Four years and three months ago, I was tired. Like, bone tired. I’d been building my business while working a full time corporate job for almost two years, and I was at a tipping point; I just couldn’t do both anymore.
We were in the parking lot at Wegmans when I had another meltdown- I was overwhelmed by how much editing I had to do, and the thought of heading back to work the next morning brought hot tears and a fresh wave of exhaustion.
I’ll never forget that moment- Matt turned to me with concern on his face and said, “I’m tired of seeing you miserable all the time.” He told me I needed to put my notice in, even though I didn’t think I was ready. And all of a sudden, this enormous burden was lifted from my shoulders! I could BREATHE again, because now there was light on the horizon!
I gave 7.5 weeks of notice (#overachiever) to give my company plenty of time to find a replacement before I left. And guess what? The DAY I put in my 7.5 weeks of notice, we received news that Matt’s job at the church was going to be dissolved by July. And though it definitely gave us a reason to pause and consider our options, I still moved forward with leaving my corporate job.
Everyone thought we were nuts. “I’m sorry, you’re leaving a cushy desk job with a steady salary and great benefits to go to a place where you’re not sure where your next paycheck will come from? AND your husband will be out of a job within a month of your leaving?”
Because I get it- caution can be healthy. But we KNEW this was right thing to do- we’d prayed over the decision for months and by the time we got our answer, we knew it was the right call. It was an enormous leap of faith, but we had a peace that surpassed understanding- we knew that if I jumped, God was going to provide for us. We didn’t know what that provision would look like, but we KNEW that he wouldn’t call us to something like this only to leave us high and dry.
My last day in a corporate office was June 1st, 2012. And as of June 1st, 2012, we still had no idea where Matt would be working come July. But within a few weeks, a new position opened up and Matt switched jobs without missing a beat.
I sort of thought that being a full-time photographer had to have some kind of expiration date- like I’d be lucky if I made it 2-3 years, and I’d eventually cap out. But it’s been four years, and things are stronger than they’ve ever been. Stronger than I could have possibly imagined they’d be!!
Who would have ever thought that things would be going well enough that the business would be able to sustain BOTH of us? Who could have known that my work would take me to Europe several times over, shooting things that set my artistic soul on fire? Who ever would have guessed that I’d be teaching workshops, speaking at conferences, working with some of the best in the industry?
Not me. I never would have seen any of that coming. And if we’d played it safe, if I’d stuck with the day job and let photography fall to the side because it was the cautious course, we would have missed out on all of that. On creating a life that we LOVE, together.
“You mustn’t be afraid to dream a little bigger, darling.”
*all photos by David Abel!
DESIGN BY TONIC SITE SHOP
© ABBY GRACE PHOTOGRAPHY 2024
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Thank you for sharing! I needed to hear this today more than ever as I make some big decisions!
What an inspirational story, Abby! And congrats 🙂 You are amazing!
So happy for you and Matt. Congratulations on this anniversary of your business!
Congrats, Abby!!!! Reading this gave me goosebumps — so so exciting to see how much AMAZINGNESS can happen when we trust God and LEAP!
I still remember when you left the corporate job!! 🙂 Congrats Abby!! It’s such a big, brave thing to do!
What an amazing story!! Yay for you, lady!
I am so proud and honored to have been your first full-time-photographer Abby Grace Bride! ❤️ I am so excited about your success and know it will continue for a long, long time to come!
Absolutely inspiring!!!