Our stomachs were twisted, turned and in knots. We love everything about public speaking — except for the moments leading up to it. So, driving in rush hour less than an hour before “go time,” we held hands in the car, kept our eyes open (thank God!), and did what we do when we know that, by ourselves, we’re not enough: we prayed. Driving at forty miles per hour in the middle of traffic with cars whipping past us and street lights flashing on and off, we asked God to calm our nerves, steady our thoughts, and smooth our words so that we could deliver a message of hope to everyone who would fill the seats of the small studio space.

Last week, we had the privilege of sharing our ideas and hearts with photographers from across Phoenix as part of our new teaching series called “Making the Leap: 10 Practical Steps for Going Full-Time.” For two hours, we got vulnerable with our peers about our faith, marriage, and business. We opened up about our story as a couple and our journey as business partners-in-crime, the things we’ve done right, the areas where we’ve missed the mark, and where we hope to go from here. We laughed a lot, and cried together, too. The energy and excitement in the room was palpable, and we can’t thank our community of friends enough for making us feel warm and welcomed. The night was a success not because of us, but because of YOU!

We were almost in tears after the event and throughout the weekend as your messages and emails started pouring in. You thought about giving up on your business, but now you’re ready to start again. You’ve been struggling with your relationship with God, but now you’re ready to trust Him again. You’d almost lost hope for so many reasons, but now you’re hopeful again. You opened up your hearts and shared your life with us, and we’re so glad you did, because we share the same fears, doubts,  struggles, and insecurities as you do, and your words uplifted US again. There’s nothing like walking into a room of so many strangers, and leaving with so many new friends. Here’s a snapshot of our time together last week! Huge thanks to the amazing Sara at Talk Studios for the photos!

We kicked off the night with some personal stories that, even though sometimes we’d rather forget, we can’t help but tell to get a few laughs, warm up the room, and break the ice. We take what we do seriously, because we’re passionate about seeing photographers reach their full potential, but we never take ourselves too seriously. Life’s too short!

We commandeered the Instagram hashtag #makingtheleap and asked our audience to tag us (@amy_demos and @jordan_demos) with their favorite quotes from the night. Some of our favorites are about releasing control to God, choosing to be profitable instead of being cool, and encouraging others that they can do this too!

We believe in teaching through stories and always have, because stories are easier to remember and straight up more fun than facts! It was so encouraging to watch the audience write our ideas (and theirs) down on paper.

We got emotional at the end when we shared the tenth step in our journey. We get chills every time we talk about it, and this night was no exception.

We had to sneak in just a few more laughs before our time was up!

Then it was time for giveaways from our generous sponsors (some of our favorite companies!) who’ve partnered with us for this teaching series to help bring a practical message of hope to photographers wanting to make the leap, too.

It was so much fun throwing out giveaways and introducing fellow photographers to some of the brands we love!

Yay! Winners!

Afterward, we connected with our peers and made new friends.

One person even walked by the studio about halfway through our talk, stopped to watch through the window for a few minutes, and then CAME IN to join us for the rest of the time! We just about PASSED OUT! Someone later told us that it reminded them of this scene from one of our favorite childhood movies. Fast-forward to minute 1:40. It’ll make you long for the 90s, but it’s worth it.

Thanks so much to Scott at Image Industry studio for hosting the event and co-leading Phoenix PUG with Melissa Jill.

Here is a list of our speaking sponsors for this event who provided thousands of dollars in giveaways and promo codes. We love these companies and believe in their products, so click the links below and start shopping! You won’t be sorry!

KISS Wedding Albums // Think Tank // ExpoImaging // Black Rapid // Align Album Design //  Inspire Business Concepts // Scottsdale Document Solutions // Sugar and Type // Champagne Press

If you’re looking for our top ten business book recommendations, you can find them here.