Have you ever felt a big goal was weighing you down? At the start of a new year, now is the perfect time to reevaluate your goals and daily habits to ensure that we are actually achieving what is important to us. In today’s episode, I’m sharing about my own big dreams and what I’m doing TODAY to bring my visions to life. 

Throwing Goals Out The Window

On Quianna Marie Weekly, we’re chatting about business growing pains, finding genuine connections, and celebrating wins of all sizes through the lens of a photographer at heart. Sprinkled throughout stories and interviews with past clients, photographers and other business owners this podcast is designed to help you step into your purpose and to truly create a life you’re proud of, a life worth photographing and sharing.

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Today’s episode is brought to you by The Green House, my resource garden for photographers! Let me help you AMPLIFY your heart online and in real life to turn bridesmaids into future brides through templates, workshops, and freebies!

Review the Show Notes:

Creating A Magnetic Field (7:28)

Starting With Small Circles (9:07)

Zooming Out (10:30)

The Green House (12:47)

I’m Not Waiting (13:25)

Achieving Your Biggest Goals (16:41)

Time To ReIntroduce Yourself (19:24)

Mentioned In This Episode:

Flodesk

Episode 54: The Death Of My Laptop

Episode 117: Planning Your Next Boss Bash with Bianca Montano

Review the Transcript:

We all know that we’re super goal oriented and love a good planner and checklists. So the idea of throwing goals out the window sounds ridiculous, maybe even kind of sounds like clickbait to get us to tune into this episode today, right? So if you’re new here, or maybe it’s been a while since I introduce myself, I wanted to do a little check in and encourage you to do the same. Every year, our life and businesses are leveling up. pivots are undeniable and we experienced a ton of growing pains. Even though many of our missions remain the same.

The goal to success can travel all over like spaghetti roads on a map. Our offers are changing, we’re tapping into different industries and many of us are getting on stages to teach and share our stories. With so much change year after year. It’s important to pause and polish your new identity as well as make a plan for where you’re going.

In the recent episode #117, I had the honor of chatting with Bianca, owner of boss bash that celebrates our accomplishments and taking leaps of faith. I love a good party and any excuse to celebrate our wins and my business besties it’s just as important to celebrate where you’ve been as well as where you’re going. If we haven’t met in person yet. Hello, beautiful. I’m your host Kiana and I’m a really, really big dreamer. I’ve been a photographer for as long as I can remember and I’ve had the honor of being a published and award winning international wedding photographer for over 15 years.

Introductions

Becoming a wedding photographer and building a photography business has been the single most rewarding and happiest decision of my life. My camera has fueled my opportunities to travel the world and introduced me to my very best friends and priceless connections around the country. Over the years, I’ve photographed the happiest moments of my clients lives and it’s brought so much joy and purpose to my life. Country music is the heartbeat of my life. I love road trips and outdoor adventures and love cuddles with my German Shepherd Faith.

I spend most of my time with family for Friday night football games, weeknight tee ball games and love making Pinterest recipes. Anytime I can host and bring people together. I freakin love it. I’ve had a big fat pipe dream to build and design a wedding venue from the ground up sharing my own experiences to logistically and strategically build a beautiful and functional venue. I can already picture the documentary with me filming conversations with other professional wedding vendors to share their input for the perfect venue like I wanted everybody’s ideas.

I wanted to make up artists to tell me exactly where the plugs should be for the getting ready room. And where should the plugs be in what type of volts do we need? Like amps or whatever the electricity measurements are for DJs Right? Like where did those plugs need to be outside for the ceremony space as well as indoors? And you know, where should the break room be? Logistically where are the bathrooms? And where can we have like a hidden tucked away first look location because if you’re familiar with weddings, and especially on hectic timelines, on a wedding day, I can’t tell you how many times the first slip has been pushed back or squished because people were arriving early.

The bride didn’t want anybody to see her, right? So like as a photographer, those logistics matter. And I wanted to not only highlight in my own experience, and all the fun stories and all the fun things that I have had in my experience as a photographer, but also highlighting and actually showcasing these professional vendors, aka my friend, ORS are besties in industry, in fact, so not only do I have this big dream, but I was taking action, right. So I was a finalist for the chip starter, which was an opportunity created by Chip Gaines through Magnolia to give a handful of business owners financial and business help with an upcoming project.

Although we didn’t win as a finalist, I made it through three rounds. And as a huge Magnolia and fixer upper fan. I’m convinced that the biggest win was having chip watch my YouTube video. And to make it as a finalist. Now, who knows if he actually did, but I’m just assuming he did because I’m hoping he wanted to be involved with this program and definitely pick at least a finalist right so in my head and in my heart chip Gaines has seen my video now if you really want to dig back through the archives, you can actually find a blog and a YouTube video for my entry. While we’re driving down memory lane. I wanted to share that story to bring us to today.

Having a big goal of the future wedding venue has fueled my action list. But if we’re being honest, it also weighed me down the feeling of having that daunting goal many feel like how was a failure or feel like I was lacking something because I didn’t have it yet. I would see my savings account rise only to need a new laptop because my mother dumped water all over it. No seriously, check out episode number 50 for the death of my laptop to hear that so Are you I have this vision of needing to raise $3 million just to get started. And I felt like I was spinning my wheels in the snow getting nowhere. Through this last handful of years and especially trying to survive 2020 I started getting distracted trading my thriving years for moments of survival.

Even though I kept booking weddings, photoshoots adventure, romance boudoir behind the scenes contents for events, and even tons of branding shoots. Thankfully, I always had more than enough to live comfortably but my wedding venue goals built so far into the horizon, that it couldn’t even see it anymore. Growing up in the Bay Area and having Santa Cruz be my hometown, like I spent a lot of time at the beach and I can vividly see that right like where the water meets the sky.

Then it kind of gets blurred, where you’re actually our two shirt because the blues just kind of blend together which can be beautiful. But if that’s what your eye is on, if your eyes on the horizon, and you can’t see it, it just feels impossible. It just feels like it’s not an option. For today’s episode I want to celebrate this new year with a bit of a motivational pep talk and honestly a kick in the butt to help us reach our goals and the lifestyle we’re craving. Is it the goals that we’re working towards?

Or how we want to feel when we achieve those goals? I find that many of us are trying to prove our value or prove that what we are manifesting is already true when instead we should be working on the coming soon. the Lodi now moments right so what are we doing today to help bring these visions to life. I’m excited to share a different perspective for the new year and honestly talk things out myself for us to reach the lifestyle. We deserve.

While being grateful for the life we have today.

Welcome to Quianna Marie Weekly, a podcast for creatives who love to celebrate wins big or small by dancing in the kitchen photographers who are excited to serve their clients and friends who are ready to chase really, really big dreams. You can find all of the resources mentioned in this episode at Kiana murray.com/podcast. Join me as I share weekly motivation, chat about growing pains, finding genuine connections and celebrating your wins through the lens of a photographer at heart. Come join me for a dance party ready loves though.

Creating A Magnetic Field

I would love to draw a picture for you that I recently learned at a manifesting event with my soul sister Felicia Romero, it might be kind of hard to picture while you’re listening, but I’ll do my best to make it make sense. Okay, so pretend you have a blank piece of paper in front of you think about an eight and a half by 11 piece of paper. So we’re all on the same page. Okay, now draw a little stick figure in the center of this page. Or if you’re just doing it in your mind.

Think of the stick figures only been about like a medium like a small to medium size, maybe literally just two to three inches only. Now if you’re anything like me, when I was a kid, I always drew the sun in the upper top corner with the sun rays shooting out. Okay, perfect. So now imagine that you are that little stick figure. And the sun is your goal. It could be anything you’re manifesting or working towards maybe a new house, a new lover or business relationship.

It could be a goal of speaking on stage or selling out one of your upcoming events, maybe even writing a book, it could literally be anything. Most people want a straight shot to their goal. Literally think about that tiny six figure version of yourself drawing back elbow to shoot an arrow towards the sun. Right, we all know the old tale of pulling back or taking steps back only to leap forward. Now that’s a good hidden message here. But stick with me here.

Starting With Small Circles

The secret to manifesting these goals and making your dreams your reality isn’t to keep shooting straight shots, or even squiggly rollercoaster lines towards the sun. But instead to create a magnetic field around you so you literally grow bigger to naturally bump into that sun. So now in your mind, draw a small circle around your stick figure. This could symbolize showing up to a different event once a month to make new friends and find opportunities to share about your business.

Okay, now draw another circle encompassing the first small circle and your stick figure. Basically, to give you a picture, you’re making a target logo with your stick figure in the center, starting with small circles to create a ripple effect around your tiny person. Each ring can be a new focus or habit that will bring you and your energy field closer to your goal.

Maybe you’re committing to reading a new book each month. Luckily my friend Angela Gordon just started a new book club called evolved, which includes like minded entrepreneurs to connect and discuss empowering books in business and I can’t wait for this to start it should be starting up right here in the first of the month. Another ring could be focusing on your health, not just to fit better in your genes, but to find clarity in your work and boost your immunity, so you’re not sick for an upcoming event. Another ring could be committing to creating content more than you’re doing scrolling.

This is the year that we become more intentional creators instead of consumers on social media. You get the point right. As each ring gets bigger and bigger around your stick figure, it’s inevitable that you’ll bump into your goal. To take that a step further, I love to prioritize how I’m feeling as I’m focusing on each ring as I grow towards my goal.

Now, like a current trend on Tik Tok is to show creepy images of our daily life. Now, let me let me paint the picture here. I don’t even know what the sound is. But right now all over my tic tock feed are people posting photos of their daily life. And then they’re having a I zoom out and create a larger picture. So let’s say it’s like a photo of this young mom holding her child.

And then like she zooms out, and then all of a sudden, she’s like in a shopping center, or like you see like a bigger backdrop, right? Maybe she’s, I don’t know, it’s like these crazy scenarios. And sometimes it’s really creepy because other children will appear in these photos. It’s just so crazy. Some of them are really cool, and some of them are really creepy.

Zooming Out For More Opportunities

But with that in mind, I would love for you to imagine taking that piece of paper that eight and a half by 11 piece of paper that we started with, and placing it on a poster board, sprinkle sprinkled with more planets, stars and an entire universe of possibilities. Sometimes we’re so laser focused on one goal, aka the sun from that original piece of paper, that we often have tunnel vision, blocking out opportunities that we didn’t even know existed around us.

As a former preschool teacher for years, I love for you to picture one more visual for this exercise. Now imagine if you kept trying to take straight shots to that sound like an arrow, obsessing over that one goal in one direction. Then when we’re presented with a bigger picture, aka this poster board full of opportunities and possibilities, you’ll still be this tiny stick figure with arrows pointing in one direction towards that one goal. But if you keep radiating and growing these rings, you’ll not only grow bigger to bump into these new opportunities, but you will radiate like a magnet for them to come to you. Your energy is magnetic and my love.

Let’s kick off this New Year with habits, rituals, and checklists that we work towards daily to bring us closer to our goals. It’s time to stop fighting for our insecurities and start celebrating our wildest possibilities. As my business continues to grow, I created the greenhouse a resource garden for photographers and entrepreneurs to help grow strong roots and bloom a business to last for generations. I have over 15 years of business and photography experiences to share, check out the shop to grab guides, templates, digital workshops, and tons of education.

With this new year, I’ll be booking more content and brand new shoots to help you shine online. Yes, I’m still dreaming of the perfect running venue. But with the many shifts, roadblocks and detours, I’m open to anything that makes the ones I love feel supported and encouraged. I’m not waiting. I don’t have my dream home yet, right like I don’t, I really don’t.

But I have a safe home full of love that I purchased with my mama here in Arizona, plus a happy super safe and comfortable home that I spend a lot of time with with my boyfriend. So really, instead of scrolling and feeling like I’m behind without having my dream kitchen for hosting and cozy home of my own. I’m celebrating that I have two homes that I bounce back and like back and forth from.

The Green House

I’m actually really grateful that I have to safe places that I can call home and that anytime I come home whoever is there whether it’s the dogs the boyfriend or my mom at my house, like I feel so loved and and and appreciated, right? I don’t have my dream venue yet. But last year I hosted monthly content shoots around the valley, I was able to host these events called Lucky 13 and capture photo shoots by simply renting studios at an hourly rate. I am not waiting right. I don’t have my dream garden or real life greenhouse. But I literally created a digital greenhouse to share my experiences and offer a ton of education for photographers and business owners growing up in San Jose, California, my aunt Cindy and at Lindy they lived up in like East foothills.

And they have this greenhouse and what made it so magical and so just memorable for me were the conversations that I had in that greenhouse, whether it was in the greenhouse actually the right there in her tiny greenhouse with some of the glace the glass plates kind of like falling down and You know, it was a little shaky. But that greenhouse was just full of so much love.

It wasn’t just the conversations in the greenhouse, but in the surrounding garden and in her yard that, oh my gosh, like I like we just had the most deep and meaningful conversations that helped me walk through life, help ask and answer questions for each other. And it was just such a safe space. And so that’s what is so powerful and meaningful to me with a greenhouse.

So I don’t physically have this greenhouse yet, or I can host dinner parties. And, you know, welcome you in this physical space with really fun succulents and plants just growing around us. But I can help answer your questions, right, like I can actually do one on one consulting calls with you from my kitchen table to your kitchen counter, I can show up and offer mentoring, I can truly create these resources and these guides to help you and to help each other without having a physical space yet, I don’t have my dream retreat space to host masterminds and events.

I’m Not Waiting

But I’m not waiting for that to share my stories and introduce you to my favorite people. I literally created this podcast Quianna Marie Weekly, to create a platform to share inspiration, education, and funny relatable stories to help us all grow. I’ve met some of the most incredible souls on this business journey and can’t wait to introduce you to them. It may not be the cozy living room, fireside chats or kitchen counter conversations. I can see so vividly in my future retreat space. But I can reach you in your car, on your dog walks, doing chores and working away. I’m not waiting. Every one of these choices is like a ring on my drawing.

What Are Your Really Big Goals?

So let me ask you this, my love? What are your biggest goals of the new year? Now? What are you focusing on every day to achieve those goals? Seriously, what are the rings? What are those rings that you are radiating every day? Growing the lessons you’re learning the connections you’re making? The tiny, tiny moments of bravery that you are showing up for yourself, for your family and for your business. What are those things?

I recently heard on the Mel Robbins podcast that Mel only focuses on one goal each year. Just one. Imagine how far you can advance your efforts by maintaining your business as usual, but laser focusing your energy time content creation and sales strategies to just one goal. What’s that goal for you? Personally, my goal for the year is to buy a second home with Mike.

Now that could easily be summed up to okay great, just go make more money book more photoshoots charge more apply to more speaking events to meet new people that’ll buy from me, that can all add up quickly. And then soon I’m distracted, making me spin my wheels again, literally going nowhere, because I’m just diverting all of my attention in so many different directions. So instead, I’m throwing those goals out the window and focusing on my daily habits, monthly checkpoints and prioritizing my health and how I’m feeling while I’m reaching those new levels. What daily habits are you focusing on this week?

This month, and this year? Now is a great time to jot down that stick figure drawing and identify those reins. What are you doing to amplify you’re the person you are today to fully receive those goals and answer those callings. Hey dreamers are you having a hard time staying consistent with social media? Feeling like you’re throwing spaghetti on the wall hoping something sticks?

Flodesk

Wouldn’t it be amazing to reach your favorites that statistically 99% of them check their email every single day, instead of less than 3% of your following actually coming across your post. I’ve been using Flow desk since they first came out and I fell in love with their beautiful easy drag and drop email templates.

Over the years their features have improved a ton and I love sending out newsletters, staying in contact with my past current and future clients as well as selling out with photoshoots within hours. Thanks to my email list. It’s time to let business flow your way with flow desk. Check out quiannamarie.com/flodesk to grab your discount and get started today.

I’d love to circle back to the beginning to remind you that now’s a great time to reintroduce yourself to your audience, to your friends group and even update your family on what’s actually going on in your business. I know from experience that when we have tons of offers and split our focus in seven different ways. And we just happen to be good I mean really good at many things. We actually confuse the universe and most importantly, those around us.

So let’s laser focus those habits take tiny action steps towards those goals and activate our throat chakras to speak these new year’s resolutions and goals. into existence.

Once we have a game plan and laser focus our energy, that’s when the magic happens and the alignment speeds up your success. So tell me bestie what’s the one thing you’re working on this year? What’s something that’s been on your heart for years, and you’ve been filling your day with excuses and distractions? What’s that one thing? Please tell me so I can help support you. I have so many fun intentions for Kiana Murray weekly this year. And I’m grateful you’re here to thank you for listening and making this passion podcast even more meaningful and rewarding.

Please Leave A 5 Star Review

Please, if you have a couple minutes today, please share a screenshot of this episode and let me know what you’re doing while you’re listening. I’d love to hear about your focus of the year so we can support each other. As always, I’m cheering for you, baby. This is a fresh start to laser focus our efforts and to truly become magnetic for the people love, wealth, health and dream reality we deserve. Hope you have an amazing week and cannot wait to chat soon. Okay, love you. Bye. That’s a wrap on another episode of Quianna Marie Weekly.

Thank you so much for your listenership and support. You can find the resources and show notes for this episode and more at Kiana murray.com/podcast. I’d be honored if you show your support by leaving a review and rating on your favorite podcast app. Until next time, keep on dancing.