Images captured at one of the Southern Maryland Tuesdays Together meeting with the Rising Tide Society.
My business wouldn’t be what it is today without the support and friendships I’ve made with other photographers in my industry! I will always be the first to admit that credit is owed to this beautiful (yet small) group of women that I have let into my life. They breathe energy and life into my soul, they encourage me on the hardest days, and they offer me a shoulder to cry on. They are my sounding board, my support system, and sometimes they even step in as my second shooter! They constantly give me refreshing ideas and help me see things from a different perspective. And most-of-all, they love me and accept me. They’re my cheerleaders. My “tribe”.
Without these women, I would be a mess. Without these women, I wouldn’t have an accountability partner. And there are many, many days that go by when I’m tired or the kids are pushing my buttons and I’ll be surprised with a random phone call from someone who was thinking of me and knew I needed some encouragement. These women are truly a gift from God. And I thank Him every day for the people He has placed in my life to help me navigate this thing called “entrepreneurship”.
Right now I’m in a season of learning. I’m trying to take the time to read, watch webinars, and soak in as much information as I can before wedding season kicks in again. One of the books I’m slowing reading through is called Tribes by Seth Godin. He talks a lot about what leadership is vs. managing, where your tribe fits in to the overall bigger picture, and how leading can bring about some drastic change. Of course there are fears and doubts involved whenever you’re the leader of anything. But your tribe, the people who rally behind you and support you, are the ones who help to push you and the movement forward. These ladies, my accountability partners, are a huge part of my tribe.
“So great leaders don’t try to please everyone. Great leaders don’t water down their message in order to make the tribe a bit bigger. Instead, they realize that a motivated, connected tribe in the midst of a movement is far more powerful than a larger group could ever be.”
― Seth Godin
[Tweet “A connected tribe is more powerful than a larger group could ever be. – Seth Godin”]
In other words, your tribe IS your accountability system, no matter what line of work you’re in. And the size of your tribe shouldn’t be your focus. The quality of the people in your tribe is what holds the most weight. Here are 10 reasons why my accountability partners are so important to me:
- They’re my sounding board.
- They have ideas that I never would have thought of on my own.
- In some cases, they’re like therapists to me. LOL!
- They hold me accountable. Even when it’s tough.
- They’re honest with me. Even when it might hurt.
- Our relationship is mutually built on trust.
- We learn from each other every day!
- They seem to know exactly when and where I need support and tough love.
- Our relationship has NO room for competition, judging nature, or jealousy. And in this industry that can sometimes be difficult to avoid.
- And more importantly, I can show them the same support and love they give me.
I would like to encourage you to find your own tribe, no matter what field of work you’re in. These women really have made a world of difference for me and I’m thankful for them every single day!!
