Hey Queens, Angelica, here! We put out a lot of blog posts to help our clients prepare for their sessions each year, but there’s one type of blog that I’ve always wanted to do. The yearly recap post. This year I told myself we’d do it.
So keep scrolling, because 2023 was wild.
2023 Business Wins
Going into 2023, I knew I wanted to grow Pompy Portraits. When we first started it was me and Scharmy (my husband) growing our little empire. But after he opened his videography business, and we opened the studio, we needed help. If you have a business, you know there is so much to do! Way too much for just myself if I wanted to keep serving the women of Jacksonville in the same way. I took all the steps I could to grow without going insane. I hired a strategist to map out what I needed personally and what the business needed. Ya girl was taking no chances.
The word of the year was growth and baby – we grew!
Expanding the Pompy Portraits Team
One of the first, and biggest, things I did was invest in a team. My first hire was another boudoir photographer.
If you haven’t met her already, meet Kaila.
We’re almost a year into having her on the Pompy Portraits team, and I can’t even remember life before her. Kaila is an incredibly gifted boudoir photographer. She’s energetic, smart, and our clients love her.
I’ll admit it was scary to go from a one-woman show to a team, but Kaila made it easy. I’m forever thrilled to have her in the Pompy Portraits family.
The First Anniversary of Our Jacksonville Boudoir Studio
Can you even believe it?! It feels like yesterday that Scharmy and I signed the lease on Pompy Studio. If you haven’t stopped by, you should. We’re located in the Riverside district of Jacksonville, FL. Since opening the doors, we’ve served 287 clients, started a boudoir babe wall, expanded our client closet, and even hosted a few events for the community.
Most of all, we worked hard to create a safe place for women (and their families) to create memories. It wasn’t easy. I still remember basically living in Home Depot while Scharmy and I got the studio together. But we made it!
More Photography? Hell, yes!
The third big win for us in 2023 was how many women we were able to serve. By adding Kaila to the team, we were able to welcome more boudoir babes, brides, and Mamas into the studio. More women got to experience the Pompy Portraits pamper session and photoshoot. I mean, just look at how gorgeous they all were!
Though to be fair, we weren’t always in the studio. We started doing more outdoor boudoir sessions too.
We enjoyed every single session, and I can’t wait to see who we get to serve in 2024!
Angelica’s Personal 2023 Wins
On a personal level, this year felt good. After running on max speed for years, it was time ya girl prioritized herself. And I did! 2023 was the year I put my health first and started easing into a (most of the time) 4 – 5 day work week. Kaila was a huge part of the reason I was able to step back from 6 – 7 day weeks. I slept more, ate better, and stole more time with family and friends. It was so nice that my goal is to do 4-day work weeks this year!
Another huge win for me was learning how to be a boss. With multiple team members getting onboarded I had to figure out how to delegate. I had to learn how to articulate the systems in my head and what was on my mind to others. It was way more challenging than I expected! There were tough conversations, new processes created, and learning to lean on my team. Going into 2024 though, I am proud to say that I feel like I have a handle on this boss-thing. I love creating a space where I can help support other women financially and with more life fulfillment. Being a boss wasn’t something I planned for when opening my photography business, but it was a rewarding surprise.
Looking Forward to 2024
In 2024, we have big plans again. We plan on immersing ourselves back into the community here in Jacksonville by participating in more local events, collaborating with more small businesses, serving even more women, and hosting fun events.
Our first event is coming up quickly. If you haven’t been to one of our Galentine’s events – you are missing out! This year’s Galentine’s will be on February 9th and it’s called Candles and Cocktails.
The last thing I want to say is a huge thank you to you. Without you in our community, we wouldn’t be living the life we’ve always dreamed of. So thank you for supporting us, or being a client, or attending our events. We love you and can’t wait to see you this year!
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[…] Our blog and portfolio are filled with women who will reiterate what we’re saying. Women who overcame cancer and chose boudoir as a way to love their scars. Women who are on a body-confidence journey and chose boudoir photography as a way to say “f*ck you” to their past fears. Women who are turning 40, 50, and 60 and want to embrace how hot they are at every stage of life. And you can also check out our favorite images from 2023 here. […]