Sarah Petty owns Sarah Petty Photography and The Joy of Marketing and here is her story.
At my photography studio, Sarah Petty Photography (sarahpetty.com):
As a child, I didn’t exist in any photographs! So, capturing the true spirit of my client’s children and producing it huge with the top quality framing, is what pulled me like a magnet toward opening my boutique photography studio two weeks before 9-11-2001. When I can catch magical personalities, pensive deep thoughts, and the love between a child and a parent, it makes time disappear. To me, when a parent celebrates their family with a beautiful, archivally-framed wall portrait that gives them goosebumps every single time they enter the room, I know I have done my job. And, getting paid to do this is the icing on the cake.
At my marketing company, The Joy of Marketing (thejoyofmarketing.com):
Every single time I receive an email from a small business owner telling me that they were on their last dollar and what I taught them has turned her business and her life around, I know I am in the right profession. Teaching and inspiring others to live a life doing what they love, and being financially rewarded for it, is one of the greatest careers I could have ever designed for myself. To have a career (two really) where I bounce out of bed in anticipation of the day, is what makes all of my work worth it for me.