I want to be barefoot deep in a forest somewhere every time I observe Mona's work. The lush, delicate textures draw me in to waterfall adventures and rejuvenating solitude amongst the trees. One of my greatest pleasures in life is walking barefoot in an established spongy moss bed, the smell of damp earth permeating my lungs. Mona's work is a great reprieve on days I don't make it into the woods.

Mona trusted me with her branding photography a little while back. We photographed a few of her pieces, some grounded lifestyle portraits, headshots, her process and images specifically crafted for her marketing needs. Wanting to compliment - and not detract from - the intentionality of her work, I kept the photography simple.

A big part of the mental side of Mona's business and process is balance. I planned to mirror her mindset in the photographs. I became absorbed in the part of her session which focused on Flat Lay's, making sure to highlight all the aspects of Mona's intention and of her physical pieces. Whenever I look at her photographs, I am always drawn back to these specific images.

I always hope for people to feel the respite of Mona's work when they look at the photographs I did for her. She is a wonderful human and her work has much heart to be seen.

My favorite part of being a small business owner/photographer is the people I cross paths with. I get to meet so many incredible people with unique stories on different journeys - people who continually keep me inspired. One such individual is Josh Kwasny. He is one of the most inspiring people I’ve met and I always look forward to learning from him. (You’ll get a taste of his wisdom below, as these 5 steps are his.)

Josh and I met through a networking group and he quickly became someone I admire and look up to. He works with the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), and meets with businesses sized 10 employees to 100 employees to help them instill an empowering and effective work culture. Well, really that’s the end result of the work that he does. It’s much more involved - making sure the structure can support the workers and the clients, helping people step into/be placed in the proper role, teaching companies how to work the EOS on their own so they can problem solve quickly and efficiently. Making sure work is producing money and that money is working for them. He is a truly valuable asset for any business that works with him. In fact, if you’re interested, make sure to reach out to him - https://www.eosworldwide.com/josh-kwasny - and you can even let him know Jasper & Fern sent you.

Well, recently Josh gave a short presentation on what he does. But, instead of taking the time to talk about himself, he decided to share some of his favorite information that he finds helpful for all businesses. I popped on my recorder and snagged my notebook because I knew it was going to be valuable to learn and I wanted to pass along the value to you as well. Below is the transcription of his presentation.

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What's the worst thing that can happen to a business? They fail, right? And many, many businesses dock in the first five years just because they hit ceilings. Now, I am a strange person because I celebrate ceilings. Ceilings means you're growing. I don't celebrate the revolution of the ceiling. I celebrate breaking through the ceiling.

So here's five leadership abilities that you can use when you're stuck against a ceiling - because you may be stuck as a business. You may be stuck as a department, or you may be stuck as an individual worker in the business not knowing how to break through.

Okay, ready to go.

1. Simplify.
   The first step is to simplify. If you think about it, if you're stuck, sometimes it's an issue of complexity. We are constantly pushing against complexity. So if you think about this, you have two people in a business - or maybe as marriage or a marriage relationship -, right? Two lines of communication - easy, right? It’s so easy to communicate the marriage because there's just two lines of communication.
   * audience chuckle *
   Just imagine though, that someone else comes into that. You now add a 50% increase and, what do you get? A 200% increase in complexity. That’s exponential.
   Do that one more time. You add yet another person and now you went up a 100% increase in complexity from where you started with your original 2 people.
   Your new complexity is up 500% from the beginning,
   Just imagine, imagine, imagine the more people in the business, the more people on your team, the more the complexity.
   So the first leadership ability is the ability to dumb things down. Right? Like, keep it simple. Keep it simple. Dumb it down.
   You're constantly pushing against complexity. You have to have simplicity. Sometimes you're stuck, because you got too much complexity.
   

2. Delegate
   The second step is this : we have to be able to delegate, right? We have to ask “who can I have to help me?”
   In order to grow the business you started, you've got to make duplications of yourself, and you have to delegate responsibilities to those duplications.
   But here's the problem, sometimes you're like, “I can't delegate because I don't have the right person”. Or sometimes you can't delegate because you don't want to delegate - because you think you're the only one on this earth that can do the things you need done.
   But as long as you stay without the ability to delegate, you will be stuck. You cannot grow if you can't delegate, all right?
   You need to delegate to be able to elevate your unique ability. If you can live in your unique ability - what you've been made to do and you are best at - can you imagine?! You have so much more capacity. So delegate.
   Delegating doesn't always mean hiring someone. It’s asking this question “Who?” not “How?” So when you're like, “Oh, I have to do this new thing. Well, how do I do it?” Don't go to YouTube first'. Ask “Who do I know that might be able to help me?” They might be able to give their time. They might be able to come alongside and coach me.
   ”Who?” not “How?”
   Delegate.
   

3. Predict
   You need to be able to predict. Sometimes you're stuck because you don't understand what's coming up. Prediction is on two different planes - long term predicting and short term predicting. You gotta get really good at predicting 90 days and out, quarter by quarter. What's happening next, what's the future? What does it look like from a year from now, three years from now. We have all this strategic planning stuff, but you've got to be good at predicting long term.
   Now here’s the one we often miss : we've got to be good at predicting short term - which means week in and week out. When we're meeting as a team or when we have our teams together or when we're just sitting down and trying to understand what to do, we need to prioritize the most important things for that week. Are we constantly in the tyranny of the urgent, right? We need to think about what's most important right now first.
   

4. Systemize
   Sometimes you're stuck because systems are broken. I have some good news for you. There's only a few systems you really have to work out.
   In a business, you have an HR process, right? You have a way that you bring people in, or maybe for your team, like hybrid peopling.
   You've got a marketing process.
   You've got a sales process.
   You've got a couple operations processes of how you make or complete a certain the service that you provide.
   You've got some accounting.
   You’ve got customer service.
   You only have a handful of systems, yeah? You don't have hundreds. You have a few. The ability to simplify those things by systemizing them is essential in helping you break through your ceiling.
   One of my favorite quotes is from the leader of the Four Seasons, he says “ Systemize the predictable so you can humanize the exceptional.”
   ”Systemize the predictable” the things you do all the time. “So you can humanize the exceptional” - spend that limited energy you've got spending time with people you have and the exceptional things that can happen in the business.
   

5. Structure
   Sometimes you're stuck because the structure is broken.
   Picture a vine right growing all over the place. If a vine does not have a trellis what happens to the vine? It dies. It'll grow on itself until it's dead. But if you put a structure in place, it will flourish. And a structure needs to be something substantial, not sort of organizational chart that shows what you’re doing right now. It needs to be [what we call] an Accountability Chart - which is six to 12 months of actually thinking about growth so that the vine of your business growth can actually be supported.
   

So those are your very quick tools for today to help you when you’re stuck. Focus on these five things. Ask yourself the question - “Is it too complex?” Ask the question, “Do I have any help? Or am I trying to do everything myself?” Ask the question, “Am I actually aware of what's coming? Am I preparing for what's coming?” As yourself the question, “Do I have systems in place or am I constantly herding cats?” Last but not least ask the question, “Is the structure right?” Look again at the structure so that you can have the support because I would love for you all, personally, as a department or as a company break through your ceiling.

As I sit here, keyboard beneath my fingers, thoughts swirling like the pages in this conceptual photograph, I find myself drawn to the essence of vulnerability in my conceptual work as a brand photographer. It's a topic that's been dancing at the edges of my consciousness lately, weaving its way through conversations and moments of quiet reflection.

There's a profound beauty in the openness that comes with each click of the shutter after a concept has been carefully crafted and now displays itself in fruition before me in a willingness to peel back the layers, to expose the raw, unfiltered truth beneath the surface. It's a delicate balance, this dance between capturing a moment and surrendering to the unknowns of creativity.

I've come to realize that each portrait is s reflection of the human experience in all its messy, glorious complexity. It's about more than just posing and lighting and positioning; it's about creating a space where souls can unfold, where stories can be whispered and truths can be shared.

And yet, there's a certain vulnerability in that vulnerability, if that makes sense. A fear of baring oneself too much, of revealing too many truths. It's a fine line to walk, but one that I've learned to embrace with open arms.

Because, you see, it's in those moments of raw, unguarded honesty that true connection is forged. It's in the cracks and crevices of our humanity that the light finds its way in, illuminating the beauty that lies within each of us.

So, as I embark on this journey with each client, I do so with a heart full of curiosity and a spirit of adventure. I welcome the questions, the uncertainties, the tangled threads of emotion that weave their way through our sessions. For it's in the unraveling of those threads that true magic happens. It's in the vulnerability of the human spirit that we find our greatest strength, our deepest beauty, our most authentic selves.

Madison’s headshot.

Skilled hands and a grounded presence are paramount in the world of medicine. That’s where Madison, one of our most recent clients, is venturing with her life. She is currently heading into her residency. With her love for working with her hands, she wants to end up somewhere in the field of surgery. In order to put her best foot forward with her residency applications, she came to us for a professional headshot.

From the moment Madison stepped into the studio, her body language communicated authenticity and grace. Her warm, easy-going nature and smile - which reminded me of the beloved character Winnie from The Wonder Years - exuded a sense of approachability and professionalism. Her personality, coupled with her choice of a classic navy blazer in a modern cut and paired with a minimalistic ivory satin blouse and simple gold necklace provided cohesion to the personal brand Madison wanted to exemplify. By avoiding distractions in her clothing choices, the focus remained on her captivating gaze, which mirrored her determination and enthusiastic dedication to her craft. These elements helped highlight her refined elegance and would, most certainly, appeal to her industry directors. The resulting headshots beautifully portrayed her as a skilled professional with a commitment to excellence and a strong desire to build trust with her employers, peers and future patients.

Madison's headshot session was a true reflection of her unique qualities and aspirations. With her grounded presence, love for working with her hands and warm demeanor, she epitomizes the ideal candidate for surgical residency. As she ventures further into the world of medicine, Madison's headshots will serve as a visual representation of her remarkable qualities and inspire confidence in those she encounters along her path of healing and care.