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Gratitude and joy. Purpose and determination. Patience and perseverance. Commitment and connectedness. Truth and vulnerable. A few of the present realities. I find myself, simultaneously connecting so deeply to the heartbeat of my soul and being impatient for all that is yearning to come into fruition. This journey, this life, this honor of being able to connect, to be in exchange, to build community through Courage Coaching, Photography and being the Host of The Living Courageously Podcast keeps me in a space of feeling so immensely aligned. My purpose, so deeply know. All that I want to do with this, slowly, coming into reality. My mantra for this week has been, small action is more supportive than no action. Everyday I am creating space, making movement through small, intentional actions. Bringing me to moments such as these, exchanges such as these, connections such as this. These moments here, that of one of my radiant wedding couples, soon-to-be parents to their first little soul together, relishing in the joy that is life, in this moment. To be witness to, to document, to give honor to this amount of joy, is contagious. So intentionally, sensationally, vulnerably contagious. Congrats you incredibly beautiful souls!! I can’t wait to see this being in the world! Thank you for such a gift - of connection, of witnessing, of friendship, of truly seeing and honoring one another.
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 After jumping in 2013 enabling me to live, love and teach around the world, being a photographer for 12 years, an entrepreneur for seven years, a mama for the past three - it's been my greatest honor yet to share these very moments of turning my dream life into a reality with YOU as you build your intentional business and live YOUR dream life. In 2015, I launched my photography business (previously known as Ashley Strong Photography, now Ashley Strong Smith) with very little knowledge of actually knowing how to run a business. Within two years, I went from making cold calls and giving away photo sessions to having a waiting list for months. What was the secret behind this rapid expansion? Creating a foundation for cultivating an intimate connection with my clients, turning them into lifelong clients. I’ve documented souls from their engagement to their wedding, their maternity portraits to their birth, the child’s six month and year portraits, to their siblings along the way, to their sibling joining the world, to their grandparents' anniversary, birthdays and yearly holiday portraits in between. It all. One client. I’ve then used these same 9 steps, more recently as I launched my coaching program for female entrepreneurs. These 9 steps below, are the foundation in which I’ve been able to cultivate intimate connections with my clients, ultimately turning them into lifelong clients. Are you ready? 1. Be human and honestFirst and foremost, we are all maneuvering this thing called life, doing the best we can in this moment, with the resources we have. Yes, you are running a business, but you are a HUMAN BEING running a business, remember that with each interaction and exchange. Honesty builds trust and as trust begins to build, so too does the connection, the authenticity of that very connection and therefore the foundation of your exchange is formed. The beautiful cyclical nature of life - build a solid foundation - trust and connection - exceptional customer experience - repeat clients. Examples of being human and honest :
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2. Be clear on the service(s) you provide.The more clear and connected you are to your service, the more you will attract your dream and ideal clients. Remember you are you. Although there may be many in your industry, no one has had the life experiences that have brought you to this very moment, exactly where you are today. Use those very life enhancing moments to connect with your clients. In doing so, you’ll be able to live in your truth and provide a clean, supportive, expansive service. Examples of being clear on the service(s) you provide :
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3. Be connected to your craft, skill and mission. The more connected you are to your craft, skill and mission, the better you can serve your clients. Passion leads to purpose. As your passion expands, so too does your knowledge and eventually you’re able to share that knowledge with others. The more you tap into your connection with the service you’re providing, the deeper the service becomes. Examples of being connected to your craft, skill and mission :
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4. Get to know your client. Your clients are the pulse of your business. After all, without them, would you even have a business? Not only is it important to really define your ideal client, create your client avatar and speak to that, but really understand what it means to truly connect with them, ultimately creating an intimate, intentional, in-depth experience. One of the most effective and supportive ways of doing this is turn your email conversion into a phone (or zoome, skype, facetime) to really get to connect the name, to a face, to a voice, to the person on the other end. Prior to this call, create a series of questions that you want to ask them, to really get to know them as a person and not just as a client. Through getting to know them, you’ll understand if you're the right fit to serve them. We receive answers, through asking questions. Those answers then become our guidepost for what is to come next. You know, layer upon layer. Examples of getting to know your client :
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5. Create a streamlined process.Oh, do I get so excited with creating streamlined processes for my business. It’s important to create both internal and external processes. Let’s break them down. Internal processes are how you do business. External processes are how you are in relationship, in exchange with your client. You need the internal process to have the external. They are like day and night, you cannot have one without the other. Examples of creating a streamlined process :
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6. Have impeccable communication & prepare them for success. Being impeccable with your communication is holding your clients hand throughout their journey.
Examples of having impeccable communication and preparing them for success:
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7. Be fully present, engaged, intentional in the moment and remember to breathe. An exchange, well - is an exchange. Your energy with whomever you’re in contact with. Energy is felt, fully. As you prepare for your exchange (session, coaching, interaction, etc.), be very mindful of what you need to do to fill up your up and be fully present, engaged and intentional. The more centered you are heading into the session, the more present you will be, therefore the more intentional the exchange will be. When this happens, trust is built, people open up and a more fluid, real conversation and exchange can be had. Please remember that people can sense when you’re distracted, when you’re off, when you’re not present. When this happens, they pull away, become disconnected from the situation at hand and that’s when trust starts to get lost. This can all be eliminated by preparing yourself before the session. Also remember, to breathe throughout the exchange. At any time you need to reset, are feeling overwhelmed, feel like you need to go in a different direction, are getting too excited, stop for a moment, put your left hand on your heart and take a few deep breaths. You can even invite your client into this very experience. Examples of being fully present, engaged and intentional in the moment:
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8. Live authentically, show up as you. Truth is, your client hired you because they have a connection to the service you offer. This connection is formulated through a series of small interactions that has built a like, an understanding, a trust. By being you, doing you, they are connecting to the true person behind your brand. Live into this, honor this, show up as you. The greatest gift we can give ourselves and one another is to be true to who each and everyone of us are. As you honor the unique light within you, so too do you give others the permission to do the same. A great practice for truly listening to and honoring the authentic you, is sharing from the heart, not the mind. What do you feel, not what do you think? As you tap deeper into what you feel, you’ll become more and more connected to the authentic you. Then, use this inquiry to share it with the world. Examples of living authentically and showing up as you:
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9. Stay in touch. When I first started my photography company, someone told me (I wish I remembered who) to never leave an exchange asking for more money. That struck such a cord as I knew all too well how it felt having an interaction with someone and I owed them more than they quoted.
I since then have expended on this, with my philosophy being, never leave the exchange without expressing your gratitude for them, their support and the very exchange. We all want to be wanted. We all want to be needed. We all want to know that were important (and please remember, we all are, in our own unique ways). To be seen, to be heard, is the greatest gifts of the lifetime. Ensure your clients are seen and heard. End your interaction with next steps, send an email communicating those next steps. Once the next steps are performed, add them into your system to stay in touch. Examples of staying in touch :
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Oh, I see you girl! Are you wanting to know the tricks, tools, resources in living this intentional, courageous, present life? I break it down, day by day, week by week. These are the 7 tools - my guidepost, my pillars, my foundation that I use every single week to really enable me to stay connected to where I am and where I am doing AND exactly what I need to do. Are you ready?  1. Identify what the most supportive routine is for your life.
2. Ground Yourself.
3. Create your to-do list .
4. Create your to-be list .
5. Personal Goals .
6. Business Goals .
7. Reconnect to and celebrate yourself each day.
I find myself in such a state of peace. In being connected to myself. In truly being empowered by the work that I am committed to. In the presence of my daughter, and a reconnection that feels to be occurring. In where I live, for all that it is. In the moments that have brought about challenges to then become affirmations. In the community, I am beyond honored to call mine. In this very loud, present, expansive sensation of beginning again. These time capsules, I took last summer. In the mountains, I call home. With a family, I call my family. In an environment, that feels so alive. With a family that embodies community, love, collaboration, unification. There are so many moments, over the past year that I’ve documented with one of my favorite creative tools, that of my camera, of which have never surfaced outside of that of experience, exchange and delivering of the photos. Why? Because there’s this itch, this voice, this grip on things needing to be shared in perfect timing. Truth is, this is an old belief. Truth is, this is limiting. What does perfect timing even mean? For me, in this moment of life, all I can feel is intuition and divine guidance. Intuition and dive timing. Intuition and divine intervention. With this, the time is now. Yes, we’re still sitting with who knows how many feet of snow all around after nearly a month of snow storms. Yes, the mountains haven’t begin to blossom into spring. Yes, summer is still a ways away. Yes, the time is now. These encapsulations are joy. Love. Presence. Peace. Sunshine. Bliss. Gratitude. Wholeness. And that, that is what radiates in this moment. That, that is what makes me know its time to share. As all are present, then and now. There is space for it all. Every year a phrase. Right now, my phrase is, “There is space for it all.” These here are reflections from an engagement shoot I did just before the holidays and keep feeling like they need to be shared with the world! These days, there is SO much I want to share. 👉🏼So much about living courageously, courage in action and all that comes with being a Courage Coach. 👉🏼So much about my photography, the connections, it’s teachings. 👉🏼So much about The Living Courageously Podcast - my guests and solo episodes. Just typing this feels like I need three spaces for all of this. And truth is, there is only one. Intentionally only one, for it all. Why? Because to me, photography is my foundation - my birthright into being an entrepreneur, an intentional and badass business owner, creating these insanely intimate, candid and raw connections with my subjects (insanely rad clients) and the way in which I witness, process and transcribe these fleeting moments into tangible ones. Photography was my vessel to understanding courage, living in this world in a vulnerable way and calling to connect EVEN deeper with my clients, my community! It paved that way for Courage Coaching. Courage Coaching is my mountain. It’s my home of maneuvering through the peaks and valleys and all that comes with living in and from this very raw lens, sharing it all. Creating community and remembrance that we are not alone. It’s the place where I can connect with other women, on a soul level. A sacred space for women to move from being uninspired, disconnected and in search of "that very something" to connect with themselves, find that missing piece of their life,create a roadmap to get there, AND reignite their confidence, courage and passion! This paved the way for The Living Courageously Podcast. This is a community, where women can really connect with themselves through the lens of courage. What does courage mean to you? What does it look like to live a courageous life? You see, they are the building blocks, for my mountain ridge. My expression and communication with the world. Because do you know what is so fascinating? There is space for it all. What does it mean to connect to the heartbeat of your soul? To live from a heart-centered place. To create the space and time to connect to, listen to, let the communication of the heart guide your life. To feel into what it means to be authentically you, not expectation you. To honor that inner knowing, calling, voice, unique expression that is you. To slow down, tune in, live from a place of your values and your goals. To drown out the external noise and listen to the internal voice. To honor the present moment. To cultivate confidence in being fully you. To build a life far beyond your dreams. To breathe. To listen. To honor. To create. To manifest. To cultivate. One of the aspects of life I am most grateful for in this moment, is this very connection, reflection, awareness. That of living from a place of connecting to the heartbeat of my soul and holding the space for others to do the same, it all expressions that I am - a Courage Coach, Photographer and Host of The Living Courageously Podcast. Creating space to connect to the heartbeat of your soul creates this incredibly inspiring, motivating, vibrant expression and cyclical nature of living from a place of complete alignment, honesty, authenticity and confidence. Doesn’t that sound so gratifying?!? This here, is Trish Taylor connecting to the heartbeat of her soul in bringing her maternity vision into reality. A clearness of what she wanted. An expression of that vision. And myself, as the receptor, holding the space, connecting and doing all I could to support that vision. Finding the most perfect location. Connecting with the lighting and where the setting of the sun would be on the mountain. Honoring the beings in front of me with complete love, seeing and knowing. It resulted in these, some of the most vibrantly expansive maternity portraits. For this, the connection, the sacredness of the exchange, I am grateful. Congrats dear friend! I am beyond happy for you and cannot wait to be witness to you bringing this radiant little girl into the world!  Happy Everything! We're moments away from celebrating with our loved ones. Just under a week away from the marking of this year, into a new one. An ending and a beginning. A place and time where I take immense delight in getting to reflect, to set, to reconnect to all that I have been, am and aspire to be. As my fingertips dance along my keyboard, I am filled, consumed, overcome by immense gratitude. For this moment. The calm that is present. The happiness that pulses beneath my chest. The space. The synergy. The time. The wholeness. The connection. The people who constantly shine their light on my little slice of this lifetime, serving as an inspiration to me, to being human, expansive, courageous, loving, curious, adventurous, honest, wholesome, grounded, connected, engaged, encouraging, beyond joyous and honored to be receptive to it all. These souls right here, my little family (not pictured, but also including our puppy Lima and 2 cats Zaleo and Askari) are my pulse. The reason, the why, the foundation for all of this existence. They are my compass, my grounding force, my equilibrium. When sitting in this space, this very time last year, I knew what has been, would not always be. I knew that change was coming. When and how, would come with time. I felt it in every part of my soul. You see, in May of 2021, we bought our first home and moved to a tiny mountain town. A calling that we had. A pulse, attracting us. Quickly, the messages started unraveling, the communication deepened, the universe - she was speaking very loudly. Being here has opened my soul, in ways I had only known when living in Tanzania the first time, back in 2013, nearly a decade prior. This place, these mountains have ignited my divine expression and reflection of how I am growing into being in this world. One that includes space, time, nature, connection, honesty, deepened expressions. One that includes an honoring of the courage that lives inside you and me and every single one of us. One that includes a deepened connection to my values, my deepest dreams, goals, desires, truth and creating sacred containers to hold space for you to do the very same. With this, I again, reflect in gratitude for the privilege of life in this very form and expression. And the honor of being in community with you. I am truly so grateful for you being here, being you, holding space for it all. As we moved into the new year, here is what you will see here : 1. Courage Coaching : Imagine if the goals you keep setting, the vision you have, the money you want to make, the leap you want to take all become your reality… I support women in building the courage to do just that! This is done through 1:1 coaching, my Living Courageously Blueprint and Courage Coaching Intensives. If desired and/or curious, you can book a complimentary hour discovery call to dive deeper into where you are in this moment and which one is most supportive for you. 2. Boutique Wedding and Lifestyle Photography : Photography has been one of the greatest tools in getting to truly connect with you, the community in an intentional, intimate and joyous expression. With this, I have 1 spot left for 2023 weddings (yes, already) and I will still be doing lifestyle photography (engagements, families, etc.) on a limited basis. If you are wanting a photography session, I would be honored, but please inquire early to ensure you get in. 3. The Living Courageously Podcast : This releases every Tuesday morning (2AM to be exact) where all podcasts are found. Episodes alternate between solo (where I reflect on tools, rituals, practices and tangible resources in living intentionally and courageously) AND the the interviewing phenomenal women through the lens of courage. I truly hope you tune in, in any-which form resonates with you! Please know, at all reflections, the inhalations and exhalations, I am beyond grateful you are here, you are a part of this courageous community and that I can so joyfully call you a friend. Happy Everything! Many blessings as you celebrate the holidays with your loved ones! See you in the New Year! 
 Photos by : Kristi of KLK Wedding Photography
Usually, this time of year, I am counting the number of sessions, reliving the reviews, looking at my calendar for the next year. This year, it all feels so different. I have yet to reflect on how many session I’ve done. I am grateful for the reviews as they come in but haven’t reread them. My calendar is very limited in its spots for next year. Instead, this year 👉🏼 💕I am counting my blessings, holding close and tight the experiences, the exchanges, the connections, the sheer gratitude of getting to be in space with so many sensational souls in this way. 💫I photographed souls from engagements to families after divorces, sessions in the sunshine and weddings in the pouring rain, expanded families and entrepreneurs adorned in thousands of dollars. 🤝My relationship with my camera, of which has served as a tool, my shield in a way. We transitioned. From that of using the tool to be a storyteller for all others lives to that of my own. Embracing moving from behind to in front of the camera. One of THE hardest transitions. To create space in something that I have always known, quite frankly defined myself as. To fall in love with my camera, the lens in which I view the world, my truth, in a whole new way has been invigorating. I feel alive in a whole new way. 🌱The power of connection. 🍃The power of telling a story. 🌳The power of photography being a means for education, for communication. 🌿The power of being witness to lives greatest and hardest moments and finding the connection and need for it all. I write this with tears in my eyes as the love for, the gratitude for, the expansiveness that this tool of a camera has brought into my life. That of love. Curiosity. Divine expression. Celebrating. Holding close. Expansion. Life, quite literally. Growth, losses, changes, challenges and triumphs. To all of you, present, past and future, thank you.Thank you. I am infinitely grateful. As we move into 2023, I will still be taking on photography clients, but they are very limited each month so please reach out so I can save your date. For wedding clients, I have just two spots left! This weekend, I shot at one of my all time dream venues— of which has been on my vision boards for the past four years. As I watched the bride and groom hold hands under the chuppah on Friday, a tear fell from the eye as I held my camera extra tight and encapsulated time with a little more passion. A dream, turned reality. Another vision, experienced. You see, this is my last full wedding season. I’ve alluded to this before as I’ve been too afraid, haven’t quite found the courage to share it with the world at large, but as the nudges from the universe have been extra strong lately, I am being guided to share. What does this mean? For years now, I’ve documented anywhere from 12 - 35 weddings in ONE YEAR on top of dozens of shoots each month in between. As I have grown and my life has drastically changed over the years, I’ve really been working towards and embodying creating a life that feels better than it looks. Shooting that much looked damn good, but how did it leave me feeling? Exhausted. Depleted. Hurried. Distracted. This being said, I truly embraced, connected with and gave every single one of those photographic exchanges every bit of my heart and soul I possibly could in the moment (and if you’re my previous client reading this, I truly hope that’s what you felt)! Moving forward, photography will still be intertwined with Courage Coaching, but in a very BOUTIQUE kind of way. With this, I will only be shooting a max of SIX weddings per year and very select photoshoots in between. Sharing this leaves my heart filled with so much gratitude and my soul vibrating with inspiration and love. Each and every one of the photographic exchanges I’ve had over the last 8 years as a full time photographer (nearly 1,000 of them) has been a catalyst for me connecting to and deeply understanding that LOVE is the greatest vibration we will ever know. Thank you — my photography clients, my community for showing me the power of connection, of intentional exchanges, of intimate expressions, of living through and with trust. Your connection has brought me to this very moment. One in which I stand inspired, grateful, proud, connected and courageous. Vendor love 💕: Coordination : @honeybearevents Florals : @lynnelucentefloraldesigns Venue : @casaromanticaweddings Photography : @ashleystrongsmith_ Rentals : @brighteventrentals Hair and Make-up : @crystal.goldenglowbeauty Entertainment : @luckydevilsband Cake : @susiecakesbakery Food : @carbonaracaterings Rabbi : @californiarabbi Mercedes and Henri's Tropical Ole Hanson Beach Club Summer Wedding - San Clemente, California10/13/2022 This space is all about being transparent, living in full honesty and expressing it all - the raw and the polished, the growth and the setbacks, the ah-ha’s and the itty bitty shitty committee moments. What you see most of these days is my courage coaching as that is a mission that is quickly becoming bigger than myself. In-between these courage squares and a few weekends a month, I am witnessing and documenting unique expressions of dreams turned realities, that of souls living in the highest vibration of love. Courage is intertwined in all that we are, do, say and live. This expression, right here is of two souls becoming husband and wife, after a decade of being partners. These right here, are another layer in my definition of courage. You see, photography is part of my soul. It’s something I’ve been doing for 15 years and running it as a business for the last eight. It’s the interweaving of my connection to and communication with the world. Without courage, these specific time capsules wouldn’t exist. Why, you ask? I used to shoot in a selfish way (I told you I’m honest). I used to shoot from a place of what I wanted to share with the world, what would look the best, what would make the most impact on the gram. Ugh, can you relate? How do I shoot now? Solely from a place of listening to, honoring, interweaving all the elements that tell their story, those at hand. Serving, fully, completely, presently. I have always given my clients my fullest capacity and talents, but there has been a shift. A massive shift as I’ve connected deeper with my courage and coaching. These time capsules, are fully, I mean fully for the couple at hand. They are no longer about me, about my talent, about my style of photography. They are solely, for them. With this, there is this glistening space where my work is better than ever before, simply from taking the focus off my “talent or work” and fully onto “them.” What a courageous place to be and a courageous thing to share. This, is another reflection of my definition of courage. Vendor love : Photo : @ashleystrongsmith_ Venue : @olehansonbeachclub Coordinator : @herestothemevents DJ : @djausto Beauty : @ocbeautyduo Florals : @zunigaflowersjosefina Tux : @theory__ Dress : @davidsbridal Shoes : @loefflerrandall |
