July 11, 2024 • 21 mins
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Can photography be a tool for empowerment and self-expression? Join us on the Oroasis Community Podcast as we sit down with Megan, the inspiring founder of 4% Photography, to explore this compelling question. Megan’s multifaceted life as a mother, wife, and entrepreneur enriches her unique perspective on capturing the essence of personal and familial milestones. Throughout our conversation, Megan reveals how community plays a crucial role in grounding oneself during life's transitions, and shares her journey in fostering connections through events for budding photographers and models. We also touch on the delicate balance of maintaining mental health and self-care while juggling entrepreneurial and parental duties, offering listeners valuable insights into meaningful photography that goes beyond surface beauty.
In the second half of our episode, we turn our focus to self-love and body image, particularly for women and mothers. Megan delves into the importance of documenting life’s moments authentically, encouraging listeners to embrace their true selves without waiting for a "perfect" time. Practical self-love exercises, like taking selfies and mindful use of filters, are discussed to help boost confidence and promote a healthy mindset. Megan also highlights the philanthropic mission behind 4% Photo, dedicated to empowering women and supporting women's foundations through charitable contributions.Â
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Hello beautiful souls and welcome to Oroasis
Community Podcast.
I am Dr Roldan, your host.
I am a doctor in clinicalpsychology, a BIPOC therapist
professor and a mindful somaticcoach.
While I am a therapist,remember I'm not your therapist.
This podcast is not asubstitute for professional
(00:24):
mental health care, but we haveresources in our website and
Instagram to support you in thatsearch.
Join us for a cozy, feltconversation about mental health
, personal growth andmindfulness.
We explore tools to care foryour mind, your body and your
soul.
Check the footnotes fordisclaimer, trigger warnings and
(00:46):
additional resources for eachone of the episodes.
So grab your favorite cup oftea, coffee or hot chocolate,
wrap yourself in a warm blanketand find a coffee spot here with
us to be kind to be brave, loudand strong in your search of
(01:07):
mental health wellness.
Welcome to your Oasis.
Back to another enrichingepisode of our Oasis podcast
community, where we nurture ourminds, inspire our hearts and
empower your body, soul and mind.
Today I am just thrilled andhonored to have a guest that
captures life in the mostbeautiful moments in a very
(01:30):
beautiful way, through her lensof life.
Welcome to Megan, the founderof 4% Photography.
Thank you for coming here toour Oasis, megan Hi, thank you
so much for having me so today.
You know the month of Octoberand September.
We're talking about communityfriendship, so I would like for
(01:52):
you to share with us howphotography can be a form of
self-expression and empowerment.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
Absolutely so.
I've been in photography forover 10 years.
Um, so I've been in photographyfor over 10 years and what I've
really been noticing recentlyand really channeling is that
the things that I love tophotograph most reflect my own
life.
So I specialize in photographyfor women and I really do that
through motherhood sessions.
I am a mother, so I feel like Iunderstand that perspective in
(02:23):
a certain way that helps mecapture it so beautifully for
other people.
I am also an entrepreneur and Ispecialize in, you know,
branding for women who areentrepreneurs.
Again, I can relate to thatrole.
And then I also do wedding,which I'm a wife, you know, like
those are kind of my three liferoles and those are the three
(02:44):
things that I love to photographthe most, because, again, I
understand those perspectivesand so it really helps me allow
the people in front of my camerato shine in a very unique way.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
Right, thank you for that.
Let us, as you all heard, she'sa mother, she's a wife, all
heard she's a mother, she's awife.
Um, can you talk about a littlebit how do you come to be the
photographer that you are andhow community help you to keep
you grounded and keep thatmental health and self-care,
because normally when you're anentrepreneur, all your fears,
(03:18):
all the drama will come out andthen, um, being a mom we're I
mean, I don't have the privilegeto be one, but I know a lot of
my friends.
They're always terrified.
You know, it's not terrifyingLike I have a little person that
depends on me.
And then, when you see thephotography, if you haven't seen
Megan, go to her Instagram.
(03:39):
She has lessons and other tips,but her photography is the
essence of, like, beauty andhappiness.
But when people see that, theycompare right and they say oh, I
don't have that.
How being a photographer havehelped you to ground yourself
and be more aware andself-loving, and, at the same
(04:00):
time, can you give our audiencetips of how me included to take,
maybe, a picture that reflectsnot just the pretty but also the
inner work that goes through it?
Speaker 2 (04:15):
Yeah, oh, I love that .
There's a couple like questionsI'm hearing, in that I'm going
to kind of start with the firstones I heard.
I do have one headphone offbecause I am listening for my
little ones, but yeah, it's abalance, right.
So one of your first questionsmade me think of when.
So I have been in photographyfor a long time, but in 2017, my
(04:38):
husband and I moved away fromour comfort zone, our hometown
and our family, and this gave mean opportunity to kind of start
from scratch and be whoever Iwanted.
So prior to that, I was doingphotography just kind of for fun
.
I didn't really have a clearvision, but when I was out in
(04:58):
this whole new environment, Iwas like you know what?
Like let's go all in, I havenothing to lose.
And what I started to do wascreate community myself, because
I craved that connection and Imean I still do this, so I'll
get into that.
But what I did back then washost events for beginner
(05:21):
photographers, for people whowanted to be models no
experience needed, just peoplewho were, you know, comfortable
and wanted to be in front of thecamera and bringing those two
people together so that they canmutually benefit from each
other.
So you know, new photographers,new wannabe kind of models.
It's like boom, a perfect match.
And so, yeah, it grew reallybig and the thing with that was
(05:45):
just ripping the bandaid off andkind of going for it Like I had
nothing to lose.
And you know, it was nicebecause I found people who also
craved that same community andwe all had common interests of
photography and you knowcreativity right in this small
little town and so that's kindof how I utilize community
(06:05):
within.
You know, photography in myearly days, so that kind of
answers that question.
I'm like I might have forgottena couple.
It's okay.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
How?
How about you know when we'recreating community?
And it's true when we movedfrom town to town, from school
to another school, or fromsingle to married to motherhood?
Right, you changed friends, youchanged community.
How do you deal with thetoxicity of moving forward,
(06:36):
because sometimes your samecheerleaders that you have in
the beginning are not thecheerleaders that you have in
the future, right, yeah?
Speaker 2 (06:45):
I mean it's just not being afraid to grow.
And I think I've seen lately,I've seen this quote and it's
like surround yourself withpeople who are going to benefit
your future, not because you'retied to your history, you know,
and that's something that I'vebeen needing to hear a lot
lately, because I've beenholding on so much to the people
(07:07):
in my past and I'm like come on, for example, I just moved back
to my hometown after being awayfor almost six years and I'm
like, okay, my same circle isgoing to get together and it's
going to be awesome, just likeit was before.
But, hello, all of our liveshave changed so much and it was
(07:28):
hard to accept.
But it's also a beautiful thingBecause, you know, when we do
hang out, I felt like I I wasn'tbenefiting them and they
weren't benefiting me, and it'skind of like it's okay, like we
had a season that was sobeneficial.
But now, you know, I want togrow and connect with people who
who value what I have to offerthe world and also like where I
(07:51):
can appreciate what they have tooffer as well.
And so it's just being OK andenjoying the opportunity to grow
and connect with new people whoyou might not have had the
opportunity to connect with themin the past, but that's because
you guys were in differentplaces, right, and so it's just
kind of going with the flow,that's all.
Speaker 1 (08:11):
Okay, and talking about that, building your brand
what challenge do you facebuilding your brand 4%
photography, and how do youovercome it?
Mostly the mental challenges,because nobody talks about that.
You know, like, yes, we havetips and why not that you can go
check in her Instagram storiestoo about how to take the
(08:31):
perfect picture and how to pose.
But how do you challengeyourself and what do you do with
those mental challenges thatyou get?
By creating something new,something that you have never
been done before.
Speaker 2 (08:44):
Yeah, yeah, I mean an obvious one is to not compare
yourself to other people.
I have a tendency to come up.
I'm like an ideas person.
I have a tendency to come upwith amazing ideas, like all the
time, but then I hold myselfback from executing them.
Because, well, number one, I'mlike, oh, I don't see anybody
(09:06):
doing this.
Like, is that weird, is it?
Why is nobody doing it?
It's probably a bad idea, butin reality, like, that idea is
probably a really, really goodone because nobody has thought
of it.
And so it's putting that fearaside and just in stepping into
your own and not needing to belike other people and not
comparing at all, because why dowe want to be exactly the same,
(09:29):
you know, when you havesomething so unique to offer?
I think a big challenge thatI've experienced personally,
especially when it does come tomotherhood, is that balance my
business and I have two toddlers.
So it's it's making sure youset your boundaries.
(09:51):
You know whether you have apartner or or you know family or
some kind of system that allowsyou to kind of set the boundary
to do what you need to do foryourself and make yourself a
priority.
You know, I have the.
I have these big dreams and Ilove being a mother so much, but
I also want to fulfill thethings that I crave in the world
(10:15):
that have nothing to do with mykids, and you know it's finding
that balance really and, justagain, making that a priority
and setting some boundaries tohelp you really like fulfill
what it is you want to do tohelp you really like, fulfill
what it is you want to do andwhat is your goal to either
holistic or traditional mentalhealth or grounding, self-love
(10:36):
technique or tip that you willshare.
Well, I have recently, likeinvested a lot of time into yoga
because I have a very, verydifficult time slowing down and
being comfortable, like in thestillness.
I am always like, what can I donext?
(10:59):
What can I do next?
Oh, I have spare time.
What can I work on Instead ofjust like taking a breath, and
you know taking a breath and youknow appreciating where I'm at,
and just really like, just youknow we, we like, have so many
(11:19):
goals, which is amazing, butit's sometimes we get caught up
in the bigger goals.
We forget, like look how far wehave come, like let's
appreciate and be so proud ofourselves and just look around
and, like you made it.
It like this is, this was ahuge goal for you five years ago
.
Um, and so I've done yogarecently and I, and even in the
yoga practices I can feel myselflike wandering, but, um, you
(11:42):
know I'm, I'm making it apriority to to keep it
consistent.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
So yeah, well, thank you for that.
Yeah, body's always one thatkeeps a lot of our stress, and
why not Now for people thatwants to pose, or they want to
take pictures, or those selfies?
How do you help them toovercome the fear of comparison
or, like you know, like theirbody is not what a lot of times
(12:08):
me, unfortunately parades aroundlike this is the perfect body.
How do you prevent that yourmodels or the people that comes
to you don't feel, you know,ostracized because they don't
look a certain way?
Speaker 2 (12:25):
I mean it's definitely a mindset thing, and
there are I mean it's definitelya mindset thing, and there are,
there are, I mean there areother people that can probably
help you dig deeper to reallyidentify where that stems from.
But what I do as a photographeris is really like let them know
that as they are right now isimportant to capture.
(12:46):
I mean, again, I do a lot ofmotherhood things and so with
the mothers, like they want topush their, their photo, their
family photo sessions outfurther and further until they
feel like they're ready.
But what's important to bereminded of is like this is who
you are right now and in yourlife with your children at the
age that they are, and if you'rewaiting a couple of years, you
(13:09):
know, because time goes by sofast then you won't have
pictures of this whole timeframe because you wanted to just
wait and wait and wait.
So that's one that I reallylike emphasize for mothers.
The other thing that I was goingto mention is because we're not
always in front of the camera,like it's weird, right, and so
(13:31):
when you do see yourself inpictures for the first time, you
might be a little bit like, ohmy God, is that me, but that's
why I encourage people to takemore pictures, because the more
you see it, the more you'regoing to love it.
It's like it's going to be lessweird, and so this is something
I've recommended to people kindof like as a self-love exercise
(13:51):
is just to take selfies ofyourself in whatever attire If
you want to be a little feisty,a little sexy, like.
I highly recommend that,because the more you see
yourself, you start to identifysome angles that really work for
you and you're like oh, okay,okay, I see it.
And once you just you know youdo that more often, it will be
less of like a shock, right, andso that's something I really, I
(14:14):
really encourage.
Like, don't be scared ofyourself.
Like you know, once you takesome pictures, you don't have to
show anybody, so you will startto be comfortable seeing
yourself in pictures and then,and then you'll be okay.
Speaker 1 (14:30):
What do you think about filters?
Filters, don't get me wrong, weall love them, we all like like
a little patty do in your face,but also they can be dangerous
in the sense of, like you said,the shock of seeing yourself as
yourself.
Um, what do you, do you sayabout that?
What do you, what is your takeout of that?
Speaker 2 (14:45):
I.
I use some minimal filters, agrain, because I don't always
have, you know, the full, like Imean, I barely wear makeup as
it is.
I'm not completely against them, but I do see the harm.
If your mindset isn't in ahealthy place, then, yeah,
presets are going to have moreof a negative effect on you.
(15:06):
Right?
You know?
I don't, I don't, I don't knownecessarily.
I think it comes back to justbeing more confident and more
comfortable and accepting andloving yourself and then just
showing up as you are, becausepeople will connect with that,
they will resonate with that.
It's, it's raw, it's honest andI'm like I am who I am and I
love it, and that's going toencourage other people to feel
(15:27):
the same way as well.
So some, you know, yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
Beautiful and with our slogan of be brave, be kind,
be loud and be proud.
How do you personally resonatewith that, or how did your brand
resonate with that?
Speaker 2 (15:42):
Yeah, so the name behind my business is 4% Photo.
Again, as I mentioned earlier,a lot of the photography I do
it's focused solely on women,and so, with the foundation side
of my business, I donatepercentages of my profit to
women's foundations.
You know, I'm proud to be awoman.
I'm proud to capture thewoman's perspective in various
(16:04):
ways and really help tell thestory of different women and, in
addition to that, give back andhelp.
And so you know I tell peoplewhen you're, when you're
choosing me as your photographer, you're not just choosing me
like, you're actually helpingmake a difference, and so you
know being loud and speaking upfor women who need a little bit
more support.
(16:24):
And then again, in thephotography that I'm doing, I
really focus on the storytellingof who people truly are, their
real moments, their real, theirreal connections with people,
and so it's just really focusingon some real perspectives of
women.
Speaker 1 (16:42):
Beautiful, beautiful.
And talking about that, whatnew projects or what kind of
community do you have that wecan put in our notes, that way
people can go and share it andbook with you?
If you guys know, in my page wehave some pictures that
actually megan took for mybranding.
I'm the most difficult clientthat you can have, for multiple
(17:06):
reasons.
Uh, in the sense of, like Ihave to protect certain things,
as you guys know, because I'm atherapist, and why not?
But she worked with all thosechallenges and not only that.
She brought the bright side ofall that in.
Like you know, in my head I waslike I'm not photogenic blah,
blah, blah.
And all the pictures, all ofthem that she talked about, like
, oh my God.
(17:26):
So please let us know where wecan find you, what projects do
you have or how can we plug inwith you?
Speaker 2 (17:35):
Yeah, well, three different ways.
So one I am a photographer.
So if you do want to book withme, you know I have inquiry
links in my Instagram bio.
So, yeah, if you're looking fora photographer, I've got you
there.
Number two is my mompreneur momgroup.
I created a community of momswho have the similar interests
(17:56):
of like entrepreneurship, right.
So my goal with this was tobring together moms who actually
have things in common and, likeentrepreneurs, like we kind of
have our own mindset, we think adifferent way, and it's so fun
when you get us all in a roombecause we, like we just think
the same, right.
I've been in multiple mom groupswhere I just don't really
(18:16):
connect with the other moms andI'm really big on connections.
I'm an I'm an empathy kind ofgirl and I want to like dig deep
and I want to like build realfriendships with real
connections, and so I did createthis mom group recently and it
is for mompreneurs.
Um, there will be virtual, youknow hangouts as well as
in-person hangouts, um, with andwithout kids, you know we gotta
(18:39):
like tag team it there, and sothere's that.
I have an instagram um, stayright there.
I have an instagram broadcastgroup as well as a facebook
group, so you can find it there.
And then, uh really is, foranybody interested in learning
photography, a?
Um, I'm coming out with abundle of courses for admiring
photographers, so that can becoming out soon uh well, thank
(19:01):
you so much, megan.
Speaker 1 (19:03):
There's anything else that you want to give like a
little nugget of, like achallenge that um or community
can have?
You know know, we have, forexample, in an older guest, we
have seven days of mindfulness,seven days of self-love or any
of those kind of challenges thatyou can offer.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
Let's add in seven days of selfies.
Speaker 1 (19:26):
Yes, so you hear here , when you hear this podcast,
please start day one and pleaseDM me and DM 4% Photography.
She will probably pick the mostinspiring one to promote and
why not?
But we challenge you toself-love.
Who you are at this momentWrinkles a little.
(19:47):
Love, handles all of that isyou and we have to like just
love it.
Yes, again, it's a pleasure ofthat is you and we have to like
just love it, right, yes, yeah,and it's a pleasure, as always,
having you.
Thank you so much.
Thank you so much for having me.
As we conclude today's episode,take a moment to reflect.
(20:07):
Be proud of the journey, forevery step that brings you
closer to who you truly are.
Embrace the kindness towardsyourself, as you did to each one
of our guests.
Honor the bravery in youractions and celebrate the
importance of mental wellnesswith us and remember it's an
(20:31):
exercise that we practice daily.
Continue to grow and flourish,knowing that we are in this
training for our mental wellnesstogether.
We are so proud to have you aspart of our community at our
Oasis Community Podcast for moreinspiring conversations,
(20:52):
valuable resources andsupportive content, including
journals, worksheets and contentin Spanish.
Exciting things are in thehorizon.
Our Oasis Community break roomsare coming soon to grab tools
and take a break for your mentalhealth.
Also, we are featuring oursix-month training ethical
(21:14):
mental health coaching programdesigned for new and experienced
coaches, as well as holisticand healing professionals.
Enroll to create a safe andtransformative experience to
your clients.
Links in the bio.
Until next time, take care,stay connected and welcome to
(21:35):
our Oasis community.
Hello beautiful souls and welcome to Oroasis
Community Podcast.
I am Dr Roldan, your host.
I am a doctor in clinicalpsychology, a BIPOC therapist
professor and a mindful somaticcoach.
While I am a therapist,remember I'm not your therapist.
This podcast is not asubstitute for professional
(00:24):
mental health care, but we haveresources in our website and
Instagram to support you in thatsearch.
Join us for a cozy, feltconversation about mental health
, personal growth andmindfulness.
We explore tools to care foryour mind, your body and your
soul.
Check the footnotes fordisclaimer, trigger warnings and
(00:46):
additional resources for eachone of the episodes.
So grab your favorite cup oftea, coffee or hot chocolate,
wrap yourself in a warm blanketand find a coffee spot here with
us to be kind to be brave, loudand strong in your search of
(01:07):
mental health wellness.
Welcome to your Oasis.
Back to another enrichingepisode of our Oasis podcast
community, where we nurture ourminds, inspire our hearts and
empower your body, soul and mind.
Today I am just thrilled andhonored to have a guest that
captures life in the mostbeautiful moments in a very
(01:30):
beautiful way, through her lensof life.
Welcome to Megan, the founderof 4% Photography.
Thank you for coming here toour Oasis, megan Hi, thank you
so much for having me so today.
You know the month of Octoberand September.
We're talking about communityfriendship, so I would like for
(01:52):
you to share with us howphotography can be a form of
self-expression and empowerment.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
Absolutely so.
I've been in photography forover 10 years.
Um, so I've been in photographyfor over 10 years and what I've
really been noticing recentlyand really channeling is that
the things that I love tophotograph most reflect my own
life.
So I specialize in photographyfor women and I really do that
through motherhood sessions.
I am a mother, so I feel like Iunderstand that perspective in
(02:23):
a certain way that helps mecapture it so beautifully for
other people.
I am also an entrepreneur and Ispecialize in, you know,
branding for women who areentrepreneurs.
Again, I can relate to thatrole.
And then I also do wedding,which I'm a wife, you know, like
those are kind of my three liferoles and those are the three
(02:44):
things that I love to photographthe most, because, again, I
understand those perspectivesand so it really helps me allow
the people in front of my camerato shine in a very unique way.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
Right, thank you for that.
Let us, as you all heard, she'sa mother, she's a wife, all
heard she's a mother, she's awife.
Um, can you talk about a littlebit how do you come to be the
photographer that you are andhow community help you to keep
you grounded and keep thatmental health and self-care,
because normally when you're anentrepreneur, all your fears,
(03:18):
all the drama will come out andthen, um, being a mom we're I
mean, I don't have the privilegeto be one, but I know a lot of
my friends.
They're always terrified.
You know, it's not terrifyingLike I have a little person that
depends on me.
And then, when you see thephotography, if you haven't seen
Megan, go to her Instagram.
(03:39):
She has lessons and other tips,but her photography is the
essence of, like, beauty andhappiness.
But when people see that, theycompare right and they say oh, I
don't have that.
How being a photographer havehelped you to ground yourself
and be more aware andself-loving, and, at the same
(04:00):
time, can you give our audiencetips of how me included to take,
maybe, a picture that reflectsnot just the pretty but also the
inner work that goes through it?
Speaker 2 (04:15):
Yeah, oh, I love that .
There's a couple like questionsI'm hearing, in that I'm going
to kind of start with the firstones I heard.
I do have one headphone offbecause I am listening for my
little ones, but yeah, it's abalance, right.
So one of your first questionsmade me think of when.
So I have been in photographyfor a long time, but in 2017, my
(04:38):
husband and I moved away fromour comfort zone, our hometown
and our family, and this gave mean opportunity to kind of start
from scratch and be whoever Iwanted.
So prior to that, I was doingphotography just kind of for fun
.
I didn't really have a clearvision, but when I was out in
(04:58):
this whole new environment, Iwas like you know what?
Like let's go all in, I havenothing to lose.
And what I started to do wascreate community myself, because
I craved that connection and Imean I still do this, so I'll
get into that.
But what I did back then washost events for beginner
(05:21):
photographers, for people whowanted to be models no
experience needed, just peoplewho were, you know, comfortable
and wanted to be in front of thecamera and bringing those two
people together so that they canmutually benefit from each
other.
So you know, new photographers,new wannabe kind of models.
It's like boom, a perfect match.
And so, yeah, it grew reallybig and the thing with that was
(05:45):
just ripping the bandaid off andkind of going for it Like I had
nothing to lose.
And you know, it was nicebecause I found people who also
craved that same community andwe all had common interests of
photography and you knowcreativity right in this small
little town and so that's kindof how I utilize community
(06:05):
within.
You know, photography in myearly days, so that kind of
answers that question.
I'm like I might have forgottena couple.
It's okay.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
How?
How about you know when we'recreating community?
And it's true when we movedfrom town to town, from school
to another school, or fromsingle to married to motherhood?
Right, you changed friends, youchanged community.
How do you deal with thetoxicity of moving forward,
(06:36):
because sometimes your samecheerleaders that you have in
the beginning are not thecheerleaders that you have in
the future, right, yeah?
Speaker 2 (06:45):
I mean it's just not being afraid to grow.
And I think I've seen lately,I've seen this quote and it's
like surround yourself withpeople who are going to benefit
your future, not because you'retied to your history, you know,
and that's something that I'vebeen needing to hear a lot
lately, because I've beenholding on so much to the people
(07:07):
in my past and I'm like come on, for example, I just moved back
to my hometown after being awayfor almost six years and I'm
like, okay, my same circle isgoing to get together and it's
going to be awesome, just likeit was before.
But, hello, all of our liveshave changed so much and it was
(07:28):
hard to accept.
But it's also a beautiful thingBecause, you know, when we do
hang out, I felt like I I wasn'tbenefiting them and they
weren't benefiting me, and it'skind of like it's okay, like we
had a season that was sobeneficial.
But now, you know, I want togrow and connect with people who
who value what I have to offerthe world and also like where I
(07:51):
can appreciate what they have tooffer as well.
And so it's just being OK andenjoying the opportunity to grow
and connect with new people whoyou might not have had the
opportunity to connect with themin the past, but that's because
you guys were in differentplaces, right, and so it's just
kind of going with the flow,that's all.
Speaker 1 (08:11):
Okay, and talking about that, building your brand
what challenge do you facebuilding your brand 4%
photography, and how do youovercome it?
Mostly the mental challenges,because nobody talks about that.
You know, like, yes, we havetips and why not that you can go
check in her Instagram storiestoo about how to take the
(08:31):
perfect picture and how to pose.
But how do you challengeyourself and what do you do with
those mental challenges thatyou get?
By creating something new,something that you have never
been done before.
Speaker 2 (08:44):
Yeah, yeah, I mean an obvious one is to not compare
yourself to other people.
I have a tendency to come up.
I'm like an ideas person.
I have a tendency to come upwith amazing ideas, like all the
time, but then I hold myselfback from executing them.
Because, well, number one, I'mlike, oh, I don't see anybody
(09:06):
doing this.
Like, is that weird, is it?
Why is nobody doing it?
It's probably a bad idea, butin reality, like, that idea is
probably a really, really goodone because nobody has thought
of it.
And so it's putting that fearaside and just in stepping into
your own and not needing to belike other people and not
comparing at all, because why dowe want to be exactly the same,
(09:29):
you know, when you havesomething so unique to offer?
I think a big challenge thatI've experienced personally,
especially when it does come tomotherhood, is that balance my
business and I have two toddlers.
So it's it's making sure youset your boundaries.
(09:51):
You know whether you have apartner or or you know family or
some kind of system that allowsyou to kind of set the boundary
to do what you need to do foryourself and make yourself a
priority.
You know, I have the.
I have these big dreams and Ilove being a mother so much, but
I also want to fulfill thethings that I crave in the world
(10:15):
that have nothing to do with mykids, and you know it's finding
that balance really and, justagain, making that a priority
and setting some boundaries tohelp you really like fulfill
what it is you want to do tohelp you really like, fulfill
what it is you want to do andwhat is your goal to either
holistic or traditional mentalhealth or grounding, self-love
(10:36):
technique or tip that you willshare.
Well, I have recently, likeinvested a lot of time into yoga
because I have a very, verydifficult time slowing down and
being comfortable, like in thestillness.
I am always like, what can I donext?
(10:59):
What can I do next?
Oh, I have spare time.
What can I work on Instead ofjust like taking a breath, and
you know taking a breath and youknow appreciating where I'm at,
and just really like, just youknow we, we like, have so many
(11:19):
goals, which is amazing, butit's sometimes we get caught up
in the bigger goals.
We forget, like look how far wehave come, like let's
appreciate and be so proud ofourselves and just look around
and, like you made it.
It like this is, this was ahuge goal for you five years ago
.
Um, and so I've done yogarecently and I, and even in the
yoga practices I can feel myselflike wandering, but, um, you
(11:42):
know I'm, I'm making it apriority to to keep it
consistent.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
So yeah, well, thank you for that.
Yeah, body's always one thatkeeps a lot of our stress, and
why not Now for people thatwants to pose, or they want to
take pictures, or those selfies?
How do you help them toovercome the fear of comparison
or, like you know, like theirbody is not what a lot of times
(12:08):
me, unfortunately parades aroundlike this is the perfect body.
How do you prevent that yourmodels or the people that comes
to you don't feel, you know,ostracized because they don't
look a certain way?
Speaker 2 (12:25):
I mean it's definitely a mindset thing, and
there are I mean it's definitelya mindset thing, and there are,
there are, I mean there areother people that can probably
help you dig deeper to reallyidentify where that stems from.
But what I do as a photographeris is really like let them know
that as they are right now isimportant to capture.
(12:46):
I mean, again, I do a lot ofmotherhood things and so with
the mothers, like they want topush their, their photo, their
family photo sessions outfurther and further until they
feel like they're ready.
But what's important to bereminded of is like this is who
you are right now and in yourlife with your children at the
age that they are, and if you'rewaiting a couple of years, you
(13:09):
know, because time goes by sofast then you won't have
pictures of this whole timeframe because you wanted to just
wait and wait and wait.
So that's one that I reallylike emphasize for mothers.
The other thing that I was goingto mention is because we're not
always in front of the camera,like it's weird, right, and so
(13:31):
when you do see yourself inpictures for the first time, you
might be a little bit like, ohmy God, is that me, but that's
why I encourage people to takemore pictures, because the more
you see it, the more you'regoing to love it.
It's like it's going to be lessweird, and so this is something
I've recommended to people kindof like as a self-love exercise
(13:51):
is just to take selfies ofyourself in whatever attire If
you want to be a little feisty,a little sexy, like.
I highly recommend that,because the more you see
yourself, you start to identifysome angles that really work for
you and you're like oh, okay,okay, I see it.
And once you just you know youdo that more often, it will be
less of like a shock, right, andso that's something I really, I
(14:14):
really encourage.
Like, don't be scared ofyourself.
Like you know, once you takesome pictures, you don't have to
show anybody, so you will startto be comfortable seeing
yourself in pictures and then,and then you'll be okay.
Speaker 1 (14:30):
What do you think about filters?
Filters, don't get me wrong, weall love them, we all like like
a little patty do in your face,but also they can be dangerous
in the sense of, like you said,the shock of seeing yourself as
yourself.
Um, what do you, do you sayabout that?
What do you, what is your takeout of that?
Speaker 2 (14:45):
I.
I use some minimal filters, agrain, because I don't always
have, you know, the full, like Imean, I barely wear makeup as
it is.
I'm not completely against them, but I do see the harm.
If your mindset isn't in ahealthy place, then, yeah,
presets are going to have moreof a negative effect on you.
(15:06):
Right?
You know?
I don't, I don't, I don't knownecessarily.
I think it comes back to justbeing more confident and more
comfortable and accepting andloving yourself and then just
showing up as you are, becausepeople will connect with that,
they will resonate with that.
It's, it's raw, it's honest andI'm like I am who I am and I
love it, and that's going toencourage other people to feel
(15:27):
the same way as well.
So some, you know, yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
Beautiful and with our slogan of be brave, be kind,
be loud and be proud.
How do you personally resonatewith that, or how did your brand
resonate with that?
Speaker 2 (15:42):
Yeah, so the name behind my business is 4% Photo.
Again, as I mentioned earlier,a lot of the photography I do
it's focused solely on women,and so, with the foundation side
of my business, I donatepercentages of my profit to
women's foundations.
You know, I'm proud to be awoman.
I'm proud to capture thewoman's perspective in various
(16:04):
ways and really help tell thestory of different women and, in
addition to that, give back andhelp.
And so you know I tell peoplewhen you're, when you're
choosing me as your photographer, you're not just choosing me
like, you're actually helpingmake a difference, and so you
know being loud and speaking upfor women who need a little bit
more support.
(16:24):
And then again, in thephotography that I'm doing, I
really focus on the storytellingof who people truly are, their
real moments, their real, theirreal connections with people,
and so it's just really focusingon some real perspectives of
women.
Speaker 1 (16:42):
Beautiful, beautiful.
And talking about that, whatnew projects or what kind of
community do you have that wecan put in our notes, that way
people can go and share it andbook with you?
If you guys know, in my page wehave some pictures that
actually megan took for mybranding.
I'm the most difficult clientthat you can have, for multiple
(17:06):
reasons.
Uh, in the sense of, like Ihave to protect certain things,
as you guys know, because I'm atherapist, and why not?
But she worked with all thosechallenges and not only that.
She brought the bright side ofall that in.
Like you know, in my head I waslike I'm not photogenic blah,
blah, blah.
And all the pictures, all ofthem that she talked about, like
, oh my God.
(17:26):
So please let us know where wecan find you, what projects do
you have or how can we plug inwith you?
Speaker 2 (17:35):
Yeah, well, three different ways.
So one I am a photographer.
So if you do want to book withme, you know I have inquiry
links in my Instagram bio.
So, yeah, if you're looking fora photographer, I've got you
there.
Number two is my mompreneur momgroup.
I created a community of momswho have the similar interests
(17:56):
of like entrepreneurship, right.
So my goal with this was tobring together moms who actually
have things in common and, likeentrepreneurs, like we kind of
have our own mindset, we think adifferent way, and it's so fun
when you get us all in a roombecause we, like we just think
the same, right.
I've been in multiple mom groupswhere I just don't really
(18:16):
connect with the other moms andI'm really big on connections.
I'm an I'm an empathy kind ofgirl and I want to like dig deep
and I want to like build realfriendships with real
connections, and so I did createthis mom group recently and it
is for mompreneurs.
Um, there will be virtual, youknow hangouts as well as
in-person hangouts, um, with andwithout kids, you know we gotta
(18:39):
like tag team it there, and sothere's that.
I have an instagram um, stayright there.
I have an instagram broadcastgroup as well as a facebook
group, so you can find it there.
And then, uh really is, foranybody interested in learning
photography, a?
Um, I'm coming out with abundle of courses for admiring
photographers, so that can becoming out soon uh well, thank
(19:01):
you so much, megan.
Speaker 1 (19:03):
There's anything else that you want to give like a
little nugget of, like achallenge that um or community
can have?
You know know, we have, forexample, in an older guest, we
have seven days of mindfulness,seven days of self-love or any
of those kind of challenges thatyou can offer.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
Let's add in seven days of selfies.
Speaker 1 (19:26):
Yes, so you hear here , when you hear this podcast,
please start day one and pleaseDM me and DM 4% Photography.
She will probably pick the mostinspiring one to promote and
why not?
But we challenge you toself-love.
Who you are at this momentWrinkles a little.
(19:47):
Love, handles all of that isyou and we have to like just
love it.
Yes, again, it's a pleasure ofthat is you and we have to like
just love it, right, yes, yeah,and it's a pleasure, as always,
having you.
Thank you so much.
Thank you so much for having me.
As we conclude today's episode,take a moment to reflect.
(20:07):
Be proud of the journey, forevery step that brings you
closer to who you truly are.
Embrace the kindness towardsyourself, as you did to each one
of our guests.
Honor the bravery in youractions and celebrate the
importance of mental wellnesswith us and remember it's an
(20:31):
exercise that we practice daily.
Continue to grow and flourish,knowing that we are in this
training for our mental wellnesstogether.
We are so proud to have you aspart of our community at our
Oasis Community Podcast for moreinspiring conversations,
(20:52):
valuable resources andsupportive content, including
journals, worksheets and contentin Spanish.
Exciting things are in thehorizon.
Our Oasis Community break roomsare coming soon to grab tools
and take a break for your mentalhealth.
Also, we are featuring oursix-month training ethical
(21:14):
mental health coaching programdesigned for new and experienced
coaches, as well as holisticand healing professionals.
Enroll to create a safe andtransformative experience to
your clients.
Links in the bio.
Until next time, take care,stay connected and welcome to
(21:35):
our Oasis community.
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