Continuing with our interview series of creative female entrepreneurs, I want to introduce you to my friend, Lisa Romerein. Lisa is an incredibly talented and successful photographer who has captured countless homes and locations all over the world - you may have seen her work already and not even realized it! Her images are regularly published in national magazines and books, such as The House that Pinterest Built and Patina Farm, just to name a few. Seeing her name on a call sheet brings me so much joy, knowing I’ll have another opportunity to work alongside her. She is the ultimate professional and working with her has been a highlight of my career. I think you’re going to enjoy getting to know more about Lisa, including her favorite photography gear, what fuels her creativity, and her idea of the ultimate day off!

Building a business over the last 20+ years, has allowed me to learn and grow from amazing opportunities, plenty of hard work, and all the mistakes and mishaps along the way - which we all know is where the real learning comes into play. I've mostly kept my head to the grindstone, working solo for years until I grew to a place where I could take on a small staff. But even with that, there were times when I felt isolated as a creative female entrepreneur - especially working in the digital space, where we tend to feel connected to others, but often times, truly aren't.

After I wrote about the best changes I made last year, I received quite a few emails, comments, and Instagram messages with requests to share my favorite business books. It was encouraging to hear from other creatives that were wanting to change how they approach their business, and even more so, to hear from those wanting to start a new one all together.

A book will meet you where you are. Meaning, how you perceive the content, will be directly related to what’s going on in your life or business. A book that really resonates with you, may not feel the same for another person. With that in mind, think about what stage you are at in your business or personal life and start with one that speaks to that area. From there, you can expand on to new topics and ideas as you build your library. To help get you started, here are some of the books that have made the most impact on my business and personal life.

Earlier this year, mid-January in fact, I decided to make a few significant changes in my life. These weren’t new year resolutions, which we all know fall by the wayside come February, but more like small doable shifts in how I go about my daily routines and work life. I had felt the need to change for months before actually taking any steps towards making it happen. It was like a quiet voice inside whispering - there’s a better way to go about my life and work. I thought I’d share the ones that made the biggest impact on me in case you might be feeling those same winds of change in your own soul this time of year.

I thought it would be interesting to switch things up a bit and begin a series of posts on how I manage and run my creative business. I’ve been self employed for over two decades and through that experience, have learned how to maintain and grow a small, but very profitable company. Aside from being self motivated, I believe having a system of organization has been key to my success. In an effort to help other creative entrepreneurs, I’d like to share the tools and strategies I use to keep things running smoothly.