Last week roughly 15,000 photographers descended onto Las Vegas' MGM Hotel for the WPPI Conference. It's the largest wedding and portrait conference in the world and is a great opportunity to eat…drink…gamble…get tattooed learn from plethora of speakers. Yes, going to Las Vegas is all about education, right?!

I attended my first WPPI in 2007 and I walked around alone. Sat in classes alone. Ate alone. I went as an assistant to a photographer who was speaking, but when he wasn't working, I had the chance to explore. And so I did. Alone. A couple days into the experience, I desperately wanted to go home. I hated feeling like I didn't belong…but, worse, hated feeling like I'd never belong.

Things, however, changed that year when I made a few friends toward the end of the trip. One friend I met was Regis Chen. A group of us randomly ended up at the Aladdin Hotel for dinner (don't judge) and he's since become a dear friend. It was an honor to walk into the MGM ballroom with him and his camera years later as he documented my presentation. I guess all that's to say, WPPI is great for making lifelong friends.

Regis captured this photo of JD walking backstage to wish me good luck. I was sitting back there by myself in near tears from nerves. Nervous doesn't even begin to describe how I felt. And when I get nervous, I do stupid things.

Like…uhhh…this?

I have no idea what the heck I was doing. Maybe impersonating Elvis?

And then I realized I was acting the fool in front of roughly 1,500 photographers.

It was probably during this time I saw JD pointing to my computer and mouthing, STOP DANCING AND STAY ON YOUR NOTES!!!!

My presentation was entitled Dear Me, Please Stop Making the Same Mistakes. Love, The Future Me
I shared the 10 Biggest Mistakes I made in my early career and how I addressed them so others could avoid my missteps.
Except when it comes to dancing. Because, I never misstep when I dance. I'm practically like Beyonce when I dance…although my husband might say my moves are closer to how Weird Al Yankovic might boogie.

I just said boogie. And, boom. I'm one step closer to Weird Al.

My most favorite part of the day is meeting blog readers and making new friends…

I'm honored to connect with new stories and share in lives who are destined to do great things…

To those who shared your stories with me in person, thank you. I'm better having met you. Really.

Many thanks to Regis for the photos…to Kendra for helping out…and to JD who stayed up late to help with my presentation, kept me on my notes (for the most part), and let me dance like Beyonce Weird Al.