Meeting the elegant Grace Ormonde and inspiring Jasmine Star all in the same week has left my head spinning! As I try to wrap my mind around last week’s events, I can’t help but feel extremely blessed to be part of an industry with so many talented and motivating individuals.

When I first heard about The Fix and realized it was coming to Miami (about a 4 hour drive from Tampa), I knew I had to make it happen. My favorite city + my favorite writer? Yes, please! I have been following Jasmine’s blog since 2009 and I know I’m not alone when I say she is an incredible inspiration. She’s a wonderful wedding photographer but beyond her lovely images, her words talk to my soul. She motivates me to find my online voice and gives me hope that I’ll be able to share with my readers my unique thoughts and aspirations in a way that will make a difference.

I came across Jasmine’s blog through Showit. Khaled and I have been using Showit since shortly after opening our business a few years ago and have seen the community continue to grow and inspire. I still remember when Showit had only 6 other pages ‘liked’ under their Facebook page- Kismis Ink‘s page was among those…yes, I felt really special. :P

When Khaled and I arrived at Awarehouse for The Fix, the first person we ran into was Andrew. We had met Andrew at the PASS tour in Orlando last summer and it was great to see him again. His smile is contagious and he’s always so much fun! After Khaled left, (I think he just secretly wanted to eat up all the Cuban pasteles at the hotel and practice his Spanish while I was away) I connected with other attendees while we waited for the doors to open. The evening was incredible. I met many Facebook friends, including Ashley Goodwin. She’s seriously the sweetest gal and I’ll have to find a way to hang out with her again! You may remember her from Jasmine’s CreativeLive workshop. Ashley is helping with The Fix tour and doing a great job-she’s a pro on stage! I also met another FB friend, Jillian Tree. She’s adorably kind and graciously offered to snap a photo of JD and I after I sorta-maybe jumped into his convo with a few other attendees! It was a ‘now or never’ moment for me and I’m glad I did. JD is as kind as can be and after a few minutes of chatting with him (mostly about yummy food), we were instant friends!

Ashley got the event started by going over the details of how the night would unravel. It was great to hear that the attendees would have several opportunities to ask questions and discuss the struggles they face in their business. Jasmine’s presentation was on point. She gave incredible advice, shared her experiences, and talked about the struggles she has overcome.

I have many, but my biggest take-away from The Fix is to EMBRACE change. As Jasmine explained, it’s the one thing that’s constant in our businesses.

I plan to print this quote that Jasmine shared and hang it in my office as a constant reminder:

“Action is a great restorer and builder of confidence. Inaction is not only the result, but the cause, of fear. Perhaps the action you take will be successful; perhaps different action or adjustments will have to follow. But any action is better than no action at all.” – Peale

As silly as it may seem, over the years I often wondered what it would be like to finally meet Jasmine in person. Where would it be? Would it be in Vegas among thousands of photographers at WPPI or a chance run-in during a break in the halls? I have yet to attend WPPI and I never imagined we’d meet in Miami, the city that my soul considers home. My parents moved from California (where I was born) to Miami when I was two years old and it doesn’t matter where I travel or reside, Miami will always be home. So what better place to meet Jasmine than where I grew up and share so many fond memories (almost all including delicious Cuban food)?

I’ve never considered myself to be the kind of person that gets ‘starstruck’ (actually, I’ve never been before) but I must admit that I looked up the definition and yes, I am super starstruck when it comes to Jasmine. I had all the symptoms as she walked over towards me at the photo booth after her presentation. Shaky hands, forgetting what to say, heart pounding…I felt like a teenager meeting a celebrity. I can’t believe I just wrote that, but it’s true. After a few seconds of taking in that Jasmine was standing inches away and conversing with me, I was finally able to relax a bit. She was beyond generous with her time and even signed my copy of her Exposed magazine. Watching Jasmine give her undivided and genuine attention to each of us there that evening was incredible. I’m grateful for Jasmine’s efforts, for everything she does to inspire this industry and I look forward to seeing her continued success. A HUGE thank you to her team and the wonderful supportive individuals around her that helped make this tour possible.

If you have an opportunity to attend The Fix at any of the upcoming cities, do so. I’m sure it will be an unforgettable evening.  Be sure to give Jasmine and the crew a big hug from me too!