What 17hats Has Given Me

I love 17hats and could not be where I am in my business nor serve my clients as well without it.  To see more about how it changed my business, head over here.  Today, I want to get personal about what 17hats has done for my family.  

Our Family Values

Over 25 years ago, when my husband and I first started our relationship, we talked about our values and goals in life, an important part of building a relationship.  One of the big things on our list was traveling.  We both greatly enjoy exploring new places, experiencing new cultures, and seeing the world.  

Travel has always been a part of our lives.  I grew up moving around the country as my father found his callings at various churches.  While moving schools is never easy, and I had 6 such transitions between kindergarten and high school graduation, I never failed to find some joy in our new location.  There were always new places to explore, new things to try, and new people to meet. 

My husband grew up with a family that made a point to vacation each year.  He also joined the Army Reserves, which allowed him the opportunity to travel both nationally and internationally for annual training and deployments.  We both knew that travel was something we wanted to continue in our lives and our family.

Living the Entrepreneur Life

When I first started my business, I did almost everything on pen and paper which, in fairness, was how much of it was done in the early 2000s.  My office was the home base for everything.  I had neatly organized file drawers of contracts and client orders.  My calendar hung on my wall with dates and times of session.  Everything was neatly in one spot.  Great, right? 

Well, the downside of having everything physically in one location means, if you’re not in that location, you do not have access to anything.  More than once in my career, I called up my husband at home to have him check something while I was at a location waiting for clients. 

• If someone was ready to book, I had to get the contract from my office and send it off to them. 
• If someone inquired about a date, I had to check my calendar on my wall to see if it was available. 
• If I was out on a shoot or even running errands, all of this was delayed until I was back home. 

I was tied to my office in order to do anything for my business.  Going on vacation shut me down while I was gone, which meant I lost out on business.

Enter 17hats.  At Imaging USA 2016 in Atlanta, I walked the trade show floor and happened upon 17hats.  They showed me what they had to offer and, I’ll be completely honest, I was so overloaded with information from the whole event I’m not sure how much actually made it into my brain.  I’m certain anyone who has been to a trade show can relate. 

I do know that it planted a seed of the possibility of changing how I run my business.  Thankfully, stuck enough that I was able to go back to my room to decompress from the day, and began exploring what 17hats had to offer. 

That was it.  I was sold.  I made the choice to dive in and make my professional life more streamlined.  I went back to the trade show the next day and signed up.  I have never looked back or considered switching away since.

Everything Changed, for the better

You may be asking yourself, “So what’s the big deal?”  That, my friends, is simple.  17hats allowed me to manage all my projects in one place that I could access from any computer or my phone.  Game changer!  

Having all the documents, session information, client information, my calendar, and more all in one place, accessible wherever I was, opened up the world to me without sacrificing my business.  It opened up family time for me.  It opened up the late night hours I was working to try to juggle being a mom and being an entrepreneur.   As the years went on, it only got better.

With 17hats, I have been able to set up my online scheduling for my fall family portraits so I can be hands off.  Six years ago, I watched my daughters play on the beach in Riviera Maya while my clients were able to book their sessions swiftly and easily online. 

We were able to explore Coba and Tulum, to try delicious foods, to adventure through the cenotes, and fully enjoy our time together.  I was able to be completely in the moment with my family and knew my business was still doing what it needed to do.  I’m not sure words can fully express how amazing that is.

This past summer, we celebrated my oldest daughter’s high school graduation with a two-week trip to explore Italy.  During this time, my wedding clients received the information and questionnaires needed to prepare for their wedding days.  Anyone inquiring was quickly responded to with a welcome email.  I was able to respond to questions easily and still provide amazing customer service while strolling through the art museums of Florence and hiking in the Southern Alps. 

From my phone, I was able to spend ten minutes here and there sending out any emails that needed personal responses and reviewing questionnaires and contracts.  17hats allowed me to create treasured memories and experiences with my family while still giving my clients the care and service they deserve. 

A Full Heart

We are fortunate to be able to make these travels a reality. Our family has been able to travel to Florida, North Carolina, Washington state, Mexico, Spain, Iceland, France, and Italy.  These travels truly would not have been possible without 17hats. 

Thanks to them, I am able to uphold the values and goals that my husband and I set for our family in the very beginning while still serving my clients and building my business. It has given my family the opportunity to create memories, learn, and grow together.  It has given me the freedom to break away from my office and step into my life.