It’s officially…technically…kinda sorta been a year since I’ve moved down to Kernersville, NC. I “moved” last February & I spent over half of the year here, so I guess that counts right? The other…almost half….I spent between upstate NY & FL.

I’m not sure if the time I’ve spent here in North Carolina has been enough to say that I’ve been fully immersed in southern culture, but I’d like to think I’ve gotten a good dose. Overall, I’ve loved my time here and I’m just starting to discover what really makes the Piedmont Triad so wonderful! This year has been an extreme growth year, as in I’ve been tilled up, replanted, and weeded like no other! Restarting a business in a new area has not been the easiest task and if I’m being honest, I’m still in the throws of figuring it all out. There’s no set formula for success. Ever. Just a lot of hard work, hand shakes, and coffee meetings.

Some things I’ve learned about business:

– No matter how successful you are in one place is doesn’t guarantee success elsewhere
– You have to be diligent to get results even when you feel like giving up
– Word of mouth is still the absolute best way to advertise
– Growth takes time, patience is NOT easy
– There are people you can connect with anywhere, you just have to go out there and find them
– Being unique is good – push for excellence – never stop learning!

Things I’ve learned about the south:

– Winters are WAY warmer over all with hardly any snow
– When there is snow…or the threat of snow…LIFE SHUTS DOWN…which is great and terrible at the same time
– Shopping carts are called buggy’s…get it right!
– Grits can come with practically anything
– There’s a lot of brick buildings…I LOVE brick buildings…
– Parking lots don’t make sense…seriously what were the designers here thinking?
– There are varying types/strengths of southern accents all within a 20 mile radius..and I may secretly want one…
– They sure know how to do food right down here!

Things I’ve learned about myself:

– I’m allergic to oak trees right before they bloom…there’s a lot of oak here.
– Cheesy grits are good, regular grits are gross
– I prefer driving over flying
– I  have to watch my Chic Fil A addiction (mmmm waffle fries…)
– I can reduce my life into 1 bedroom
– Google chat & Face Time are the best inventions ever
– My body really does love the sun…who knew?! YAY VITAMIN D!

I’m so grateful for the new connections I’ve made here in NC. I’ve got a wonderful circle of friends who are willing to spread the word about MLP. I’ve still got a good chunk of work in NY this year, but I’m hoping that it will equal out to be about half n half.

Here are my 2014 Business goals:

– Book 10 North Carolina weddings (2 down, 8 to go!)
– Book 20 Simply Beautiful Couture sessions
– Join at least 2 wedding photo print competitions to push my work
– Find a studio/meeting space
– Network, network, network!
– Blog more about life
– Create new systems to help stay organized when traveling
– Get involved in the community

Personal Goals:

– Get plugged into a good cardio kickboxing class
– Finish the Bible chronologically
– Create 20 original videos
– Continue to pay off debt (I will be debt free one day!)
– Make new friends wherever I go

I am going to work extremely hard to meet my goals and if any of you want to help me make them, I’m totally down for that too! 😉 Here’s a little photo collage of the past year through my iphone. Man has it been crazy! Enjoy!

XOXOXO,
Mabyn