When many of us started our own business, the idea "setting your own hours" was greatly appealing.  Somehow, however, that concept mutated into "running from meeting to meeting all day and responding to e-mails at 2a.m."  Followed, naturally, by mornings waking up to the shock of e-mails in your sent box that include multiple misspellings of the word "their" and delusional proposals that were grossly underpriced and logistically impossible.  You're almost just relieved you didn't attach an inappropriate photo while you were at it.  

Many of us keep this schedule up until we collapse into a state of total avoidance that includes watching eight straight hours of old 30 Rock episodes on Hulu.  (Yes - that happens to more people than just you.  Statistically, it happens to 1 in 5 small business owners.  It’s raining down cold hard facts that I just made up in here.)

"YOU…need to go to sleep."

Fortunately for NACE members, our last meeting was at the beautiful Safety Harbor Resort & Spa.   In addition to the generous door prizes they raffled off, they also offered complimentary massages, tips for healthy living, and discussed the importance of finding time for youself.  

As we prepare to head into another busy wedding season, this is the perfect time to make sure that "you time" is placed into your schedule.  What is YOUR favorite thing to do for yourself?  Here's one idea to inspire you, let's add to the list!

Inspire Yoga at the Tampa Museum of Art

Calling all NACE members!  We are now opening the floor up to you to share your thoughts & experiences on this blog.  You may be wondering two things:  (1) what kind of things you can share, and (2) how much time it will take out of your schedule to participate.

First, here are some things we’d love to blog about to get you started:

• Your favorite current wedding trends.
• Wedding experiences we can all learn from.
• Your favorite business tips.
• Your favorite NACE meeting memories.
• Highlights from recent weddings you’ve done with fellow NACE members.

As for how much time it will take – don’t worry!  If you only have a few moments to share quick thoughts and tips, just e-mail Jessie Stehlik at studio@stehlikphotography.com with the info and she will help to pull it all together into a cohesive blog posting.  (She may also attribute blatantly plagiarized quotes to you in an attempt to fill in the gaps and make you sound deep and wise.  Which will quickly be edited out by the more responsible members of the blogging team, leaving her slightly dismayed.  She will now stop writing in the third person.)

If you’re able to do more, such as including photos, please also include photo credits & send them in a low resolution for web posting.

We look forward to sharing your thoughts with the NACE community!