WPPI and Losing 20 Pages of Notes

I HATE loosing things! When I went to grab my notebook where I keept all my business notes for the last couple years (including my 20 pages of fresh WPPI notes), it was no where to be found. After searching high and low in the places I thought it had to be, it was no where to be found. Crap. I frantically tried to think of where in the world I would have put it and then remembered having it in the rental car we were driving on the way back from WPPI. We had already returned the car by this point so I called their office and asked if they had my notebook in the lost and found by any chance. After they checked the lost and found and no notepad turned up he kindly said he would call the lady who was currently renting the car an ask her to check for it. With my head down on the kitchen counter about to cry over my years worth of business notes I turned and saw the notebook leaning against our living room chair. Hallelujah!  Needless to say the lady currently using the rental car never found it. (Ha ha!) Lesson learned, I’ll be putting my notes in Evernote from now on.

Ok, now that I’ve shared my horror story I can tell you about the awesome opportunity I had to attend the Wedding and Portrait Photographers International Conference & Expo in Las Vegas, NV.  I met up with my friend Jen and we stayed at her parents house the whole week. They are such kind and welcoming people! Thank you sooooo much Bonsignori’s! Although the conference was 3 weeks ago I think my brain is still recuperating from all the amazing information and inspiration. This was my first time to attend and I came away from this experience with new ideas, techniques and fresh inspiration for the future of my photography business. I took about 20 pages of notes and I’m currently reviewing all my action items.  Here are 9 things I’d like to do better and a few pretty pictures from the trip (mostly from my iPhone).

9 things I’d like to do better:

1. Believe that I can!  “Your security lies in your ability to go out, kill it and drag it home.” -Dave Ramsey (via Zach & Jody Gray)
2. Blog more types of wedding content. Not just weddings/photo sessions.  –Lawrence Chan
3. Capture more emotion. Every story telling image should have 3 ingredients; Motion, Emotion and A little something special.  –David Getzschman
4. Focus more on what I can do for others.  –Laura Grier
5. Write down my goals. No, really go write down my goals.  –Lara Grier
6. Be a creator of wealth and not a re-allocator of my resources.   -Mary Marantz
7. Focus on leaving legacy, not making an impression. “What if we stopped worrying about leaving an impression and started worrying about leaving a legacy.”  –Mary Marantz
8. Get up earlier and work my BUTT off.  –Blake Discher
9. Send more handwritten Thank You notes.  –Blake Discher

Lawrence Chan rocking his platform class Content Marketing & Social Media! He’s a genius.

Yes, we may have done this with our P31 gals after dinner. Nerds.

We met Dawn Davis and I won a Radiopopper transmitter and receiver from a drawing during their platform class. So excited to get them! Dawn was the sweetest ever!

These crepes from Crepe Shack are the yummiest. It’s tradition now to get one every time I go to Vegas. 🙂

My very first platform class ever! 🙂

Got to hear Holley Maher and Marie Hines live! I met Holley afterwards and she gave me her new acoustic EP “February” . Love it! I often use her music from The Music Bed for my wedding day slideshows.

Jen and I had to break out the real guns at least once so we headed out to the Wetlands for a few fun portraits of each other. Go check out Jen Beeson Photography!