Finally, An Update | Spring 2025
The more time that passes since my last personal blog entry, the harder it is for me to decide how to start and what to include. I’ve written and rewritten this article countless times in my mind. Until now, I haven’t been able to bring those thoughts to the page. I often get lost in the overwhelming emotions of everything that has happened and the uncertainty of the future. It’s much easier to write when you know how the story will end, you know? I’m also out of practice with writing, adding salt to the wound. So, pardon the rusty, hodgepodge nature of this piece as I attempt to get back into the groove of sharing my personal life with you, dear reader.
Ever since going through 2021 thinking I may have cancer and recovering from surgery in 2022, I have experienced a whirlwind of psychological ups and downs, both in business and personally. No matter how many times I listed my priorities and the behaviors necessary to uphold them in my journal, I couldn’t manage to keep them all in play simultaneously. The business would fall behind if I prioritized my health or family, and vice versa. I knew something needed to change significantly. I mean, aren’t I always the one telling others to get in the driver’s seat of their lives and craft the life they want? It was time to do something about it!
So, I decided to grow an entirely new branch of my business. I devised a master plan to teach photography to others! You heard me right. I belived the solution to my overwhelm was to add more to my plate! You know, at the time, it really seemed like a good idea. It's funny how everything looks different in hindsight. The plan was to begin teaching and selling online photography courses. Passive income is the way to go, they say! I thought switching to an online business model would be more conducive to our family life, which had become more demanding as the kids grew. While I am proud of what I created with my photography education, it proved to be a pipe dream to achieve true passiveness. Lancaster Photography School has required just as much time, energy, and stress as providing direct client photography services. The group of photographers I helped to become successful will always be a win in my heart, but the reality is that, financially, it hasn’t panned out. Sure, Lancaster Photography School has made a small profit, but not nearly enough to justify the thousands of hours (and the part of my soul) I’ve put into it.
During these years of attempted metamorphosis, anxiety overtook me little by little. Sharing my life brought about feelings of shame, so I started shrinking back from sharing more than necessary for marketing purposes and started seeing a therapist regularly to help me manage these challenging emotions. This is reality, my friends. Social media is a highlight reel of our lives, and I’m no different than most people who share only the best moments with the public there. The crushing weight of defeat closing in year after year occasionally made me want to pull the covers over my head and stay in bed for the day. Luckily, I have a family and community that keeps me going. They regularly reminded me that business success is not what’s most important. And those damn toilets still need scrubbing!
So, here I am before you, raw and bleeding. I will not give up on my quest for balance and equanimity because I believe that the true victory in the game of life lies in finding it, at least some of the time. There must be a way to have purpose and pride in work without overshadowing what truly matters in our personal lives. There must be space for purpose and peace—somehow to be sanely ambitious. If you want to join me on my journey to find it, follow along. I plan to continue being open and raw about my journey here in my blog because, without it, I have felt cut off and sad—and I miss you guys!
For the time being, here’s what I have planned for the near future:
Lancaster Photography School
I will gradually phase out LPS over the next year. Those who purchase a course before we close our doors will have access to all course materials and videos for download before the end. I will continue to offer group coaching to participants in the Kickstart Your Photography Business course for just $29 per month, as advertised, as long as I have people in the program until the end of the year. So, if you want my advice and feedback, act now!
I’m not discarding the entire curriculum, no. I’ll keep it and see what the future holds. I’ve thought about contacting local colleges to find out if my teaching could benefit their students. I’m uncertain! I do know that I don’t want to continue marketing a product online—it’s vicious out there! And I don’t have the interest needed to do it day in and day out. Additionally, I can’t keep up with in-person events for photographers while photographing weddings for clients. My wedding clients deserve all my (work) energy and focus if I continue serving them—which I plan to do.
Megan Hoffer Photography
I’ve decided to limit myself to one monthly wedding and up to two monthly portrait sessions in 2025-26. I’ve introduced a fantastic associate team who can take on more work to meet potential demand. All weddings photographed by an associate will be planned by our outstanding Client Services Coordinator, Theresa, while I edit all the photos afterward. This approach establishes the boundaries I need to keep my anxiety manageable. It also allows space in my calendar for a life outside of photography without completely restricting the business’s growth potential. The seeds are planted, and I’m excited to see if the associate program and Megan Hoffer Photography will thrive or succumb to the challenges of the current market—because, let’s be real, the market is tight, and I’m feeling the squeeze like everyone else!
If the associate program doesn’t take off during the remainder of the 2025 booking season, I’ll consider taking a part-time position doing something completely different while finishing my 2026 weddings. If you had told me I would be open to working for someone else last year, I would have laughed in your face. Therapy has been incredibly helpful with that. I no longer view going in another direction as a failure. Now, I see it simply as another option—potentially a great one if it’s the right fit! The world is full of options and potential. My hope is that this plan will prevent me from burning out my passion for serving people and photography in general and allow me to grow new and different parts of myself that have been deprived for too long.
Family Life Updates
So much has happened in our lives, but here’s the Christmas card update: Andrew and Isaac each graduated high school. Andrew is 21 now and completing his junior year at Penn State in the Wildlife and Fishery Sciences program. If anyone has any connections, he could use an internship opportunity this summer! Isaac is 19 and working for a construction company while deciding what direction he wants to take. He’s developing into a fine young man. We are very proud of him. Finn is nine and Minecraft-obsessed like most other nine-year-old boys. He is developing his people skills by bouncing around with many school and neighborhood friends. He’s finally starting to focus his energy and figuring out the things he likes to do. Rita started school and is now seven years old. She’s in first grade this year and doing well—bossy as ever! She’s very athletic. We just need to figure out the right sport for her. Both Finn and Rita are doing a plethora of camps this summer to try different options.
Marc had a few promotions at work these past few years, but nothing has changed about what a fantastic husband and father he is. He has taken up running regularly and just signed up for his first half marathon this fall. I can’t wait to see him cross that finish line!
We’re about to celebrate our tenth anniversary. Wow! That went by in a flash. Ten years! That’s something to celebrate. We want to take a little mini getaway but, as usual, are stumped about where to go. Ideas are welcome in the comments below!
In February, we took our first vacation with the little ones and truly had the time of our lives. We want to do more of that this year, along with visiting Andrew at Penn State for his senior year and supporting Isaac to figure out his next steps in life.
Just Me
This year, as long as the bills are getting paid, I aim to miss as few family meals, bedtimes, and opportunities to spend time with my family due to work as possible because I know from experience that it goes by so fast. My overarching personal goal is to reduce stress and anxiety so I can continue to feel free enough to work on my health goals and be there to support my people when they need me. I’ve been making real progress, and it feels terrific to be getting fit and strong again while also having some fun!
I’ve seen videos on Instagram lately displaying the quote, “We all have the same 24 hours.” At the same time, someone obscenely gestures at the quote, explaining that not all people have equal life experiences. I’ve been on both sides of this debate, and I can say, after experiencing both, I side with giving the quote the finger at this point in my life. In my twenties, I was an avid gym-goer and in great shape. People often told me I should be a fitness model. I used to think, “I have two kids under five, and I make time for the gym. If others just put in the time and effort, they would see results, too!” Now I know better.
Back then, I was a privileged stay-at-home parent who took the kids to a fancy gym and used the included two-hour childcare daily to take a break from my one responsibility. I also had a serious eating disorder.
After having a second round of kids later in life while simultaneously running a business and the eating disorder finally behind me—even with a fancy gym membership—I realize it’s not that simple. Not everyone has the luxury (or the energy) to spend two hours at the gym daily. I certainly don’t anymore. At this stage of life, I am acutely aware that to maintain a healthy and toned body in today’s world, something must be sacrificed to achieve it. The average person with a family and career must either sacrifice quality time with their family or their chance at climbing the ladder of success in some way to meet their physical fitness goals. And it’s hard to prioritize health when everyone and everything is screaming at us to make more money so we can buy more stuff to fit in. I’ve realized that if I want to prioritize this goal, I need to sacrifice money and success—hence the work boundaries I referenced earlier. It just took a long time (a decade, to be exact) to be okay with it—to know that I’m enough even without business success. I’m sure I’ll need to keep reminding myself of that.
The more I do things that help me rest and be calm while also finding purpose in my small daily actions, the easier it has been to do what is necessary to focus on my health goals—and it feels so good. Living a simple life is the real flex, guys. It’s easier said than done, though, so I plan to be open about my struggles to conquer this new territory of my life experience and healing journey in future blog entries.
I only have nine weddings on my books this year, so I can continue exploring this new chapter in life. I can’t wait to share it with you. Did this piece resonate with you? I’d love to hear from you in the comments.
Until next time, may you be well.
XX - Megan