The Say Less Podcast

007 - The Art of Noticing... For All Entrepreneurs

• Grace Cacho & Alex Taylor • Episode 7

Share episode

Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.

0:00 | 38:02

In this heartfelt episode, hosts Alex and Grace dive deep into how the skill of noticing transforms not only your creative work but also your personal relationships and entrepreneurial journey. Whether you're capturing moments as a photographer, designing for clients, or navigating the busy chaos of motherhood, this conversation emphasizes the power of presence, intuition, and serving from a place of genuine care.

In this episode:

  • How all women are naturally creative and how that creativity manifests in everyday moments
  • The importance of shifting from a task-oriented mindset to serving clients and loved ones with heart
  • The impact of reading the room and noticing tension, tension-release, and authentic moments
  • Practical examples from wedding photography illustrating the art of noticing beyond checklists
  • How asking questions, avoiding cookie-cutter approaches, and creating margin enhance creativity
  • The parallels between serving clients and caring for your family as a mom
  • The influence of trends like whimsy and the importance of authenticity
  • Why teamwork, second shooting, and collaboration amplify your ability to notice and serve
  • Self-awareness as a tool to prevent burnout and stay grounded in the art of noticing

Remember: The art of noticing is a daily practice—serve from your heart, read the room, and let authenticity lead your creative journey.

Send us burning questions, topic ideas, and things you’re loving about the podcast!

Connect with Alex & Grace:

Education:

Must-Have Systems

Arisa Haus Creative Marketing Agency

Grace & Andrew Cacho provide clarity to businesses and personal brands by means of Brand Message Clarity, Audits, Brand Strategy, Content Creation, Photo & Video, Web Design, and Social Media Management.

SPEAKER_00

We we speak a lot to photography, but I think this art of noticing, no matter what you do for business as an entrepreneur, as a woman, you are creative. I think all I think all women are creative. Whatever your job description is, I think it's just in a um and so we're doing that in some capacity. Whatever we're doing is art, even if it's like sitting and coloring with your kids, like even as a mom, the art of noticing, like how are we serving our family well? I think we could go down so many rabbit holes with this. But I think photography becomes more serving people through documenting and like even web design becomes serving people through how can we clarify this more? I'm hearing that you don't really know what you want. Let's talk through it instead of like, well, this isn't helpful. I think you should find somebody else or make them something not great because you don't have all the information. Like, dig and care for the person. Um, and I think when that shift happens, everything you start to create feels different because it is. And it does, it doesn't just feel different to you, it feels different to your clients as well. I wanted to start a podcast for creative entrepreneurs. So I asked Alex to join me and I said, stay less, I'm in. Welcome to the Stay Less podcast, where we actually say a lot more about motherhood, creativity, photography, business ownership, and everything in between.

SPEAKER_01

We're your hosts, Alex and Grace, and this is a space for creative women building something meaningful. Whether you're raising babies, raising your rates, or just trying to figure out your next move.

SPEAKER_00

We talk about all the real stuff. What's working, what's not, what we're unlearning, what nobody tells you about building a business that has to fit inside a real life. The pivot, the pressure, the sustainability, and all of the seasons. If you've ever felt like you're creating in the margins of your time, your energy, or your confidence, you're not alone here.

SPEAKER_01

So stay lost. Let's get into it. Okay, I'm really excited to get into this topic because as we were preparing and like planning for it, I had a thought. And I'm wondering if you remember. So I know you and I have been married a long time, in a long time, being, you know, C and I, eight years. Yeah, you to our husbands. Not to each other. Hi, welcome to the Say Less Podcast. If you're new here, we are not Putners. Well, business polners, not life polners. We're married and have husbands and children. Yes. Okay. I'm really glad we cleared that up. When you and I separately were planning our weddings to our husbands, I remember, and I'll never forget it. Um, the knot and wedding wire were like so big, and they just kind of like boomed in the industry. And I remember that the knot was selling this like blue binder with like all this paperwork in it, and you could get it from like Barnes and Noble or like Books A Million or you know, any of the like the bookstores, Target, I'm sure. I remember going specifically to Barnes and Noble and buying this book written and like printed by the Knot, and it was like a wedding planning binder with tabs, and you can make notes and like picture pockets and like Pinterest inspo. And there was one page because you know, at this point I was like already three years into my photography career. There was one page that I remember seeing and be like, rip it up, rip it in half. And it was this whole section about photography and questions you should ask your photographer, and multiple pages of required photographs to require of your photographer. And it was like a shot list, you know. At this point, it's 2018. Okay, when I was planning my wedding, 2019, 2018. And um, you know, it was like a heart hands in focus, and the couple like threw the heart hands, yes, but it was like required photos for your photographer, and it was like written by this like giant company that um, you know, was kind of giving all the inspiration at the time. And I that's what I'm saying is I remember making a special trip just to buy it and seeing that page and being and thinking someone that buys this, who obviously, you know, I was a photographer, but who isn't, is going to send me this list and I'm gonna read it and have to explain the importance of not having a direct shot list. And for those of you who are brides on the podcast, I'm not referring to, you know, you want pictures with your uncle that flew in from blah, blah, blah, or your family photos, you were those kind of things that you like certainly want, but I mean like certain poses and stuff like that. And I just remember thinking how that was gonna throw so many people off.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, definitely. Yeah, I agree with that. Did you do you have like a because I feel like a Pinterest board could be a totally different thing? I mean, it's like photo info, but did you have any shot list for your wedding? I don't think I did.

SPEAKER_01

I really didn't, but no, I really didn't. I had like moments that were important to me. And yeah, and my photographer who um was a friend, she actually is who mentored me when I started in the photography business. You know, sat down, had coffee with me, kind of taught me the ropes, literally let me come to her house and sit next to her while she edited and worked on heirloom albums for her clients so that I could learn from her. Truly an amazing person. Hi, Rachel Megan. I hope you're listening to this and I hope you hear how much I love you. She was my wedding photographer, and she has all I feel like before it was even cool, she was the queen of like moments. And still is and she's that's what I'm saying. Yeah, no, she can for sure like we need to have her on the podcast. She would do great. She's doing a lot of stuff right now with her business. So she would have a lot to say. She's a word queen like you, she has a lot of words too, and she's really good at that. No, she she really emphasized that when I booked, when I knew her, when I booked her, I already knew her. And when I knew her, I booked her because she's always been it's about moments and it's about me noticing what's going on and capturing those moments. So I hired her for, I mean, a million reasons, but for that reason specifically of let me sit back and enjoy my day and know that it's going to be captured organically, exactly as it's like playing out and not trying to like rush through my timeline. You know what I mean? Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. I think that we, like you said, we're putting too much emphasis. I think especially now there, I'm seeing a little bit of other things too, but especially now, there's just so many people on TikTok and Instagram, like, ask your photographer these questions. You should have the I it's not in like the book form anymore at Barnes and Noble. It's like all over TikTok being shoved down brides' throats. And even photographers, what they should be getting. And I think it's kind of taking away from the artistry a little bit. And I think like this whole art of noticing really is an art and you have to hone in on that craft. But I think it's not a skill to learn. I think it's just it flows out of who you are. And I think it just goes to kind of the heart of what this episode is about. Serve first business approach. And I think this is for more than just people that are photographers, whatever your business is, if you don't have the mindset of how can I serve people well, like if you're in it, yes, you're in it for the money. I think the thing I just saw a post from Rachel today. It was like, if you're in it for the money, get out. Literally get out. Oh my gosh. No, I think it's like I read we're we shout out to Rachel, she's just inspiring all the conversation today.

SPEAKER_01

This episode is like dedicated to her. I will make sure whenever we get this live. Tag her and all the things. Oh my gosh, yes, yes. And she's like an inspiration with words and um with her business model for sure. She's been doing it forever too. So she gets it. And I know we're going to talk about, I don't even want to say AI on this episode because I know we're going to record an AI episode. However, I did just want to say, in relation to what we're discussing today, I have had brides that I can tell have asked chat or Claude or whatever their chosen AI tool, what do I need to ask my photographer? And they've sent that over to me. Yeah. And I've been noticing that. And like I had one not too long ago that didn't end up booking. I didn't end up booking. They didn't end up booking me. It was kind of like, in my opinion, it was like a mutual, we're just not the right fit. But she had sent to me that she was like, When I get my photos, will I get them on a USB stick? I don't even know. That was a unique question. And I was like, I was like, I don't know if my computer has the USB port. What I told Travis, I was like, I'll have a MacBook and like an iMac, and neither of them even have a USB port. So I'm like, no, you won't be received. But it was that among the other questions that I could tell had been like filtered through like an AI chatbot. So that's just like a whole other problem is people are kind of acting on what they think. So I'm like, you know, in 2018, 2019, it was the binder and it now is AI, which, like I said, we're reserving for another episode. But from the perspective of a service provider, I feel like it's already so important that you like read the room in all instances, are able to read the room of knowing when you're needed and wanted and knowing when you maybe shouldn't be present, if you know what I mean. Yeah. And so the art, like I love, by the way, this episode is called the art of noticing for those of you that are listening. So we're going to use that phrase a lot because we're, you know, obviously talking about that. But I feel like it goes beyond noticing the art and noticing all the things that are going on throughout the day of what is there to notice. Not just like the beautiful, intimate moments in the in-between, but the let me read the room and notice that there's tension. And is it my job to diffuse it or do I need to take a step back? Yeah. I even think like a service. Oh, go ahead. No, you go. You're fine. I was like, yeah. I'm like, no, we're both so hot and heavy on this topic that we're gonna be barking over each other into the mic. What I was just gonna say is like you have to be able to like notice those things of if I'm gonna step back, if I'm gonna alleviate the tension. And that it was like a huge upside and downside for like a service provider for someone that is emphasizing like, let me serve first, because it's so important to step into that role if you need to.

unknown

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Whereas, you know, like a company would just be like, let me step back, let me step back.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. So I even think, you know, photographers obviously we're both photographers. Uh but like my husband, he he has worked it for our church for over a decade. And I think that he does a way better job of this than me, but he also does like his his just his emotional his EQ is insane. He's just like very steady as a rock, and it's annoying, makes me want to throw up sometimes. But he also does web design.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, he's not blinded by hormones. Men just like have it easier, and I'm sorry to say that. I'm sorry to say that, but it's true. They have it easier, like in that aspect. I'm not gonna say in all things, and they certainly have less brain and body makeup affecting their emotions. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

So but he does web design, you know, he does web design, and I think even in that context, what does it look like for him to serve people well, like service first? And I think you know, he has a lot of he's really good about actually answering the phone when people call him instead of keeping things in emails, and he listens to people and he, you know, he hears their story and what are their pain points in life right now, and he wants to serve from that place, not just like, okay, what do you need? What do you need? Here's how much it costs, I'll deliver it to you. And we're done. We're square. It's like actually, you gotta care about the people in order to do what you do well. Um, and I think same with like content creators, or maybe even I even think of like this, this is a service. It's not necessarily creative, but it can be. But think about like a bookkeeper. You're handling somebody's money and you have there are a lot of very vulnerable conversations that come with that. So are you just going to provide them the whatever they service they need, or are you going to build a relationship with them and build trust with them? And at the end of the day, it's not, you're not building relationship to get more clients. That is a byproduct. But like when you take care of the people, you get really great referrals. Like it, it just totally changes the game and the tone of your business. So I think we we speak a lot to photography, but I think this art of noticing, no matter what you do for business as an entrepreneur, as a woman, you are creative. I think all I think all women are creative. Whatever your job description is, I think it's just in a totally. Um, and so we're doing that in some capacity. Whatever we're doing is art, even if it's like sitting and coloring with your kids, like even as a mom, the art of noticing, like how are we serving our family well? I think we could go down so many rabbit holes with this. I think photography becomes more serving people through documenting and like even web design becomes serving people through how can we clarify this more? I'm hearing that you don't really know what you want. Let's talk through it instead of like, well, this isn't helpful. I think you should find somebody else or make them something not great because you don't have all the information. Like dig and care for the person. Um, and I think when that shift happens, everything you start to create feels different because it is. And it does, it doesn't just feel different to you, it feels different to your clients as well.

SPEAKER_01

Just a side note, I think you're really amazing at this. Just so you know. You're supposed to be- No, and I mean it because, you know, and I know those of you that have been listening to our episodes, Grace and I have been working together for six years, and I feel like I and I'm like, let me toot my horn, and then let me like, then let me talk myself down. You are also so good at this. No, I'm not. No, I'm not. No, I'm not. And listen, I want to say why. I want to toot my horn, and then I want to talk myself down, and then I want to talk about Grace. And those are my three bullet points, and I'm saying them so I don't lose my train of thought. Tooting my horn, I'm very charismatic and positive and optimistic, and I feel like I and I've been told, so I'm not just saying this, but that I have all those personalities where people can share with me. Oh, absolutely. I yes, like I'll just be anywhere and I'm hearing the live story of the person that's checking me out at the Swap. Yep. And I don't, and I don't maybe even want to hear it, but here I am having to hear it, and that's totally fine. I think that's why I thrive in the wedding environment because that's where the highest stress intention of the day is. And I'm able to kind of be cheerful and positive, but also calming in a way of tell me what's going on and like let me validate you and give you the feedback you're looking for, and let's move on for the day. However, I'm not a great listener as a person, and as I'm not, and like that's what I'm saying. I said, let me toot and then let me let me back down. I'm not a great listener because I am a natural yapper. I'm just a natural yapper. I'm not a people pleaser. I'm not trying to please people, but I just love to yap, hence podcast hosting. And now to Grace, now to Grace, which actually before I go to Grace, let me go to my husband since I'm not married to Grace. Although And then we'll go to Andrew.

unknown

No, I'm just kidding.

SPEAKER_01

Although you may think that I am based on all the things I say, Bar. Um, my husband's an amazing listener. And I it's one of his best qualities is his patience and his ability to listen through everything, which also makes him really great at his job, which he's not a creative entrepreneur, but still important for his job. Six years ago, when I was looking to hire someone full-time, I loved your personality because of your calming presence and how amazing of a listener that you are. I knew I'm self-aware and humble enough, humble, even though you might not believe it, although everything I've said today, I'm humble and self-aware enough to know that I needed someone to counteract the personality that I had, that I'm on speed and I'm excited and happy and hyper and positive and cheerful. But I needed someone from a totally different perspective. And you're completely positive and happy and all that too, but not hyper and excitable and a yapper like me, but more so a listener. And so I was super happy to find the yang to my yin, the yin to my yang because you really have noticed a lot more than me. Anytime you work with me, the photos that you capture versus what I capture are vastly different of what I was capturing in the moment and what you capture in the moment is totally different because you're seeing and noticing whereas I'm kind of not frazzled, like I'm not stressed or frazzled, but like I'm so hyper-focused on what's going on and what I need to be doing next, and not thinking, what can I see right now? What's right in front of me? Like, what have they emphasized throughout the day that's so important? Oh, she has her grandma's charm on the bouquet, and you've captured it in that moment when I have the faces together and a cheese and I'm capturing that, you know? So it's nice to have someone that's able to do that because every time I'm editing your photos, I'm always thinking, look what you notice.

SPEAKER_00

I think you're hitting on something really important that you can't notice everything on your own. You can. I think that's a really big weight to carry. You can't. Yes, it's a really big weight to carry. And we offer packages, we we photograph weddings where we don't have any help. We've done that. But the experience is, like you're saying, vastly different when you have someone on your team who's another set of eyes, who has a different personality, who notices different things because they have the luxury to do so. I think second shooting is a luxury because I am not having to like or like I don't I didn't have to coordinate or or talk to the Brian on multiple phone calls or anything. I just get to show up and yes, be nice and cordial, but also I don't know, just an outsider looking in. It's very fresh when everything is very familiar to a lead photographer. So yeah, I think however long you've been shooting weddings, you need help, whatever that looks like. Even if it's just an assistant, someone to run and do for you. Maybe they don't even have a camera, but someone to like run and do. You just you can't notice things. You can't notice everything. I think that's like a life thing too. You can't notice everything on your that's why my therapy sessions, half of them are with my husband. Like, I tell me, tell me how I'm doing. I need I need a pulse check. Yes. Like, need somebody else to hear me say these things because I can't, I don't, I don't notice everything on my own. Right. So I'm glad you said that.

SPEAKER_01

No, it's important. And you know, having a second shooter or being a second shooter kind of takes the pressure off. So and that's exactly why I think that this topic is hard. It's hard for me because I put a lot of pressure on myself when I'm working a wedding. I know that service-based professionals like creative entrepreneurs. Um, and I know I talked about this in the last episode, but I love to use the reference of like the one-man show of you got the guitar and the harmonica on the metal thing. You're playing the harmonica, you're playing the guitar, you're doing the drum with your foot, and you're trying to do everything that you can. And it's hard to step back and take a visual of what's going on here. What's going on? And you want to be, you want to remain professional, but the benefit of being a creative entrepreneur or an entrepreneur of any sort is the personal human side of it. And you want to make your creative because you want to have you're creative because you want to be creative, but it's hard to be creative with the pressure of it. But what I was saying is your photos always kind of bring me back to home in the sense of started doing this because I love it. I love the creative side of it. I love the beauty of it. And for me, what I need to do more is ask more questions. And what you were talking about with Andrew of not being like, oh, this is what I do, and I've been doing this for 10 years, and this is how I edit, and blah, blah, blah. But asking more questions of what's important to you. Yeah. What aspects of your day are you most excited for? Who's gonna be there? Like who's visiting for your wedding that's super important to you? Did you hire any vendors that are cool? You know, we shot that one wedding, Aubrey and Austin, who had a bounce house. And I've had cotton candy machines at weddings and stuff like that. Coffee. I had a coffee in my wedding in January. They had like a coffee bar and they she was brewing fresh lattes, and the whole venue smelled delicious. What are you having for your day that is so special important to you? And I can make sure to emphasize those and take the pressure off on the day of, but it leads back to noticing what's most important and asking those questions, right?

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, yeah. I think it can be on a client side and on a server, uh like on a 100%. What am I trying to say? Like for a for a for a wedding, like a bride, you need to notice and have people around you that can help you notice what is going to be important. And then also as a photographer, we're gonna use in this instance, you need to be aware when you show up what has been taken note of that you also need to notice, and then some, like taking it a step further. And I think this is where we have to like try to change the narrative a little bit because you still see cookie cutter cookie cutter weddings that came off of the page in the Barnes and Noble book for you know, for to just make it back to your reference, obviously, like TikTok, whatever TikTok told them to do. Yeah, but just like this is what chat told me needs to happen at a wedding, so this is what's gonna happen. And I think there is just day and night difference between that and then someone who really just genuinely noticed what is gonna make this day super, super special. And I think we just have to change the narrative a little bit, it's not gonna happen overnight. Like it's okay. Yeah, this is just another conversation and a sea of conversations that need to happen. Yes.

SPEAKER_01

Um, take note of it. Take note of it. If um, if you're listening to this and it's your first time listening to our podcast, first of all, welcome, obviously. But second of all, if you're a Letting industry provider or bride, please go back and listen to episode two of Lettings Have Lost the Plot because what you were just talking about has a lot to do with that as well. Of we're trying to change the narrative of stop relying on outside sources, whether that be your future mother-in-law or chat GPT or traditions that you have based in your mind or a TikTok trend and realizing what's most important to you and your partner and figuring that out for your day. And then also communicating that to the people that are working for you so that they are able to respond and not guess, but respond to what you've emphasized as being important. So it goes both ways. We're really speaking to people, creatives that are working in a creative industry. I'm not even going to say weddings. Episode two, you know, was a lot about weddings, but this episode, just being creative, but from both perspectives, really of if you're receiving a service from like a creative service provider, but if you're also offering it, like we are and like other creative entrepreneurs are, how important it can be to respond instead of guests and to ask more questions and figure it out. And you're able to be more creative in your role.

unknown

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. Something else I've seen uh a lot of chit chat about. And I'm I'm afraid it's gonna become a buzzword. But the word whimsy. I'm saying the word whimsy a lot of places. Like it's just the new, it's the new way to photograph. Like again, speaking more specifically to photography, um, any any kind of creation, photographers that are, you know, doing the standard poses, whatever, but also taking the liberty to get creative, shooting on film because they want to, using creative flash because they want to, putting pantyhose over their lens to make it look filmy because they want to, sure, and editing in more however they want to, and that being their brand, and you know, not to say that everything else is going in the trash, but it's just like this new, like whimsy we we want to create with margin. And I think again, the art of noticing can't you can't do you can't serve well if you're feeling rushed. And so I think a lot of those whimsy moments come out of uh, you know, having margin and time. Some air in sparse, space and time, yes. Um, which is, you know, again, going back to something else we've talked about, is um, you know, shooting for fun, doing styled shoots, creating or collaborating with people for fun. Maybe you do hair, maybe you do makeup, maybe like whatever. Go and create something just for the fun of it. Um, give yourself some margin. And I think that will only enhance your ability to notice things when you're under pressure because you won't always have the luxury of margin on a wedding day. It's just it is what it is. Again, we can change the narrative on that, I think, for weddings not to feel so rushed. It'll take probably another decade before that happens and like becomes normal. Um, I think you know, service, service first requires you to be fully present. And yeah, that's let me not take us.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, let me not take us like off topic because it's really not, it's also relatable for those of us. Grace and I both are moms of two babies. And if you're also a mom, then you totally get this. But everything you just said can also be applied to being a mom. For sure. Yeah. And that rushing through everything aspect puts a lot of like stress and tension, and you lose the notice of what so-and-so just did, and look at the growth of this and look at this activity that he just did for the first time, and like what she just did for the first that you're missing with putting the like rush and pressure on your day. So, not only can this, not only can this be applied as like a service-based provider, but also as a mom. So, just a small tidbit for our mommies on the chat. Like it all ties together as a service-based provider, but also as a mom. And a small shout out to my best friend Lainey, who's the queen of whimsy. I mean, she seriously has like hone her craft for whimsical stuff. And I can't wait for her to get married because I know that this timing of everything being whimsical and the yeah, I don't want to say trend either, another overused word, but like the trend of whimsy and whimsical, the emphasis, the emphasis on whimsical moments. And we're not saying for those of you that haven't heard about it, whimsical being like fairy gardens at your laddie, but just more candid, fun, silly, authentic to you, natural moments, not only for you as the bride or the person receiving the service, but as a service-based provider, being true to yourself and kind of losing the fourth wall of well, I'm a professional and I can't do this certain thing, but doing what feels right to you. Grace is amazing at the film aspect of it, and you've been doing your super eight, which I love. I'm jealous because I love that camera, but like it's not true to me, right? It's just like not kind of who I am to offer the like vintage super eight video. It's just not. And you shouldn't do whimsy if it doesn't feel right. But that's not me how as a friend, yeah. I think as a person, I'm whimsy in other ways because I'm a little bit goofy. In other ways, I'm like being authentic to yourself and obviously remaining professional, but breaking down the wall of I have to be formal and cordial professional. Have you seen um I saw this other photographer on I don't know if it was on TikTok or Instagram reels, but she posted a reel, and I'll I will reference it. I obviously am not taking credit for this, but she posted a video of herself working, and she's a photographer, and she has like her harness on in her camera, so I could tell she's a photographer, but in every frame she was wearing a different outfit that was so cute, an anthropology style, like flowy dresses and bright colors. And she put something like, Oh, yeah, I'm just doing better because I stopped dressing like a ninja at my creative job. Did you see that? No, but I agree with that. I think that. And I was thinking, first of all, you know, I'm the queen of the jumpsuit. Like I have been wearing a black jumpsuit for 10 years. I'm not super ready to stray from that because number one, sweaty. Number two, I was about to say it hides all the sweat. Hides the sweat. I think it looks professional, it's comfortable. Um, I like the pants and the movement. I'm I'm just not a dress girl in general. I know I'm wearing one right now, but it's an athletic dress. But I'm just not a dress girl. I'm a jumpsuit girl. So that's true to me. But I'm like, why could I not get one that's printed? Because I feel limited to the fact that I have to wear black. And she was like, I'm creative. Yeah, I'm a creative in a creative profession job, and I'm dressing like a ninja, which really made me laugh. I'm like, that's really so true. Another thing we're not noticing is that, yeah, which is really interesting.

SPEAKER_00

I'm like telling my phone to send me that on TikTok, send me that video so I can watch it. I didn't know if you had it saved. Okay, yeah. No, I think that's so good. I think that's so good. Just like breaking free from all of the stereotypical and I being a hipster was not cool until it was cool. And anybody before being a hipster was not, they didn't call themselves a hipster. So I think like with whimsy, anybody that's doing anything whimsical, they're not doing it for trend. So likewise, you should not do it just because it is trendy and you think people are going to like it. Like what you're saying, you just have to do what's authentic to you. And I think when you're not like putting yourself in any sort of box, whether it's trendy or not, you just coming back like to the art of noticing, whatever margin that is, when you're not thinking about like your craft only in strategy and only in will my client really like this, and instead approaching it from a place of this is my craft. How can I somebody obviously chose me because they like it? How can I serve them well moving forward? Yes.

SPEAKER_01

So no, it's really important. And it's what I love about this topic, obviously, the importance of it, the art of noticing as a creative, but it goes both ways. It goes from the perspective of a service-based provider and the opposite way. Because I feel like as a photographer, as a creative entrepreneur, as a mom, when I'm taking care of myself and I'm authentic to myself, that I'm able to take care of my client, my children, and my projects and all that's going on. So noticing myself in this way, I'm able to notice the things in front of me, which is why I love the girl that was dressing in bright colors and the girl that was talking about being whimsical or the just the topic of it all, but vice versa as well. Yeah. And I'm seeing that in the other people.

SPEAKER_00

Yes. I want to give a practical example about you. I'm gonna toot your horn.

SPEAKER_01

I I will not be releasing the video clip of today's video because well, Grace, you look beautiful, but we're talking about we're having the ugly day, we're just having an ugly day. Like we're just having a gloomy, tired, ugly day. So toot my horn literally as loud as you can toot it. Because I don't Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_00

We're talking about the art of noticing, and I think with us both being photographers, people can automatically assume like you're talking about grandma who's sitting on the front row crying during the ceremony. Let's capture that. But what I think about is multiple times where I've seen you, Alex, walk into a bridal suite and you see the bride is super overwhelmed, and you know, XYZ is supposed to happen next with so and so, but that is going to stress out your bride tremendously, and you're doing something about it. That is you serving your bride, like you're going to remove so-and-so without it being a whole dramatic thing. Yeah. And you're going to have a little chit chat with your bride. Just how are you doing? You look beautiful. I've seen you do it multiple times because brides are stressed most of the time. The closer you get to ceremony and like getting ready and photographers here, and oh my gosh, I'm running out of time. But especially if it's uh, you know, someone in the wedding party or an in-law or a grandparent or even a child that is stressing something, the amount of people in the room, you're doing something about it. And so I think that just goes back to it, doesn't have to just be photographers that we're talking to. It doesn't. The end you can notice those kinds of things. That's a people thing. That's like a serving people thing. That's not a photography issue. That is a absolutely I want to serve people well issue. And so I think it goes back to maybe this is like an introspective episode, like check your heart, check, check yourself before you serve your next client, before you hop into that meeting that you're on your way to today.

SPEAKER_01

Think about you say check yourself before you wreck yourself.

SPEAKER_00

Before you wreck yourself. Oh, I should have.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. I was hoping there it is. Parks and wreck reference. Yeah. But that was better. I was thanking you were going parks and wreck with it, but you went professional with it, which was the right way. And then thank you for tooting my horn. Truthfully, just found out recently that some of my past brides are listening to this podcast, which truly means everything to me. I hope also any brides that are listening to this, but I I thank you, first of all, for saying that. And second of all, I love what I do and serving the bride and groom, specifically the bride. Obviously, go, I'm just a girl's girl. I love being a girl's girl. It's most important to me. That is the thing I love about what I do the most, is getting to be alongside a girl I'm getting to know, a woman I'm getting to know on her most important day to make sure that she can enjoy every moment of it. And I want to absorb all of her stepmom stress, caterer stress, stress of the day, like literally SpongeBob SquarePants, and take it from her and absorb it like a sponge and let her enjoy it. And that is the root of what I'm passionate about, truthfully. But this is a heart check for me too, because asking more questions and listening more would be great. And I certainly, I know we always talk about how we don't feel we're not on a pedestal making this conversation. We have not arrived on the top of a mountain with a microphone speaking down to our creative entrepreneurs at the bottom. Like we're down here with you guys, checking our own hearts as well. Truthfully.

SPEAKER_00

Like we're tooting our horns on our little tricycles on our way up the mountain.

SPEAKER_01

And nobody can hear it. Yeah, literally. It's all about at the end of the day. It it's not gonna be the memory of here's everything that you did. And I do appreciate you always notice everything that I do and highlight it. And I really appreciate that. However, I could use Travis on my wedding day because he humbles me and he would be like, Why'd you do that? You know, and I'd be like, that would be nice to know too. That would be nice to know because you know I'd be acting cuckoo sometimes, but they're not gonna remember every single thing that you did, but they are gonna remember how well they were taken care of and how you stepped into that role to care for them. And this is like I've been saying and emphasizing, this is from any perspective. This is from Andrew's perspective of designing your website and getting to know you before he puts a brand behind your vision. This is us as photographers, before we capture your day, let us not think, oh, their most important thing is this, where it's actually the fact that they get to jump on a bounce house together. And I didn't know that unless I asked. It's it's all about how well they were taken care of and being aware of that.

SPEAKER_00

Yes.

SPEAKER_01

And that's the T.

SPEAKER_00

That's the T. So, whatever your business is, you may be like an Etsy shop owner and think, how how can I serve people well? Well, what are you designing? How can you make it better? How can you make the client experience better? Like just little stuff like that. There's always ways to improve. Um, and I think let the challenge be how can I outserve myself? How can I outserve myself? How can I serve somebody better than I did yesterday? So that was really that was great. I needed to hear that. I'm gonna listen back to this episode.

SPEAKER_01

That's what I'm saying is like I needed to think about it and hear it too. And the most important for me was that having my team beside me on our days to keep me humble and grounded in the moments is really important. But also as a mom, also having my team and my partner, my husband, obviously. Yeah, use the word partner, you know, I love to use that word because I'm like whoever you're with, uh, you know, domestic partnership, you know, if you're married, you're not whatever you got going on, we don't care, we love you. But you're my partner in business, and Travis is my partner in life. In life, in life, but having that person next to you that can kind of keep you accountable for what you need to be noticing and what you need to really just be noticing and what's important and how to take care of those people, but making sure that you're also taken care of is really important. Yeah, it's important. It was a it was a heart check. I like that you said heart check, pulse check, heart check. Yes, all of it. You saw it.

SPEAKER_00

All right, y'all. Well, we're gonna hang up the phone for now, but yeah, next time I'm slamning my foot phone shut.

SPEAKER_01

Shut until next time. Bye guys.