Turning 40 — A New Chapter of Strength, Purpose & Becoming

Turning 40 feels… beautiful.
Not because everything is perfect — but because I built this life.

I wake up with a beautiful family, a business I created with my own hands, and the freedom to shape my days around the people I love. I get to serve my community, other women, and fellow entrepreneurs — all while being present for my girls.

This is a life I dreamed about… and then made real.

And as I step into this new decade, I feel something I’ve never felt before:

I’m not getting older — I’m just getting started.

What 40 Feels Like for Me

Mentally and creatively, I have never been stronger.

I’m leaving behind the fear.
The insecurities.
The belief that I needed to shrink or wait or earn permission.

Women often hear that 40 is “old,” or that we’re running out of time.

But here’s the truth:
40 is power. 40 is depth. 40 is clarity. 40 is beginning again — with experience on your side.

Looking Back at the Woman I Was

If I could talk to my 20-year-old self, I’d tell her:
Dream big. Do what you love. Nothing is off limits unless you decide it is.

If I could talk to my 30-year-old self, I’d tell her:
This too shall pass. You’re stronger than what feels heavy right now.

And the biggest shift?

I no longer define worth or success the way I used to.
I no longer think I need to “earn” my dreams.
I now know:

I can do anything if I believe in myself.

There was a moment — when my husband got hurt, when I wasn’t loving the work I was doing — that cracked me open. It forced me to ask myself:

Why am I not following my dreams?

That question changed everything.

What Motherhood Taught Me

My girls taught me the truth about women:
We are capable of impossible things.

I hope when they think of me at 40, they say:

“She was fearless.
She built an empire doing what she loves.
She paved the way for us to be great.”

The legacy I want to give them isn’t perfection.
It’s growth.
It’s kindness.
It’s resilience.
It’s waking up every day and asking:

How can I be better today than I was yesterday?

Motherhood taught me that there’s no manual.
You just protect them fiercely, love them deeply, and hope they become good humans.

And it taught me something else:
It goes by fast.
So unbearably fast.

Enjoy the moments.

The Women Who Changed My Life

Every woman I’ve photographed has left something with me.
Every story stayed in my heart — and that’s why I created EMERGE.

I’ve learned that no matter the money, the status, the success…
we all have the same struggles.
We all crave the same things:

To feel seen.
To feel enough.
To feel beautiful in our truth.

I’ve also learned that confidence is the most photogenic thing in the world.

When you’re happy, when you smile, when you allow yourself to shine…
your confidence is seen long before your insecurities.

What I want women to feel when they see their portraits?

Empowered.
Beautiful.
Good.
Worthy.
Whole.

Why Legacy Sessions Matter to Me

My very first Legacy Session was with my dad.

I helped him pick outfits.
I listened as he spoke his truths — his faith, his risks, his successes, his values.
I watched him share his heart with the camera.

I created that session so my girls will always know who he is:
A man who is paving the way for us.
A man who gives back.
A man who believes in himself enough to take chances.
A man who loves them deeply — while he’s still vibrant, present, alive.

I was also able to photograph my mother with my children — a woman who walked away from what didn’t serve her, built her own life, bought her own house, her own cars, and never needed a man to define her strength.

She is proof of resilience.
She is proof of reinvention.
She is proof that women can write their own story.

This is why legacy matters.

What I’m Claiming at 40

I’m claiming my artistry.
I’m claiming my luxury brand.
I’m claiming my place.

This is the decade I stand fully in my power.

The Tender & The Fierce

The tender part?
40 still feels surreal…
It always sounded so old when I was young.
But I don’t feel old.

The fierce part?
I know I’m only in the beginning chapters of who I’m becoming.

I feel alive.
I feel purposeful.
I feel awakened.

This is not the end of something —
This is the start of everything.

An Invitation to Celebrate Yourself Too

If you’re entering a new chapter — 30, 40, 50, 60 — I hope you see yourself in this.

I hope you honor the woman you’ve become.
I hope you celebrate the battles you’ve won quietly.
I hope you give yourself permission to be seen.

And if you’re ready to step into your own transformation —
EMERGE.
Legacy.
Luxury portraits.
Your rebirth.

I would be honored to photograph your story.

✨ Begin Your Experience

Because every woman deserves to be remembered — beautifully, powerfully, authentically.

Especially you.
Especially now.