There are seasons in business that stretch you, and then there are seasons that completely knock the wind out of you.

This summer has been one of the most challenging seasons I have experienced since starting Lauren Grace Photography Co. There have been beautiful moments and incredible families mixed into it, but behind the scenes, it has also been exhausting, overwhelming, and at times, genuinely heartbreaking.

And I think it is okay to finally say that.

I have spent months trying to be photographer, editor, business owner, customer service department, scheduler, problem solver, wife, mom, and human being all at the same time. Somewhere along the way, I allowed the boundaries between those things to almost completely disappear.

I have answered messages at ridiculous hours. I have stopped family time to respond to questions. I have felt pressure to be constantly accessible through texts, emails, Facebook messages, comments, and every other form of communication imaginable.

There have been situations where expectations were placed on me that were already addressed in the contracts signed before booking. There have been frustrations surrounding turnaround times and policies that were clearly outlined beforehand.

And perhaps one of the hardest parts has been dealing with payment disputes after photography services were completed and galleries were delivered, including disputes involving sessions or images that had been provided at no additional charge.

That does something to you as a small-business owner.

Photography may create beautiful photographs, but there is an enormous amount of work happening behind those photographs that nobody sees. The scheduling. Traveling. Shooting. Culling hundreds of images. Editing. Retouching. Uploading. Gallery delivery. Emails. Contracts. Software. Equipment. Backups. Customer service. And sometimes sitting at a computer long after my family has gone to bed because I desperately want another family to have their memories.

I love what I do.

But I have realized that loving what I do does not mean I have to operate without boundaries.

So, I’m taking a month away from social media.

Not from my business.

Actually, quite the opposite.

For the next month, I am intentionally stepping away from social media so I can put that time and energy back where it belongs: into my existing clients and into rebuilding some of the systems behind Lauren Grace Photography Co.

My biggest priority is pushing galleries out.

I also want to take a hard look at the entire client experience, from the moment someone inquires until their final gallery lands in their inbox. I am updating communication procedures, booking information, expectations, contracts, workflows, gallery delivery, editing processes, and the boundaries surrounding business communication.

Some of those changes may mean I am not as immediately accessible as I have been in the past.

And I have finally realized that is okay.

Better boundaries do not mean I care less about my clients. They allow me to serve them better.

My contract cannot simply be something we click through before booking. It contains important information about what clients can expect from me and what I expect from them. Moving forward, I want to make those expectations even clearer throughout the entire booking process so there is less room for confusion on either side.

I also need to create healthier boundaries around communication. I cannot sustainably be available through every platform, at every hour, every day of the week. Having one clear communication process will allow me to actually keep track of conversations, respond more efficiently, and spend more of my working hours doing the thing clients hired me to do: creating and delivering their photographs.

This isn't me giving up. It's me fixing what isn't working.

Sometimes growing a business means adding more.

Sometimes it means getting quiet long enough to figure out what needs to change.

This season has taught me a lot. Some lessons were wonderful. Some were incredibly painful. And some I probably learned much later than I should have.

But I don't want to carry the hardest parts of this summer into the next chapter of this business.

I want Lauren Grace Photography Co. to feel beautiful from beginning to end. Not just in the photographs you receive, but in the communication, expectations, booking process, experience, and delivery.

And I want to love this again without feeling like I have to sacrifice every boundary in my personal life to prove that I care about my clients.

So for one month, I'm getting quieter online and louder behind the scenes.

I'll be editing.

I'll be delivering galleries.

I'll be answering emails.

I'll be fixing systems.

I'll be creating clearer boundaries.

I'll be working toward an experience that is healthier for me and better for the people who trust me with their memories.

And somewhere in there, I'm also going to give myself permission to be a wife, a mom, and a person without feeling guilty because I didn't answer a message immediately.

To the clients who have been patient, kind, encouraging, and understanding through an incredibly difficult season, thank you.

Your kindness has mattered more than you probably realize.

I'll see you on the other side of this little social media break. Hopefully with a much shorter gallery queue, stronger systems, healthier boundaries, and a version of Lauren Grace Photography Co. that feels even more like the business I always wanted it to be.

Same heart. Better systems. Clearer boundaries. A better experience.

With love,
Lauren Grace
Lauren Grace Photography Co.