On Growing...

With any business - big or small - the goal is always to grow. To grow in the community you serve, to grow a client base and, of course, to grow financially. The trouble with growing is that at certain points, that brings about change. The way you once managed the day-to-day no longer works and things you were able to do all yourself become too much to handle all alone. For a person who loves complete and total control of her business {some might call that type of person a "control freak"}, that change is a bit of a challenge.  

In May of 2016, ATP gained two new fantastic Interns and, at that time, I had no idea what a great addition they would be. Julianne + Heather started their year-long Internship and I quickly realized how great they were. In October of 2016, I lost my very best friend of 17 years - my sister-in-law, Roxan. My world quickly and completely flipped upside down. The business was the furthest thing from my mind and all I could do was be with my family for months following the loss. Roxan left behind her three beautiful boys - Jordan {15}, Preston {14} and Camron {9} - and they became my focus. It was during that time that Julianne + Heather took the reigns and helped keep things afloat here at ATP so that I could grieve and slowly learn to go on. 

The way grief works is that it leaves you in a cloud for a time. Nothing at all matters. But soon enough that cloud begins to spread so that it lets a little light in. And then a little more light. After there is time to process that grief, you start to find your way again and learn to live with that immense pain. Luckily, God had placed these two ladies in the path of ATP and worked them to carry things along.... 

I realized during that time and the months since then that at times you have to let things go so they can continue to grow. As much as I'd love to be at every single ATP wedding and have all communication with our clients and potential clients, there comes a time when it becomes impossible. In order to do the best job possible for our fantastic clients, I have had to let a little of it go. Thankfully, I have the best of the best to hand some of those responsibilities off to!  

Julianne has taken the lead of our Peach Creek Ranch weddings and I am so incredibly thankful for the love and service she provides to those couples. There isn't single, solitary person I could have picked who would be better for that job. Heather will soon be taking on more of an administrative role to help me pull together the absolute best weddings + events for our clients! Heather's dedication is incredible and I am thrilled to see what she will continue to do for our team. Julianne + Heather's love for this ever-growing business is just what we needed to continue to provide the level of care our clients have come to expect. 

Having these two ladies means I get more time with my family. More moments with my incredibly supportive husband and our two boys - Trey who is entering high school this year and Rhys who will be a kindergartener! I'll get more time with Roxan's boys and can be room mom, volunteer at their schools and help grow all five of these boys into the fine men they will soon be. 

We're all growing and that, of course, is what it's all about. Growing means that you need to take time to reflect on how far you have come and put in place the things you need to flourish. Even if that means letting go so you can continue to grow...