I’m so happy to introduce to you yet another mentee from this past season of the.MENTOR.sessions. Valerie is sisters to one of my best friends in North Carolina. We met for the first time at her sister…my friends wedding…about two years ago! Who knew two years later Valerie would be starting up a photography business and would become a part of the.MENTOR.sessions! We’ve had a great five weeks so far and I’m really looking forward to the next three weeks…then looking forward to what the future holds for her business!!
Please meet……..
Hi! I’m val. I’m a musician/music teacher/critical care nurse-turned photographer. I’m a navy wife to the love of my life, James. I’m a daughter of Christ. I’m a mom to a beautiful, lively little girl that makes my heart spin, and a little lime-sized baby that makes me throw up almost every day. I have 4 brothers and 4 sisters that rock my world. I left part of my heart in Charleston, South Carolina when we lived there for nuclear power school. I consider ice cream a food group and the beach the best place on earth. Coffee, pedicures, flip flops, boots, wine, and sweatpants are my comforts in life. Country music is my jam. I love people, shopping, entertaining and my canon 5d mark ii.
I fell into photography quite by accident, or I should say divine intervention. I took some photography in college but all the experimentation I was fond of doing with my camera came to an abrupt halt during nursing school. I graduated, married into the navy, and spent the next few years following my husband up and down the east coast. When our daughter was born I was determined to have pictures of her at every milestone. I dug out my DSLR and started the slow process of re-learning how to use it. At the same time I started to pray for a job I could do from home- the ICU night shifts just weren’t working out with James’ intense schedule of being out to sea. Photography wasn’t what I had in mind however, as I started to take pictures of my friends’ kids…and their pregnancies… and their newborns…and their homecomings from deployment… I got hooked. I absolutely love it and can’t believe where the last year has taken me. I’m very grateful for Erin’s leadership and wisdom during these last five weeks. She’s really been forcing me to THINK about what i’m doing in my business and why. She’s led me in a journey of self-discovery that I never would’ve taken otherwise. It’s really empowering to have such an experienced photographer show you the tools to growing and succeeding in your business. I always look forward to our weekly sessions and learn so much every time. Can’t wait to see where the next year leads!
