Fit N Finding Me

Physical Activity and healthy eating are a great way to feel better, combat illness, and have fun. This year women gathered to get the year off to a great start by educating themselves about exercise as well nutrition alternatives!

Finding The Inner ME hosted this event to encourage girls, teens, and ladies to live a healthy lifestyle. It was a day filled with sisterhood, eating talking, dancing, and laughing. 

...in Remembrance of Me...

We photograph newborns nearly every day we all gain great joy and satisfaction from that privilege. We get to witness the first or second day of the lives of precious babies. We capture several shots of baby alone and the get mom and dad in the mix. We get to meet several new families daily and we love knowing that we get a chance to join so many families on this special leg of their journey.

Usually the sessions are fun but a few days ago one of our photographers held her first bereavement session. She committed to provide beautiful heirloom portraits to a precious family who faced the untimely death of their newborn baby. One of the hospitals specifically requested one of our photographers and though the thought of sharing this moment gave us all chills she decided to take on this honor.

When she entered the room Dad stood alone with baby clearly holding back tears. Then he wiped his face, grabbed his smart phone and snapped a picture. No one spoke above a whisper. The nurses brought mom in and our photographer looked at her face as mom slowly opened her eyes and smiled. She had the strength to smile and that smile energized the room.

The nurses dressed the sweet angel in a christening gown and secretly we prayed for a miracle, hoping that the baby would take a breath but that didn't happen. After the session, we knew that session and those images serve as an important step in the family’s healing process by honoring the baby's legacy.

Escape From Poverty: Editing and Graphic Design

ByJRochelle provides a wide array of media production services including graphic animation, video production, and photography. The bulk of our time here at ByJRochelle for the past 4 months has centered on editing life skills classes for Escape From Poverty. Escape From Poverty seeks to "ignite a national movement inspiring people to break through racial and socioeconomic barriers so they will engage the impoverished in an effort to help them achieve success". We have appreciated involvement in this project and can't wait to see how the community is changed as the participants in this program implement the tools in these life changing classes.

 

The EFP team filmed these life skills classes in Lafayette, LA at Acadiana Open Channel. ByJRochelle has animated graphics and edited the classes remotely and now the life skills classes Curricula is available for sale! If you have filmed footage and now wonder what next, feel free to contact ByJRochelle. We will help you organize the footage and create videos that help you get your organization's message across!

Discounts

You own your own small business and you have a great meeting with a potential client. This person seems interested so you type up a proposal that summarizes everything that the two of you talked about and then anxiously wait for a response. Finally, the answer to your proposal arrives and this person asks for a discount!  Fight that nagging temptation to oblige and say no!

Discounting rates sets a bad precedent with the client. If you flake on your rate, the client will want to negotiate everything. If this person actually sticks around, you may end up haggling over every project. What's worse, you may start to resent the client for paying less than you are worth. This can be worse if this is an associate.

Don’t devalue yourself by charging less than you are worth. Thomas Paine once said that which we obtain too cheaply, we esteem too lightly. A person who fails to see your value also fails to esteem you. Quite frankly, asking for a discount is blatant disrespect. This disrespect can lead to several terrible outcomes. The most tangible negative outcome is financial distress. As a business owner you want to earn a living and accepting a lower rate could ruin your reputation and may cause financial problems for you.  

Let's face it, the more someone pays for advice or a project, the more they tend to value those services. It's up to you to know your value; don't let anyone put a price tag on you. You worked hard to obtain your experience and your credentials. Don't do business with someone who wants to discount the thing that makes you the unique person that you are. You were born to make a one-of-a kind impact on this world.

To learn more about ByJRochelle please click here to visit the website!

Picturing Your Pet

Did you know that ByJRochelle captures pets?!? Pets fill important positions in families today so why not show the world your love by decorating your spaces pictures of your pets!

Not ready to pay for a pet session yet? Well our ByJRochelle photographers graciously compiled a list of tips on photographing pets! Pets, unlike humans, do not always understand pose requests and the beauty that you see may elude  the camera!

You know your pet better than anyone so try to capture him/her in his/her natural environment doing what comes naturally! Capture your lazy pet yawning, capture your playful pet pouncing, capture your daring pet leaping tall couches in a single bound! most importantly focus on the eyes; eyes can tell a story. Use natural light and keep the eyes sharp. A flash burst can cause red-eye and frighten the animal. The fear will paint an inaccurate picture of your pet and take away from his/her natural character. Be sure to capture your pet's details. Get up close and personal to highlight the texture of the fur or the nuances in color of the nose. Let your pet play quietly and capture those moments. If you use these tips you'll capture a little magic every time.

To see more images from pet sessions, click here.

To learn more about ByJRochelle please click here to visit the website! 

Finding Time For Fashion

Finding the Inner Me is a non-profit organization based in the Houston area aimed at empowering women in EVERY stage of life. They do this by organizing quarterly events featuring exciting themes! Currently, these events take place at central locations, however, the organization is working toward owning a facility that not only houses these events but provides services year-round. The latest event was Finding Time for Fashion. The event featured make-up artists, fashion tips, refreshments, vendors, and a skit to kick off the event!

Deloris Madison Production put on a sketch that pointed out that many times women don't find time for fashion. Even though there is a party called life going on, they sit at home in unflattering gowns and head scarves until they begin to associate that "look" with their character. In reality, it doesn't take much to find time for fashion, but when you do it is one way that you show love to yourself. Following this opening,
Board Member Michelle Kinchen emceed the event setting the tone for the dynamic speakers.

Thecia Jenkins, founder of Bold Profession Seminars and Consulting, encouraged women to define their fashion rather than allowing fashion to define them. She said that women use fashion as a mask because they fear vulnerability. She encouraged the group to embrace vulnerability and to take care not to define another woman's character by her fashion.
 

Suptuous Sulay, CEO of The Ultimate Dressing Room pointed out that style means choosing items that you can rock with confidence. Those things don't have to cost a lot of money; her fabulous ensemble came from Target! Lisa Amosu, owner of My Trendy Place, talked about choosing what you can. She has worked closely with cancer patients and cancer survivors who couldn't choose certain things (hair, breasts, etc...) so she knows how painful it can be to focus on what you don’t get to choose. Consequently, she pointed out that there are so many other things that you can choose! Women can choose control, accessories, makeup, and most importantly, confidence! She helped a few
women choose 1 or all of the aforementioned “options” and led them to display their choices!

Barbara Benjamin, senior sales director of Mary Kay Cosmetics, discussed the importance of skincare. She said that even if a woman chooses not to wear makeup, she should at least use a moisturizer and/or sunscreen. Healthy skin is always in and no matter what you put on, your skin is the first thing that people see.

Throughout the event, vendors were on sight selling jewelry, baby clothes, makeup, and other novelties. Additionally, during each break, raffle tickets were drawn and several women left the event with a new pair of shoes! This event offered something for all women of all ages one of the male vendors even got on the fun! Everyone left this event feeling empowered and encouraged to find time 4 fashion because that’s a synonym for finding time for you!

To see more pictures from the event, click here.


To learn more about ByJRochelle please click here to visit the website! 

3rd Annual Fit N Finding Me

ByJRochelle was the official photography sponsor for the 3rd Annual Fit N Finding Me event put on by Finding The Inner Me (FTIM). 

FTIM, a Non-Profit 501C3 organization, hosted its first event of 2013, a health incentive, geared toward enlightening women and young girls of the importance of taking care of their physical, and mental health. The event was MCed by the quick witted amicable Michele White and vendors included, the Queen's Boutique, Bold Profession Seminars & Consulting,  and Mary Kay to name a few. Vegan Cafe and My Fit Foods provided a healthy lunch.

Denika Carothers of S.M.I.L.E opened the discussion on "Finding Your Authentic Self" with the question "Who are you?". She told the ladies that being authentic starts with being honest with yourself which will make it more natural to be honest with others. She shared a vendor table with Herbal Nature Organic Hair & Body products. They say that their products naturally complement the human body chemistry because it is 100% natural in its origin and process. Vendors were on sight to apply the natural homemade hair care products and answer any questions.

Following the S.M.I.L.E. presentations the ladies participated in a beginner's yoga class. The instructor stressed the importance of breathing as she walked about the room helping the girls achieve the perfect position. This work out was suitable for all fitness levels. If that work out wasn't enough to work out an appetite a food presentation followed.

Chef Sabali of My Vegan Comfort then gave a brief presentation on the benefits of consuming vegan and raw food products. Chef Sabali offered Annette Larkins as a living example of what a Raw Food Diet Can do for you. Coined "The Ageless Woman" Annette's husband Amos of almost 54 years chose to continue to eat the way he did when they were first married while Annette transitioned into a diet that consists of fruits, nuts, vegetables and seeds. Larkin's husband looks like her father and he admits that he "really wishes that he would have done what she did. Sabali raised the issue that many people reject this idea from fear of losing protein in their diets, but the chef maintains that protein comes from amino acids and not meat. Following her talk, Sabali made a Vegan chocolate shake and offered attendees shakes and salads for lunch.

In addition to the generous lunches provided by FTIM and Chef Sabali, My Fit Foods was on sight with Lean Lemon Turkey. The ingredients are Ground Turkey, Parboiled Rice, Asparagus, Lemon, Lemon Juice, Butter (cream), and Natural Spices. During the lunch break attendees mingled and shopped among the vendors.

Thecia Jenkins of Bold Profession Seminars & Consulting talked about being Emotionally Intelligent. She told the ladies that emotional intelligence is the ability to manage one's emotions and read the emotions of others.  She challenged the group to discover their triggers and how do those triggers impact day to day interactions. She said that once you identify the thoughts and feelings that accompany your feelings then you can decide how to respond to those emotions. Next she stressed empathy since an important part of emotional intelligence is accurately identifying the emotions of others. Finally she encouraged the ladies to use this emotional intelligence to manage their relationships which requires an action step by having candid conversations.

Katherine Moore-Devoe aka "Kat", Boot Camp Instructor, Personal Trainer, and Owner of Shaped Bodies Fitness  led a mini bootcamp class. She was high-energy and relatable making it easy for this diverse group of women to get their bodies moving and their muscles warm.

The day ended with "Feel Free to Dance" presented by Mariana Cortez. She encouraged the group to get back in touch with their powerful feminine vibe. This simple activity seemed to bring the event full circle as the participants freely expressed themselves in a victory dance.

To see more pictures from the event please visit the ByJRochelle Facebook page by clicking here.