Some days I feel like I just need a few more hours in the day to deal with my business, and then I remember my dear client turned friend, Erika of Erika Anne Photography! This momboss powerhouse juggles her photography business with a full-time job, volunteer positions, and four kiddos. I was so excited when Erika agreed to take us on a photographic journey for a day to give us a behind the scenes look at her life, and I hope that she inspires you as much as she does me. Take a peek at a typical day in this momma photographer’s life and prepare to want to fly to NY someday to have her take your children’s senior pictures!
Day In The Life: April 19, 2017
My name is Erika, and I am the owner of Erika Anne Photography, located in Massena, NY. I am excited that Kim asked me to chronicle my day for you! It’s a crazy life, but it is also fun and rewarding.
I am a wife, and mother of 4 amazing kiddos. I work full time, I run a photography business, and I am the Children’s Ministry Leader at my church. Welcome to my day!
I am not a fan of mornings, in fact, I am the least morning person you’ll ever meet. I wake up every single morning (after hitting snooze a million times) with very little time to spare. But once I know I need to hurry, it’s on!
(The very first thought I had this morning was “OH NO, I forgot to put my clothes in the dryer!” That got me moving!)
I shower, dress, do my makeup, and then I greet my four little people for the day.
My husband gets the kids ready in the morning for school because I need to leave 30 minutes before their bus comes. I get big hugs and kisses from my two girls (ages 7 and 8) and two loving grunts and reluctant tween boy hugs from the boys (ages 11 and 12) as I hurry out the door. This morning, my eight year old made me a piece of toast to go so I wouldn’t be hungry on the way to work.
I usually don’t make coffee at home despite the Keurig that I just had to have once. I am a music lover, so I find the station that suits my mood and I turn up the volume and drive. I really enjoy this part of the day very much. It’s just what I need to clear my head and prepare for the day. My 30-minute commute isn’t complete without a stop at Dunkin’Donuts for an iced coffee. Once that baby is in my hand, I feel like I can proceed with the day.
The race to clock in on time starts, and I hurry across the parking lot. I work in an admissions office at a local university. My office is located in an old Victorian style home, that has been renovated over the years to accommodate offices. It is still pretty cool to look at with all of the unique old features. I like to wonder what it was like when it was an actual home.
From 8am-4:30 pm it’s all pretty much the same! I do a lot of data entry and computer work, so that is what happens. I always have a notebook nearby because my mind wanders so much, and I am afraid I will lose a good idea just because I forgot to jot it down. You’ll always catch me with my planner too because during my breaks at work I often check my business email to respond to clients about bookings.
Today I am going get take out for lunch, from my favorite restaurant, Thai Cuisine. I went to college in this town, and I have worked here almost six years, and this year is the first I have ever eaten here. It is amazing, to say the least. I can’t believe I missed out on this all those years! I love the friendly servers, and the owner is the sweetest lady. The food too, I mean, this picture speaks for itself. My usual order of fresh spring rolls with shrimp and pad thai with chicken is ready for me when I arrive…yum. I love thai day. (I took my leftovers home for a proper photo session).
It’s a good drive home; I play the music nice and loud again. Today I feel like classic rock. Bon Jovi came on, so I probably looked really cool as I sang “Livin’ on a Prayer” really loud, but that’s just who I am!
When I arrive home, I am immediately greeted by this guy, who is usually too busy with the kids in the morning to care about me. Despite his puppy days of being extremely destructive (the day he ruined my camera comes to mind) he has grown to be the biggest lover, and we’re so happy he is part of this family! I won’t lie, I would be lost without his special greetings as I walk in the door every day.
Tonight, I have a to-do list a mile long, including laundry, dinner, and editing, but I also have a very special photo session. I am kind of excited despite the fact as I get ready to leave, it’s pouring rain.
Normally this would be the death of a session, but we had already decided umbrellas and rainboots were the props of choice. My photog BFF and I have birthdays exactly one week apart, and every year we seem to add a new tradition to that week. This year birthday photo sessions were born! I had so much fun (as usual!) taking her photos.
It’s true what they say about photographers hiding behind their lenses. I got home a little later than planned, but I got to peek in on the kids doing their own thing before I get them all settled. They’re now in bed, and I am off to edit the session I have due. I also have time left to fool around with some packaging ideas and get some of that photographed.
To bed by 12:30 am, which is honestly pretty good for me!
So to answer the question, how do I do it all? When do I sleep? How do I balance all that I do with my house and my family? I do what I can when I can.
The kids come first, and they always will. Games, fun and quality time with them is so important. I am even teaching my 11 year old how to use my first DSLR camera! I juggle housework, business work, and personal time depending on which needs the most attention at that moment.
There are no rules and trust me when I say, I don’t lose sleep if the laundry is neglected one day or the dishes aren’t done. There are nightmare days, where everything is just chaos. But they’re rare. I like to focus on those lovely nights where the house is super clean, the kids are all asleep, my photos are all delivered, and my inbox says “0”.
I then get to reap the rewards of shouting out “What’s good to watch on Netflix?” and relaxing. So when you ask me that question, which I hear almost every day, all you’re going to get from me is the truth.
Which is a tired smile and the simple answer, “I just do it.”
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Hey girl, hey! I'm Kim.
I'm a business coach determined to help female entrepreneurs run successful, profitable businesses that are not only stress-free, but fun. I'm passionate about finding ways to work smarter, not harder, so that I can spend time with her stud muffin and spunky, kind hearted daughters. I am a self-proclaimed organizational queen that is couldn't live without Lip Smackers chap stick, fresh flowers or dark chocolate. Real Simple Magazine is my guide to navigating life. My true obsession lies in branding; I am every business owners biggest cheerleader!
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