I was asked to be the speaker for the DHS Senior Girl’s Tea 2013, which was held this past Monday, May 13, 2013. I wanted to share with you what I shared with all those beautiful girls. A HUGE thank you to my husband Matt, my sister, my mom, my grandmother, my intern, Lexi, a few moms of these senior girls (Renae Muller, Holly Wholcott, Sarah Wright), and my awesome friend, Joy, for all their help and advice! I couldn’t have done this without them! This is what I said:
Hi everyone; thank you so much for having me! I am so honored to be here! You all look beautiful!
I thought I’d start by being completely honest with you. When I first read the FB message, yes Kristin sent me a Facebook message, asking if I would be the speaker for Senior Tea, my initial reaction was “no way”. Not because I didn’t want to – because I did – I really did! But because public speaking is not by biggest strength – not by a long shot. Matt and I laughed for a few minutes, picturing me up here, trying to get through a speech. I considered bringing my camera (I’m a photographer, for those of you who don’t know), because I thought I’d feel safer if I held it up and spoke to you with it in front of my face. But I was so honored when I got this FB message from Kristin saying: “You are the perfect role model for the students, and I think they would LOVE hearing from you about how to be successful, smart, and beautiful all at the same time.” How could I say no to that? So, thank you for your patience with me while I try not to speak too fast and I try to remember to breath, so I don’t pass out up here.
As most of you know, I’m Allison Ragsdale. I own a photography studio here in Durango with my wonderful husband, Matt, and we keep very busy photographing weddings, babies, families, and the subject I am most passionate about and has over time become not only my niche in Durango but also my favorite creative pursuit: photographing senior portraits!
The inspiration I get from sessions with these lovely young ladies and gentlemen, such as the smiling faces of some of the girls in this room today, has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life! It is so exciting to now have the opportunity to share my story with you about how I ended up with such a super fun job.
I’ll tell you the story of my life up until today, with a few key pieces of advice I have for you, illustrated in this story. I’ve broken the short book of Allison into three chapters so get comfortable!
Chapter 1: I grew up in Bayfield and graduated high school in 2003, making this summer my 10-year reunion! How different I am from the girl I was when I graduated high school. (show my senior pic)
And the further I get from high school, the more appreciative I am of growing up in a small town. In high school, I couldn’t wait to move to the big city (actually I really wanted to move to Hawaii – I love
long walks on the beach 😉 ) I was one of those who knew exactly what I wanted to do with the rest of my life – I knew from my photography class my junior year in HS that I wanted to be a photographer. I actually had the honor of photographing my high school photography teacher’s daughter’s wedding this past summer! (show picture)
Chapter 2: so I headed up to Denver to earn my BA in Photography from the Art Institute of Colorado – which was an interesting place – I rode the elevator with a guy dressed as a skunk more than once and not on Halloween (being an art school, there were some interesting expressions of character). I got early acceptance and went straight through school – earning my degree in 3 years. My classes were year round and each four hours long; pretty intensive. But I believe in not taking shortcuts. If it’s not worth doing right, it’s not worth doing. I wanted to be the absolute best I could possibly be. My plans did change slightly, as originally I set out to be the next Ansel Adams, photographing landscapes with sheets of 4×5 black and white film. However, you have to get up really early so you can be ready to shoot at sunrise and you are completely at the mercy of nature. Then the switch to digital photography happened while I was in college and I took a portrait class – that’s all it took. I fell in love with photographing people.
Chapter 3: So, I started my full time photography portrait studio at 22 (with the awesome support and advice of my amazing husband, Matt, see pictures on our home page of this website) and 6 years into it, well, here I am, talking to you. Can I tell you a quick side story about Matt and I? Well, I had decided that I was ok not having a boyfriend, moving to a new place and starting college – and I think that’s how it always goes – that you find that someone when you stop looking. I applied for a job at Wolf Camera,, a camera store in Denver, so I could work in the industry and Matt was an assistant manager there. He had just made a five year plan before we met, that I wasn’t part of (and for those of you who know Matt, you understand), so we dated for 4 years, were engaged for 1 year, and this summer will have been married for 5 (show wedding picture)
It was terrifying, starting a business. There are so many unknowns. But it has also been such an incredible journey and I definitely couldn’t have done it without Matt’s support and motivation. I have done things I never dreamed of doing and have grown so much. The fact I’m up here talking to you, is a testament to who I’ve become. Being a business owner has been more hard work than I ever imagined but it has been more than worth it – it is so rewarding. Last year, I became a Certified Professional Photographer (one of less than 2000 nationwide). I had to pass a written exam and an image review, something many photographers never attempt, let alone pass on the first try Also, this past year our studio was one of 30 nationwide chosen to take 2 of our winning senior models to San Diego to model for a conference! I am one lucky lady; I get to do what I love for a living. I get to create art with my clients specifically for them and support my family doing it! And my dream doesn’t stop here – I can’t wait to see what the next 6 years have in store and where our business will be then!
The moral I want you to take from my story is: Dream the impossible. You don’t know the ceiling of your achievement.
I want to show you a short slideshow of some of my favorite portraits – I’m sure some of you are in this slideshow.
Honestly, I wouldn’t be where I am without the amazing advice, support, and mentorship I’ve received throughout my life. I’m really good at learning things the hard way. Instead of listening and learning, I feel the need to try it myself to learn what I’ve already been told. I wanted to share some of what I’ve been told and some of what I’ve learned through experience, with you in hopes that you won’t have to learn it the hard way.
Surround yourself with positive people who reflect the person you want to be. Choose friends who you are proud to know, people you admire, people who love and respect you.
Family has always been incredibly important to me and such a big part of who I am – and are those positive people I choose to surround myself with. I wanted to mention that the advice I have for you today is from the incredible women in my life, but there are a lot of awesome men in my life as well. For example, my dad, is my hero. And you can see from my life story that I think my husband is pretty cool. So, I have advice from my younger sister, my mother, and my grandmother, to share with this roomful of eager, beautiful women who are about to step into one of the most thrilling chapters of their lives.
My sister, Emily, (show picture)
is 3 years younger than me and I am so impressed with her. She moved to Denver right out of high school and at the beginning of a new relationship. 7 years later, at only 25 years old, she has her doctorate in psychology and has maintained that long distance relationship! She sent me this for you:
“Fight for what you love is my advice. Whatever it is, a career or relationship it doesn’t matter. I fought for almost seven years for a career and education in psychology as well as the best man I have ever known and every step was worth it in the end. Times will get rough and the easiest thing to do is quit but keep fighting.”
My mom, Johnie, (show picture)
and I have been so blessed to have always had a great relationship. She is one of my closest friends and my biggest fan. She wanted me to tell you all this:
“I want to encourage you today to be brave and don t be afraid to make choices. Some will end up being mistakes. But some will end up being successes. All of them will definitely become the fabric of the woman you will become. Also to encourage you, I want to remind you of three f words. 1. Family: you didn t get here without them and you won t get there without them either. Stay connected. 2. Friends: you get to chose who they are-choose wisely. Be a good one. 3. Faith: at some point in your life you will need to believe in something bigger than yourself. I call Him God. Perhaps you do, too. Oh yeah, I almost forgot: look both ways before crossing the street, wear your helmet and don t forget the sunscreen!!!”
My grandmother, Joanne (show picture)
is adorable and hilarious. She’s also probably my second biggest fan. It was so fun for me to be able to call her and ask for her advice for you. This is what she said:
“I am Allison’s grandmother and right there, I will tell you I am blessed. I have been down the road you are embarking upon and with all it’s ups and downs, it really is a wonderful journey. You’ve heard so many sayings already, like “hard work won’t kill you” and I say, guess what, it might save your life. You can do anything you set your mind too (another saying you’ve heard a lot) – and that is also true. So, believe in yourself. Love your family for they are the ones who will love and support you all your life. Live a life of gratitude. We are all blessed. Learn to forgive. And I ask you to pray for America and that is really important. Our America is so different than what I have lived through and we don’t know what’s going to happen in years to come.
I also have a few bits of advice from a few of your mothers, as that seemed more than fitting.
Faith Is…
When you come to the edge and are about to step off into the unknown,
Faith is knowing one of two things will happen:
There will be something solid to stand on, or you will be taught how to fly. -Anonymous
And here are 10 things you should know before moving out of your parent(s) home:
1. How to sew on a button
2. Iron a shirt
3. Write a thank-you note (and do it)
4. Sort and wash laundry
5. Parallel park
6. Make a grilled cheese sandwich
7. Balance a check book
8. Cover nail holes
9. Check the oil in your car
10. Make a nice dinner, probably sooner than later you will want to impress someone you like. Spaghetti is super easy!
And here are a few quotes you’ve heard, but remain true no matter how many times you’ve heard them:
“We make plans in life and God laughs”
“If no one is talking about you, you’re not doing anything, Bad or Good” OR “well-behaved women rarely make history!”
“What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger”
Enjoy this time of your life – these next years are the best – you can do anything!!
I also thought it would be cool to hear from someone who just graduated last year and has just finished her first year of college. Lexi Whalen (show picture),
who has been interning with us for about a year now, has this to say:
“Two things learned from my first year in college:
1. Don’t be afraid to stand up for yourself, tell your roommates when they are being loud or messy. It will make your living situation much better in the end.
2. Find a passion, no matter how big or small. Your happiness will help you flourish.”
Such wisdom from these amazing women in my life!
I read A LOT – I love to read. I read mostly fiction, but every once in a while, Matt convinces me to read business books and often those books have awesome life advice, in addition to business advice. I think if you can run your business like you live your life, you can be successful. So, I suggest you all subscribe to and read Seth Godin’s blog. He is an Author, entrepreneur, public speaker (and in my opinion, a genius) His words of wisdom he stared with some graduating students of his, and something I want you to take to heart, were these:
“Go, make something happen”
One of my favorite quotes from another business book I’m reading right now and that I really want you to remember, is this:
“People who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the only ones who do.”
The last thing I have to say, is this:
“Life is like a camera, just focus on what’s important and capture the good times, develop from the negatives and if things don’t work out, just take another shot.” ~unknown
Thank you so much!
