This year has been absolutely wild. I keep hearing stories of people going through challenge after challenge, freak accidents, medical trauma, etc. Not to ignore the current turmoil on a socioeconomic and global scale, but just the everyday lives of folks have been disrupted in so many ways. However, I do feel like there is so much opportunity ahead of us. While I’ve been hit just as much as the next person by the problems this year has chosen to throw at us, this year has definitely been a year of pivoting and listening to the universe.

First of all, 2024 has been a gap year in the industry. I’m more fortunate than most in the way that I have been getting steady work throughout the year, but I know many of my colleagues have been hurting. Wedding professionals predicted the gap year due to the fact that 2020 caused the dating scene to all but diminish (obviously thanks to the pandemic), and most folks need to be with their SO for a minimum of 2 years before they’re engaged. This definitely rings true for me, and is echoed in the photography circles I run in.

When I heard the news about this prediction for 2024 wedding industry, and that the wedding industry was going to slow down this year, I pivoted. I decided to refocus my energy back on my other brand, Bruja Betty Pin Up, but in a way that I never have. Instead of coming up with some big new set that I needed to build by Halloween, or what have you, I’ve been focusing heavily on getting my work in front of new faces. One of the big ways I did this was by going to expos and conventions, a marking strategy I had not yet attempted. However, I didn’t feel like a traditional wedding expo was really where I would find my ideal clients. Instead, I focused on expos and conventions like tattoo conventions, comic cons, etc., with one of the most successful and exciting of these being Horror Hound in Cincinnati, OH back in March.

Other than crafting and art fairs, I’m not one to attend a con, and I most certainly have never been to Horror Hound. That said, this was one of the most surprising experiences. I met so many amazing, friendly, and diverse people from all walks of life. The networking alone was outstanding, but I also booked several new sessions that have made sure that my Spring and Summer are nice and full ahead of my busy wedding season in the Fall. Social media algorithms are disproportionately cruel to small businesses, so being able to have fresh eyes on my work, being able to engage with my audience in person, etc. was well worth the booth price.

Prior to Horror Hound, I also did the Cyan Tattoo Invitational, and sandwich in between these two conventions I went to Switzerland for two weeks with my husband. I usually don’t take my professional gear with me when I travel, but I felt like my first trip to Europe called for it.

I can’t really describe how staying in a different country for two weeks, a place that was truly far more equitable than we could imagine, changed my brain chemistry. I’m not going to prattle on too much about all of the observations I have about Swiss culture compared to America, but it was definitely one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever had the pleasure of seeing.

March was insane, but energizing. Then, only a few short weeks after our return, we had our house fire. Fortunately, we all were able to get out safe, and the fire damage was kept to the kitchen thanks to a fire extinguisher. Unfortunately, our entire house was effected by smoke damage. We do have homeowners insurance, which has at least made our home livable with a good clean, but the rest of it is slow moving. I’m sure I’ll be stressing about this for months as we work to have our kitchen remodeled, waiting for things to be cleaned and returned, furniture to be reupholstered, and so much more, but I’m eternally grateful it wasn’t worse.

And if you’re wondering…

Beyond the fire, the travel, and the new marketing strategies, I’ve been focusing on developing my photographer education series focused on building the soft skills necessary to be a good business owner, planning sessions for later in the year, and doing all sorts of back end work. It’s weird constantly working and not having any “new content” to share in terms of photos as a photographer, but sometimes that’s what being a smart business owner looks like.

2024 is for opportunity, and I’m determined to always find it whenever possible.