You know that feeling when you cannonball into a pool and the water goes up your nose, but you’re also laughing so hard you don’t care? That’s exactly what starting my photography journey felt like—chaotic, exhilarating, a little overwhelming, and honestly… kind of magical.

As a new stay-at-home mom, I originally picked up my camera hoping to capture sweet moments of my baby—and maybe (just maybe) cushion my online shopping addiction. Because let’s be real, Target hauls and 3 a.m. Amazon orders don’t pay for themselves.

So I decided to put myself out there with a model call. But not just one. No, no. Somehow, in a burst of caffeine-fueled confidence, I booked eight shoots in four days. Eight. That’s first week at home with a newborn-level chaos, but with memory cards and Lightroom.

Picture this: I’m wrangling props in one hand, snacks in the other, sprinting across fields, fluffing dresses and primping hair in the wind like I’m directing a Vogue shoot in a cow pasture. I was thriving. I was exhausted. I was hooked.

And the wildest part? Those free shoots turned into real bookings. Like, real money. Within a week, I had over $2,000 in sessions scheduled. My inbox exploded. People were paying me to do something I genuinely loved—and that, my friends, is the dream. Was I overwhelmed? Absolutely. Did I question my life choices during my 12th straight hour of editing? Most definitely. Would I do it again? In. A. Heartbeat.

The lesson? Sometimes jumping in headfirst is the only way to figure it out. You can plan for months, watch tutorials, read every “How to Start a Photography Business” blog. But nothing compares to just doing the dang thing.

So if you’re sitting on a dream while your 7 month old is stuffing anything they can get their hands on into their mouth and your Amazon cart mocks you—take this as your sign. It might just be the start of something beautiful… and hey, it might even cover your next haul.