds wander.  In fact, we take this portion of running our business and our lives so seriously that we don’t just schedule an hour or so of time but instead we block off an entire morning or afternoon and sometimes longer.  Knowing that all we have to do for that day is to dream big allows us to forget about our mile long to do list, or the laundry that still needs put away, and instead lets us focus on dreaming.

Make your dreams a priority.  Open up your calendar and schedule out a block of time this week for at least 3-4 hours to dream.

2. Dream Intentionally

Now that you have made your dreams a priority, it’s time to dream intentionally.  During the first portion of our Big and Big Things meetings, we always start by reviewing where we have been and what we have accomplished in the past month. This not only allows us to see how many of our dreams and goals we’ve accomplished but it also sets the stage for us to begin dreaming even bigger.  Dreams and goals don’t have to be permanent. If we worked on a project or tried to accomplish a goal and it just wasn’t fulfilling to us then we remove it from our list and replace it with an even bigger and better dream.

In addition to reflecting on where we have been, we also take time to fill our minds with inspiration.  The key to this step is to look at many different sources of inspiration.  During our Big and Big Things meetings, we will often take a stack of magazines with us ranging from Vanity Fair to Popular Mechanics to Food and Wine to the latest J. Crew catalog. Sometimes we will even start our sessions by watching a new movie on Netflix or by taking a walk along the harbor. The more sources we can use for inspiration, the more original our ideas will become.  If we are simply looking at one source all the time for inspiration, everything we do will end up being based on that single source and what we do will quickly start looking exactly the same.

Once we have reflected on our progress from the previous month, and we have filled our minds with inspiration, it’s time to dream.

To do so, we start by taking 15 minutes to individually write out our dreams and goals.  At this point, anything goes.  Fill up a notebook, type out the list on your computer or iPad, whatever you do, don’t stop until the 15 minutes are up.  Dream about ways to improve your daily work flow, things you can do in the next 30 days to live a more AMAZING life, where you want to be in a year from now, five years from now, etc.  Dream about things that you might think are impossible now or ways to impact the world. If it pops into your mind, right it down.

3. +1 your Dreams

Once your 15 minutes are up, it’s time to look at your list and +1 your dreams.  Often when we start our lists, we write out things like “exercise more” or “get to bed by 10pm.” Both are good ideas and great things to dream about, but these are not BIG Dreams. We call it a Storm of Big Ideas for one simple reason, at the end of your Dream Storm, you should have a list of ideas that rock your world and once accomplished and turned into a reality will have changed the lives of others.  This is what Chris Guillebeau calls your “Legacy Project.”  Check out his manifesto “The Tower” for more details on creating Legacy Projects.  

One by one, look at your list of dreams and goals.  Take a few seconds and think about each goal.  For each item on your list, ask yourself, does this seem possible?  Would turning this dream into a reality be fulfilling and result in a more AMAZING life? Would this dream make the world a better place?  Highlight each item on your list that forces you to pause for a second longer or creates an uneasy feeling in your stomach.  We want to identify the dreams on your list that fire you up and seem nearly impossible now.  Continue to refine your list until you have narrowed it down to the 3 – 5 biggest, scariest, most amazing dreams. Or what Mary Marantz call’s your bHAGs.

Now, +1 each of those 3-5 dreams.  Take 15 minutes for each dream and let your mind wander again. On a blank sheet of paper or in a new document, write out what accomplishing your dreams will look like.  Try to describe each dream in as much detail as possible.  The more specific you can begin to get will allow you to quickly take the steps to turn your dreams into a reality.  At the end of your Dream Storm, you should now have 3 – 5 BIG dreams written out in full detail. Now it’s time to turn your dreams into reality…

Be sure to check back next Thursday for the final installment of our mini series on Dream Storms: Dreams = Reality, taking the first step.

 

Dream Storm: Finding Your Inspirational Space

Dream Big, Dreaming  //  11th October 2012

Dream big, follow your passion, do what you love … these are all things we’ve told people in the past when they ask us for advice on starting a business.  In fact, these are often things that life coaches and motivational speakers will tell you too. However we have decided that these answers are no longer good enough.  Instead, we want to truly inspire each and every single person we meet to live a more AMAZING life.

To start, we hope to be able to help you dream big BIG dreams.  Dreams that can change your life.  Dreams that seem impossible at first, but with a little dedication and effort, dreams that will come true.  For the next three Thursday posts on our blog we are going to be discussing one of our favorite ways to dream big.  It is what we call a “Dream Storm.”  It’s kind of like a brainstorm, only much much more amazing.  In this three part series we will discuss the following things we do to help us have a successful Dream Storm:

1. Finding your inspirational space
2. A storm of big ideas
3. Dreams = Reality, taking the first step

Finding your inspirational space

BIG Dreams, Dreams that can rock your world, don’t just begin flowing from your brain to pen to paper to reality. Instead, you need to set the stage.  Dreaming is an entire mind and body experience.  Before you can begin, you must find your inspirational space.  A space in which you feel safe to dream big.  A space that screams you.  A space that allows your mind to wander endlessly.  It’s more than a room, it’s an environment.  It’s the sounds and the smells.  It’s how the space makes you feel when you are there.  Finding a space that inspires you will allow you to truly Dream Big.

So how do you find your inspirational space?  It’s not always easy, but there are a few things you can do that will make finding your space easier.  First, create a checklist for your space, or what I like to call my “space criteria.”

Develop your space criteria:

Do you prefer calm spaces or loud and energetic spaces?
Do you prefer being around lots of people or by yourself?
When you really need to get work done, where do you normally go?
Do you think better while listening to music or in silence?
Do you prefer to capture your thoughts on pen and paper or on a laptop/iPad?
Do you like to be outside or inside?
Do you work better in the morning, afternoon, or in the evening?
Do you prefer sitting on a couch or at a table?

After you have answered these questions take a moment to look back over your space criteria and remember your space is your own.  This isn’t an all encompassing list so feel free to write out as many different criteria for your space as you wish.

Spaces that fit you:

Next, think about spaces that satisfy the criteria on your list. If you prefer being by yourself in calm spaces, than a coffee shop is not the space for you.  In this case, your inspirational space might be a simple corner nook in your home.  If you like energetic spaces, then trying to dream big in a dark basement office might not be the space for you either.

For me, I love energy, being around lots of people, the smell of coffee, bright rooms, music, using our laptop and iPad, and sitting at a table.  When I want to Dream Big I try to find a space that maximizes as many of these things as possible. Usually, I’ll end up at the Starbucks  around the corner, or over at Spoons if I am feeling a little hungry, or up at the rustic chic Artifact Coffee.  Spaces like these feed my soul.  I love looking around and seeing so many different people in one space. Soaking in the buzz and excitement of a full coffee shop really sparks my creative energy.  It’s amazing to think that the person at the next table could be working on something HUGE that may change the world.  It inspires me to try and change the world too!

Once you have thought of a few spaces that match your space criteria, take a few of the different spaces for a test drive. When you bought a car or a home, you probably didn’t settle for the first one you looked at. Your inspirational space should be no different.  Finding the perfect inspirational space will allow you to dream big dreams that can change your life.

Time for the test drive:

Create a list of 3 simple tasks.  The tasks should be easy enough that you can complete each one in 30 minutes or less.  An example could be responding to 10 emails or writing in a journal.  Once you have a list of 3 tasks, using your answers to the questions above, think of three different spaces that fit most of your space criteria. Go to each space and complete one of the tasks on your list.  Once your task is complete, take a moment to write out or think about how you felt in the space while completing the task.  Was it hard to focus?  Did you zip right through the task?  Were you inspired to continue working?

Rinse and repeat … After testing out your three spaces your inspirational space should begin to stand out.  Feel free to refine your criteria and try out as many spaces as you wish in the next week.

Once you find your inspirational space, leave us a comment below, we’d love to hear about it. And if this post was helpful, let us know, we always love feedback on how we can improve our blog!  Don’t forget to check out Part II :A Storm of Big Ideas on our blog next Thursday!