Laurel
Holland 

 

 

 

 I was raised in a community of people who value hard work over talent, and integrity over success. Although I didn't know in the beginning that my camera and I would create a whole business together, I did know that I would need to put my head down and work in obscurity for a while before I was experienced enough to effectively capture people's lives. 

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Even still, something was missing. I felt like I was floating and trying to be good at something I didn't even fully understand. It was then that a mentor of mine gave me the book "Start With Why," by Simon Sinek. 

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"Achievement happens when we pursue and attain what we want. Success comes when we are in clear pursuit of why we want it." - Simon Sinek 

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This book completely opened my eyes to the fact that I had been searching for small achievements and thinking these would make a difference in my life and in the lives of other people. In reality, achieving a certain look with my edits or booking consistent photography jobs did not have a lasting impact or bring any form of fulfillment. I had been working to build a business and improve my product, but hadn't put in the time to realize WHY I was doing any of it. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter how much work I do if I have no purpose behind it all. 

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So I began to think about why I do anything, or why I should do anything at all. I separated myself from the photos for a while, and thought about the "why" . I quickly realized that it is quite simple..