Hey, Sweet Pea!

Hello Fall Lovers...
   It is a perfect fall day here in North Carolina... fifty degrees, cool, overcast... the best day to wear a thick cardigan and nuzzle up with some hot chocolate while reading up on the amazing team of Hey, Sweet Pea! We first heard about these awesome peeps through the wonderful world of Facebook. Their energy, love for branding, and all around "sweet"ness, made me realize I had instantly met new friends. They are a talented group of lovelies who specialize in all things branding: logos, websites, blogs, helping you find who you are as a photographer! Plus, Elise and her hubby Scott both teach classes at The Define School (check them out!)  I love what Elise from Hey Sweet Pea is sharing with our amazing Sassyfras followers today. I honestly think it can apply to so many different people in the lovely world of business... photographers, stylists,  designers, planners, etc...
So, sit back and soak it all in!
xoxo
Lollie and Cryssi



DIY Branding Tips
Let me first say how honored I am to know the Sassyfrass sisters. I've never met them in real life, but the interactions we've had via Facebook, Email, and Instagram made me fall in love with them from day one. You could say I have mad girl crushes on both of them. So when they asked me to guest blog, the answer was a huge resounding OF COURSE. 

Before we jump into some DIY branding tips, let me introduce myself. My name is Elise Grice and I am currently the Art Director/Co-Owner at "Hey, Sweet Pea." Our business specializes in branding development and custom digital design (Logos, Websites, Blogs, Social Media designs, etc.). We are now 1.5 years into being small business owners, after making the leap from working at the studios in Hollywood. Scott (my husband of six months) and I are busy planning the future of our business and so excited/humbled by our company’s success. We’ve met some of the most fantastic people and have been given some of the most amazing opportunities. We truly love what we do.

Branding is a huge undertaking and we work with our clients for months at a time, guiding them through an extensive soul searching process, to help them find their specific niche in the world. We love being a part of these branding journeys because of what individuals and companies discover along the way. My favorite part is the "AH-HA" moment: the moment when they figure out who they are, what they stand for, and why they exist. Obviously a process that extensive can't be written into just one blog post. But I wanted to share some of my favorite tips, for how to easily DIY a mini branding journey!


Focus your who, what, and why
Defining your brand anatomy starts with the “who, what, and why.” Sit down and honestly ask yourself these three questions:

1) Who am I?
2) What do I do?
3) Why does it matter?
The goal is to answer all three questions as unambiguously as possible. It’s harder than you would think. I will use our business as an example. In answering these questions, this is what I wrote:
1) We’re HEY, SWEET PEA, a digital branding and design company.
2) We specialize in creating visual concepts and strategic solutions for businesses seeking
fresh brands.
3) We help other businesses grow and develop healthy brands in an increasingly
digital world.

What did I just do? I focused who I was and what makes us different. I’ve also focused our brand to the core of what we do and want to be known for. I’ve boiled the who, what, and why down to its purest form.


Focus on what makes you unique
Specializing your business to a certain niche is vital. It’s not only vital because it helps you stick to the who, what, and why, but because of something you all dread: competition.
Ronald Manalastas explains specialization this way, “Specialization is the method of doing work for a singular, narrow, or limited scope of products, services, markets, or objectives. It is one of the most reliable and most durable operating platforms that any business can depend on. It builds strong internal capacity to profitably create and deliver value to the point of customer loyalty, delight, and advocacy. Specialization is predicated on having a superior positioning strategy very much difficult for others, more particularly competitors, to follow, imitate, or hurdle. It is a vital cog in building business viability and competitive strength. If you are a business owner, a professional, a manager, or even an employee, it is best to note that specialization involves the exercise of knowing, understanding, and focusing on your core competency in serving specific customer needs. The idea is to leverage your unique capabilities in the conduct of business in order to achieve appreciable efficiency and sustainable competitive advantage. You need not be everywhere doing everything for everybody in order to succeed in business.” 


Isn’t that concept freeing? You don’t have to accept work or create products you don’t want. To take it a step further, you shouldn’t accept work or create products you don’t want. Crazy, right? In the process of focusing and specializing, you’re actually doing what’s best for you and the future of your company. To summarize this concept, the benefits of specializing are:

1. It’s a reliable and durable way to build your business.
2. It allows the capacity to profitably create and deliver value.
3. It encourages customer loyalty, delight, and advocacy.
4. It provides a superior positioning strategy against competitors.


Focus on your ideal client
Who do you want to work with or create for? So many people struggle with this step because they don’t know how to accurately attract their ideal client. Don’t worry about how you’ll attract them just yet. Figure out who they are. I’m sure most of you have an idea in your head of who you’d love to work with, work for, create for, etc. It’s time to define them.

Let’s start with your favorite clients. Yes, we all have favorites. Let’s start with admitting that. But why are they your favorites? What makes you love working with or for one type of customer? I think using BRAND AGAINST THE MACHINE’S strategy is very helpful.


Assess your 10 favorite clients. And ask yourself questions about all of them. Questions like:
1) Were they respectful?
2) Were they male/female?
3) What age group were they in?
4) Where did they live?
5) How did you serve them?
6) What problems did they have that you solved?


Answering questions like that will help you build your own unique ideal customer profile. As BRAND AGAINST THE MACHINE says, “The answers to these questions help you identify who that ideal client or customer is. Once you know, you can target all of your efforts toward them. Your marketing can focus on solving their problems and showing them that your brand is the perfect fit for them. Most brands create a product or service and then go chasing after customers. This approach is completely backward. Picture your target clients, and then create solutions to their problems.”


My hope is that these three simple tips and exercises help you, dear reader, on your own branding journey! If you ever have questions, thoughts, or want to work with a specialist, we can help! We offer consulting sessions, online classes, and custom branding packages. You can get in touch with us via:


Website: www.heysweetpea.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/heysweetpea
Email: info@heysweetpea.com

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on a {whim}

One thing that I love about the always exciting world of facebook is the accidental connection with people all over the country. The other day I was just scrolling around photographers and came upon one site that really made me pause. There was a purity in the pictures... something so lovely and real that it just made me catch my breath a couple of times.

One thing that Cryssi and I strive to do through Sassyfras Studios is make people feel the love through their pictures. We are not the best posers, prop makers, creatives, etc... in the world... but we hope that with each session, people can see and feel love for each other.

While scrolling through Kelly Paulson's pictures on her amazing page Wild{Whim} design + photography I had that feeling. Her use of lighting and composition really made me happy... but one thing that stood out to me was the fun way that she captured love. You have Have HAVE to check out her album entitled My Life {Personal Work}  It is where I found the picture I am sharing with you and made me want one just like it with my sweet Haven and soon to be baby girl #2 :)

So take a moment, go check out Wild {whim} photography, show her some love, and be inspired on this beautiful Friday!
Sending much xoxo your way...
Lollie and Cryssi

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Inspiration Corner : Meet the Schultzes!!!!

So, the old story goes... the photography world is cut-throat.  It feels like sometimes we all constantly have our dukes up to those photogs around us, that we can't even appreciate them for the services that we can't provide, or for the differences that makes them reach some clients that we never will.  That is where the Schultzes come in.  Rewind over 2 years { awesome old school rewind sound here}.... I {cryssi} was still working for a fellow photog in the area, and Lollie was dreaming of starting her own business.  She found the Schultzes, and fell so head over heals with their clean beautiful happy go lovely website that she called me up just to show me them.

They instantly became huge inspirations for us.  Though we have completely different styles in our photography, we really value their work, and the images they create.  They just seem to work magic with downtown charlotte weddings {something that puts our stomach in knots} yet they seem to create the most beautiful quirky images with nothing but a concrete jungle behind them.

This past week, we had the privilege to meet and spend time with this amazingly fun and quirky photog family.  We will be posting their family shoot after this awesome inspiration corner.. but for now.. we just wanted to show them a little love and share with all of our fans the people that really inspire us.. so without further ado.. meet Cheyenne &  Geoff!



{Sassyfras}Describe your photography style in one sentence-

{The Schultzes} Soft & Romantic, Fun, Emotional, Interesting, Bright & Clean, True, Creative....that's not really a sentence, is it?   

{Sassyfras}How did you get started in the wonderful world of photography-

{The Schultzes} I (Cheyenne) have always loved taking pictures, but started to become more serious about that interest while searching for my own wedding photographer.  During our engagement we were asked by some friends of ours to shoot their engagement session.  After that, we shot the bride's bridal portrait.  We started a blog and began to shoot and post any and everything.  It wasn't long before I realized in order to take my interest to the next level, I would need to leave behind the crutch of shooting in "P" mode.  I enrolled in an Intro to Photography class at The Light Factory and learned how to legitimately use my camera.  I could go on and on, but that's the short of how we got our start.

{Sassyfras}How did you fall in love- 

{The Schultzes} We initially met in Savannah, GA during the summer of 2004.  Cheyenne was completing her required summer internship at SCAD in between her first and second years of graduate school.  It sounds much more scandalous than it was, but Cheyenne was actually Geoff's boss.  We didn't even officially start dating until the following March...the love thing soon followed.  :)

 

{Sassyfras}Favorite thing about each other- 

{The Schultzes} Cheyenne - he's a fantastic daddy, he's incredibly selfless, and he loves dogs as much as I do

Geoff -  when she acts silly and laughs with me 

{Sassyfras}What is one crazy moment that has happened to you while working in this business-

{The Schultzes}At a wedding we shot during our first year in business, the drunk groom overhand threw the top tier of the cake at the bride...oh so classy.  We were horrified.

{Sassyfras}What inspires you-

Geoff - seeing work of people that are performing at a higher level then I am at, people that achieve success at a young age

Cheyenne - great light, love, cool window displays, random acts of kindness, Geoff's selflessness, Boone's huge smile

{Sassyfras} What is one piece of advice you would give you newbie photogs and one piece of advice you would give to seasoned photogs-

{The Schultzes} To new photographers - It's super simple advice...but super important: learn how your camera works.  :)  Truly, don't rely on your camera to determine your settings.

To seasoned - Determine what parts of your business you don't enjoy doing/aren't qualified to do and then outsource it.  We outsource our accounting, bookkeeping, brand design, web design, album design...and this just in.....color correction.  Free up time for you to do the things that you love to do and allow yourself the time/energy to think bigger for your business. 

{Sassyfras} What is in your bag and what is your favorite to shoot with-

{The Schultzes}

*all Canon*

5D Mark II (2 of these)

5D (for backup)

50 1.2

35 1.4 (2 of these)

70-200 2.8

24-70 2.8

100 2.8 (macro)

580EX II flash (3 of these)

2 pocketwizards

Our favorite lens is probably the 35 1.4

{Sassyfras} If you could shoot one person in the world, who would it be and why-

{The Schultzes} Our son - Boone.  Obviously, we can take our boy's picture anytime we want...but it's a matter of actually doing it.  More important to us than photographing someone famous or well-achieved, is to continuously be committed to documenting Boone's life.  Sounds easy enough, but sometimes (especially lately given that it's wedding season) the last thing we want to do is pick up a camera or edit more pictures.  

{Sassyfras }Do you remember your first session... what was it of and how did it go-

{The Schultzes} It was for some friends of our who were engaged to be married.  After seeing some pictures I had shot of my own engagement ring in the grass, they asked if we would shoot an engagement session for them.  I went out and bought a bottom of the line SLR camera and used two lenses Geoff had lying around from a class he took in high school.  And Geoff - get this - Geoff second shot for me with a point and shoot!  :)))  All in all, the shoot went great and the images didn't look half bad considering we didn't have a CLUE about what we were doing.  :)

{Sassyfras} How do you connect with your photog subjects-

{The Schultzes} If we have the opportunity to meet them before they book with us, it begins with the consult and continues beyond the wedding day.  We genuinely want to develop a real relationship and friendship with our clients.  Which in turn, helps them trust us fully to do our job and allows them to be themselves while are shooting them.  

{Sassyfras} If you could dream up a perfect day, how would you spend it-

{The Schultzes} For Cheyenne, it would involve sleeping in, a trip to our favorite breakfast joint, lots of Boone snuggling, a walk to Starbucks for the good stuff, some picture taking for fun, maybe a swim at the pool, some afternoon chocolate treats and then a date night :)

For Geoff, it would involve all of the above, but with bowling and shopping :)

{Sassyfras} What makes you laugh-

{The Schultzes} Cheyenne - Boone's gigantic smile, but most of all, this video (best part is about 21 seconds in): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePNWCniwgfo

Geoff -  Fainting goats, Boone's laugh, and Joel McHale

{Sassyfras} If you had to choose a job other than photography, what would it be and why-

Cheyenne - Definitely a pop star...for real.  I think it would be super fun.  Or, a talk show host...like Ellen.

Geoff - Actor 

{Sassyfras} You have an pretty adorably precious boy- what advice do you give to parents to balance work and parenthood

{The Schultzes} Oh goodness gracious...I think I need someone to give me advice on this matter more than I am qualified to dish it out at this point!  Man oh man...finding balance between work and being parents is SO difficult.  It's the toughest thing I (Cheyenne) have ever done.  The reality is....at this point anyway....it's never balanced.  Some days, I am a great mom, but a terrible business owner.  The other days....the one's that our nanny is here....I plow through my work like a machine, but then aren't able to be with Boone.  It's a tremendous amount of pressure.  I had a really hard time the first few months of Boone's life - as someone who in the past feels the need to be the BEST at whatever she's doing...feeling like I was only able to give 30% of myself to every area of my life really put me in a bad spot.  I'm slowly, but surely learning to give myself a break and just do the best that I can.

{Sassyfras}What is your favorite memory together as a family-

{The Schultzes} Our first family trip just the three of us to Savannah, Georgia for Memorial Day weekend.  There was swimming, lots of pizza and brownie eating, walking around, taking pictures and nap taking.  Best trip ever.

{Sassyfras}What is your favorite drink, snack, movie, and music-

{The Schultzes} Cheyenne - Starbucks Pumpkin spice latte (one pump) (YUM...can't WAIT for fall!), anything chocolate, The Labyrinth, Prince

Geoff - Starbucks iced mocha or a mountain dew, chex mix, Forest Gump, anything I can dance to

{Sassyfras} What are your plans with your business in the future-

{The Schultzes} We are currently overhauling our entire approach toward our business by embracing Jesh de Rox's Beloved movement http://www.thebelovedmovement.org/).  For us, it is bringing meaning to our work.  It is going beyond creating pretty pictures and into providing an experience that will allow our couples to feel more, love more and grow in their relationships.  

We're also toying around with the idea of getting a studio space here in Charlotte.  

{Sassyfras} If you could tell everyone one special thing about you that they did not know, what would it be-

Cheyenne - I have a passion for rescuing stray dogs....somehow, the strays always find us and we go chasing after them.  

Geoff - I work full time as a motion graphics designer for our church - Elevation Church.

{Sassyfras}If you could trade lives with someone for a day, who would it be and why-

Cheyenne - Ellen Degeneres because I think it would be ridiculously fun to host her talk show and dance around stage

Geoff - Joel McHale of E's "The Soup" because he's freaking hilarious and it would be fun to make jokes about the ridiculous things going on in Hollywood

{Sassyfras} How would you describe the picture perfect shoot-

{The Schultzes} Great light in a natural environment with a couple who fully trusts us.  They would be ridiculously cuddly and loving toward one another....to the point that they really do forget that we are taking their picture. 

{Sassyfras} The goal of your business is to-

{The Schultzes} 1) Glorify God, 2) bring people closer together and 3) to form real relationships with our clients

{Sassyfras} One piece of advice for working with your spouse-

{The Schultzes}  I know for us, it feels like we are ALWAYS in work mode when we have any "free" time...there's always something else that can be done to advance our business.  So, it's important to have regular date nights or at least, unplug and veg nights with no talk of anything business.  I think we need to take our own advice on this one at little more!  :)

and now go check out the fabulous schultzes and send them some love:)!!! XoXo until our next inspiration corner!

Website- http://lovetheschultzes.com/

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Turning Trials Into Treasures

                                                  

                 

                  

 

We have been itching to put up our first person who inspires for awhile now. Cryssi and I came across Lizzie Metcalf just a few months ago. I saw she had commented on our facebook,
noticed her adorable profile pic and introduced myself. What I saw to be a vintage loving, adorable, faith-infused lady turned out to be so much more. 
Lizzies story and passion have sparked a new love for life in Cryssi and I. One thing that I have noticed about the photography world is that it is easy to get burned out, slammed down, and dejected... sometimes what starts out as a passion turns flat. After reading Lizzies chemo chronicles and seeing her renewed excitement for life, it put that fire burning back in me. She is a joy filled photographer who has already been used to brighten up the world just in her nineteen years. Not only is her story beautiful, but the images she captures are full of a giddy love. She has an eye for all things lovely! Go like her page EK photography on facebook here http://www.facebook.com/ekphotos AND be renewed by reading her Chemo Chronicles blog here http://chemochronicles.tumblr.com/  I am so glad that she decided to share this piece of herself with me and all of you. I know you all will love her as much as we do :) Enjoy!
Much xoxo
Lollie and Cryssi

Sweet Christen and Lauren asked me to write for their blog… My initial reaction was to melt into a puddle on the floor. Not because I'd ever dread writing, especially for them. But because it's so intimidating writing on someone [else's] blog! Especially two sassy creative sisters whom I admire so much. Well.. I suppose I'll start with telling you a little bit of where I come from. My name is Lizzie. I'm nineteen, and was recently diagnosed with T-Lymphatic Lymphoma and Leukemia. 

Up until this point my health had always been relatively normal; no broken bones or serious illnesses. I had just finished Esthetician school and was doing photography on the side while searching for a day job. At the time, I thought things were difficult. In early December I attended a women's breakfast with my bible study, I had the pleasure of hearing the testimony of a true woman of faith. She prayed that God would humble her regardless of the cost, and shortly after her husband was diagnosed with cancer. He passed away a short time after they had their first child. Here was a woman who asked that God would give her anything that would bring her closer to Him, and she harbored no bitterness or resentment towards God as many people selfishly would; but she had peace and joy! The next day as I was driving on the freeway, I prayed that same prayer (on a keen lookout for potential accident scenarios). The following week I totaled my car. Thinking that this was the humbling trial, I had a big sigh of relief and wiped my brow. It was that night that I found a tiny weird lump in my armpit, I assumed it was one of those things that would just "go away". Fast forward two weeks and it had grown to the size of my fist. My sister convinced me to go to urgent care, which became a day filled with tests. The next day I got a call from the urgent care doctor who shortly and insensitively informed me that my biopsy results came back as lymphoma (I didn't even know what that was!), and I needed to see their oncologist within the next two hours. From there the oncologist informed me that I needed to to to UCLA as soon as possible for treatment. I was admitted into UCLA Medical center that night, and started chemo within two days of admittance. This was all such a blur.. I couldn't believe it, I felt like I was in a dream just waiting to wake up. I had an ugly sweater party to go to, and my friends were throwing a fur and sequin themed christmas party! How could I miss those, for chemo? Through the shock and confusion, there was an extreme sense of peace. One I can't explain with any other cause than Jesus Christ. I just know that over the prior months God was preparing me for it. I had a conversation with my sister just the week before about how I'd be content if He chose lifelong singleness for me, or even a short life. Granted I ate those words, and the Lord really put my faith to the test. 

From there I had six different kinds of chemo's infused in my body, and spent a miserable month in the hospital. It was in that month that I truly learned the depth of God's love. He loves me so much that He sent His son to die for ME, a sinner who spits in His face on a daily basis. He loves me so much that He would put me through hardship so that I could become more like His son. He loves me so much that He took away everything from me, but Himself. He took away all the things that caused pride in me, especially my ever changing hair. I took pride in how 'bold' I was, really I just wanted everyone to know how cool I am. (and now all that coolness has washed away… into a lifeless little ball of fuzz on the floor, that no abundance of hairspray could preserve!) He's prepared me for this trial over the last few years, and gave me what He knows exactly what I can handle.

You know what my biggest fear is? My biggest fear is for the "good" people who go their whole lives thinking that they're Christians because they go to church every Sunday and said a prayer when they were fifteen. Don't deceive yourself! True Christianity isn't caused by a building, or bloodline or mindless repetition. Christianity is when you study what the Bible says, and live consistently to the fact that everything in it is God breathed. Faith manifests action, it manifests fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Living for the Lord is a roller coaster, it isn't always smiles. The road is windy and hard, there is pain. But the end justifies the means, suffering is God's perfect way of showing us His love because through endurance of trials we are made perfect and complete (James 1:2-4). God is gracious to forgive our sin, we're ABLE to live because Jesus lived perfectly and died. I hope that if you claim Christianity, that this makes you rethink your prayers. Comfort isn't biblical, perseverance is. It wasn't until recently that I wouldn't be hesitant to say that, hesitant that you (whoever you are) might think I was crazy, or extreme. But it took almost dying to teach me how to live, and I want everyone in this world to experience that sweetness, regardless of their circumstances. And there is only one way to experience that. 

I am so blessed. God gave me what I asked for, growth. Growth is never easy, but it is growth that gives more joy than this very life has to offer. Would you like to know how I'm doing now? I'm in my third of five rounds, almost done! Lord willing I will be done by the summer. I'll start maintenance chemo shortly after the hard part is done, where I take a pill every day for two years and go back to work! I have so much to look forward to, and fully intend on appreciating every part of life to the fullest extent. My chances of surviving are extremely high, and percentage of relapse is extremely low. Here is a quote that ever constantly encourages me, it is a quote from a book of puritan prayers that I turn to when I just don't know what to pray myself. 

“Thou hast disarmed me of the means in which I trusted,
and I have no strength but in Thee.
Thou canst hold back my evil ways,
But without Thy grace to sustain me I fall.
Satan’s darts quickly inflame me,
and the shield that should quench them 
easily drops from my Hand:
Empower me against his wiles and assaults.
Keep me sensible of my weakness,
and of my dependence upon Thy strength. Let every trial teach me more of Thy peace,
More of Thy love.” -Valley of Vision

Photos Courtesy of EK Photography 

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