The Unexpected Lesson from a Lens That Transformed My Marketing

Before jumping into this week’s email, I wholeheartedly apologize for ghosting your mailbox last week. 

Yep, that’s right, in the many years I’ve been connecting with you, I haven’t missed a week, until now… It’s interesting how conflicted I was about it. My spouse was insistent to let it go and that you’d understand… It was a weird feeling for me.

We had just gotten back from an East Coast family wedding, and that event was a super spreader for the flu, and it hit me hard. 10 days later, and I’m still recovering. The flu and the flu shot are no joke. If I hadn’t gotten the flu vaccine last fall, I’m sure I’d be in the hospital. I’ve been doing breathing treatments and feeling more myself. I’ve got asthma, hence I’m still recovering. 

The good news is I’m still here, kicking, screaming, and soooo want to feel myself again… Until then, my doctor says to give it two more weeks… this will be a very slimmed-down newsletter. Apologies in advance.

So….

I don’t think I’ve ever shared this with you before… I’ve been taking pictures since I was 12.

My dad handed me my first film camera and signed us up for a beginner’s night class at Tulane University. Just the two of us. I’m still not totally sure why he picked that class, and there I am, a 7th grader, with all these adults, yet that picture bug stuck with me.

At a tumultuous time in my childhood, my parents’ ugly divorce, that class, being with my dad, and my camera changed the way I saw the world.

To this day, I can’t walk down the street without noticing how the light falls on a wall, or how someone’s eyes crinkle mid-laugh. 

My brain just can’t help it — everything I see turns into a photo in my head.

I stop. I take the shot.  It’s just a natural reflex like blinking. It’s so automatic now.

And the truth is, this simple habit—just looking around, noticing, capturing—it’s what keeps me present. It reminds me that these little moments matter. And that life is full of them, and often they can be missed, if we’re rushing through life.

Being at my niece’s wedding brought all of this back home for me. There were so many moments I wanted to remember. So many photos I couldn’t not take. The fun part for me—I wasn’t thinking about curating some perfect highlight reel—I just wanted to hold onto the way people were in those little unscripted moments. I just wanted to capture the feeling of what it was like celebrating a new beginning with family and friends.

So this got me thinking deeper about this –– photography isn’t just something I do. It’s part of how I live.

AND, it’s also how I run my business.

Let me explain…

It’s about slowing down and starting to see your business, clients, offers, and messages through your lens of presence and purpose. When you do— everything shifts.

The marketing of your business becomes less about pushing and more about aligning.
That’s when your message becomes clearer.
And your dream clients start to feel seen and drawn into your messaging.
Then, the magic happens when your business becomes a reflection of your deeper values.

Whether you’re holding a camera, writing a blog, posting on social media, or crafting a marketing message, your creative process always starts with being present.

Because marketing—the way I teach it—isn’t about clever tricks or pushing people into buying. It’s about paying close attention to…

What your clients need…
The words they use
to describe the problems they’re struggling with, trying to solve, and responding to those.

Whether I’m helping someone plan a launch, write or edit copy, or build out their messaging, it all starts with listening and noticing.

Same as taking a good photo.

You have to slow down. Be present. And care enough to really see what’s in front of you.

What I’ve found over the many years I’ve been working with entrepreneurs to help them market and create successful businesses… 

When they came to me, marketing felt loud, overwhelming, messy, and disconnected from the kind of work they actually wanted to do. Makes so much sense.

The real truth is, the more present and clear you are with your mission and values, the easier it gets when you realize you’re not there to force something to happen. You’re not there to “sell them something.”  You’re just showing up with honesty, clarity, connection, and intention.

So here’s something you might try: next time you’re out running errands or hanging out with your family, imagine you’re holding a camera.

What would you notice if you had to take a picture of this moment?
What stands out to you and would be worth remembering?

That same skill—of noticing—can shift how you talk about your work, how you connect with people. And how you build trust.

That’s what Soulful Marketing is about. It’s not magic. It’s just you, showing up, paying attention, and simply being yourself.

If this resonates, and you’re ready to bring a little more presence and clarity into your marketing, I’d love to help. Or drop me a note and tell me what you’ve been noticing lately.

You never know what small moment might lead to something big.

Weekly Photos

Pictures from my niece’s wedding in Princeton, NJ. It was filled with lots of love, adventure, and dog photos. a trip to the E.R. for my Mom, and one big super spreader flu event for all…

1. My niece and I, whom I hadn’t seen in over 8 years. It was so much fun catching up.
2. It was a black tie wedding, and Alice and I had a ton of fun dressing up in the same tuxes from our wedding.
3. All Emma does when we’re away…. sleep…
4. More sleeping on the couch for Emma
5. A fun taco sign in Princeton, NJ
6. More Emma relaxing….
7. And yeah, this sign says it all for now….

P.S. Whenever You’re Ready: Here are 3 Ways I can make an impact on creating greater success in your business using marketing that’s aligned with your mission and values without feeling like you’re selling your soul.

1. Make Money Now Sheet – It’s one of the bonuses in my 7-Step Soulful Marketing System. I wanted to give it to you for free to help you create more success.

2. Love Books Like I Do? – I’m always reviewing the best nonfiction books – Where Buddha Meets Business.

3. Get my proven 7-Step Soulful Marketing System. It gives you the framework you need to implement authentic and connected marketing using online customer experiences and launching your products, services, or courses. It will help you create greater success.

It’s a simple system, especially if you love to read like me. There’s no video or audio. Plus, you get my proven templates, tools, and worksheets, all with tremendous value. And I’m pricing it incredibly low so it can be more accessible to more people. 🙂

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I appreciate your sharing. Thank you!

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