In addition to my regular photography work, I have a few partnerships and collaborations with other companies in the works. I will eventually do a separate blog post on each of them.

I hope this blog post will be an encouragement to you. If you are in the midst of starting over, or just contemplating it. Hard work and determination do eventually pay off.

Five years ago, we decided to sell everything we own, pack up four of our five kids, and move to a three mile long island where we knew no one. We literally hit life’s reset button and started over.

The challenge has been real as I was coming from my growing portrait business in Virginia. I had hundreds of happy customers that would return to my studio for their family’s memories. I had poured my heart and soul into building my studio and growing my business. I did this with as much, if not more passion than the craft of photography itself. Many people thought we were crazy to just up and leave what we had built.

The year we began downsizing and planning our move. I had been traveling to several cities across the country with a group of far more successful and talented photographers than myself. We were teaching photography and marketing to others that were willing to learn skills to grow and hone their craft.

I was climbing to height of my career as well as overcoming personal fears of public speaking, shyness and other insecurities.

Even though I loved growing my business, our family needed a change. There were mornings that we struggled to get out of bed. We were losing passion and connection with each other as our whole world revolved around creating enough business to continue living and maintaining our huge house and studio.

After months of soul searching and being brutally honest with each other, we decided to start fresh and move to a new location. A Google map, and a few fun YouTube videos, led us to the Savannah area where we visited only two times for a total of seven days before signing a three month rental contract to move here. We didn’t know what challenges lay ahead, but we had a new commitment to each other that we were in it together.

We spent our first year on Tybee meeting people, making connections and finding where we fit. We started to pick up a few jobs here and there as we networked in Savannah and Tybee.  Each year since then our circles of connections and business has increased as people learn about our work ethic and commitment to follow through with our promises.

Living at the beach, one hundred yards from the ocean, we hear the waves crash at night when the windows are open. The simplicity and beauty of this alone brings a peace to my heart. I feel joy when I wake up every day now and I have a positive expectation of what the day will bring, whether work or play, it’s all a pleasure to experience. Somehow we have found a balance in blending work and play together in our life.

In the process of changing our lives, we made a choice to live simply. Our little apartment does not lend itself to accumulating a bunch of stuff. Purging our belongings is an ongoing item on  our weekly to-do list.  Is it challenging to have five people in a two bedroom apartment? Yes, at times. But I think even the kids agree the challenge is worth the benefits we each experience living in such a special place as Tybee.

From the beauty that surrounds us to the community that never stops giving, the McNally’s call ourselves blessed to wake up each day as we feel the sand beneath our feet during work and play.

As self-employed business owners, we continue to make connections and partnerships as we push ahead growing our business and expanding our interests and things we love doing. From entrepreneurial ventures, to expression of art and music, work and finances continue to come in from multiple streams every week. It hasn’t just fallen in our laps. It is a result of hard work and tough decisions that keep us moving ahead in the direction of our dreams.

If you have or are considering a big life change, then I encourage you to count the costs, evaluate what’s most important in your life, and then do whatever it takes to make it happen. We only have so many days on this earth and our next breath is never a guarantee.