Professional Growth
MAKING THE LEAP by Rachelle Scrase
I recently made the leap from a 25-year career in dental hygiene to owner of my own brand photography business. Quite the shift, but one that has yielded great rewards. This transition did not happen overnight, nor did it occur without a lot of deep inner work. My initial career choice was made out of security. It provided me a great income, job availability, work life balance – all of the things one considers when making major life decisions. But I denied myself the most important of considerations – what lights my soul on
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fire? For me, there was a defining moment. Approaching mid-life and realizing I was not living my purpose, the internal turmoil erupted, and I cracked wide open. It was after a complete and utter internal meltdown I realized that I NEEDED to create and that it was missing from my life. I tuned into my soul’s desire and haven’t looked back.
Laying the Groundwork The journey to today has taken time, effort, and patience. Once the decision was made to pursue my passion for photography, I spent years learning the skills that have brought me to this moment. I built my business during nights and on weekends, taking online education, learning new technologies, and familiarizing myself with business systems. Finding a mentor was invaluable. Their experience and leadership provided insights that saved me frustration, time, and overwhelm. Being intentional and laying down the necessary foundation before ever launching were key to my business success. Being in business is scary. Not only have I experienced the highest of highs, but also the lowest of lows. As an individual adverse to risk and fearful of the unknown, being an entrepreneur has tested me. I began asking myself questions. Am I capable? What if I fail?
4 Things to Consider When Starting a Business 1. Do the deep work; ask yourself ‘What am I passionate about?”, “What is my vision for my life?” 2. Start taking the necessary steps to move you towards your goal 3. Know that it will take time 4. Find support, teachers, guides, mentors My normally iron self-confidence was turned to dark self-doubt. The realization from this turmoil was that I could not do this alone. To this point I was barely treading water, and the fear was real. A life raft appeared in the form of a business coach. My mentor explained to me that I cannot achieve my goals when I live in fear. I realized in that moment that I had always lived in fear. This epiphany caused a seismic shift. I would no longer live in fear but in faith.
New Outlook means a Life with Purpose This new outlook has generated abundance in so many ways, and I use this new outlook to live my life with purpose and leverage my passion for photography to magnify the dreams of others. My mission is to help women in business feel confident, tell their story, thrive, and to do the work they were born to do. This ripple effect spreads out
Rachelle is a Central Alberta based brand photographer. She loves working with passionate entrepreneurial women to create custom imagery for their social media and marketing content so they tell their story and stand out. When she’s not behind the camera, she enjoys personal development, travel and spending time with her husband and two adult children. See more at infinitybrandphotography.com
