Why are some waitresses so relatable and others seem like you’re the biggest BURDEN to them? Let me give you an example. We went to Red Robin recently (no offense to Red Robin, this could have happened anywhere!) and I hadn’t eaten in a few hours. This isn’t good when you’re 13 weeks pregnant. I know that now. 😃 I needed some food FAST! So, Michael asked the waitress if his pregnant wife could have some fries brought out before the meal. This used to be standard with Red Robin… just like chips and salsa at a Mexican restaurant! Instead of saying “Oh sure! I’ll bring those right out” she looked at Michael and said “Sorry, I can’t do that. It’s against corporate policy”. We were all in shock. It seemed like we just OFFENDED her by asking for FRIES early!!! Yikes! It really threw off the whole meal! And Michael had to walk out to the car to get my old ritz crackers and a few mints to chew on while we waited. Ugh.

Now, I understand that people have bad days. It’s understandable. However, from a business perspective, we won’t be going back to Red Robin anytime soon. Why? Because that experience wasn’t JOYFUL! It wasn’t fun or enjoyable at all, and that made an impression on us! When I think of Red Robin right now, I think of that girl’s snarky response and her unwillingness to even go find me some crackers!! I want us all to take a step back and think about how ONE UNPLEASANT interaction on a wedding day could affect someone’s ENTIRE VIEW of our business. Scary right?!

Joy Matters

I can honestly say that the JOY that Michael and I work hard to exude throughout every experience in our business is one of the most VALUABLE parts of our business. It’s FREE, but it’s not easy. It’s hard to choose JOY when the timeline is off and there isn’t portrait time, and your clients aren’t comfortable. Joy is what makes people feel DRAWN to you and desire to be around you. In business, this is going to be one of your most MARKETABLE qualities, but you have to CHOOSE IT daily.

The truth is, the reason that we don’t always choose joy is because we don’t have the tools, techniques and confidence to push through hard situations with a smile on our face. Instead, when a bridal party is out of control and a groom is SO OVER taking portraits, and your couple can’t seem to remember how to be NATURAL in front of the camera…. we have a mini-freak out inside and we can’t possibly exude JOY in that situation!! I’ve been there. However, I quickly realized that it is in THOSE exact moments that my JOY is MOST VALUABLE! If the bridal party is being ridiculous, the bride needs you to regain control and make it happen… joyfully. If a groom is giving you a hard time…. the bride needs you to have tools in your back pocket that you can use to get him back in the game… joyfully. If your couple is struggling and is in a funk…. they need you to react with creative poses and constant encouragement!

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