Happy New Year! I always love looking back on the year and making goals for next year too. It’s an important time of gratitude and reflection, and can help to set the stage for next year too! Here’s a recap of the last twelve months.
QUICK VERSION:
- Stop motions became a major part of the business
- I added six contractors to the LISH Creative team to work on photography, lighting, videography, social media management, financials and accounting
- We started to deliver longer-form video content
- We partnered with hotel brands for the very first time
- I learned how to adapt and prepare to spend time working from different locations
- We got engaged on an epic European adventure
- I crossed some “dream” clients off of my bucket list
- I battled family tragedies, anxiety, and took steps to recharge my health and fitness regimen
THE DETAILS…
JANUARY
After a two-week hospital stay, I spent a portion of January helping Graham recover from a collapsed lung (the first of a few crazy scares this year!). I also did work for Blurb Books, Method Home and Grana.
FEBRUARY
February brought exciting lifestyle work with talent and locations. I had the opportunity to work with Mayarya Maternity, Dove Chocolate, Chatbooks and GE light. I also attended Alt Summit in Palm Springs and had the chance to attend the Rebecca Minkoff Fashion Show at the Grove!
MARCH
I was invited on my first sponsored trip to Bermuda with The Hamilton Princess Resort! I took my friend @amytangerine and we spent three nights traveling around the island—one of the most colorful destinations I have ever visited! I also did work for Venice Beach Candle Company, Massi, Cuore & Pelle, Raw Sugar Living & Lifewater.
APRIL
I attended the press preview for DTLA’s Museum of Ice Cream and was surrounded by the most instagrammable installations! I also had the chance to meet Betsey Johnson (!) work with Formé Comfort, Fullscreen Live and SugarBear Hair, and I created spring mobile wallpapers for Dunkin’ Donuts.
Later in April, my Dad was in a near fatal bike accident. He was in a coma in the ICU for two weeks and then spent another four weeks recovering in a rehab hospital.
MAY
I spent May flying back and forth between Pittsburgh and LA so that I could be with my family. Since my Dad suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury, he had to undergo extensive therapy to walk and talk again. I am so thankful to report that he’s made a full recovery. I also worked hard between traveling and hospital visits to complete work for Old Navy, and I did a photo & video shoot for Formé Comfort.
JUNE
I taught a styling workshop at Dessert Goals LA and I attended VidCon for the first time with Amy Tangerine. I also did work for Mixbook, Hello, Freixenet, Special K, and Dunkin’ Donuts.
After neglecting self-care for most of the year and battling a lot of anxiety, June was the start of my fitness revolution. I used to be an athlete and working out was always a huge part of my life, but it’s easy to let it slip when times get tough. I joined Crunch fitness and started to pick up the habit again.
JULY
July was one of my favorite months. Amy invited me on a trip to Disneyland—it was my first time! I traveled to the Color Factory Press Preview in San Francisco where I made one of my first video blogs about the event, and the video now has more than 10k views on YouTube! Amazing, right? I also took brand photos for Annette Stepanian, and did work for Transitions Sunwear, SkinnyCow and Baskin-Robbins.
AUGUST
I attended Hedley & Bennett’s School of Hustle in DTLA, and I met some of the most incredible business owners. I had a chance to meet Reese Witherspoon (!) thanks to Amy Tangerine. We attended an event with her as part of a promotion for her movie, Home Again. Graham and I took a weekend trip to Las Vegas (sans my laptop!) and I completed work for CenturyLink, Allbirds, and Peace Out Skincare. I also took a lighting class @ PhotoShoot Factory that revolutionized my studio setup.
SEPTEMBER
September was the start of three months away from LA because of Graham’s medical school schedule. I had a lot of anxiety leading up to and during this time away from my studio, client base, etc. We drove across the country to Pittsburgh, stopping in Las Vegas and Denver along the way. It was nice to spend an entire month with my family! I also did work for Zico Coconut Water & Peace Out Skincare, and I hired back my personal trainer from high school to continue working towards my health and fitness goals.
OCTOBER
The first half of the month we were based in Pittsburgh, and I flew back to LA to complete work for Sphynx and Uptime Energy. I also worked for Dunkin’ Donuts, Peace Out Skincare & Friexenet. We took advantage of Graham’s vacation block by taking a two-week trip to Europe. We visited London, Copenhagen, Stockholm and Paris, but London was definitely the highlight because Graham proposed at Wimbledon with the ring inside of a tennis ball. I said “YES!”
NOVEMBER
When we got back from Europe, we spent more time in Pittsburgh and then drove down to Miami for Graham’s next medical school rotation. I worked on projects for Allbirds, Mixbook, Dunkin’ Donuts, Peace Out Skincare and Homesick Candles, and I took brand photos for Katie Love. I also learned a lot about setting up remote studios and road trips no longer seem so daunting.
DECEMBER
We spent the first two weeks of December in Miami where I went to Art Basel events, shot at Wynwood Walls and attended opening day of the Miami Museum of Ice Cream with @ananewyork. We spent the holidays back in LA, and I worked on projects for Advant Edge, Peace Out Skincare, and one other client that ended up being one of my favorite projects of my career! I can’t share just yet, but believe me, it’s a good one! We lined up projects for 2018, and I signed a contract for a website/blog redesign in the new year! I also photographed my first wedding, for my good friend Amy Tangerine. It was such a beautiful day.
Cheers to 2018!
– A
