I realized something yesterday…I’ve been doing it all wrong.

For a long time, my mornings with my daughter were a series of instructions from a checklist. “Do this. Get ready for that. Don’t forget your bag.”

It was efficient, but it wasn’t peaceful. We both felt rushed, a little tense, and on edge.

So, today, I tried something different.

Instead of just telling her what to do, I just did it with her. I stepped into her morning routine alongside her, and the shift was instant. The morning didn’t just go smoother; it felt lighter, and we were both calmer.

Then I had the thought of how it reminded me of why I read my Bible most mornings (…not perfectly, but consistently enough).

And I didn’t start doing that because someone told me to. I started because I watched my mom do it. (And if you’re reading this, Mother, you usually are, I’m so grateful for you.)

She never forced me or made it a rule. She didn’t have to. I just grew up watching her do it. It became a core memory, a natural habit, and eventually, my own foundation.

And then here comes Chris being Chris….always sharing his fun facts about animals lol. He pointed out that the animal kingdom figured this out way before us.

Orcas (I had to pause and Google that, not gonna lie) stay in these incredibly tight family pods for life. They pass things down by being together—how to hunt, where to go, how to survive. Elephants do the same, sharing the secret locations of water holes through generations of simply walking the path together.

This is exactly why, within the last 3 years, I’ve shifted how I operate my business.

I’ve realized that my most important work as a CEO isn’t just delivering a gallery. It’s modeling a standard of excellence that honors what matters most.

I’ve never been a “do as I say” leader. I’ve always believed that the most powerful work happens when you model the standard rather than just give instructions.

I didn’t just hand my team a camera and hope for the best. They’ve worked alongside me. They’ve seen how I think, how I shoot, how I move through a session, the energy I bring to the room. 

Because I’ve modeled every part of the process with them, they lead sessions with the same intuition and care that I do. This is the power of leading by example: it creates a team that doesn’t just ‘do the job.’ They protect the standard.

It allows me to stay in “CEO mode,” focusing on strategy and the big picture vision while building deeper relationships with the people I serve. I only step behind the lens when the moment truly calls for it.

The result? I’m more present for my family, my friends, and for you.

Whether it’s in my living room with my daughter or behind the scenes with a client, the goal is the same: Less “do this,” and more “let’s do this together.”

So I’ll leave you with this…

What are you showing the people around you…without even saying a word?