35.
Here we are, 35 candles on my proverbial birthday cake.
I’ve never been very concerned with the process of growing old; I actually quite like it. I’ve always known that it is an inevitable fact of life, something to accept and embrace.
I have the silver strands and macrame doilies to prove it.
When you adopt an attitude of lifelong learning, growing old simply equates to the accumulation of wisdom and knowledge. That is something I can get down with.
In my younger years, my biggest fear was that I would always be stuck working in a cubicle in a job that wasn’t aligned with my life purpose. The fluorescent lights and ‘meetings that could have been emails’ drove me to continue growing my vision for a free future.
I vividly remember a phone conversation I had with my dad at the age of 27. I was living in Denver, working for a recruiting company and running my side hustle photography business.
At the time, I wasn’t ready to dive full throttle into entrepreneurship. I was raised in a family where risks were taken, but they had to be calculated. Security was established by having a certain number represented in the bank. I wanted a substantial nest egg “just in case” before I flew the coop, so my dad and I were chatting strategy.
During our dialogue, I made the declaration that I would be working for myself by the age of 35, or else.
The truth is that I’ve always known I was meant to be my own boss. I did great work for other organizations - often exceeding expectations, climbing the ladder, taking on additional responsibilities, ranking in the top of the sales team, etc..but something was always amiss. I could never feel totally settled in at any of the companies I worked for. Like an itch that cannot be scratched, I regularly yearned for a different career circumstance.
Freedom is what I was after. Options. Flexibility. Uncapped earning potential. Work, on my terms.
35 seemed like a landmark year then.
I ended up achieving the ‘solopreneur by 35’ vision, instead resigning from my agency recruiting role at the age of 31 (in an out of character and abrupt fashion, but that’s a story for another time.)
I’m so proud of the photography business I’ve grown in the past decade. The skills acquired (through LOTS of trial and error), the client-turned-friend relationships I’ve nurtured, the confidence I’ve built and the momentum to keep dreaming have all been instrumental to the level of happiness I’m feeling today.
The sky is the damn limit, friends. Do yourself a favor and write down that big, scary dream. Talk about it with your friends and family. Throw it out there and keep coming back to it. Cultivate your courage, lean into learning and put one foot in front of the other; the magic happens when you keep persisting. Contrary to the culture of immediacy that we’re living in, success does NOT happen overnight. Start small or go big right from the get go, whichever option speaks to you, just keep showing up!




Whimsical Roots Photography specializes in creating and capturing joy. We love collaborating with people who LOVE to laugh, don't take themselves too seriously and are willing to get silly in order to capture truly reflective, candid moments of happiness & vibrance.
Whimsical Roots Photography is on fire for photographing weddings and family centered sessions in Wisconsin. Andrea is based out of Hartford, Wisconsin and happily connects with couples & growing families in Slinger, West Bend, Hartland, Madison, Milwaukee, Madison, Wauwatosa, Delafield and beyond. The passion Andrea shares with her clients translates to beautiful imagery and an amazing client experience. If you're seeking a fun-loving, spirited wedding and family photographer, contact Wisconsin photographer Whimsical Roots Photography today. You won't regret it!
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