A Recap of the 2018 Next Level Retreat, Hosted by Laylee Emadi Photography

I have news, friends! My dear friend Laylee from Laylee Emadi Photography has officially opened registration for The Next Level Retreat this fall! This retreat was easily one of the best investments I’ve ever made in my business, and I wanted to give you a recap of our time together! Her next retreat will be held this fall in Austin, TX. To snag your spot, you can check out The Next Level Retreat page! Hurry though, there are very few seats since this is a super limited experience. Thats one thing that makes it so great!

Investing in Education

One of the best things I did when I started my business was prioritize education – both in-person and online. The very first workshop I attended was the Hope Taylor Workshop. It was absolutely terrifying to invest into a workshop across the country when I was barely making any money. But let me tell you, it completely changed my business. Not only did I learn from someone as amazing as Hope, but I created relationships with other amazing photographers like Laylee. These tight knit and honest relationships have been the heartbeat of my business. I wouldn’t have met so many amazing people if I didn’t take the leap. Now, I make sure to set aside a decent amount to spend on education, and trust me, it is worth every penny!

A Next Level Recap

The 2018 Next Level Retreat was held in Waco, TX.  I felt like I was on an episode of HGTV as I pulled up to the Barndominium from Fixer Upper! That gorgeous farmhouse was our home for the next few days and it while it was beautiful. What happened inside of those walls was even better. The next few days were filled with PJ’s, learning from speakers and each other, exploring and shooting!

After a fun filled evening of food and getting to know each other, we hit the ground running with some in-depth education from Hope Taylor, Natalie Franke, Laylee and SaRatta Murphy. There are a ton of educational experiences out there geared towards to the photographer who is just getting started, but the content here was advanced which I loved. We talked about passive income streams, in-depth goal setting, and how to take your business to the next level.

The beauty of this retreat was what happened during the in-betweens: the friendships, the hard and honest conversations, and the questions. I learned so much from the amazing photographers who were willing to ask me why I did things the way I did. It gave me a safe opportunity to evaluate my processes and ask for guidance. Quite a few big changes happened after this retreat and they were totally right – it was exactly what I needed!

We also had time set aside for yoga, watercolor painting (thank you Jessica Peddicord!), exploring the Silos and a beautiful evening shoot and workshop by Sarah Ann Design at the Old Bethany Venue. It’s always a fun time when you get a group of photographers in the same gorgeous location. Bring on all the headshots and pretty things!

What I didn’t know at the time: there were TWO babies in this photo!

Gosh, SO MANY memories flooding in as I put this post together!! Head on over to The Next Level Retreat to snag your spot for round #2!

Speakers, Vendors, Photo Credits, Etc.

Speakers: Natalie Franke Hayes — SaRatta Murphy — Jessica Peddicord — Hope Taylor — Sarah Erickson

Shoot Vendors: Linen and Cake — Kate McLeod Studio — Sarah Ann Design — Old Bethany Venue

Photographers: Bret and Brandie, Laylee Emadi Photography, Quianna Marie Photography, Gaby Caskey Photography, Catie Ann Photography, Brett Denfeld Photography, HYPimages