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In todays world of glorified entrepreneurs, small business owners and collaborative work spaces, secret sauce is no longer just the hushed, untold ingredients Aunt Marge puts in her spaghetti, but its the question that keeps us, entrepreneurs, up at night and gets us out of bed early. What makes me different? What makes my company, my business, my brand, unique… What makes my clients connect with me? And what exactly is my secret sauce?
This question, this quest to find my secret sauce has been weighing on my mind a lot lately. Here I am, a 20something year old woman who loves her work, her clients and the energy that photography brings to the world. All I want to do is reach more people, photograph more beautiful events and help others document the most cherished moments of their lives. All I want is to capture emotion and love; but what is my secret sauce? What makes me the person who should do it? What makes me stand out and how, exactly do I figure what my thing is?
For weeks, months, even years, I have been trying to find the secret ingredient to the YPP’s Secret Sauce. I have asked my friends, gone on retreats, listened to seminars, read book after book, and I still cannot pinpoint what exactly it is that makes my brand unique. I couldn’t even begin to count the amount of times I have asked Robert to describe the YPP brand in three words or the amount of times I have texted Danielle with my latest perfect tagline.
As small business owners, we expect ourselves to have all the answers. I mean, it’s our own business right? We should know what’s best. But let me fill you in on a little secret… it doesn’t come easy. We spend hours upon hours researching, we seek out advice, we enlist our friends for help and we even figure out what we need to outsource. In the end of the day, owning a small business is an endless cycle of trial and error.
Today, as I was sitting in a seminar, listening to fellow entrepreneurs talk about their inspiring ventures, the question was asked… “So, Amy, what exactly is your secret sauce?” That’s when it hit me… Like all good recipes, you can’t rush it. You can’t force it. You have to keep trying different things, mixing in different ingredients and eventually, you will figure it out. Eventually, it will feel like you just stumbled upon gold. Eventually you will find the secret ingredient to your very, very secret sauce.
Happy searching my friends!
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Robert looked confused… He was sitting across from me at Gryphon Coffee when I opened this fancy box and pulled out a pair of beautiful pink wide framed glasses.
“Why do you have glasses?!” he asked. I smiled and slid them on to my face.
“How do I look!?” I responded as I posed across from him.
At six years old, all I wanted to do was be just like my big sister in every way. So, when my mom brought her home a pair of glasses, wearing glasses became a dream of mine… at six year old. A decade later, it was my biggest fear, and now another 10 years later, I am waiting for the day my eyesight gets fuzzy and I’m going to take the plunge and buy myself a pair of real glasses.
As a photographer, I log more hours behind screens than I care to admit. I’m either sitting behind my computer, trying not to slouch, smiling as I stare at my phone responding to Instagram comments or even looking at the preview screen on the back of my camera… I am always behind screens and I am horrified to think of what the blue light is doing to my eyes and should I mention how it’s affecting my sleep!?
That’s why, when I stumbled upon Klassy Glasses, anti-blue light lenses, I was totally sold. I mean, I’m not one to impulsively buy, but when I clicked the Klassy link, I couldn’t get to the checkout page soon enough. I literally could not resist. Being a photographer, and a human, my eyes are pretty damn important and I want to do everything I can to keep from harming them.
Five days later they arrived and I was giddier than a school girl eating an ice cream cone. I love my Klassy glasses, they work like a charm. They work so well that you can 100% see the color temperature change when you look at your computer and phone. The screens are just warmer. Your eyes are less strained and you can stare at a screen way longer with Klassy Glasses on. For most humans, this is amazing, for a photographer who is constantly adjusting the color temperature of her photos, not so ideal.
On the YPP Scale of Awesomeness, I would give Klassy Glasses a 7 out of 10. They are effective, helpful, relatively well priced and adorably stylish. The only issue is that I can’t use them for the bulk of my screen work, processing photos. And let’s be real, I spend a ton of time processing photos!
For now, my Klassy glasses will always be with me, I will wear them proudly as I blog, respond to emails, post and work on my invoices. Yet, as soon as the photo processing begins, those bad boys are coming off. Because, as I say, “anything for the photo!”
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I am currently sitting on the porch of our Airbnb located in the heart of Jerusalem, Israeli music is flowing from the cafe downstairs, the chatter of birds are chirping around us, I can still feel the buzz of the Israeli Shook and Robert is taking a cat nap inside.
This weeks tip of the week is not just for those brides and grooms out there planning a wedding, it is for all humans of all ages, demographics, careers and stages of life. This weeks tip is for my fellow Type A Personalities and it’s for anyone who feels like they are spreading themselves too thin.
Read these words carefully… It is ok to take sometime for yourself. Let me say it again; It is ok to take sometime for yourself. I know I struggle with this one a lot. I find myself always wanting to work and put my clients and business first, but sometimes you just need to take a day or two and just breathe!
I have spent the last few days surrounded by my favorite little guys, (aka my nieces and nephews) and exploring this country with an even deeper found love for the people and culture. This trip has definitely changed me.
As much as I love my work and my clients, today, I am taking the time to relax, refresh and recenter myself. Today, I will be hiking and running around Tel Aviv with Robert for the first time. Today, I am taking time for myself and I know, in the long run, my work will thank me for the time off. I know, that next week, when I land in Newark Airport and get back to my life as usual, I will be 100% ready to jump right back into the photography hustle. But not today. Today, I am taking time to be with the people I love most in life.
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“You look like you are struggling” Robert said as he watched me grab a water glass from the cabinet Monday morning. I turned around and gave him a blank stare. It took me a second to register what he was saying.
“Oh, I have a wedding hang over” I said matter of factly with my eyes half closed but a huge smile on my face. I ran over to my computer, which, if I am being totally honest was probably more of a slow walk than an actual run.
“Look!” I said as I pointed. “Doesn’t she look incredible!”
Robert let out a soft chuckle and shook his head at me. I am sure I sounded and looked like I consumed massive quantities of alcohol the night before, but in reality, it comes with the territory of being a wedding vender. It was the lack of water that was making me turtle like. I never remember to drink enough water! I am so consumed by photography, love and making my clients as happy as possible, that water is a complete after thought.
Even though my body was hating me, my mind and heart were still gushing over the love that I captured the day before. Robert gave me one more concerned yet, amused look “Make sure you nap today” he said and with that he hugged me goodbye and walked out the door.
I appreciated Robert’s attempt but I clearly did not plan on napping. I had too many photos to look at. Too many memories to swoon over. I am a wedding photographer for crying out! This is what I do and this is what I love! So, as I made my way back to my computer to select ten sneak peek photos to send to the latest YP newlyweds, I ignored my aching muscles and sore neck and just reminded myself to drink more water.
My 2019 wedding season has officially began and I could not be more excited and proud. No matter how hard it is to move, how busy my weeks get or how many times Robert tells me to “go nap,” I couldn’t imagine doing or wanting to do anything else with my life, aching muscles an all…
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” I think I just got a minor concussion” I told Robert as soon as he picked up the phone.
“What!?”
I laughed at my ridiculousness.
“I sneezed as I was pulling the car door open and BAM, I smacked my head . Really hard!” Robert paused, and then burst into laughter.
I made a right turn onto Spring Garden and thought to myself, I am totally fine. I was on my way to a wedding and couldn’t wait to capture all of the love and a small bump on my head was not going to stop me. “What is on your agenda for the rest of the day?” I ask Robert and with that, the topic was switched.
One wedding, two work outs and one headshot session later, I find myself sitting in my doctors office “I’m only here because my boyfriend was worried. I think I have a minor concussion, but I am totally fine” I explain to the doctor.
Twenty minutes later and a few sad attempts at balancing on one foot, Doctor Adams turns to me and says “Well, tell your boyfriend that you definitely have a minor concussion. So make sure you take it easy over the next couple weeks. In your free time, just sit and don’t do anything.”
In my free time?! That’s a funny one.
I pushed on the door to leave and the first thing I noticed was the bright sun setting. My eyes closed shut in pain and I felt a wave of dizziness wash over me. Ok, so maybe he has a point. I need to take it easy and give my brain the time it needs to heal, but how the heck was I going to do that?! My week was packed and my todo list was growing longer and longer with every passing minute. Spring was just around the corner and I still had a few winter projects to finish up. This minor concussion was such an inconvenience.
An hour later.
“What are you doing” Robert asked as soon as he walked in the door. He quickly turned off the lights and closed the laptop that was resting on my lap.
“I just have one more thing to finish up” I open it up once again.
Taking it easy to me means not reading on my phone and maybe only answering emails once a day. Taking it easy to Robert means no screens, no gym and sitting on the couch at home with no lights on. I look up from my laptop and see a concerned Robert “Fine. I can finish this tomorrow.”
See, I am lucky. I have a boyfriend who is nothing like me. I mean, yes, we share the same political views and might check the same religious box on questionnaires, but he is totally the yin to my yang. When I want to get up and get my Sundays started at 6am, he reminds me to take a deep breath in and not over work myself. When I am trying to rush out the door because I don’t want to be late to a friend brunch, he turns the music up and moves his feet to the beat. When I want to run to the next thing, he reminds me to walk and smell the roses. And when I want to just power through my minor concussion, Robert makes me take it easy and tells me that my work will get done once my brain is no longer mush.
I am lucky to have a best friend who is nothing like me. I am lucky to have a boyfriend watching out for me. I am lucky to have Robert taking care of me.
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With my photo gear rolling behind me and my coat unzipped, I take a deep breath in, it’s finally not insanely cold outside. Coming from me, that is no small feat. I hear a bird chirping from afar and I feel the sun shining strong above me. I smile. With the clocks moving an hour earlier this past weekend and with the fresh smell in the air, spring has almost sprung and it is a marvelous feeling!
Don’t get me wrong, I have thoroughly enjoyed the winter. It gave me a chance to reorganize, plan like no other, learn hard, network harder and meet the amazing couples I will be photographing this wedding season! And don’t even get me started on all the fun Robert and I have had! With all that being said, I am insanely excited for the change of season.
It means a lot more to me than simply the luxury of going outside without ten layers on or not needing to crank up the heat as soon as Robert walks in the door. It means that I made it. That Yael Pachino Photography had made it. I made it through the off season and business is still kicking. It means that bad weather and less outdoor sessions hasn’t knocked me down. It means that for the first time ever, Yael Pachino Photography made it from December to March without a supplementary income and I could not be happier. I thank god every day for the amazing companies and small businesses who had employed me over the years. Without part time jobs and the help of the wonderful community I have established here in Philadelphia, I could not be here. I could not have reached a point in my own business that allows me to put 150% of my time and effort into loving my clients, cherishing my product and growing my business.
Growing up, I always pictured myself having a steady 9-5 job. I wanted the stability. I wanted the protection. But as spring begins, I get to take a look at my life and I have never been so thankful that I didn’t fall into that lifestyle. I took a chance on myself and on what I love to do and I wouldn’t have it any other way. To be totally honest, I still day dream of having a 401K, pension and someone else to pay for my health insurance, that will never change, but nothing can replace the happiness, the fulfillment and the people that I get to surround myself with every day.
So, as I put my camera gear in the trunk of my car, hop in the front seat and get ready to head to the first wedding of the year, I turn the radio on loud and sing on the top of my lungs. Today, is a good day.
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“I figured I’d find you here” Ayelet said as she walked up the stairs of Cornerstone Grill & Loft. I was sitting at one of the High Tops in my black yoga pants and Cornerstone zip-up, wrapping silver-wear, getting ready to start my waitressing shift.
“Where else would I be?” I said as I smiled back at my best friend. She sat down next to me and we started chatting as if we were in my living room. To be totally honest, I think I spent more time at that college bar than I did in any of my apartments or classes through out my time during undergrad. From the first week I went to the University of Maryland, I was a Cornerstone waitress. I worked 6 to 7 days a week and gave it my all. Don’t get me wrong, my education came first, but nothing came above my studies and my bar.
Years later, I might not have the same job, but I still have that same ‘work comes first’ tendency and I find myself struggling with it every day. As you all know, I absolutely love what I do. It feels like I am making a difference. It feel like I am full-filling my destiny. I have the best clients in the world and I want to do everything in my power to serve them the best way I can. But at the same time, I have an incredible relationship with the sweetest man, 9 nieces and nephews that I adore in every way and friends who support me and love me even at my worst. So, how do I balance it all? How do I put the computer away, my calendar down and switch my entrepreneur brain off? How can I focus solely on the amazing humans that love me unconditionally? How can I do it all and still have time to go to the gym?
I am not going to lie, it isn’t easy. It is probably the one thing I struggle with the most on a day to day bases. But this year, I have made it my goal to find a way to balance it all and still get enough sleep. Thank you to the book, “168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think” by Laura Vanderkam, I am changing the way I think about my time. Goodbye to the days where I hear myself constantly say “I don’t have enough time” and hello to the days where I admit to myself that if something is a priority, I will get it done. With that simple switch, I have found myself a lot less stressed, a lot more content and with way more time.
I know extra hours in the day aren’t magically appearing. I know that I still have the same amount of work to do. And I know that sometimes, I will feel overwhelmed with the amount of things I am juggling; but, when I focus on what I really want out of life, what means the most to me, I have found a lot more time and a lot more happiness. Of course spending time with my friends, family and my Robert are priorities. Of course, going to the gym and living a healthy life style are on the top of my list. And of course, serving my clients with my whole heart takes precedence. Now, all I have to do is fit it everything in to a 168 hours and that seems a lot more doable than the 24/7 mentality!
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Photo credit: Rachel Abramowitz
This Monday I did something I never thought I would ever do… I was a guest on a podcast called “Nothing Nice to Say!”
There I was, sitting across from a video camera with a podcast host on each side of me. I was wearing headphones that were a constant reminder of how high pitched my voice truly is and I was trying my best not to kick the microphone stand with my fidgety feet. I had no idea what to expect but was so insanely excited that I felt my entire face smiling from ear to ear.
Thirty minutes later…
I was having a blast! Chatting about my business, my legendary High School Jewish Basketball days and asking as many questions as possible. Suddenly, I hear. “What do you think about Millennials?” At first, I didn’t realize who they were directing the question to but as I looked around, all eyes were on me. That’s when it hit me…I was the only millennial in the room.
As a creative, small business owner and Jewish, female, entrepreneur, the last thing I really think about is classifying myself as the generation I was in born into. But, I am part of a generation. I am part of the Generation Y, Digital Natives, Generation Me, Generation Rent and Echo Boomers, Millennial generation (or whatever other name you want to use to describe us). We are the most researched and discussed generation known to date. We are the largest part of the Western work force and the most educated Western generation. Yet, for some reason, there is this negative connotation to the term “Millennial.”
If you ask me, being a Millennial is freaken awesome!
Being a Millennial has given me the confidence and the determination to go after my dreams. It has made me strive to be the best version of myself and to be true to who I am. It has forced me to be open minded, accepting, flexible and socially conscious. It has given me the characteristics that has allowed me to start a business and not settle for the typical 9-5 job. It has made me into a passionate hustler who wakes up every day even more excited than the last. I am mission based. I am fiery. I am focused.
As a generation, we care more about authenticity and less about playing the game. We want positive, genuine experiences instead of flashy, material possessions. We want to grow, we want to be engaged and we want to do well. We want feedback so we can continue to grow, continue to be engaged and continue to do well.
We support brands that have deeper meaning and strong backbones. We want the shoes that we buy to send a matching pair to kids in third world countries. We want to know that the drinking straws we use are both saving the world and protecting our teeth enamel. We want to know that the products we buy are defending human rights and are against animal cruelty. We are a generation that loves our pets more than anything and 61% of us feel that it is up to us to make this world a better place even though we know it isn’t going to be easy.
So, to answer the question “How do I feel about Millennials?” Well, we live in a world that is very different than the one of our parents and grandparents. We live in a world where many of us are dealing with soul crushing student loans, a world that doesn’t have pretty pensions waiting for us and a social security system that might run out by the time we get to it, but we work hard, play hard and care hard. We are community oriented. We think globally instead of locally. We might still be living in our parents basements, but we are progressive, challenging and zealous. We don’t have all the answers, but we definitely try to make this world a better, more accepting place for the future. So I ask you this… what else could you really ask for?
Work With Yael
My mission is to not only craft images, but really celebrate the unique spirit of Jewish love. I'm here to honor our culture, capture the magic of your love, create family heirlooms for your future and do it all with a whole lot of heart and soul.