Last month, I attended the Magically Mundane Workshop with Alex of Daphne Mae Photography. I signed up for the workshop on somewhat of a whim. I’d seen Alex post about it, I knew she’d have lots of wisdom to share, and I had been feeling like I needed some inspiration in order to avoid burnout.

In preparation for the workshop, Alex had a one-on-one call with each of the attendees. We chatted about working from home, mom life, and how to keep it all going without getting overwhelmed. It was a refreshing conversation and made me even more excited for the workshop.

Fast forward to June. Vaughan dropped me off at the airport with a pit in my stomach. I knew my boys would be well taken care of (spoiled, even) but being away from them for that long just didn’t feel right. I also knew that spending some time pouring into myself and my business wouldn’t be something I’d regret.

After a LONG day of travelling and realizing that I inadvertently romanticized air travel, I arrived in Portland. I had to download the Uber app in order to call a driver (newbie) and found my cute little AirBnB. My sweet roommate, Dalayna, greeted me with a hug and we immediately hit it off. Someone on the plane had recommended Pok Pok for dinner so we decided to try it!

A delicious dinner and a great night’s sleep was followed by a walk to a local coffee shop and another Uber drive to The Croft Farm for the workshop. The beauty was overwhelming. This stunning farm is on Sauvie Island, seemingly miles away from everything else. We were welcomed with hugs, more coffee, and a seat in a cozy barn. Day one of the workshop was filled with conversations, lots of info, one-on-one time with Alex, and two beautiful family shoots.

Afterward, we ventured to downtown Portland for dinner and a little trip to Free People. Dalayna and I returned to our AirBnB, fully planning to head to bed early so we could make it to the farm early in the morning. But we ended up staying up WAY too late chatting about…well, everything. We were crazy tired the next day but I can’t say I regret it – it was so sweet to have that time to get to know each other.

On the second day of the workshop, we had another family shoot followed by some closing conversations and questions. I miss each and every one of the amazing women who attended the workshop – it was such a great group! Dalayna and I spent the rest of the day exploring Portland and I *finally* got to meet Ravyn of Three Fifteen Design – she designed this website for me a few years ago and we’ve never met in person. She was even more wonderful in person than I already knew she was!

I flew out that night after a nap in the hotel and giving Dalayna a BIG hug. Reuniting with my boys was so wonderful, but I had another pit in my stomach, knowing that I would miss those women and this experience so much.

I share all of this to say that it’s so worth it to invest in yourself and your business and to get out of your comfort zone. That may not look like flying across the country, but it may just be going to that local networking event. Or setting up a mentor session with an entrepreneur you admire. Whatever it is that will inspire you and help you grow, do it. I promise, you won’t regret it!