Twenty-five years later, I can still remember exactly where I was.

I was sitting on my couch.

I had the day off from AT&T, and I was watching the news when the first tower was hit.

At first, I could not process what I was seeing.

It looked like a movie.

Even though I knew I was watching the news, there was something in my mind that would not allow me to believe that what I was seeing was actually happening in real life.

Then the second tower was hit.

And that was the moment.

I remember thinking, This is not a movie. This is really happening.

I sat there almost numb.

My mind immediately went to my children.

Where are they?

Are they safe?

Where is my family?

And almost as quickly, another thought came to me:

What kind of world are our children coming into?

That question has stayed with me.

I Was in the Middle of New Beginnings

September 11, 2001 came during such a significant season of my own life.

My oldest grandson had just been born on August 21.

We had spent months preparing for his arrival, waiting for this new little life to enter our family.

And I was also preparing for another beginning.

On October 1, just a few weeks after September 11, I would marry my husband.

So there I was.

A brand-new grandmother.

A woman preparing to become a wife again.

Looking forward to a new season of life.

There was excitement. There was anticipation. There was hope.

And right in the middle of all of that newness, I watched our country experience something that changed us forever.

It is strange how life can hold both things at the same time.

Joy and fear.

New beginnings and tremendous loss.

Hope for the future and uncertainty about what that future will look like.

That is what I remember about that season.

Twenty-Five Years Later

This year, my grandson turned 25.

And in just a few weeks, my husband and I will celebrate 25 years of marriage.

Those milestones cause me to think about just how much life has happened since that morning.

Twenty-five years.

Children have grown up.

Families have changed.

People have married.

Babies have been born.

Careers have begun and ended.

There have been celebrations, losses, accomplishments, disappointments, healing, heartbreak, and ordinary days that became years before we even realized how quickly time was moving.

For me, 25 years represents so much life.

But today, I cannot help but think about the families for whom 25 years represents something very different.

Twenty-five years without a husband.

Without a wife.

Without a mother or father.

Without a son or daughter.

Without a brother, sister, friend, coworker, or loved one.

I cannot fully understand that kind of loss.

I knew of people who lost their lives on September 11, but they were distant from me.

I did not experience what thousands of families experienced that day.

For me, September 11 was something I watched unfold on television.

For them, it became part of their family story forever.

There was a before.

And there was an after.

My heart is with them today.

The Children Who Inherited the World After

I also find myself thinking about the children.

Maybe that is because my mind went there immediately on September 11.

My grandson was only a few weeks old.

He had no idea what was happening.

He had no idea that the world around him had just changed.

And now he is 25 years old.

His generation has never known the world before September 11, 2001.

They were born into what came after.

And when I think about that, I find myself asking the same question I asked while sitting on my couch all those years ago:

What kind of world are we creating for our children?

I know everything is not bad.

There has been so much beauty in these 25 years.

There has been love.

There has been joy.

There has been progress.

There have been moments when people have come together, cared for one another, helped one another, and reminded us of what is still good in humanity.

But everything is not good either.

There is still uncertainty.

There is violence.

There is fear.

There is division.

There are moments when I look at the world and wonder where we are headed.

And on a day like today, it is difficult not to sit with those thoughts.

Because remembering September 11 should not only cause us to look backward.

I believe it should also cause us to look at the world we are building now.

The way we treat one another.

The way we speak to one another.

The things we are teaching the next generation.

The values we are modeling.

The kind of world we are leaving behind.

More Than a Date in History

For those of us who were old enough to remember September 11, there are certain details that will probably always stay with us.

Where we were.

What we were doing.

Who we called.

What we felt.

The images we could not stop watching.

The disbelief.

The fear.

And the realization that life could change in a moment.

But today, I do not want September 11 to simply become another date we acknowledge once a year.

I want to remember the people.

The lives that were lost.

The families who were forever changed.

The first responders who moved toward danger while others were trying desperately to get away from it.

The ordinary people who showed extraordinary courage.

And the countless individuals whose lives were affected in ways the rest of us will never fully know.

Behind every number was a name.

Behind every name was a life.

Behind every life was someone who loved them.

That is what I want to remember.

At This Moment

So today, 25 years later, I find myself sitting with many of the same thoughts I had that morning.

Family.

Children.

Life.

Loss.

Uncertainty.

And gratitude for another day.

I think about the grandson who was just weeks old then and is now a 25-year-old man.

I think about the marriage I was preparing to begin and the 25 years my husband and I have now shared.

I think about all the life that has happened between then and now.

And then I think about the families whose loved ones never got those 25 years.

That is where my heart turns today.

Not simply to where I was.

Not simply to what I was beginning.

But to those who lost so much.

And to the generations who came after.

My hope is that remembering does more than take us back to September 11, 2001.

I hope it reminds us that life is precious.

That tomorrow is never promised.

That the people we love matter more than we sometimes remember in the busyness of everyday life.

And that the world our children inherit is not just something that happens to them.

It is something we are helping to create.

So today, I remember.

I honor.

I reflect.

And I pray that we never become so far removed from that day that we forget the lives behind it.

May we never forget September 11, 2001.

Twenty-five years later, that is where my heart is at this moment.

That question comes up more often than people realize. A company may ask for a headshot. A conference organizer may request a branding image. A podcast host may simply say, “Send us a photo for promotion.” Those requests can sound interchangeable, but they are not always asking for the same thing.

Your image may appear on a company website, speaker flyer, podcast announcement, media feature, social media graphic, conference program, book cover, or sales page. The right photograph helps the person designing that material do their job well. The wrong one may be difficult to crop, may not fit the space, or may communicate something different from what the opportunity requires.

So, let’s make the difference clear.

What is a professional headshot?

A professional headshot is a clean, closely framed portrait in which your face is the primary focus. Depending on the intended use, it may show your head and shoulders or extend to approximately mid-torso. The background is usually simple, and the expression, lighting, posture, and clothing are chosen to communicate the qualities you want associated with you, such as confidence, warmth, approachability, leadership, or authority.

A headshot answers the question: Who is this person?

You generally need a professional headshot for:

• Your LinkedIn profile and company directory

• An email signature or professional biography

• A speaker one-sheet or conference program

• A podcast guest profile

• A press release, media interview, or author biography

• Professional association and board profiles

• A website About page or team page

• Applications, awards, and nominations

The close framing matters because many of these photographs are displayed very small. On LinkedIn, for example, your image appears in a small circle beside your name. If you use a full-body photograph, your face may become too small to recognize.

LinkedIn currently reports that members with a profile photo receive up to twice as many profile views and three times as many connection requests. LinkedIn also recommends that the face fill approximately 60 percent of the frame. That does not prove that any photograph will produce business, but it does show that being visible and recognizable affects how people engage with a professional profile.

Research has also shown how quickly people begin forming impressions from a face. In a series of experiments, participants made trait judgments after seeing an unfamiliar face for only 100 milliseconds…one-tenth of a second. Those instant judgments are not always fair or accurate, but they remind us that a professional image begins communicating before someone reads your résumé, biography, or list of credentials.

What is a branding image?

A branding image is a broader visual storytelling photograph. It may show more of your body, your environment, your tools, your work, or your personality. It is usually created with room for text and flexible cropping so it can support marketing materials across several platforms.

A branding image answers questions such as: What do you do? What does your brand feel like? What kind of experience can people expect from you?

You may need branding images for:

• Website banners and landing pages

• Social media posts, articles, and advertisements

• Speaker announcements and event flyers

• Podcast cover art, episode graphics, or promotional campaigns

• Course launches, email campaigns, and sales pages

• Book marketing and media kits

• Press features that want more than a standard portrait

• Ongoing content for a founder, coach, consultant, author, influencer, or creative professional

Branding images may include you working at a desk, speaking, holding your book, using your camera, recording a podcast, interacting with a client, or photographed in a setting connected to your message. They can also express different sides of your brand: polished, conversational, authoritative, creative, welcoming, or bold.

The setting is not there merely to look attractive. It should help tell the right story.

What does “branding headshot” mean?

This is where the language becomes confusing.

“Branding headshot” is not a universally precise format. Some photographers use the phrase to describe a close portrait created to match a person’s brand colors, personality, audience, or profession. Others use it as a general name for any professional branding photograph.

If a company, podcast, publication, or event organizer asks for a branding headshot, do not guess. Ask:

1. Do you need a close head-and-shoulders photograph or a wider image?

2. Will the image be cropped into a square, circle, vertical, or horizontal format?

3. Do you need open space beside me for text?

4. Is there a required file size, resolution, or background?

If they cannot give you detailed specifications, send two clearly labeled options: one standard headshot and one wider branding image. Let their designer choose the best fit.

How the needs change by industry

Corporate professionals and company teams

Start with a consistent professional headshot. A company directory, leadership page, press announcement, and LinkedIn profile usually require a clean image that keeps attention on the person. Companies may also need environmental branding photographs for recruiting campaigns, annual reports, thought-leadership articles, and marketing.

Speakers

Speakers need both. Your standard headshot is useful for programs, directories, badges, and biographies. Your branding images give event organizers options for banners, promotional graphics, websites, and social content. A wider vertical or horizontal image with space around you is especially valuable when a designer needs to add your name, talk title, date, or logo.

Podcast hosts and guests

A podcast guest should have a recognizable headshot that still works when reduced to a small episode graphic. A host who markets consistently also benefits from branding images for season launches, guest announcements, behind-the-scenes content, and sponsor materials. If a host requests a “promo photo,” ask about the layout before choosing the image.

Entrepreneurs, coaches, consultants, and authors

Your audience is often buying access to your expertise, perspective, or process. A headshot establishes who you are. Branding images help show how you work and give you a visual library for your website, offers, speaking, articles, email marketing, and social media.

Content creators and influencers

Branding images are usually the larger need because content must be published frequently and in multiple formats. However, creators still need a strong standard headshot for platform profiles, media inquiries, collaborations, and speaker or contributor biographies.

A simple way to decide what you need

Choose a headshot when the primary goal is recognition, identification, or professional credibility in a small space.

Choose a branding image when the goal is storytelling, marketing, promotion, or showing the experience connected to your work.

Choose both when you are building a visible personal brand, pursuing speaking or media opportunities, launching offers, or regularly creating content.

Most established professionals should keep at least:

• One current, tightly cropped professional headshot

• One slightly wider professional portrait

• A small collection of vertical and horizontal branding images

• Images with open space on both the left and right for promotional copy

• A range of expressions that fit different messages

When should you update your images?

Your photograph should still look like the person who will walk into the room or appear on the video call. Update it when your appearance has changed noticeably, your role or audience has changed, your visual brand has changed, or the image no longer represents the level at which you are working.

You should also update your library when you keep reusing the same photograph because it is the only one you have. The goal is not to take new pictures simply to keep up with a trend. The goal is to have the right visual asset ready when an opportunity arrives.

Your photos should be prepared before you need them

A last-minute request from a conference, publication, podcast, employer, or potential partner is not the time to discover that your only current image is a cellphone crop from a group photograph.

A professional headshot helps people recognize and remember you. Branding images give your work context and help other people market you accurately. Together, they create a visual library that supports your credibility, visibility, and growth.

Before your next photography session, do not ask only, “Do I need new pictures?” Ask a better question:

Where does my work need to be seen, and what images will those opportunities require?

If you are unsure whether you need a focused headshot session, a branding session, or a combination of both, Detroit City Headshots can help you plan the images around how you will actually use them.

Learn more at Detroit City Headshots

Sources

• LinkedIn Help: Settings for profile photo visibility

• LinkedIn: Profile photo best practices

• Willis & Todorov, “First Impressions: Making Up Your Mind After a 100-Ms Exposure to a Face”

Visibility is something I talk about often.

Usually, I’m talking about the way professionals show up through their headshots, personal brands, websites, LinkedIn profiles, and marketing.

But visibility isn’t only about what happens online.

Sometimes visibility means showing up right where you are.

On Saturday, September 12, Detroit City Headshots will be participating as a vendor at the Lathrup Village Music Festival, right here in Lathrup Village.

And I’m looking forward to it.

Detroit City Headshots is located in Lathrup Village, so this isn’t simply another event on the calendar for me. It’s an opportunity to connect with the community surrounding the business, meet professionals and entrepreneurs face-to-face, and introduce more people to the experience we’ve created at Detroit City Headshots.

More Than Setting Up a Booth

When you hear “vendor,” it’s easy to picture a table, a few business cards, maybe a banner, and people walking by.

But that isn’t how I’m approaching this.

I want the Detroit City Headshots booth to give people an opportunity to stop, connect, ask questions, see our work, and learn what a professional headshot experience can really look like.

Because a professional headshot is about much more than standing in front of a camera and smiling.

It’s about confidence.

It’s about expression.

It’s about making sure the person someone sees online reflects the person they are going to meet in the room.

For some people, that means updating LinkedIn.

For others, it means launching a business, stepping into leadership, pursuing speaking opportunities, refreshing a company website, or simply recognizing that the photograph they’ve been using no longer represents who they are today.

Your Image Should Grow With You

One of the things I hear all the time is:

“I know I need a new headshot.”

Usually, people already know when it’s time.

Their career has changed.

Their business has changed.

Their appearance has changed.

Their confidence has changed.

Or maybe they’re preparing for a new level of visibility and suddenly realize the photo representing them was taken years ago.

Your professional image should evolve as you do.

That doesn’t mean constantly replacing your photographs. It means recognizing when your current image no longer supports where you are going.

At Detroit City Headshots, that’s why the experience includes more than simply pressing the shutter.

I coach expression.

I help with positioning.

I work with clients who tell me they are uncomfortable in front of the camera.

And my goal is to create a headshot that still feels like you—just confident, polished, and ready for the opportunities ahead.

And We’re Giving Away a Headshot Experience

If you’re attending the Lathrup Village Music Festival, make sure you stop by the Detroit City Headshots booth.

Festival guests will have the opportunity to enter to win a:

Detroit City Headshots Professional Headshot Experience

$400 Value

The winner will receive:

Professional Headshot Session — $250 value
One Fully Retouched Headshot — $150 value

There is no purchase necessary to enter.

Entry will be available exclusively at the Detroit City Headshots booth during the festival on September 12.

The winner will be selected at random and notified by September 15, 2026.

Come See Me

The Lathrup Village Music Festival takes place:

Saturday, September 12, 2026
12:00 PM – 10:00 PM

City Hall Municipal Park
27400 Southfield Road
Lathrup Village, Michigan

Come by the Detroit City Headshots booth.

Say hello.

Take a look at some of our work.

Ask me questions about professional headshots, what to wear, posing, expression, personal branding, or whether it might be time to update your current image.

And, of course, enter for your chance to win the $400 Detroit City Headshots Experience.

I’m looking forward to spending the day connecting with the community and introducing more people to what we do.

Because visibility doesn’t always begin with going somewhere new.

Sometimes it begins by showing up right where you are.

Detroit City Headshots
Headshots That Drive Success
detroitcityheadshots.com

Two hundred and fifty years.

That’s an amazing milestone.

This year, as we celebrate America’s 250th birthday, I’ve found myself thinking less about fireworks and more about freedom.

Not just the freedom we celebrate as a nation, but the freedoms we often overlook in our own lives.

The freedom to worship.

The freedom to speak.

The freedom to dream.

The freedom to build.

The freedom to forgive.

The freedom to begin again.

Those freedoms didn’t come without sacrifice. They were purchased through the courage, conviction, and service of countless men and women who believed future generations were worth fighting for.

Today, I pause to honor them.

I also pause to thank God.

No nation is perfect. No people are perfect. Yet God’s grace continues to meet us, and His faithfulness continues to carry us through seasons of triumph and seasons of challenges.

As someone whose work centers on helping women reclaim their voice, I don’t take freedom lightly.

I’ve learned that some of the deepest prisons aren’t built with walls. They’re built with fear, shame, silence, and the belief that our voices don’t matter.

That’s why today reminds me that freedom is both a national blessing and a personal responsibility.

We honor those who fought for our country’s freedom by using ours wisely.

By choosing kindness over division.

By serving our communities.

By extending grace.

By speaking truth with love.

By standing for what is right.

And by never forgetting that the freedoms we enjoy today were entrusted to us, not simply for our benefit, but for the generations that will follow.

Today, I’m grateful.

Grateful for faith.

Grateful for family.

Grateful for the opportunity to serve others through the gifts God has given me.

Grateful for the privilege of living in a country where I can freely build a business, write these words, encourage others, and pursue the calling God has placed on my life.

As America celebrates 250 years, my prayer is simple:

May we never take freedom for granted.

May we continue to seek wisdom over pride, unity over division, and hope over fear.

And may each of us use the voice we’ve been given to make a difference in the lives of others.

Happy 250th Birthday, America.

May God continue to bless this nation and each of us as we strive to leave it better than we found it.

A Transparency Moment

Today, before the celebrations begin, take a quiet moment to reflect:

What freedom in your own life are you most thankful for today?

Sometimes the greatest celebration isn’t found in the fireworks overhead, but in the quiet gratitude we carry within our hearts.

Happy Independence Day, and Happy 250th Birthday, America.

It’s been a couple of weeks since I last wrote.

Not because I didn’t have anything to say.

Actually, it’s been the opposite.

I’ve been doing a lot of quiet work.

I’ve been preparing for speaking opportunities, refining my message, working on my businesses, and asking myself some hard questions about the direction God is leading me. None of that makes for exciting social media posts, but it’s the kind of work that matters.

I’ve learned that not every season is meant to be visible.

Some seasons are for building.

Some are for pruning.

Some are for becoming.

For most of my life, I measured progress by what I could see. Was something growing? Were people responding? Was I moving fast enough?

I’m learning that real growth often happens before anyone else can see it.

Just like roots.

No one celebrates roots.

No one takes pictures of roots.

But without them, nothing else survives.

As I prepared for a recent leadership summit, I kept coming back to one thought.

I don’t want to become someone who simply has something to say.

I want to become someone who has lived what she’s saying.

There’s a difference.

It’s easy to share polished lessons after we’ve made it through something. It’s much harder to keep showing up while we’re still being shaped.

That’s where I find myself.

Still growing.

Still learning.

Still refining my voice.

And maybe that’s where you are too.

Maybe your progress doesn’t look impressive from the outside.

Maybe you’re making decisions no one knows about.

Maybe you’re healing in private.

Maybe you’re rebuilding something that only you and God can see right now.

Don’t discount that work.

The quiet work is often the work that changes us the most.

I’ve spent years helping people be seen through my camera. More recently, I’ve been helping women find the confidence to stop hiding and use their own voices.

What I’ve realized is this:

Before we’re ready to be seen, we often have to become comfortable with who we are when no one is watching.

That’s where confidence begins.

Not on a stage.

Not behind a camera.

Not in front of an audience.

But in the quiet places where integrity is formed and purpose is refined.

If this season feels slower than you’d like, don’t mistake slow for stagnant.

Something may be growing that you simply can’t see yet.

Transparency Moment

What quiet work is happening in your life right now that you believe will matter later?

I’d love to hear from you in the comments.

Today marks two years since my double mastectomy.

Most people know April 5, 2024, as the day I was diagnosed with breast cancer. That date is etched into my memory forever.

But June 14 holds its own significance.

June 14 was the day I walked into surgery.

I remember the uncertainty. I remember the questions I couldn’t answer. I remember knowing that life was about to change, even though I had no idea exactly how.

What I didn’t know then was that some of the hardest work would happen after the surgery.

Healing isn’t just physical.

It’s emotional.
It’s mental.
It’s spiritual.

It’s learning how to look at yourself again after everything you’ve been through.

Months after my surgery, I took a photo wearing a shirt that said, “I Am Worthy.”

At the time, it may have looked like just another picture.

It wasn’t.

That photo represented something God had been teaching me throughout the entire journey.

For so many years, my worth had been connected to what I did, how I showed up for others, how strong I appeared, and whether I felt like I measured up.

Then cancer entered the story.

Surgery entered the story.

Scars entered the story.

And I found myself standing in front of a mirror asking deeper questions than I ever had before.

Who am I now?

What has changed?

What hasn’t?

What God continued to show me was this:

My worth was never in my body.

My worth was never in my appearance.

My worth was never determined by a diagnosis.

Cancer changed many things, but it did not change who God says I am.

The truth is, I didn’t wake up one morning suddenly believing that.

It was a process.

A conversation between God and me that unfolded one step, one prayer, and one difficult day at a time.

But somewhere along the journey, I stopped looking at what had been taken away and started paying attention to what remained.

Faith remained.

Purpose remained.

Calling remained.

And the woman God created me to be remained.

Two years later, I am grateful.

Not because the journey was easy.

Not because I would have chosen it.

But because I can see God’s faithfulness in ways I couldn’t see while I was walking through it.

Today, I honor the date.

I honor the journey.

I honor the healing.

And I thank God for carrying me every step of the way.

June 14, 2024.

A day I will never forget.

Most people hear the words lymph nodes and immediately feel fear rise in their chest.

I understand that.

In breast cancer conversations, lymph nodes are often mentioned in the same breath as staging, spread, surgery, treatment decisions, and pathology reports. So for many people, the moment lymph nodes come up, the mind goes straight to the worst-case scenario.

But lymph nodes are not the enemy.

They are part of the body’s immune system. They help filter lymph fluid and play a role in helping the body respond to infection, waste, and disease. In breast cancer care, lymph nodes are important because they help doctors understand whether cancer cells appear to have stayed in the breast area or whether they have moved into nearby lymph pathways. The National Cancer Institute explains that a sentinel lymph node is the first lymph node, or sometimes the first group of lymph nodes, where cancer cells are most likely to spread from a primary tumor.

That is why doctors often check lymph nodes in the underarm area during breast cancer surgery.

One of the most common ways this is done is through a sentinel lymph node biopsy. During this procedure, the surgeon identifies and removes the sentinel node or nodes so the pathology lab can examine them for cancer cells. A negative sentinel lymph node biopsy generally suggests the cancer has not spread to nearby lymph nodes or other organs.

Here is the part many people do not realize.

The sentinel lymph node is not always one single node.

Sometimes there can be more than one sentinel lymph node. That means a pathology report may say one node was removed, or it may say two, three, four, or more were removed. That does not automatically mean the situation was worse. It means the surgeon followed the drainage pattern and removed the nodes that needed to be checked.

This is where reading a pathology report can become confusing.

My own pathology report said:

“Left axillary sentinel lymph node, biopsy: Four lymph nodes, negative for metastasis, 0/4.”

That meant four sentinel lymph nodes were removed from the left underarm area and all four were negative. In plain language, cancer was not found in those four nodes.

That was good news.

My report also listed my lymph node stage as:

pN0(sn)

The “N” refers to lymph nodes. N0 means no regional lymph node metastasis was identified. The sn means the lymph node status was determined through sentinel node biopsy. So in plain English, my sentinel lymph nodes were checked, and they did not show cancer.

But here is what I want more women to understand.

Clear lymph nodes do not always mean the body feels normal afterward.

That is the part we do not talk about enough.

Even when the nodes are negative, the surgery itself can still affect the body. When lymph nodes are removed or damaged during breast cancer treatment, the normal movement of lymph fluid can be disrupted. The American Cancer Society explains that lymphedema can happen when lymph fluid builds up because lymph nodes or vessels have been removed or damaged, and this can lead to swelling, often in the arm or hand after breast cancer treatment.

I know this part personally.

After my double mastectomy, I was diagnosed with lymphedema. I have compression sleeves that I have to wear. I also deal with tightness, especially on my left side, across the breast area, under the arm, and through the area where my body is still healing and rerouting fluid.

That tightness is real.

That heaviness is real.

That feeling of needing to massage the area so fluid can move is real.

And it can feel confusing because you may think, “If my lymph nodes were clear, why am I still dealing with this?”

The answer is that those are two different parts of the story.

Clear lymph nodes speak to cancer status.

Lymphedema and tightness speak to the impact of surgery, lymph fluid movement, scar tissue, healing, and recovery.

One does not cancel out the other.

A person can have negative lymph nodes and still live with lymphedema.

A person can have no lymph node spread and still need physical therapy.

A person can have a good pathology report and still have a body that requires daily attention, support, and care.

The CDC explains that lymphedema can be managed with movement, compression garments, manual lymph drainage, and in some cases pneumatic pumps. Compression sleeves or stockings fit tightly on the swollen arm or leg to help lymph fluid flow out, while manual lymph drainage is a special kind of massage that helps move fluid out of the swollen area.

That is why physical therapy matters so much after breast cancer surgery.

In my case, physical therapy helped me understand that I could not just ignore the tightness. I had to learn how to support my body. I was taught that lymphatic drainage is not deep, aggressive massage. It is gentle, intentional movement that helps encourage lymph fluid to move through the body.

The American Cancer Society also notes that manual lymphatic drainage is a gentle massage technique that can help move lymph fluid out of swollen areas, and a trained therapist may teach someone how to do self manual lymph drainage at home.

That matters because many of us think healing means the incision closed, the drain tubes came out, the surgery was over, and the doctor said things looked good.

But healing after breast cancer surgery can continue long after the visible wound has closed.

There can be tightness.

There can be swelling.

There can be numbness.

There can be pulling.

There can be scar tissue.

There can be fear.

There can be a daily awareness of a body that no longer responds exactly the way it did before.

Some of that tightness may also be connected to something called cording, also known as axillary web syndrome. Cleveland Clinic describes cording as scar tissue that can form under the arm after lymph node removal for breast cancer. It can feel like a tight cord running down the inside of the arm and may cause pain or limit movement. Physical therapy can help improve motion and relieve discomfort.

Again, this is why education matters.

Because when women do not know what they are experiencing, they may suffer in silence. They may think something is wrong with them. They may think they are complaining. They may think they should be “back to normal” by now.

But after a double mastectomy, the body has been through something major.

The lymph system may be adjusting.

The muscles and tissues may be tight.

The nerves may be affected.

The chest wall may feel different.

The arm may swell.

The underarm may pull.

And the person may be trying to process all of this while still showing up for life.

That is why I believe breast cancer awareness has to go beyond pink ribbons and early detection. Those things matter, but awareness also has to include what happens after surgery. It has to include survivorship. It has to include lymphedema. It has to include hormone therapy. It has to include cording. It has to include the daily maintenance many survivors quietly do just to function.

And for hormone receptor-positive breast cancer, treatment may not end with surgery.

Some people are placed on hormone blocker therapy after surgery. Hormone therapy is used for hormone receptor-positive breast cancers because some breast cancer cells use estrogen or progesterone to grow. The American Cancer Society explains that hormone therapy works by either lowering estrogen levels or stopping estrogen from helping breast cancer cells grow.

I am on hormone blocker therapy.

And I want people to understand that this is part of survivorship too.

It is not “just a pill.”

Hormone therapy can come with side effects, body changes, emotional adjustments, and a long-term commitment to reducing recurrence risk. The American Cancer Society notes that hot flashes and night sweats are common side effects of hormone therapy for certain cancers, including breast cancer. Breastcancer.org also lists possible hormone therapy side effects such as hot flashes, vaginal symptoms, loss of libido, fatigue, mood changes, and other medication-specific risks.

That does not mean every person will experience every side effect. It does mean women deserve honest conversations before and during treatment so they can understand what may happen and how to ask for support. I’m experiencing extreme fatigue, weight gain, and joint pain. As stated before, everybody body is different.

This is why understanding the language matters.

A pathology report is not just a medical document. It tells part of the story.

Mine told me that four left sentinel lymph nodes were removed and were negative. It told me the lymph nodes checked did not show metastasis. It told me the cancer was hormone receptor-positive, which helped explain why hormone blocker therapy became part of my treatment plan.

But my body told another part of the story.

My body told me that healing would include tightness.

My body told me that lymphatic care would matter.

My body told me that compression sleeves would become part of my reality.

My body told me that the aftermath of breast cancer is not always visible to other people.

And that is one of the reasons I am becoming more committed to breast cancer awareness and advocacy.

Because there is so much people do not know.

There is so much women are not prepared for.

There is so much we quietly manage after the surgery, after the appointments, after the visible crisis has passed.

Lymph nodes are not automatically bad news.

They are information.

Lymphedema is not a failure of the body.

It is a condition that can happen when the lymph system has been disrupted.

Compression sleeves are not a sign of weakness.

They are support.

Physical therapy is not extra.

For many of us, it is necessary.

Hormone therapy is not simply an afterthought.

For many hormone receptor-positive breast cancer survivors, it is part of the long-term protection plan.

If you are reading your own pathology report or trying to understand your recovery, here are questions worth asking your medical team:

How many lymph nodes were removed?

Were they sentinel lymph nodes?

Were any lymph nodes positive for cancer?

What does my lymph node status mean for my stage and treatment plan?

Am I at risk for lymphedema?

Should I be evaluated by a physical therapist or lymphedema specialist?

Do I need a compression sleeve, and how often should I wear it?

What symptoms should I watch for in my arm, hand, chest, or underarm area?

Could the tightness I feel be cording or scar tissue?

Why was hormone therapy recommended for me, and what side effects should I report?

You are not supposed to automatically know this language.

You are allowed to ask.

You are allowed to say, “Explain that to me in plain English.”

You are allowed to ask again if you still do not understand.

That is not weakness.

That is wisdom.

The more we understand, the less power fear has to fill in the blanks.

And in breast cancer care, those blanks matter. They deserve clarity, compassion, and honest conversation.

This is part one of a series I am calling The Body After Breast Cancer, because surviving breast cancer is not only about what was removed.

It is also about learning how to live in, care for, advocate for, and understand the body that remains.

Educational note: This article is for awareness, education, and support. It is not medical advice. Always discuss your pathology report, symptoms, recovery concerns, and treatment plan with your surgeon, oncologist, physical therapist, lymphedema specialist, or nurse navigator.

There comes a point in a woman’s life when she gets tired of managing appearances.

Tired of knowing the right words.
Tired of having the right responses.
Tired of looking strong while still carrying what has never really been addressed.

For a long time, many of us learned how to survive by staying functional. We learned how to keep moving, keep serving, keep showing up, and keep telling ourselves that as long as we were holding everything together, we must be doing okay.

But holding it together is not the same as being whole.

That truth has been sitting with me deeply.

There is a kind of healing that looks good on the outside but has never truly reached the deeper places. It sounds healed. It appears settled. It knows how to speak the language of growth. But underneath, there are still unaddressed wounds, repeated cycles, emotional survival patterns, and hidden places that have not yet been brought into the light.

That is what I mean by surface healing.

Surface healing helps you cope.
Wholeness transforms how you live.

Surface healing can make you feel better for a moment.
Wholeness changes what you return to when the moment is over.

And that difference matters.

I have come to realize that I do not want to be a woman who performs healing. I do not want to look free and still be bound in the places nobody sees. I do not want to help other women stay polished on the outside while silently struggling underneath.

I want truth.

I want healing that continues after the room gets quiet. I want the kind of transformation that reaches the hidden places and breaks the cycles that have lasted far too long.

That is the kind of work I want to do in my own life.
And that is the kind of work I want to help women do in theirs.

Because too often, especially in spaces where women have learned to be strong, healing gets reduced to a moment. A release. A cry. A prayer. A powerful experience. And while those moments are real, they are not always the end of the process. Sometimes they are only the beginning.

What happens after that matters.

What happens when the music stops matters.
What happens when the event is over matters.
What happens when she goes back home matters.

Does she continue the work?
Does she face what is underneath?
Does she tell the truth beyond the moment?
Does she allow God to heal what she can no longer cover?

That is where wholeness begins.

“He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.”
Psalm 147:3

Wholeness is not perfection.
It is not arriving.
It is not having every area of life figured out.

Wholeness is when a woman stops pretending.
It is when she becomes willing to face the good, the bad, and the ugly with honesty and with God.
It is when she no longer builds her life around hiding.
It is when she stops confusing survival with freedom.

“And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
John 8:32

I believe there are many women who do not need more applause. They need truth. They need safe places where they can be honest. They need support that goes deeper than encouragement. They need someone who will help them recognize the cycle, name the wound, and keep walking with intention toward healing.

That is the work that is on my heart.

Not surface change.
Not emotional relief alone.
Not pretending we are fine.

Wholeness.

Real wholeness.

The kind that does not just inspire a woman for a day, but changes the way she lives moving forward.

I am in a season where I no longer want language that helps me perform. I want language that leads me into truth.

That is why wholeness means so much to me right now.

Because I am not trying to look healed.
I want to be healed.

And I do not want to help women simply hold themselves together.
I want to help them become whole.

“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”
Psalm 51:10

What does wholeness mean to you in this season?

April is here, and this month means something different to me.

While many people step into April thinking about spring and new beginnings, I step into it remembering just how much can change in a moment. April 5th is the date I found out I had breast cancer. That day became a marker in my life, and ever since then, this month has carried a deeper meaning for me.

But when I think about April now, I do not think about defeat.

I think about strength.

I think about grace.

I think about survival.

I think about what it means to be carried by God through something you never expected and come out on the other side with a deeper gratitude for life.

This month reminds me that I am an overcomer.

What once felt like devastating news became part of a journey that revealed strength I did not even know I had. It stretched my faith, shifted my perspective, and reminded me that even in life’s hardest moments, God is still faithful.

So as I welcome April, I do it with thanksgiving.

I welcome it knowing I have lived through what I once could not imagine.

I welcome it knowing that hard seasons can produce deeper strength.

I welcome it knowing that what tried to shake me did not take me out.

April is personal for me, but it is also powerful.

It reminds me to be present.

It reminds me to be grateful.

It reminds me not to take ordinary days for granted.

It reminds me that every new day is a gift and every step forward matters.

There is a different kind of confidence that comes from surviving something that changed you. Not the kind that makes you arrogant, but the kind that makes you sure. Sure of God’s presence. Sure of His faithfulness. Sure that when life gets hard, you do not have to fall apart because He will hold you together.

That is what this month represents for me now.

Not just the memory of a diagnosis, but the evidence of God’s sustaining power.

Not just the moment life shifted, but the testimony that I made it through.

Not just what I faced, but who I became.

Insights for Empowerment

Sometimes the very month that holds a hard memory also holds proof of your growth.

That is what April has become for me. It is no longer just a reminder of the day I received difficult news. It is a reminder that I am still here, still standing, still moving forward, and still becoming.

There is power in being able to look at a chapter of your life that once felt uncertain and say, God brought me through that.

That kind of reflection builds gratitude.

It builds perspective.

It builds a different level of faith.

You begin to understand that overcoming is not always loud. Sometimes it looks like getting up, continuing on, trusting God, and refusing to let your hardest moment have the final say.

For me, April is a celebration of that kind of overcoming.

It is a reminder that my story did not end with the diagnosis.

It continued with faith, strength, healing, and grace.

And that is worth honoring.

Conclusion

Welcome, April.

You will always mean something to me.

You remind me of a life-changing moment, but even more than that, you remind me that I overcame.

You remind me that God was with me then and He is with me now.

You remind me that I am stronger than I knew, more grateful than before, and more aware of the gift of life.

So I do not enter this month with sadness.

I enter it with perspective.

I enter it with gratitude.

I enter it with strength.

And I enter it knowing that what I lived through became part of my testimony.

Encouraging Nuggets

Some months carry a memory, but they also carry a victory.

You are allowed to remember what happened and still celebrate how far you have come.

Being an overcomer does not mean it was easy. It means it did not defeat you.

What tried to shake you can become the very thing that reveals God’s strength in you.

Scriptures

Isaiah 43:2
When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee

Romans 8:37
Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

Psalm 118:17
I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord.

2 Corinthians 4:17
For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.

April 5th will always mean something to me.

Two years ago, it was the day I heard the words that changed my life. You have breast cancer. I can still remember where I was mentally and emotionally in that moment. Everything slowed down, but at the same time, everything felt like it was moving too fast. I did not have answers. I did not have a plan. I just had to face what was in front of me.

Today, April 5th feels different.

I am not reliving that moment the same way I did before. I am not sitting in the fear of it. I am sitting in what God has done since then.

There is a quiet gratitude in me today. Not loud. Not emotional in a heavy way. Just steady. Grounded. Real.

Because I know what I have come through.

When I think back to that version of me, I see a woman who was trying to hold herself together while stepping into something she did not understand. I was praying, processing, and pushing forward all at the same time. Some days felt strong, and some days did not. But I kept going. That is what I remember the most. I kept going.

And now, two years later, I can see what I could not see then.

I can see how God carried me.
I can see how strength showed up when I needed it.
I can see how much has changed in me, not just around me.

This journey did something deeper than I expected.

It slowed me down in ways I probably would not have chosen. It made me more aware of my life, my body, my time, and what truly matters. It shifted my perspective. Some things I used to stress over do not hold the same weight anymore. Some things I overlooked before, I pay attention to now.

I do not move the same.

I do not think the same.

And I definitely do not see myself the same.

There is a level of gratitude I carry now that I cannot explain unless you have walked through something that makes you realize how fragile life really is. Waking up feels different. Being present feels different. Even the way I connect with people feels different.

And one thing I know for sure, I do not want to live my life pretending.

This journey strengthened my voice in a way I did not expect. It made me more honest with myself. It made me more aware of how important it is to live in truth, not just say the right things. It made me even more committed to showing up as I am, not as what is comfortable for everyone else.

That matters to me now in a deeper way.

April 5th is no longer just the day I was diagnosed.

It is the day that reminds me how far I have come.
It is the day that reminds me of God’s faithfulness.
It is the day that reminds me that I am still here.

And I do not take that lightly.

I am still healing.

I am still growing.

But I am also living. Fully aware. Fully present. And thankful.

If you are in a place right now where life has shifted in a way you did not expect, I understand more than I ever did before. I know what it feels like to not have all the answers and still have to move forward. I know what it feels like to trust God in a way that is not just words, but necessary.

And I also know this.

God will meet you there.

Not always in the way you expect, but in the way you need.

Today, I am simply taking a moment to acknowledge this day.

To honor what I have walked through.

To thank God for carrying me.

And to recognize the woman I am still becoming.

Two years later, I am still standing.

And that means everything.

Encouraging Nuggets

Give yourself credit for what you have made it through.

You do not have to have it all figured out to keep moving forward.

Healing can be quiet and still be powerful.

God’s presence does not leave in difficult seasons.

Where you are right now is not the end of your story.

Scriptures

Isaiah 41:10
Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

Psalm 30:2
O Lord my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me.

2 Corinthians 4:8-9
We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.

Introduction

Good Friday is holy.

It is the day we pause and remember the suffering, the sacrifice, and the love of Jesus Christ. It is the day we reflect on the cross, not as a distant story, but as the greatest act of love the world has ever known.

We cannot fully imagine the pain Jesus endured.

We cannot fully comprehend the weight He carried, the humiliation He bore, or the depth of surrender it took for Him to remain on that cross for us. Yet even in what we cannot fully grasp, we can still honor it. We can still stand in awe of a Savior who loved us enough to give everything.

Good Friday reminds us that Jesus did not turn away from suffering. He did not avoid the assignment. He did not step back from the cost.

He stayed.

He stayed through betrayal.
He stayed through the mocking.
He stayed through the beating.
He stayed through the nails.
He stayed through the shame.
He stayed because of love.

That is what makes this day so powerful.

Good Friday is not only about the pain of the cross. It is about the love that held Jesus there. It is about obedience that did not back down. It is about mercy that made room for us before we ever knew how deeply we needed it.

Jesus suffered not because He had done wrong, but because we had. He bore what we could not carry. He paid a price we could never pay. He gave His life so we could have access to grace, forgiveness, healing, and eternal hope.

That is why Good Friday is both heavy and beautiful.

It is heavy because the cross was costly.
It is beautiful because love was greater.

Sometimes we move too quickly past this day on our way to resurrection morning. But Good Friday deserves our attention. It deserves our reflection. It deserves our gratitude. Because before there was an empty tomb, there was a cross. Before there was victory declared, there was sacrifice given.

Good Friday invites us to remember that our freedom was not free.
Our healing was not free.
Our redemption was not free.

Jesus gave everything.

And when we truly sit with that truth, it should move us. It should humble us. It should fill us with gratitude that such a love was extended toward us.

The cross is where mercy met us.
The cross is where love covered us.
The cross is where Jesus said yes to the will of the Father, even when the cost was great.

What a Savior.
What a sacrifice.
What a love.

Today is not a day for casual reflection. It is a day for reverence. It is a day for gratitude. It is a day to honor the One who endured the cross for us.

And as we honor Good Friday, we do so with thankful hearts, knowing that what looked like the darkest moment was still part of God’s divine plan. Jesus suffered, surrendered, and finished the work. And because He did, we have hope.

Good Friday is holy.
Good Friday is sacred.
Good Friday is love on display.

And today, we remember.

Insights for Empowerment

Good Friday reminds us of the depth of Jesus’ love. His sacrifice was not partial, hesitant, or reluctant. It was full, intentional, and complete. That kind of love should draw us into deeper gratitude and deeper surrender.

It also reminds us that obedience is sacred. Jesus submitted fully to the will of the Father, even when the path led through suffering. His example shows us that obedience is not always easy, but it is always holy.

Good Friday also teaches us to slow down and reflect. In a world that moves fast and often treats sacred things casually, this day calls us back to reverence. It reminds us to honor what Jesus has done and to never lose our wonder over the cross.

And finally, Good Friday reminds us that love stayed. Jesus did not walk away from us. He endured the cross because of His great love. That truth alone is enough to fill our hearts with worship.

Conclusion

Good Friday is a sacred reminder of the greatest love we will ever know.

We cannot fully imagine the pain Jesus endured, but we can honor His sacrifice with reverence, gratitude, and remembrance. We can pause and let the weight of the cross reach our hearts again.

Jesus stayed.
Jesus suffered.
Jesus surrendered.
Jesus finished the work.

And because He did, we are not without hope.

Good Friday is holy.

And today, we remember with gratitude, reverence, and love.

Encouraging Nuggets

Good Friday is the proof that Jesus’ love for us was willing to endure the cross.

We may never fully grasp the depth of His suffering, but we can live with deep gratitude for His sacrifice.

Before the victory of resurrection, there was the sacrifice of the cross.

Good Friday calls us to slow down, remember, and honor the love of Jesus.

The cross is still the greatest expression of mercy, grace, and love.

Scriptures

Isaiah 53:5
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

John 19:30
When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

Romans 5:8
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Philippians 2:8
And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Hebrews 12:2
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Introduction

For a long time, I knew I was building two things.

Detroit City Headshots was the work I built through photography, presence, and professional confidence.

The Transparency Table was the work I built through voice, healing, and honest conversations.

And although I understood both mattered, there were times I still found myself wondering how to explain the connection clearly.

Then something shifted.

As I read a summary from a recent interview, I realized it captured something I had been feeling for a while but had not fully put into words.

My work has never really been split.

It has always been about authentic expression.

It has always been about helping people show up as who they truly are.

Through the lens, I help people be seen.

Through the voice, I help women be heard.

That is the connection.

That is the deeper assignment.

When I photograph someone, I am not just taking a picture. I am helping them settle into themselves. I am helping them stop overthinking, stop performing, and step into a presence that feels real. The image matters, but so does what happens before the click. Confidence shifts. Shoulders drop. Expressions soften. Something honest comes forward.

When I coach or speak through The Transparency Table, the work is different, but it is also the same. I am helping women tell the truth about what they have carried. I am helping them stop hiding behind strength, silence, and survival. I am helping them reconnect with the voice, identity, and courage that have been there all along.

One happens in front of the camera.

The other happens in conversation, reflection, and healing.

But both are about authentic expression.

Both are about alignment.

Both are about helping people stop hiding and start showing up.

Insights for Empowerment

One of the most powerful things we can do is recognize when our lives are not fragmented, even if they look that way from the outside.

Sometimes we think we are doing too many things.

Sometimes we think our gifts are disconnected.

Sometimes we feel pressure to explain ourselves in a way that makes perfect sense to everyone.

But not everything in your life is separate just because it looks different.

Sometimes the thread is deeper than the title.

Sometimes the assignment is bigger than the role.

Sometimes what God has called you to do shows up in more than one expression.

That is what I have come to understand more clearly in this season.

Photography taught me how much people long to feel comfortable in their own skin.

Coaching taught me how many women have learned to silence themselves just to survive.

Both showed me the same truth.

People are carrying more than they reveal.

And many are longing for permission to return to themselves.

That is why I care so much about authenticity.

Not the curated kind.

Not the polished version we use to protect ourselves.

Not the version that looks strong on the outside but feels disconnected on the inside.

I mean the kind of authenticity that lets you breathe.

The kind that allows your face to soften.

The kind that gives your voice room to come back.

The kind that says I do not have to perform to be valuable.

I do not have to hide to be accepted.

I do not have to stay silent to survive.

For some people, that begins with finally seeing a photograph of themselves that feels honest and confident.

For others, it begins with finally saying out loud what they have buried for years.

Either way, something is being restored.

This is why I no longer feel the need to explain my work as if it is divided.

The lens and the voice are not competing.

They are connected.

They are both tools in the work of helping people show up fully, confidently, and authentically.

And maybe that is true for you too.

Maybe the things you have been trying to separate are actually connected by a deeper calling.

Maybe the gifts you thought were unrelated are part of the same assignment.

Maybe the work in front of you is not about choosing one part of yourself over another.

Maybe it is about understanding the thread that ties it all together.

Conclusion

The lens helps people be seen.

The voice helps women be heard.

And for me, both matter because both are about truth, confidence, and identity.

I am grateful for the years that taught me how to work with people.

I am grateful for the risk it took to leave what was familiar.

I am grateful for the path that led me into photography.

And I am grateful for the deeper work that continues through The Transparency Table.

I do not see my work as disconnected anymore.

I see it as aligned.

One deeper assignment.

Different expressions.

The same desire to help people show up fully as who they are.

Encouraging Nuggets

What looks separate may actually be connected by purpose.

You do not have to choose between gifts that were meant to work together.

Authentic expression is not a luxury. It is part of living whole.

Sometimes your clearest brand is found in the deepest truth of your assignment.

The work that changes lives often begins by helping people return to themselves.

Scriptures

Psalm 139:14

I will praise thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Proverbs 31:25

Strength and honour are her clothing and she shall rejoice in time to come.

2 Timothy 1:7

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Matthew 5:16

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Introduction

There have been moments in my life when the mirror felt heavier than usual.

Not because I did not know the woman looking back at me, but because I did.
I knew her pain.
I knew her strength.
I knew what she had survived.
And I also knew how much she had been carrying quietly.

After breast cancer, the mirror became more than a mirror for me. It became a place of reflection in every sense of the word. It held the physical changes, yes. But it also held the emotional weight of everything I was processing. The questions. The losses. The gratitude. The survival. The becoming.

There is something about standing in front of your own reflection after life has changed you that forces honesty. You cannot hide from what you see. You cannot rush past what rises up. And sometimes, that is exactly where healing begins.

That is what Mirror Moments have become for me.

They are not just moments where I see myself.
They are moments where I am reminded of my journey.
Moments where I have had to face what changed, what remained, and who I was becoming because of it all.

Insights for Empowerment

1. The mirror became a place where I had to tell myself the truth

I think many women know how to keep going.
We know how to show up.
We know how to smile, handle what needs to be handled, and keep moving forward even when we are carrying more than anyone realizes.

But the mirror does not respond to performance.
It reflects what is there.

There were moments when I looked at myself and had to admit that healing was not just about getting through treatment or moving past a diagnosis. Healing was also about what was happening inside of me. It was about identity. It was about confidence. It was about learning how to see myself again after walking through something I never would have chosen.

The mirror made me slow down long enough to feel what I had been carrying.
And the truth is, that was not always easy.

2. I had to learn not to define myself by what changed

One of the hardest parts of any life-altering experience is not just enduring it. It is learning how not to let it define you.

Breast cancer changes things.
It changes your body.
It changes your emotions.
It changes the way you think about yourself.
It changes the way you move through the world.

And if you are not careful, you can begin to focus so much on what changed that you forget what remains.

What remained in me was strength.
What remained in me was faith.
What remained in me was purpose.
What remained in me was beauty.
What remained in me was the hand of God on my life.

The mirror showed me change, but over time it also reminded me that change was not the end of my story.

3. My healing had to go deeper than the surface

People often think healing is only physical.
But I have learned that some of the deepest healing happens where no one else can see.

Healing is emotional.
Healing is spiritual.
Healing is internal.

For me, this journey was not just about surviving breast cancer. It was also about learning how to embrace myself in a new way. It was about allowing God to heal the parts of me that were afraid, uncertain, grieving, and adjusting.

The mirror became one of the places where that deeper healing showed up.

Because every time I looked, I had a choice.
I could focus only on what had been altered.
Or I could begin to recognize the woman who was still standing.

That did not happen all at once.
It happened little by little.
Grace by grace.
Reflection by reflection.

4. The mirror started teaching me compassion

I think sometimes we can be harder on ourselves than anyone else ever could be.

We look at ourselves and immediately notice what is different, what is imperfect, what feels unfamiliar. But healing has a way of inviting you into a softer way of seeing yourself.

I have had to learn how to look at myself with compassion.
Not pity.
Not denial.
But compassion.

Compassion says this journey was hard.
Compassion says you have been through a lot.
Compassion says you do not have to rush your healing.
Compassion says what happened to you matters, but it does not cancel your worth.

That has been part of the mirror journey for me too.
Learning not just to look, but to look with grace.

5. Mirror Moments remind me that I am still becoming

What I love about healing is that it does not leave you where it found you.

When I look at this photo, I do not just see a survivor sash.
I see a woman who is still becoming.
I see a woman who has walked through pain and still has joy.
I see a woman who has known uncertainty and still carries faith.
I see a woman who has had to face hard things and is still showing up with purpose.

That is what Mirror Moments mean to me now.

They are reminders that I am not stuck in what happened.
They are reminders that healing is still unfolding.
They are reminders that even after everything, there is still more life, more purpose, and more wholeness ahead.

Conclusion

The mirror journey is real.

It is not always easy to look at yourself after life has changed you.
It is not always easy to face the emotions that come with survival.
It is not always easy to make peace with what has been altered while still honoring who you are.

But I have learned this:
the mirror can become a place of healing.

It can become the place where you stop measuring yourself by loss and start recognizing your strength.
It can become the place where you stop asking what is gone and start seeing what remains.
It can become the place where you meet yourself again, not just as a woman who has been through something, but as a woman who is still being restored.

And maybe that is the beauty of Mirror Moments.
They remind us that healing is not only about what we have survived.
It is also about how we learn to see ourselves again.

Encouraging Nuggets

• Sometimes the mirror reflects pain, but it can also reflect progress.

• What changed in you is real, but it is not the whole story.

• Healing is not always loud. Sometimes it looks like learning to look again.

• You are not less because life touched you deeply.

• There is still beauty, strength, and purpose in the woman looking back at you.

Scriptures

Psalm 139:14
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

Isaiah 43:19
See, I am doing a new thing. Now it springs up, do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.

Joel 2:25
I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten.

2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here.

Romans 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Introduction

There’s something I’ve noticed over the years in this industry.

Photography and videography are often treated like the final box to check. The last vendor hired. The place where budgets get tight. The area where people try to “make it work.”

And that way of thinking is costing people more than they realize.

Because photography is not just about capturing what happened. It’s about preserving what mattered.

Insights for Empowerment

The Experience Ends. The Images Don’t.

Every event has incredible moving parts. The planning, the decor, the energy in the room, the connections being made.

But once it’s over, it’s over.

The only thing that remains is what was captured.

That means the images and video become the memory, the proof, and the story. If that story is missing or poorly captured, everything else loses its longevity.

For Events: This Is Bigger Than Documentation

When you invest in an event, you’re not just creating a moment. You’re creating content, visibility, and future opportunity.

Strong visuals help you promote your next event, show people what they missed, build credibility, and give sponsors something tangible to see.

Without that, the impact stops the moment the event ends.

So when photography is treated as an afterthought, the long-term value of the entire event is reduced.

For Individuals: Your Image Speaks Before You Do

Before you walk into a room, people have already formed an opinion.

From your LinkedIn profile. Your website. Your brand presence.

Your image is often your first introduction.

A strong, professional headshot communicates confidence and credibility. A weak or outdated one does the opposite.

This is not about vanity. This is about alignment.

Does your image reflect who you are now and where you’re going?

The Real Risk Isn’t the Investment. It’s the Missed Opportunity

People focus so much on the cost of hiring a photographer.

But the bigger question is, what is it costing you not to?

Missed moments. Missed marketing. Missed opportunities to be seen, remembered, and taken seriously.

You can recreate decor. You can plan another event. But you cannot go back and recapture a moment that wasn’t properly documented.

This Is How I Approach My Work

This is how I approach every session and every event I’m trusted to capture.

It’s not just about taking a good photo. It’s about understanding what matters in the moment so it can be felt long after it’s over.

Conclusion

If something is important enough for you to invest your time, energy, and resources into creating, then it should be important enough to capture with intention.

Photography and videography are not just services.

They are the bridge between the moment and the memory. Between the experience and the impact.

You didn’t just hire a photographer.

You hired the one person responsible for making sure what you built doesn’t disappear.

Encouraging Nuggets

• Your story deserves to be captured well

• What you build should not disappear after it’s over

• Visibility is not optional when impact matters

• Your image should reflect your current level, not your past

Reflection Question

What moments in your life or business are too important to leave undocumented or poorly captured?

There are moments in life when everything feels a little unsteady.

Not necessarily falling apart.

But shifting enough that you realize something inside you needs attention.

I have had seasons like that in my own life.

Moments where I had to stop and ask myself honest questions about where I was, what I was carrying, and where God was leading me next.

Those moments are rarely loud.

They usually come quietly.

In the stillness after a difficult season.

In the reflection that happens after a major life transition.

In the moments when you realize you have been strong for everyone else, but you have not taken time to care for your own soul.

Over the years, I have met many women who are walking through similar moments.

They are capable.

They are resilient.

They have survived more than people realize.

But deep down, something inside them is asking for space to breathe again.

Space to reflect.

Space to reconnect with their faith.

Space to remember who they are becoming.

That realization is what inspired me to create a short devotional called Unshakable: A New Year’s Awakening for the Woman Who’s Ready to Rise.

Not something complicated.

Just seven days of intentional reflection designed to help women pause and reconnect with what truly anchors them.

Each day walks through a step of rising again.

Awaken

Reveal

Release

Restore

Rise

Anchor

Shine

These words are simple, but they represent a real journey.

First comes awareness.

Then honesty.

Then the courage to release what you have been carrying.

And slowly, something begins to shift.

Your voice becomes clearer.

Your faith becomes steadier.

Your vision begins to return.

Life will always bring moments that shake us.

Unexpected challenges.

Losses we did not plan for.

Seasons that stretch our strength.

But faith reminds us that we are never navigating those seasons alone.

One of the scriptures in the devotional talks about hope being an anchor for the soul. That image has stayed with me for a long time.

An anchor does not stop the storm.

But it keeps you from drifting when the waters become rough.

That is the heart behind this devotional.

Not perfection.

Not pressure.

Just a moment each day to pause, pray, and remember what holds you steady.

If you are in a season where you feel ready to reflect, reconnect with God, and move forward with renewed clarity, this devotional may be a simple place to begin.

You can learn more about Unshakable: A New Year’s Awakening for the Woman Who’s Ready to Rise here:

https://thetransparencytable.com/unshakable-devotional

Before you go, I would love to ask you something.

Where in your life right now do you feel God inviting you to rise again?

Introduction

Great photos are rarely accidental.

They come from collaboration between the photographer and the person in front of the camera.

A great photographer knows how to work your angles, guide your posture, and help you relax into a natural expression. But communication plays a big role in getting the best results.

Insights for Empowerment

Share your concerns openly
If there’s something you’re self-conscious about, tell your photographer. Whether it’s a preferred side of your face or how you feel about your smile, that information helps guide posing and lighting.

Trust professional direction
Small adjustments in posture, shoulders, or head angle can completely change a photo. Good photographers are trained to see these differences.

Angles matter
Camera height, body position, and lighting all affect how you appear in a photo. A professional photographer understands how to use these tools to highlight your best features.

Relax and be yourself
The strongest photos happen when people stop trying to perform and simply show up as themselves.

Conclusion

Photography works best when it’s collaborative.

You bring your personality and presence.
Your photographer brings technical expertise and direction.

Together, that partnership creates images that truly represent you.

Encouraging Nuggets

Your photographer wants you to look your best.
Good direction improves confidence on camera.
The goal is authenticity, not perfection.

Introduction

As a photographer, I see it all the time.

A woman walks into the room confident, accomplished, and fully herself. She laughs easily. She connects naturally. She carries presence.

Then she sees her photo.

Her expression shifts. Her shoulders lower. And almost every time, she says something like:

“I look bigger.”
“I don’t like my face.”
“I look older than I thought.”

Here is what always stands out to me.

No one else in the room is thinking those things.

They see her warmth.
Her confidence.
Her expression.
Her light.

But she sees flaws.

And if I’m honest, I’ve done the very same thing when looking at photos of myself.

So what is really happening?

This is not vanity.
This is not just insecurity.
This is a deeply human pattern shaped by psychology, perception, and culture.

Let’s talk about it.

Insights for Empowerment

1. We are used to seeing a different version of ourselves

Most of us see ourselves in mirrors every day. Mirrors show a reversed image. Photographs show us as other people actually see us.

Psychological research shows that people tend to prefer images that feel familiar. When we see a photograph, it can feel unfamiliar, and our brain can interpret that discomfort as dislike.

Sometimes it isn’t “I look bad.”

It’s simply, “I’m not used to seeing myself this way.”

2. Photos freeze what life normally shows in motion

In real life, people experience us dynamically. They see our gestures, hear our voice, and feel our energy.

Photos capture one still moment.

When movement disappears, we focus more on physical details because that is all we see. But that frozen moment is not how people normally experience us.

People experience our presence, not a paused version of it.

3. We judge ourselves more harshly than others do

Psychological studies consistently show that people are their own toughest critics.

We carry private narratives about aging, weight, attractiveness, and worth. When we look at photos, those internal stories get projected onto the image.

We are not just seeing a picture.
We are seeing it through the lens of our insecurities.

Meanwhile, observers take in the whole person. They notice expression, warmth, posture, and emotional presence far more than the specific details we fixate on.

You zoom in.
Others take you in.

4. Culture quietly trains us to critique our bodies

We live in an image saturated culture where filters, editing, and curated angles are normal. Media often presents narrow beauty standards that are difficult to live up to.

Even when we consciously reject those standards, they can still influence our expectations.

An authentic, unfiltered image can feel “wrong” simply because it does not match what we constantly see online.

But normal is not flawed.
Real is not wrong.

5. Photos can stir emotional vulnerability

Photos can feel exposing. They capture a moment of visibility.

For many people, especially those who have experienced illness, high responsibility, identity shifts, or major life transitions, being seen can feel emotionally tender.

Sometimes the discomfort is not about appearance at all.
It is about vulnerability.

And instead of saying, “It feels uncomfortable to be seen,” we say, “I don’t like how I look.”

The Truth

Most people are not analyzing your body the way you are.

They see your expression.
They read your eyes.
They feel your presence.

They experience you as a whole person, not a list of perceived flaws.

The critical voice you hear when looking at photos is usually your inner narrative, not reality.

Practical Ways to Move from Self-Judgment to Self-Compassion

Shift from appearance to presence
Instead of asking, “How do I look?” ask, “What does this image communicate about who I am?”

Give yourself time to adjust
Discomfort does not always mean something is wrong. Sometimes it simply means the image is unfamiliar.

Notice your inner dialogue
If your first thought is harsh, pause and ask whether you would say the same thing to someone you love.

Separate identity from image
A photograph captures a moment, not your worth, beauty, or identity.

Practice gentle visibility
The more you see authentic images of yourself, the less intimidating they become. Familiarity builds comfort.

Conclusion

You are not meant to look like a filter.

You are meant to look like you.

Your lines tell stories.
Your presence reflects experience.
Your expression carries life.

The people who care about you do not see you through a critical lens.

They see you through connection.

And that view is far more accurate than the one shaped by self-judgment.

Encouraging Nuggets

• You are more than a still image
• Presence speaks louder than perceived flaws
• Familiar does not always mean accurate
• Being seen is not vanity. It is visibility
• Extend to yourself the grace you give to others

Scriptures

Psalm 139:14
I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

2 Corinthians 4:16
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.

There was a time not long ago when looking in the mirror was hard for me.

After my breast cancer surgery in 2024, everything felt different. My body had changed. My emotions were heavier than I expected. Some days I avoided the mirror altogether because I did not recognize the woman looking back at me.

Healing is not only physical. It is emotional. It is spiritual. It is learning how to see yourself again.

There were moments when I would stand in front of the mirror and question everything I had been through. Not out of ingratitude for being alive, but because life after something traumatic takes time to process.

But slowly something began to shift.

I realized the woman in the mirror was still here.

Still standing.
Still growing.
Still covered by God’s grace.

This photo reminds me how far I have come.

From fear to faith.
From uncertainty to strength.
From avoiding the mirror to embracing the woman God carried through.

Transparency is not about pretending the journey was easy. It is about honoring the truth of where you were and recognizing the strength that brought you through it.

Sometimes the most powerful moment of healing is simply this.

Looking in the mirror and recognizing the resilience looking back at you.

Psalm 34:18 reminds us that the Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Even in the moments when I struggled to see myself clearly, God never lost sight of who I was becoming.

Reflection

Have you ever gone through a season where it was hard to recognize the person in the mirror? What helped you begin seeing yourself again?

Introduction

Most of us know the story.

Jesus comes to visit.

One sister is busy preparing.

The other sits still.

At first glance, it feels obvious who is doing the right thing. Someone has to cook. Someone has to prepare. Someone has to make sure everything is done well.

But Scripture has a way of challenging what feels obvious.

This story is not about laziness versus responsibility.

It is not about work versus worship.

It is about discernment.

It asks a quiet but confronting question:

When Jesus shows up, what do you prioritize?

The Martha in Us

Martha gets a bad reputation, but she should not.

She opened her home.

She took responsibility.

She served with intention.

Martha represents many of us who lead, carry weight, manage households, ministries, businesses, and families. She is dependable. She is capable. She gets things done.

But Scripture says Martha was distracted.

Not distracted by sin.

Not distracted by foolishness.

Distracted by much serving.

Luke 10:40 says she was worried and upset about many things.

That word matters.

Martha was not wrong for serving.

She was overwhelmed because she felt responsible for everything.

Her busyness created pressure.

Pressure turned into frustration.

Frustration turned into comparison.

She looked at Mary and thought,

Why am I carrying this alone?

That is often where burnout begins.

The Mary in Us

Mary chose something different.

She sat at Jesus’ feet and listened.

In that culture, sitting at a rabbi’s feet was the posture of a disciple. Mary was not being passive. She was being intentional.

She recognized that this moment would not last forever.

That the presence of Jesus mattered more than the presentation of the house.

That His voice mattered more than the to do list.

Mary understood something Martha missed.

There are moments when productivity can wait, but presence cannot.

Jesus said Mary chose the better portion.

Not the easier portion.

Not the popular portion.

The better one.

What Jesus Was Really Teaching

Jesus did not shame Martha.

He invited her into clarity.

Luke 10:41–42 says,

“You are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one.”

This was not a correction of her character.

It was a redirection of her focus.

Jesus was teaching that busyness does not equal faithfulness.

That service without presence can drain us.

That doing good things can still pull us away from the main thing.

The issue was not Martha’s hands.

It was her heart posture in the moment.

Are You a Mary or a Martha Right Now?

This is not a personality test.

It is a heart check.

There are seasons when we must be Martha.

Work must be done. Responsibility matters. Service is necessary.

But there are also moments when wisdom calls us to be Mary.

Moments when stillness is obedience.

Moments when listening matters more than fixing.

Moments when sitting at His feet is the most productive thing we can do.

The danger is not being Martha.

The danger is never knowing when to stop being her.

Insights for Empowerment

• Busyness can feel faithful while quietly pulling us away from presence.

• Resentment often reveals overload, not disobedience.

• Stillness is not laziness. It is discernment.

• Wisdom knows when to serve and when to sit.

• God values attentiveness more than performance.

Encouraging Nuggets

You do not have to earn God’s presence.

You do not have to prove your worth through productivity.

You are allowed to pause when He invites you to listen.

Sometimes the most spiritual decision you can make is to stop moving and sit still.

Scripture References

Luke 10:38–42

Psalm 46:10

Proverbs 4:7

Matthew 11:28–29

Conclusion

The question is not whether you are a Mary or a Martha.

The real question is this:

Do you know which one this season requires?

Wisdom is not choosing one forever.

Wisdom is knowing when presence matters more than productivity.

And when the Master shows up,

may we recognize the moment

and choose what cannot be taken away.

Introduction

For a long time, I thought wisdom was something you asked God for so life would be smoother, decisions would be easier, and mistakes would be fewer.

But Scripture reframes wisdom differently.

“Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.”

Proverbs 4:7

This year, my prayer has changed.

I am no longer asking God for wisdom to elevate me.

I am asking for wisdom to anchor me.

Wisdom to live a godly life.

Wisdom that governs how I choose, how I respond, and how I walk each day.

Insights for Empowerment

Scripture makes it clear that wisdom is not optional. It is foundational.

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

Proverbs 1:7

Godly wisdom is not about appearing spiritual, informed, or put together. It is about obedience. It is about alignment. It is about reverence for God shaping how we live in real time.

Many of us want wisdom for the big decisions, but Scripture reminds us that wisdom is just as necessary for the quiet ones. The daily choices. The boundaries we keep. The pace we refuse to rush.

Wisdom teaches us:

• When to move forward and when to pause

• When to speak and when to listen

• When to say yes and when to walk away

James reminds us that wisdom is available, but it must be sought with humility.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”

James 1:5

Godly wisdom guards us from confusing progress with purpose. It reminds us that growth without godliness is not success, and movement without peace is not fruit.

A godly life is not built on intention alone.

It is built on submitted decisions.

Anchoring Prayer

This is the prayer I am carrying this year.

Lord, give me wisdom to live a godly life.

Not wisdom for appearance, but wisdom for obedience.

Not wisdom to be impressive, but wisdom to be faithful.

Order my steps, guard my choices, and shape my character.

Anchor my life in this truth.

Conclusion

I do not want wisdom as a trophy.

I want wisdom as a tool.

A tool that keeps my heart aligned with God.

A tool that protects my character.

A tool that helps me walk faithfully through every season.

Scripture reminds us why this matters.

“For wisdom is a defense as money is a defense, but the excellence of knowledge is that wisdom gives life to those who have it.”

Ecclesiastes 7:12

If I am anchored in godly wisdom, I can live with clarity, peace, and integrity no matter what the season brings.

Encouraging Nuggets

• Wisdom is not about knowing more. It is about choosing better.

• Obedience is wisdom lived out loud.

• Godly wisdom often feels slower, but it produces peace.

• Faithfulness is wisdom practiced daily.

• A godly life is built one wise decision at a time.