About seven years ago, I was walking through a shoe store when I saw this amazing pair of suede boots.  They were beige, laced up the front and unlike anything I had ever considered wearing before.  They were cute.  Beyond cute.  But totally out of my style comfort zone.  So I gave the beautiful boots a lustful sigh and continued to walk the aisles in search of something a little less…scary.  Something a little more…me.

I think it’s worth noting that I am – by no means – a risky person.  I love safety and predictability.  As a matter of fact, my investment portfolio is a veritable smorgasbord of security blankets.  So not only is it rare for me to be lured by risk…but it’s even more rare for me to follow through with it.

But when it came to the boots, I just couldn’t do it.  I couldn’t stop thinking about them.  They called my name and invaded my thoughts.  So I did it…I bought them.  And I proceeded to wear them at every possible opportunity.  And every time I wore them…I felt brave…I felt confident…I felt great!  I felt as though some small piece of myself was living on the edge, albeit a very tiny, little suede covered ledge!  And the thing of it is, that I would get complimented nearly every time I wore them.  Those boots were – by far – one of the best purchases I ever made!  Taking that risk, proved to be one of the best decisions I ever made…regardless of how small it was!  They are sitting in my closet right now actually.  They are ripped and dirty and would look awful to wear, but I just can’t seem to part with them.  Something about them, sitting there at my front door, reminds of what it was like to follow my instinct, regardless of how scary it was.

Two years ago I followed another scary instinct and I pursued a life of photography…a life of creating…and a life far outside the realms of what I would ever consider “safe”.  And like my beloved suede boots…it has been one of the best decisions that I’ve ever made.  It wasn’t necessarily logical…it wasn’t necessarily something that fit within my comfort zone…but it was something that just had to be done.  It was a leap that I just had to take.

Valerie is someone else who is taking that same leap.  She is reaching outside of her comfort zone in order to see the true depths of her creative reach.  She, too – is pursuing a life behind the camera.  And so far, Val Mitchell Photography looks pretty fantastic on her!

Valerie came to spend the day with me last week.  Over some giant cups of coffee, we talked a lot about that leap.  That big, scary leap into unfamiliar territory.  We talked about the good, the bad, the terrifying and where that risk can take us if we’re willing to let it.  Bottom line?  Valerie is someone you should meet!  She is brave.  She is brilliant.  And she has a passion for her craft that is going to take her a long, long way!  Valerie is daring to put herself out there…daring to buy boots without knowing if they’ll match anything else she owns!!

Val, thank you so much for coming to hang out with me.  Thank you for sharing your story with me…for sharing your dreams with me…and for sharing the pursuit of it all with me.  I can’t wait to watch your business grow…and I can’t wait to watch you make it all happen!

xoxo