Chaotic—that’s the word that comes to mind when I think about my first year of entrepreneurship. Jumping in headfirst was exhilarating, but also overwhelming. As I sit here reflecting on the past year, I can see just how much I’ve grown. But that growth didn’t come without its fair share of challenges, doubts, and moments when I seriously considered throwing in the towel. And yet, even in the hard, I know that God was working—shaping me, refining me, and using every struggle for my good and His glory.

So consider this blog post your official invitation into my life beyond the camera. I don’t want to walk with God only in the quiet of my own heart and home—I want to live out my faith openly, so that others might see Him more clearly. The lessons I’ve learned this year aren’t just for me. They’re meant to be shared, and I pray they encourage you wherever you are in your own journey.

The Beginning Wasn’t What I Planned

My journey into the world of professional photography wasn’t typical. In fact, it’s not even a path I set out to follow. It’s not one of those stories where I woke up on a random Thursday at seven years old and announced to my family, “Get hype! I’m going to be a professional photographer!” To be totally honest, when I was seven, I was sure I was either going to be a pastor or—wait for it— the first ever biracial cowboy. I know, I know…super historically misinformed, but hey, no one was stopping me, haha!

Fast forward past the Wrangler jeans, belt buckles, and daily parade of fun-sized boots, and you’ll find a guy brimming with creativity, new ideas, and a budding entrepreneurial spirit. But even with all that creativity, I was directionless about where to channel it. To keep this journey’s chaos to a minimum (more on that in another post), I’ve dabbled in a number of amazing, creative endeavors. But eventually, I reached a point where I knew a shift was needed.

Enter Year One…

In the fall of 2023, my growing photography hobby started to spark something deeper in me. As the months ticked on and the end of the year came into view, I felt an undeniable pull toward a shift in my career. What was this desire? Time freedom, creative expression, and the chance to serve and love people while using my creative passions. Over time, this desire turned into what I can only describe as a “need” to take the leap. But here’s the catch: I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. I just knew it was time to make the jump. So, I did.

Like any self-sufficient, professional adult faced with a big decision, I called my mom. My parents are among the most supportive people I know, so I knew they’d back me, even if I said I was going to become a sailboat instructor tomorrow (thankfully, that wasn’t the case, haha!). On this call, I shared my desire to step into entrepreneurship and become a business owner. Was I met with hesitation? Nope. Did they scold me for wanting to make a risky move? Absolutely not. What did I get? A place to stay, groceries, food on the table, and a mountain of emotional support. I know that not everyone has this kind of support, so I am incredibly humbled by how blessed I am.

About a month after that conversation, I was moving my things into my parents’ house, preparing to take on the journey of becoming a business owner. I had big dreams, almost no concrete plans, and an energy that could only be described as bouncing-off-the-walls excitement. In January of last year, I set up my bedroom, unpacked my boxes, and plopped down at my desk, ready to conquer the world!

And then it hit me…

I had absolutely no idea what to do next.

Realizing My Need

And so, there I was—newly settled, energized, and full of big dreams for my business. I’d made the leap, but little did I know, I was about to walk into one of the most humbling seasons of my life. You know how sometimes you take that leap of faith, only to realize you’re free-falling without a safety net? That’s where I was. Excited and optimistic, yes, but also overwhelmed by the vast unknown that lay ahead.

I had always been a hard worker, determined to get things done. But now, with this business in my hands, I felt like I was grasping at straws. I was trying to put together pieces of a puzzle I didn’t even know how to start. I had no idea how to run a business, manage clients, market myself—basically, everything that wasn’t picking up the camera was foreign territory. And that’s when I began to realize something…

I needed help.

Not just from the people around me (although, thank God for their unwavering support) but from a deeper place. I needed God.

Lesson 1: I Will Never be Enough on My Own

You probably read that and thought, “Wow, okay, that’s a bit dramatic.” But hear me out—this realization has been one of the most freeing things God has taught me in my first year of business.

Because here’s the truth: I will never be enough. And neither will you.

For someone who has always been driven, who has always taken pride in figuring things out and making things happen, this was a hard pill to swallow. I had spent so much of my time striving—striving to build a brand, striving to serve clients well, striving to prove (to who? I don’t even know) that I could do this. And I kept coming up short. There was always more to do, more to refine, more to improve. No matter how much effort I poured into my work, I was never fully satisfied.

And that’s because I was never meant to be.

See, when I try to be enough in my own strength, I take on a weight I was never meant to carry. I start believing the lie that if I just work harder, if I just organize better, if I just push through, then I will feel at peace. But peace doesn’t come from achieving—it comes from abiding. Jesus says in John 15:5, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”

That last part? Apart from me you can do nothing.

And yet, I had to try it.

I had spent countless nights staring at my screen, tweaking my website for the hundredth time. I had sacrificed rest, time with God, and even my own well-being to keep up with an endless to-do list. And every time I thought I was getting ahead, I’d hit a wall of exhaustion, frustration, or doubt. I was running on empty because I was trying to pour from a cup I refused to let God fill.

But here’s the beautiful thing: I was never supposed to be enough. And neither are you. That’s the whole point. If we were enough, we wouldn’t need Him. If we could sustain ourselves, we wouldn’t need a Sustainer.

2 Corinthians 12:9 says, “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

God’s power shows up in our insufficiency. His strength is made perfect in our weakness. So instead of trying to be everything, I’ve learned to lean into the One who already is.

This doesn’t mean I don’t work hard or that I just sit back and hope things magically fall into place. It means I surrender the outcome. It means I work from a place of rest, not striving. It means I remind myself daily that I am not enough—but God is. And that will always be enough for me.

Lesson 2: Trust God

If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my first year of business, it’s that I have a tendency to trust my own mind, intuition, and hard work over trusting God. I don’t mean to, but time and time again, I catch myself trying to control outcomes, relying on my own understanding, and carrying burdens that were never meant to be mine.

The book of Proverbs speaks directly to this struggle (because, of course, God knows our hearts so well):

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.” — Proverbs 3:5

The command is simple: trust God, not yourself.

And that’s comforting. Why? Because it’s not just about trusting what God can do—it’s about trusting who He is. It’s easy to believe in His power, but what if we truly believed in His character? What if we let our view of who God is transform the way we live and work?

For me, learning to trust God in my business has looked like this:

• I believe that God is a gracious provider, so I don’t have to carry the weight of making my business grow. I can work with excellence and serve others freely, knowing that the One who provides does so perfectly.
• I believe that God is patient, so when I feel restless, anxious for results, or frustrated by slow progress, I can breathe. God is not rushing me. His timing is better than mine.
• I believe that God is a redeemer, so when I make mistakes, when things don’t go as planned, or when something in my business feels broken, I don’t have to panic. I can trust Him to restore, refine, and redeem what I cannot.

Trusting God isn’t passive—it’s active surrender. It’s waking up every day and choosing to believe that He is who He says He is. And when I trust in His character over my own efforts, I get to walk in freedom—freedom from striving, freedom from fear, and freedom from the weight of trying to make everything happen on my own.

Because at the end of the day, I am not in control. And that is really, really good news.

Lesson 3: Obedience Over Hustle

Man, oh man. This one hits a little too close to home. When I began my business, I thought I had a healthy understanding of the work it would take to build it. I knew there would be long hours, sacrifices of my time with friends, and a good amount of failures in the early stages. Well, let me tell you—sweet little Kobie was not prepared for the pressure to show up perfectly (pressure, by the way, that I put on myself), the constant flood of “helpful” advice on how to run my business, and the subtle but ever-present message in entrepreneurship that if I wasn’t working crazy hours or bending over backward to meet client requests, then I wasn’t doing it right. And don’t even get me started on the over-glorification of hustle culture.

I’ve heard plenty of:
“Oh, you’re so busy, that’s awesome!”
“Look at you go, go get your bag!”
“This is your grind season—just push through!”

And while I know these words are meant to be supportive, they miss the bigger picture of what it means to walk obediently before God.

I haven’t found a single passage in Scripture urging me to forsake relationships, health, and rest in pursuit of my next paycheck. Nowhere does the Bible address hard work without also addressing the posture of the heart behind it: “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men” (Colossians 3:23). And time and time again, Scripture commands us to rest—not as an afterthought, but as an act of obedience.

The Gift of Rest

God Himself modeled rest for us:

“And on the seventh day God finished His work that He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work that He had done” (Genesis 2:2).

Jesus, in His earthly ministry, withdrew to rest:

“But He would withdraw to desolate places and pray” (Luke 5:16).

And He invites us into that same rest:

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

If you’re a business owner—or honestly, just a human—I want you to hear this: your business is not God. God is God. Your business does not dictate your level of obedience. Instead, your obedience should shape the way you run your business.

As I’ve stepped into year two, I’ve been convicted to embrace true rest—not as a luxury, but as a command. Because when I refuse to rest, what I’m really saying is that I don’t trust God to sustain my business better than I can. I’m saying that His command to rest is optional rather than necessary. But the reality? God calls us to rest for our good. Because He is the One who holds it all together—not me.

And thank God for that.

Lesson 4: Identity in Christ, Not in Success

If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably found yourself measuring your success by things that feel tangible—bookings, social media engagement, income. It’s so easy to slip into this mindset without even realizing it. A fully booked calendar must mean I’m doing something right. A slow month must mean I’m failing. The world hands us a measuring stick that says, you are what you achieve. And if I’m honest, I picked it up and ran with it.

But here’s the problem: success is fickle. One month, inquiries are rolling in, and I feel on top of the world. The next, crickets. And suddenly, my confidence starts to waver. I start questioning if I’m good enough, talented enough, worthy enough. Sound familiar?

The Lord, in His kindness, gently reminded me that my worth isn’t up for debate. My identity is not found in my achievements, my talent, or my ability to build a successful business. My identity is found in Him.

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” – 1 Peter 2:9

I don’t belong to my success. I don’t belong to my failures. I belong to God. And that truth alone is enough to sustain me, regardless of what my business looks like.

When I root my identity in Christ, here’s what happens:

• I can celebrate success without clinging to it for validation.
• I can experience slow seasons without spiraling into self-doubt.
• I can show up and serve my clients well, knowing that my worth was settled long before I ever picked up a camera.

The world says success defines you. But God says, I define you. And when I finally started believing that, I found freedom.

Conclusion

If I had to sum up this past year in one word, it would be refining. Running this business has stretched my faith in ways I never expected. It has exposed my self-sufficiency, my need for control, and my tendency to measure my worth by what I produce. And yet, through it all, God has been so faithful—gently reminding me that He alone sustains, provides, and defines me.

Maybe you’re in a season where you feel the weight of striving. Maybe you’re questioning if you’re doing enough, if you’re talented enough, if you’re enough. And if that’s you, here’s what I want you to know: You don’t have to carry that weight. God is big enough to hold your business, your dreams, your fears, you. He is trustworthy, not just in the big things, but in the everyday moments of running a business, creating, or pursuing whatever calling He has placed on your life.

So now, I’d love to hear from you! Have you ever had a season where God taught you something unexpected? Maybe it wasn’t what you wanted to learn, but exactly what you needed. Let’s swap stories in the comments—I’d love to encourage you in whatever season you’re walking through!