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Writer's pictureReagan Fulton
Sep 16, 20212 min read

The Family Portrait Project

"Her eye's lit up when she saw the pictures on the wall"

It all started at a birthday party

My best friend invited us to her sweet foster daughter's birthday party. And I happened to bring my camera along.

I had started Meadowsweet, but it was a dream with a name at that point.

I got a few shots of the family and action shots of the kids playing and exploring.



It was fun, I got some cool shots.


And then I heard about her reaction to her photos on the wall. How she loved them and her face lit up when she saw them. And that was the the spark.

That was the moment Meadowsweet Photo Company went from a dream to a vision.

 

So the Family Portrait Project was born.


The Family Portrait Project seeks to bring free and low cost family portraits to Cincinnati Families. Allowing every child the opportunity to see themselves in a quality family photo and know they are loved, belong, and have a safe home.


Currently we are serving foster families and families who have adopted through the foster care system with FREE Mini Sessions. We are fully booked for our innogural Family Portrait Project Mini Marathon October 15th and 16th. But we still have spots left for our November dates in collaboration with Blushery Events! We are so thankful they are donating the space for these families, and stay tuned ! We have an announcement for our next partner coming very soon ! We can't wait to tell you who will be decorating the set and turning it into a crisp and clean winter wonderland !





To make sure you don't miss a beat, subscribe to our newsletter today ! We try our best to be authentic and not-obnoxious with our emails. And there's options for how frequently you'd like us to contact you!





 

To book your mini sessio head to this link and we'll send you your coupon code that will zero out your session, after, it will redict you to the booking site where you can book your mini directly !


We will laugh and play and capture the precious moments of joy and childhood that make all the tough moments w


orth it. You will receive your gallery with full download and print rights within 3 weeks. I am forever impressed with those who choose to welcome children into their homes and provide a safe and loving environment. I want to thank you with these free family sessions. I am dedicated to protecting the identity and privacy of the children in your care and will keep all photos of foster children secure and off of social media and will NOT be used for my portfolio. Any shots of parent(s) and/or biological without any foster children may be used for portfolio use unless requested otherwise. Any donations/gratuity received from the Family Portrait Project will go to reinvesting in equipment, time, and sourcing other vendors to expand future offerings and events to serve and give back to our community. For more info or to subscribe or donate, visit this link.

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Writer's pictureReagan Fulton
Sep 11, 20214 min read

Finding The Balance

Updated: Sep 13, 2021

How I'm learning to balance Mom Life, Entrepreneur Life, and maintain a sense of self and peace.


 

Since launching my company and especially since diving into full-time entrepreneur life, I often get asked the question

How do you do it?

When I first decided to launch Meadowsweet, I worked full time as a Nanny to four amazing kiddos and brought my own son. Having 5 kids ages 2-8 as test subjects is great for practicing behind the camera, but I struggled to build my business past a hobby and a way to capture memories of my own child and the children in my life.



So that was me

Mom, Nanny. And Entrepenuer.

Loving my job because I worked for the MOST amazing families, but constantly burnt out and could not recharge and pour into my passions and build the dream I’ve had since at least 12 years old.

Then one day in March 2021, in the midst of a pandemic, knowing my current position would end at the end of Summer, I decided to attend the INA Virtual Summit and the pieces finally fell into place when I met two people that changed the trajectory of my career.

First, Jada Rashawn’s presentation on using your platform and voice to make waves in the nanny industry and beyond was THE spark I needed to find my voice. I can’t even recall what it is she said, but her energy, expertise, and passion lit a fire, and the idea and drive to start Meadowsweet Photo Company was born.

But that was only piece one, had I started Meadowsweet this spring without the second piece of the puzzle, I can assure you, I would have failed.


Crystal Gail attended the Summit as a vendor with her amazing enamel pins by Clearly Nanny--and I got the chance to chat with her. She invited me to Clubhouse--The Social Audio App-- and her club The Year of the Nanny. I had heard the name Clubhouse but had no clue what it was all about. I have so much more to share about how Crystal has influenced me and supported me in growing--starting a second business-- and achieve my dreams and I can’t wait to bring you along as that growth continues. and share more of the nuts and bolts.


But the very first lesson I learned in finding the balance is this:


Start every day with intention

I strive to be intentional with my words, with my time, with my body, and with my energy. It became a goal of mine at the beginning of 2021. But I didn’t realize how important that theme would become when Clubhouse finally opened up for Android users and I was able to join the Year of the Nanny Club.

Every single day we show up and share our goals, wins, affirmations, and we lift one another up. It has been a change in routine for me that has done wonders. You may not have time at 7:30 AM EST every M-F to join us. But my number one piece of advice is to change something in your morning routine. Or your whole morning routine. Find a podcast or a guided meditation, a Clubhouse room, or a workout routine that gets your day started with intention and momentum. Just start.


The second is to OUTSOURCE.

This doesn’t mean you have to be able to afford a cleaning service or a virtual assistant (hello, wishlist!). But hire a coach if you can, automate your systems so you have more time for personal connections, and outsource the things that aren’t your strengths (it took me much too long to call my accountant-don’t make my mistake).

Outsource knowledge.

Learn from leaders in your industry who have gone through it.

Listen to podcasts, watch YouTube, read books.

My Achilles heel has always been my view as asking for help as a weakness-I had a mental block that said admitting you needed help meant admitting failure. But it isn’t.

It's the true show of strength and leadership to leverage your community and resources all around you for your successes, both personal and professional.

I also use a few resources and apps to help me find the balance daily and build my businesses while still having the time and energy to pour into my family and keep my own cup full.


FloDesk (50% off with this link!)


My favorite part about finding the balance and becoming a Full-Time entrepreneur is the freedom it’s given me to set my working hours, plan my days in a way that allows intentional time blocking and fewer distractions, and most of all--more time to capture memories for families and practice my craft and learn new techniques and skills that constantly improve my art and energize my soul. Whatever your dream is--check your circle and your intentions and show up. Because when you follow your passions and put in the work, there are opportunities everywhere you look--all you have to do is start.







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Writer's pictureReagan Fulton
Jun 30, 20211 min read

August Mini Marathon

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