Who doesn’t love Amanda? If you are reading this post, it may be because you already know and love her! Those of you who don’t know her, I am so excited to introduce this woman right here. She is such a gem in our community and in my life, as well as many others. She is not only a total babe, rockstar mommy, and wife, but she owns a beautiful boutique on Main street right here in Heber City, Utah called Boutique 1921. If you are local or coming to visit Utah, you have to visit her fashion empire in the heart of our little town. If you aren’t local, you have to join her community and hang out with her. She’s SO fun!

I have watched this woman start this boutique from the ground up. I’ve seen how open-hearted she has been with our entire community and it shows in the success of her business. It goes to show that when you empower those around you, instead of having the mindset of comparing, it only creates the foundation for a better life. People are drawn to people who are open and loving. People want to be empowered, encouraged, listened to, and loved. She does a pretty good damn job of that with the nearly 4k people she has in her community. Which could fill almost 1/4 of the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse Stadium, which by the way, was her home when she cheered for the Cleveland Cavaliers. She started Boutique 1921 just 1.5 years ago, which gives her just 3 more years and she’ll fill the stadium with her boutique community? haha

The photography community can be one of the most comparing communities around. It’s sad how much lack of friendship and quick to judge others this business can be. So I’ve experienced extreme levels of how comparing vs supporting and empowering can do for your life and relationships.

It often starts with us…

Do you want to be a more open and loving person? I know I do! It isn’t always easy. Especially if you work or live with negative-minded people. The world is full of things trying to bring us down.

Surround yourself with people you want to be more like. I don’t know about you, but my personal inside voice can be VICIOUS. Surrounding myself with people who are more like who I want to be, and who empower and encourage me is VITAL. Don’t be discouraged by the success of others. Instead, embrace those and learn from them. People want to empower you, but we have to be in a position to allow them to do that.
BE IN PHOTOS. I can’t say this one enough. It often takes me booking a photographer friend and doing a session for me to get out of my own head. The comparison of other success can keep me in a very dissatisfied place with myself. Nothing I’m ever doing is enough. SO when I see myself next to a bunch of photo of myself not comparing myself to anyone else, and they are images I really love by a photographer I really love, it changes the game. It really is an empowering experience.
Get off social media. HUGE for me. My life is my journey. No one else’s. How and why do we keep comparing ourselves to everyone else?

Amanda is one of those people for me. She may be for you too. She helped me start Three Hundred West. She was such a HUGE resource of information in those beginning stages and still is. Even when we’ve had to adjust things with our own boutique, she’s encouraged me and always been such a huge support. She could have looked at me as competition and outcasted me the moment I told her I wanted to start a clothing brand in the same town, too. The beauty of realizing there is no competition is all your friends can specialize in the same things you do and be just as successful as you.

Nobody can be YOU. Amanda and I may have similar businesses but they are also SO very different. She inspired me initially and helped me get started but I would say our target market is different, we have some of the same local customers but mostly an entirely different audience. I’ve seen this same pattern with photographers I’ve helped. I could have shut them out and been super competitive but I chose to help those photographers and now they are just as successful and have their own style, own niche, and own customers.

The point is, it only helps us when we empower others. Amanda is a stunning example of this and I’m so thankful to have her right here in my little Utah community.

xoxo,

Christine Sara