Young Entrepreneur or the Year

A few weeks ago I was honored with receiving the Young Entrepreneur of the Year award for Campbell River by the Campbell River Chamber of Commerce. The Young Entrepreneur of the Year award: "Honors a business owner or founder under the age of 35 who has excelled in business; exemplified leadership and entrepreneurial skills; and demonstrated exceptional vision that has contributed to business success."

I was absolutely floored to receive this award as I was nominated along with many other talented and inspired business owners! Other nominees include Scott Kilby, Campbell River Hyundai Heather Larkam, Urban Dance Connections Jonathan Kervin, Web Sense Aum Song Troughton, Embody Wellness

In any case, I was completely unprepared for the receiving of the award. The tidemark theatre was full of people. I was sitting in the furthest darkest corner of the room (furthest from the stage) so internally there was only one thing happening on my very long walk to the stage... a mantra repeating itself... "Do not fall Erin". Upon arriving at the stage, I awkwardly accept my award, break out my best double chin for the photo of me receiving my award (no, I will not be showing you that particular photo) and then realize that someone is telling me to "say a few words".

The whole world stops turning at this point. My instincts tell me to elbow anyone in my path, grab my award and head for the nearest exit. I am terrified. With a camera in my hand, I am fearless. Honestly. Nearly fearless. I will yell at a group of 200 or more people, cracking jokes, orchestrating an entire field of people into the right spot for the right photo. I can make cranky kids laugh, or smile, I can become best friends with the most ornery old fella, or the craziest auntie around. Without my camera, I am just another person terrified of public speaking.

I know the moment it all changed, yet I can't seem to overcome it. I was 21 and asked to give a speech about my personal involvement with Cystic Fibrosis, and specifically about my Uncle Michael (moms brother) who had passed away from it at the age of 21. Even writing those words brings my heart rate to a panic and the lump in my throat is painful. I had a beautiful speech written, there were funny parts, sad parts a great ending and beginning but the delivering of the speech was something I wasn't prepared for. Prior to this particular speech I was always the one to be the speaker. Grad fashion shows, MC's no problem. NO problem! So I thought, I would be just fine at the Rod Brind'Amour Cystic Fibrosis Golf Tournament. I was far from fine. I'm pretty sure I cried through the entire speech. I don't know if anyone even heard one word of what I said, but I just remember the whole time looking at my moms face (who was squatting in the front taking photos of me). Her face said "you're doing great, you're ok". But I knew, I was bombing. I was crying and spitting out words and trying to race through my speech. I've never been able to speak at a microphone since then. (without a camera).

So, forgive me for my one second "thank you everyone" speech at the Chamber Business Awards of Distinction event. While everyone else had amazing speeches prepared, saying eloquent things... I was fumbling and awkward and if we're being honest here... that is just totally me.

What I might have said, and should have would have been more like this...

Thank you for seeing me. Thank you to this amazing community for opening your arms to my art, to my dreams to my visions. Thank you for humoring all of my wild ideas and for supporting us through my imagery. I am so grateful for my clients. Every single one of you. I am grateful that you believed in me 5 years ago, and still do today. I'm grateful you've grown with me, and brought my images into your homes time and time again. I am grateful to the Chamber for recognizing me, for picking me out of the crowd and acknowledging me for all of my hard work and efforts. My business hasn't grown by itself. I've worked so hard to get to where I am today, and with the continued support of my beautiful family and friends and clients, we are able to stay in a city we love, have grown up in and want to raise our children in. I am so grateful.

Thanks to Lee from Island Life Photographics for the image above.

Franko is 3

Happy 3rd birthday to Frank the Vizsla.

3 years ago you changed our life and made my anxiety levels rise through the roof, bit my sleeves as I walked around, whined at the door, barked at everything and ran circles around our home and our life.

Our life was forever more wild, complicated and simply beautiful all at the same time. Your sad eyes have forced me away from the computer on more than one occasion and I'm grateful for every moment watching you fearlessly bound through the trails trying to get every dog in your path to chase you. You are more entertainment than I ever knew possible. You've been scared by vacuums, lawn mowers and swiffers. You've chased rescue eagles (in crates) and continue to bark when the slightest noise is made around home. You can run faster than most dogs we meet, and can fetch a chuck-it like it's going out of style. You've eaten Bryce's favorite slippers, chewed our molding, and eat popcorn like it's raw meat. You have the worst gas I've ever smelled and give the best hugs. The crazier you are, the harder Maisie laughs. Every day of my pregnancy you walked closer to me and snuggled up as if you knew our time with just "us" was drawing to an end. You've been my most cherished silent friend.

Since Maisie entered our life, it has undoubtedly been more challenging to get you out into the world regularly. We are so thankful for Uncle Scotty and his incredible services at DOGS BEST FRIEND. We honestly couldn't have done it without you Scott!!

The bottom line is, we've made it three years pup, and as crazy as it makes us when you bark uncontrollably at us and at our poor sweet neighbors (SORRY ANGELA AND MELVIN) we can't imagine our lives without you.

HAPPY THIRD BIRTHDAY OLD BOY. We love you. oxoxo

Giving Thanks

Today, and everyday I am grateful for many things. I thought I'd celebrate this thanksgiving weekend with a session from a few weeks ago, that I loved even before I shot. I love this family. (ps. how adorable is Lucia! Melt my heart!!!) Thank you Salvador's for venturing all the way from your cozy life in Vancouver to share some moments, and create a whole collection of favorites with me.

May you all have countless blessings, that come in many forms and disguises and may you be open to accepting them all. May this weekend be full of fall hibernation, with wood stoves and treasures and sweaters and stories. May you see fall colors everywhere and smell incredible food cooking in your home. May you be full, filled right up to the top. May you appreciate, soak it in, and enjoy it all.

Happy Thanksgiving Friends. xo

Looking at the stars

We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars. Oscar Wilde

I'm a pisces. Happy one minute... pensive and serious the next. Bryce says 'you never know who you're going to get'. I say 'predictable is boring'. (this could go on) We all have qualities about ourselves that are great, and ones that are not so great. What you choose to focus on, is entirely up to you.

It's like wanting to buy a certain brand of car. You've never really noticed them before but now that you want one... you see them everywhere. You can talk about all of the great things about them, how perfect it is for you. At every stop light, at every corner, you park beside them, you pass them... they are everywhere. You think, Crazy! Everyone has one! But, maybe they were always there... you just never noticed them until you became aware of them. Or until you changed your focus to see them.

I am probably the most annoying person on the planet, if you want me to be. If you sat and gossiped about all of my faults you might convince someone that I'm not a good person. However, if you chose to notice my positive traits, and focused on them... you might see me entirely differently. I might walk into my house, and see Bryce doing something that bugs me. Maybe he's buying more Lucky Louie's, maybe he's wearing his shoes in the house... if I immediately choose to focus on those things, I might miss that he has just been playing with sticker books, and puzzles on the living room floor for an hour with our little girl. I might miss that he is giving Maisie a bath wearing crazy safety glasses just to make her laugh. If I focus on the negative, I'll never see the positive. In anything, ever.

So, I challenge myself daily, to look for the good. To seek out beauty. If I think the world is a dark, miserable gray place... it is. But, if I look outside and see gray as a mystic West Coast wonderland... it is. They are my eyes, it is my choice. Does it always work? Nope... but I'm a work in progress, and it's getting easier.

That's just the way I see it. (Thanks to Thelma for the images of me in Haida Gwaii)