Four Years Into the Unknown: A Personal Story of Growth, Setbacks, and Self-Reflection
Four years ago, we left our stable jobs chasing a dream we couldn’t fully define—but felt in our bones. What followed was a rollercoaster of uncertainty, financial hits, caregiving, and growth we never saw coming. We weren’t ready then—and maybe that’s the point. Through setbacks, debt, late-night deliveries, and full-time caregiving, we learned how to slow down, get present, and finally become the kind of people who can live that dream. This isn’t just a story about photography or going off-grid. It’s about self-reflection, personal evolution, and trusting the process—especially when it’s uncomfortable. If you’re in the middle of your own pivot, we hope this helps you feel a little less alone.
Four years ago, my wife Stephanie and I made a decision that changed everything. We walked away from comfortable, steady paychecks to chase something we couldn’t quite explain—but deeply believed in. We wanted freedom, creativity, time together, and the space to build something on our own terms.
What we didn’t realize back then was how much the journey would test us—and grow us.
Before the Fall
We were still working our 9–5s when COVID hit.
I had just been promoted to Store Manager at a luxury clothing store in Palm Springs. Stephanie was working the front desk at her parents’ small photography business. When the pandemic swept in and everything shut down, we were both furloughed.
Those first few months were filled with uncertainty and unemployment checks. Like many, we felt displaced—grateful for the pause, but unsure what would come next.
When we were called back into work, we walked into a completely different world.
Policies were changing daily. I found myself managing a business while trying to enforce new health mandates I had no experience with. Stephanie was doing the same on her end. It felt like we were just surviving. And that’s when we had to ask ourselves: Is this really the life we want to go back to?
The answer was no. So we left.
We stepped away from the familiar and into the unknown.
The First Year Was the Hardest
What we didn’t realize was how quickly things could unravel.
I had invested everything we had left into crypto—believing, like many others, that it was the golden ticket. And for a moment, in late 2021, it looked like I was right. But when the market crashed, so did our safety net. Our portfolio dropped by 90%.
My inner voice was screaming at me to sell what we had left. But we stayed strong—diamond hands, as some people say. We pivoted. We leveraged what credit we had, took on a lot of debt to hold us through the winter, and waited for things to turn around.
And eventually—they did.
But in between, we weren’t just sitting around hoping. We knew we had to develop better habits. So we got to work. We focused on what we could control—our health, our mindset, our communication. We started learning new skills online. We built ourselves up quietly, brick by brick, while the world around us still felt unsure.
Although we had to put our dreams on pause again, I’m actually glad we did—because we weren’t ready to live our dream with the version of ourselves we were back then.
We were spending more than we generated.
Living like we still had a steady paycheck every two weeks.
You only get from the universe what you put into it—and we hadn’t put in the work yet.
So if you're asking yourself, “Am I ready?”—I think you already know the answer.
Only you know how much work you’ve put in to get where you are, and where you want to be in the next one to three years. One of my favorite quotes is from Jocko Willink. He says:
“Didn’t get what you wanted? Good.”
I can hear him now:
“Oh, you didn’t get to chase your dream? Good. Now you can save more, build more, and be better—so when you do chase that dream, you’re ready.”
That’s stuck with me.
Trust in the process.
Trust the person you’re becoming.
Doing Whatever It Took
We started delivering food through Uber Eats and DoorDash. I became a full-time caregiver for my mom, who’s in the late stages of Parkinson’s and now completely immobile. Steph and I tag-team her care—meals, cleaning, bathing, whatever’s needed.
It wasn’t the life we imagined. But it gave us something unexpected: perspective.
Caregiving shifted how we see the world—and how we move through it.
It made us slow down.
It made us more present.
It helped me become less reactive.
I smile more now, despite what the world throws at us.
That season of service reminded us what actually matters. It showed us how strong we could be, even when things felt uncertain. It helped us take a step back, so we could eventually move forward.
We stopped pretending we had it all figured out and started doing what we had to do.
We developed better habits—financially, emotionally, and creatively. We lived leaner. We got sharper. And through it all, we kept pouring into Last Minute Photoshoot, the business that’s now become our heartbeat.
We kept learning. We kept dreaming. We kept showing up.
Now: On the Road to Something More
Four years later, we’re finally preparing to do what we set out to do from the beginning.
By the end of this year, we’ll be living on the road with our pups—traveling the coast, shooting the life around us, and running our business wherever we go. We’ve spent years putting everything on pause to care for family. And while it’s hard to pass that responsibility to someone else, we’ve realized this simple truth:
Life doesn’t wait.
And if we don’t take the leap now, we may never.
If You’re Still in the Middle of It…
If you’re in that blurry space—wondering if you messed it all up, if it’s too late, if the dream is slipping away—just know: we’ve been there.
Some days, we’re still there.
But here’s what we’ve learned:
Growth doesn’t happen in comfort.
Change doesn’t come without struggle.
And you don’t have to have all the answers to move forward.
We’re still figuring things out. But we’re doing it with intention, with love, and with faith in the life we’re building—one mile, one lesson, and one photo at a time.
Let’s Connect—For Real
If you’re in the thick of it right now—trying to figure things out, questioning your timing, wondering if it’s too late—we see you.
And if you just need an ear… we’re here.
If you’re working through your own leap of faith and want to connect, collaborate, or just share your story—we’re all ears.
Reach out to us.
Leave a comment.
Send us a DM on Instagram.
Drop your email.
Text us.
We’ll respond with love and kindness—always.
Let’s lift each other up.
Because no one gets through this alone.
Whether you’re planning a shoot, dreaming up a creative project, or just want to chat—we’re all ears. Let’s build something beautiful together, one memory at a time.
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