It is that time again! We have had a lot of interest for a workshop in the fall so we are excited to announce the dates for the next Launch. We will be hosting it at my brand new loft studio in Riverview, Florida (Tampa Bay area) October 15th and 16th with an optional third day October 17th. If you are interested in being placed on the list to be given the first chance to register please let me know through the contact section. Of course, we would never think of having another workshop without giving away a free seat; it’s actually one of my favorites parts Hope to see you in October!

We are officially sold out for the February workshop. I have had quite a few inquiries about the next workshop so I thought I would go ahead and announce the next dates. I will be hosting this workshop in my new studio (I will share more details about this later) on May 21st-23rd. If you are interested in pre registering and making monthly payments please send me an email. Our contest to win a free seat will start on Monday February 21st and registration will open on Monday February 28th. And just because I think that posts without photos are just boring……

What an amazing year it has been! With three workshops under my belt, I am more than excited to meet all of the amazing women signed up in February for our fourth! I am oh so happy to have another year under my belt and had a more amazing year than I ever could have hoped for. Thank you to all the wonderful women who trusted me enough to be a part of the workshops and I have absolutely loved watching you all turn your dreams of running a successful photography business into a reality.

I am headed off the radar for a couple weeks for some much needed recharge/family time and will be back in the beginning of January. I will be answering all emails when I return, but of course you can still sign up while I am away. You know you want to There are three seats left and we would absolutely love to have you! Have a safe and Happy Holiday and I will see you all back here in January!

Congratulations to Ryan, I can’t wait to meet you in February!! Registration officially opens tomorrow at 8am!!

CONTEST IS CLOSED. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO ENTERED!!

Here we go again!! I am excited to announce the next Launch workshop will be in Brandon, Florida at Stacy’s natural light studio on February 5th and 6th with an optional third day on February 7th!!!

To enter to win a FREE SEAT to the two day workshop leave a comment on this post as well as email stacy@launch-workshop.com with your name and phone number where you can be reached with the fabulous news of your seriously good fortune We will be picking a winner Saturday November 6th and announcing the winner on Sunday November 7th.  Registration opens on Monday Monday 8th at 8am.

I thought it only fitting that I share a very kind testimonial from our last winner, Jennifer. We LOVED having her at the workshop.

“I thoroughly enjoyed the Launch Workshop weekend. It was exactly what I needed to continue and go forward with my business. I had launched my photography business over a year ago but there were few things that I felt I was missing out on. Once I attended the workshop I got back on track, discovered where I want to go with my business and I am happy to report that I am implementing everything that I learned. If you are thinking about starting your own business or even have started it but need a little help, I would definitely recommend Stacy and her Launch Workshop”!

Thanks Jennifer!

I know, I know it’s terrible and horrible that I haven’t posted sooner. It’s not because the workshop hasn’t been on my mind non stop since I got back it’s just that well, LIFE IS CRAZY!! I have been busy unpacking (okay you got me, I am still living out of my half unpacked suitcase), shooting newborns (five have been born in the past two weeks) and loving on my family who I missed tremendously. We had an amazing time and it is never creases to blow my mind how fast the time goes!!! We laughed A LOT and I am pretty sure that each and every one of the attendees left feeling, well overwhelmed!! I mean that in the best way though. The weekend is so jam packed with so much information that it’s normal to go home and need a minute or ten to gather your wits and start out on the task of creating or recreating your business. Every workshop (we will soon be embarking on number four) makes me realize why I am doing this. This is the workshop that I wish I had when I was starting out. Meeting these beautiful women and being a part of their journey is a true honor and one that I do not take lightly. Thank you to all the women who left their lives behind for the weekend to learn and grow. I would not be doing what I do without you and I am truly grateful.

Thank you so much to Emily for sharing her experience at Launch with us. We are so proud of each one of our attendees and so grateful for their willingness to say nice things about us

Where were you in your photography journey when you decided to attend Launch?

I was such a newcomer!  A year ago I got my first digital SLR and kept it in the Auto mode almost all the time.  Then about 3 months before I attended LAUNCH I decided that I needed better pictures of my, then 3 month old, daughter.  I thought “how do I get those blurry backgrounds?” and thus I was bitten by the photography bug.  Every chance I got I was practicing my technique and reading photography books.  About a month before LAUNCH I had put a website together and was just starting to gather a few clients.  I just knew that the LAUNCH workshop was the next logical step towards success.

Where are you now?

After I came home from LAUNCH, with my new found knowledge, I decided to completely start over on my photography business.  I completely reworked my pricing structure, content of my website and basically my whole thinking behind running a successful photography business.  I am currently in a portfolio building stage and I cannot wait to jump into the business full force!

There are a lot of workshops out there, what attracted you to this one?

I actually was just googling around and stumbled upon the LAUNCH website.  I liked that it was geared towards beginners (which I totally was/ actually still am).  So I emailed Stacy for more information and she responded back right away!  I thought that was great that she was so on top of things to email me back so quickly.  I instantly liked her and knew that I wanted to learn from her.  Also the live newborn shoot was a major plus too!  I had done some newborn shoots before and was seriously excited about the opportunity to get to watch a “real professional” do one!

What was the number one thing you took away from the weekend?

Seriously…one thing! Only one?!  I could name 50!  Ok, though…to have confidence in your ability as a photographer and never stop learning or growing your talent.  You are worth what you are charging your clients!

How has your business grown as a result of attending Launch?

My business is completely different from where it was before I attended LAUNCH.  I am now more aware of how to market myself and am applying that daily.  I am starting to receive more clients from my website, facebook sites and the ever popular, word-of-mouth!  Business is definitely on the rise!

Do you think that coming to the workshop helped you avoid any mistakes, for example do you find you were headed in a different direction?

Wow – I hate to think about how many mistakes I would still be making if I had not attended LAUNCH!  I learned SO much at the workshop that I needed to implement into my business that the only logical step was to take a step back and start fresh!

Where would you like to see yourself one year from now?  How about five?

One year from now I will be out of portfolio building and running a successful photography business with a great client base.  My goal is to advertise in a children’s boutique…I have my eye on one already! J  Five years from now both of my kiddos will be in school and I hope to have enough photography business to call it a full time job.

And now, tell us a little bit about yourself.  Married?  Kiddos?

I have been married to a wonderful man, Matt for a little over 7 years.  He still makes me belly laugh, which I love!  I also have two wonderful kiddos.  Grant is 3 ½ and a total character.  Charlotte is 10 months old and honestly my favorite photography subject.  She just sweetly sits there and smiles for me every time!  What photographer momma doesn’t love that!  My family is my world and I am so blessed to have them!

Favorite guilty pleasure?

I love those little powdered sugar donuts!  You know the ones that come in the bag.  I could eat a whole bag!  In fact when my daughter was an infant and I was still getting up at all hours of the night, I would stand in the kitchen, make her a bottle and eat powdered sugar donuts…and not just one!  Wow, that was embarrassing to admit to!

If you could go anywhere and do anything tomorrow, where would you go and who would you take?

I would take my hubby and we would travel to Tahiti for a relaxing island adventure.  We would spend all day relaxing on the beach, soaking up the sun, and then we would sleep in till noon the next day!If you could have a super hero power what would it be? Honestly, I know nothing about any super hero’s or their powers so let’s go with something I know.  I would want to be Bella Swan from the Twilight series.  (I am considering her a super hero).  Her power of making Edward Cullen fall in love with her even when she was just a human.  A girl can dream, right?!

We received an email today, however the email address she provided was not valid. Since we would hate for  her to think we ignored her, we thought we would respond here on the blog. We also thought it might be helpful for those of you who are looking for a bit more information

Dear Christie,

My name is Sarah, I am Stacy’s workshop assistant.  First of all, thank

you SO much for showing interest in the Atlanta Launch workshop.  It is a

big investment in your business and I can appreciate that you are thinking

this over.  We are unsure where the workshop will take us in the future,

however we do not have plans of heading back to Seattle for awhile.  We

hope that after reading this email that you will find that Launch will be

a good fit for you and you will be joining us in Atlanta!

This workshop is designed for those who want to start a photography

business from the ground up. It’s even for those who might have begun

their journey and are in the beginning stages, but are missing some

important pieces like technical or business.  It is not for those who view

photography as a hobby.  Our goal for the attendees is to leave the

workshop with the knowledge and skill sets that will allow them to begin

developing a profitable and successful business.

I would say that the workshop spends an equal amount of time on business

and technical.  You

might have amazing technical talent, but if you don’t have the business

knowledge, then you won’t succeed.  Good business insight is just as

important as great photography skills.  For this reason Stacy spends a

good deal of time talking about working with clients, marketing &

branding, processing orders, web presence, client forms, legal documents,

pricing strategies, and SEO.

In terms of technical, we will go over exposure, lighting and composition.

Stacy will show you her standard workflow process including Photoshop tips

and tricks that help sell your images and what exactly clients are looking

for.  Stacy hopes to be able to demonstrate a “live” newborn   shoot for

you on Sunday, but that all depends the timing of deliveries!  : )  We’ll

have to make do with a “fake” baby if don’t have a newborn.  She is

amazing at shooting newborns, seriously!  If you sign up for the third

day, you will watch Stacy run a photo shoot with a family start to finish

with instruction on lighting and posing as she shoots. After lunch we will

break into groups and everyone will have an opportunity to shoot models.

Stacy will spend time in each group answering any questions you might have

while giving tips on shooting and posing.

The workshop will be held in a beautiful house in Atlanta in the Buckhead

area. With a relaxed environment we feel you will not only have more fun

but also learn more than you would in a typical classroom setting.  Check

out the Launch blog for a sneak peek of the house.  I don’t think I am

going to want to go back to mine after staying here.  :)

http://www.launch-workshop.com/our-temporary-home-atlanta-photography-workshop/

The workshop fee does not cover accommodations.  If you decide to register

and are interested in sharing a hotel room with another attendee, please

let us know. We will keep a list of those wishing to share and will do our

best to connect you with someone who is also looking.  There is a

Residence Inn that is across the street from the house and within walking

distance so you really do not need a car.  It includes complimentary

breakfast, free parking and is around $140 per night.  There are not any

restaurants within walking distance that we are aware of, however since

breakfast is complimentary at the hotel,  and lunch and snacks are

included in the workshop fee, you will only have to worry about dinner.

In addition there are several other hotel options within a 2-mile radius.

Please see the attached map of hotel name and locations.  These hotels

would be a quick cab ride away.

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/atlbh-residence-inn-atlanta-buckhead/

Since you will not need be need a car, here are some transportation rates

and options to get you from the airport:

The Atlanta Link Airport Shuttle

http://www.theatlantalink.com/

$20.50 per person/one way for travel to Buckhead

$37.00 per person round trip

Taxi Services

Call (404) 762-6087

Buckhead $40 ($2 charge for each additional person)

I hope I answered your questions and they have helped you in determining

if Launch is a good fit for you.  If you decide yes, then I can’t wait to

meet you!!  If you find that it isn’t a good fit for   you, then the best

of luck to you in your endeavors.  If you should have any other questions,

do not hesitate to ask!

Best Regards,

Sarah Lajevardi

A big thank you to Sara, one of our Seattle attendees for taking time out to share her experience with us.

Where were you in your photography journey when you decided to attend Launch?

When I happened upon a link to the LAUNCH workshop, I was a gal who loved taking photographs.  I also possessed a nagging curiosity about what it might be like to become a professional one day.

Where are you now?

I am a gal who loves taking photographs who also knows just what it would take to become a professional.  Not only that, but attending the LAUNCH workshop gave me a new found respect for how important it is to take my time, be patient while I continue to learn, and not ‘go pro’ too soon.

There are a lot of workshops out there, what attracted you to this one?

I LOVE natural light photography.  That was a big selling point for me because this workshop seemed to focus on that alone.  I also really appreciated the level of detail about the business of being a professional photographer.  Stacy shared nuggets of wisdom that would have taken me years to discover on my own.

What was the number one thing you took away from the weekend?

That’s a tough one.  I took so much away from this workshop that it’s hard to pick just one thing.  (I could have stayed another week!)  I think that the number one message that stuck with me is that practice practice practice is critical to improving.  That, and you can do irreparable harm to your career as a pro photographer if you take your show on the road too soon.

How has your business grown as a result of attending Launch?

Since I was a true beginner when I attended the workshop, I would say that the workshop absolutely has impacted my plans for embarking on this professional photography adventure.  I will spend a lot more time improving my skills, developing a portfolio, gaining experience, and networking with the awesome ladies that I met at the workshop before I ever ‘start a business’.  I am eternally grateful to Stacy for sharing her lessons learned with me so that I may avoid making the same mistakes.

Do you think that coming to the workshop helped you avoid any mistakes, for example do you find you were headed in a different direction?

Did it ever!!!  All I can say is that ‘you don’t know what you don’t know’ and that just about sums up the way I feel about most everything that I learned.  Seriously, I feel so well informed and prepared to start a business, build a client base, and conduct myself as a professional photographer after spending the weekend at LAUNCH.

Where would you like to see yourself one year from now?  How about five?

A year from now I hope to have developed my technical skills to a level that I am confident with, as well as begun to build a client base, hosted some ‘casting calls’, created a portfolio, and upgraded from the trusty Canon Rebel that has brought me thus far.    Five years from now I hope to be a well established part-time photographer.  I have a career that I love, so I never intend to make photography my sole source of income.  But I do hope to have established a successful business and respectable reputation as a professional photographer.

And now, tell us a little bit about yourself.  Married?  Kiddos?

Married to the most loving, considerate, driven, respectful, and handsome man I know.  I lucked out big time!  We have a sweet 7 month old boy who by now must believe that mommy was born with that camera attached to her face.  He gives me endless photo opportunities.  Parenthood rocks!

Favorite guilty pleasure?

Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches!  Yummo!

If you could go anywhere and do anything tomorrow, where would you go and who would you take?

I’d take my family to Ireland.

If you could have a super hero power what would it be?

I’d love to be able to pause time, and then scramble around and get everything done, and then unpause time so that I can get caught up on things.  That would be a pretty neat trick.