Today is the DAY! I know so many of you have been holding on and waiting to hear the news. I am excited, nervous, thrilled, anxious all at once. And a little surprise, there is not only ONE big announcement to share with you today, BUT TWO ANNOUNCEMENTS!

Several months ago,  Trevor and I started to plan out some big goals that we had in our lives. We have been talking about big thing and little things and some of our big goals we want out of life. For instance, from day one of our marriage, Trevor has been talking about taking time to travel. We talked about the logistics and have made plans to spend 2 months backpacking in Europe. The crazy thing is, we LEAVE IN 12 DAYS!

I started to think about the goals I have for my life and business right now. I want to help create truly meaningful wedding experience for my brides, but I also want to help other photographer and creatives do what they love most. I have been carrying around a little moleskin notebook for the last year with ideas of things I would love to incorporate into my business but have never had time, resources, energy, (insert excuse of the moment here). I realized I had an open book with a lot of dreams, but no GOALS. I needed to make goals, and the first one that I made was to become self sufficient as a full time wedding photographer!

Well after a LOT of planning, talking with Trevor, and months of preparations, I am finally making that first goal a reality….. I am just going to cute right to it…….

Today is my very last day of work at my day job!!!  For the last two years I have been growing Breanna McKendrick Photography all while working a full time job. It has not been easy. There have been days of frustration and pain. I have stayed up to all hours of the night to edit weddings to turn around a few hours later to go to work in the morning. I feel like that has been life on repeat a little bit and I have gotten a little bit tired.

When I graduated college, I did what most people do, start looking for a job. Work is a HUGE part of life and contributes immensely to the happiness or unhappiness of a family.  While looking for a job after college, it was difficult to find something close to where we lived, had health benefits, worked with my photography schedule, and be within the field that I studied. It was important for me to feel like I had not wasted my time taking chemistry and biology classes for the last 4 years of my life!!!

I found a place at ARUP laboratories in their Mass Spectrometry department and have been so lucky to call it home. I love my co-workers and we get along so well! We hang out together on our days off, laugh about The Bachelor and all things Beyonce, and are even going to Disneyland together this week! (#BFF) They are wonderful and I am going to miss seeing them everyday!

Even though I enjoyed my job and the validation it brought me, I dove further and further into the photography world. I saw so many women role models who were successful in providing for their families with their photography income and I set the goal to myself that I wanted to get there.

As Trevor and I talked about our future plans, we realized that we are in a wonderful and short stage of life where we both own our own businesses, we don’t have a mortgage, we don’t have kids or even a puppy to worry about. There is no better time to take big risks with life and to really let go of fears to see how far we can get to reach our “Big Dream” goals. Carpe Diem!

Shouting “Carpe Diem” does not mean that we did not plan and prepare for this life change. I have been carefully watching my business and its growth over the last two years. I have been making key investments along the way to work towards this goal. Trevor and I realize with both of us now self employed and we have had to look at how this change affects all areas of our lives. We have had to really look at where we were living, what were the stepping stones to reach the ‘Big Dream” goals, look over our finances to makes sure we could afford this time and be ok. We have made sure we are saving and that our retirement funds are still being contributed to. This has not been a spur of the moment decision.

This kinda ties into another thing….

This means I will be a wedding photographer based out of Salt Lake City AND Austin Texas for the time being!  Trevor and I met in Utah for college, we were married here, our friend are here, our first married home was here. But as times have changed, so do our goals and lives. It is time to start new adventures in a new place as well!

Am I a little terrified? Yes. Am I excited? YES!!! I am am starting to book wedding in Austin and the surround area in Texas for the upcoming wedding seasons and have a very special offer for couples who book their wedding with me!! So spread the word!!!!! I am thrilled to be able to serve and get to know even more brides this upcoming year and give them my undivided attention!!! So grab your mug or water bottle next to you and lets CELEBRATE for new beginnings, new adventures and a new FULL TIME passion that I am so lucky to call a job!!!!!

If you want to follow along with our trip to Europe, see how my business will be changing in the next few months with being full time, AND peeks into what my new brand will look like, follow along on Facebook or Instagram!

I would love to hear some of your Big Dreams that you want to go for. We can cheer each other on! So go on ahead and comment below!

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