Meeting Sue Bryce

Last month, I travelled to L.A. for a whirlwind trip to meet my mentor, Sue Bryce. For people who don't know who Sue Bryce is, I tell them: "She is the Oprah of the photography world!". And, she truly is. She has been my mentor and inspiration for years, so when I was invited to attend her very first 12-Week Start-up Graduation event in L.A., nothing was going to stop me from going. What a dream come true!

My first instinct, honestly, was that I couldn't go.... I couldn't afford it, and it was mid-week, what would I do with the kids! But, I couldn't bring myself to turn down the invitation... yet... Somehow, the stars aligned and I managed to arrange school pick-ups/drop-offs and my sweet neighbour gave me a buddy pass for my flight! Yay!

The two-day workshop was jam-packed with incredible and inspiring content. From studio-tours and posing and lighting techniques, to business talk and legal stuff. A surprise guest speaker was the one-and-only Rachel Brenke (thelawtog.com). As a photographer and lawyer, she is the go-to-girl for talk about contracts, releases and any legal questions a photographer might have.

Despite the long and busy days, Sue made the time to take selfies and sign books with all 180 of us at the end of each day. She has built an amazing business doing something that she loves, and that comes through in every action and word that comes from her. She is living proof that in a competitive industry we can succeed through loving, giving, rejoicing and collaborating. We do not need to step on anyone to get ahead. We do not need to put anyone down to lift ourselves up. My biggest takeaway from spending two days with her is this:

Just be yourself, love what you do, give great service, and the rest will follow. If you don't succeed, it can all be traced back to one source: YOU. Figure out where you fell down and do better next time.

On the wall of her studio, Sue displays her favourite poem, by Derek Walcott:

Love After Love

The time will come
when, with elation
you will greet yourself arriving
at your own door, in your own mirror
and each will smile at the other's welcome,

and say, sit here. Eat.
You will love again the stranger who was your self.
Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart
to itself, to the stranger who has loved you

all your life, whom you ignored
for another, who knows you by heart.
Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,

the photographs, the desperate notes,
peel your own image from the mirror.
Sit. Feast on your life.

Can I say that I also love that she's into poetry? My kind of girl!!! Here is a quote from Marianne Williamson's book Return to Love, that I find inspiring, and maybe you will too:

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.

Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves,

‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?’

Actually, who are you not to be?

Your playing small does not serve the world.

There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.

We are all meant to shine, as children do.

It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

I am so glad that I went to L.A., met my mentor and made so many amazing new friends. Bucket list item checked! Life is good.

shoot.print.love.laurie

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