Happy Thursday, friends! Last month, we took the AJ Workshop on the road for the very first time, and we’re so excited to share all about our first stop today! We weren’t exactly sure what to expect since we’d gotten so accustomed to hosting the workshop in our hometown of Scottsdale, but since we got bombarded with so many requests to bring the workshop to the east coast, we knew we had to make it happen! We have a special place in our heart for Richmond, so when our Virginia Beach workshop sold out before we could even announce it publicly, and the requests were still pouring in, we knew that Richmond was the next destination! And as it turned out, this one was extra special because it was comprised of ALL LADIES! This was our only workshop all year where we didn’t have even one single guy! We love having the other half of the population represented at our workshops, but it was pretty fun to have an all-girl crew just this once! And the coolest part? They were from ALL OVER America. Here are the states these ladies represented (from West to East): California, Colorado, Iowa, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland!
From left to right: (Row 1) Carissa, Nathalie, Allie, Sarah, Sammie; (Row 2) Casey, Mecca, Hope, Anna, Caitlin; (Row 3) Candi, Stacey, Michele, Jen, Lauren.
We heard that Richmond-ers LOVE donuts, so we ditched our usual Sunday night ice cream social for a loca staple: Sugar Shack Donuts. Jordan’s was on a strict diet in June (look at that face!) so he just nibbled on a few here and there, but Amy had a few and HIGHLY recommends the maple bacon, y’all! (In other news, we started saying ya’ll after spending so much time in Virginia!)
The Sunday night welcome event is ALWAYS a great chance to shake off the nerves, get to know each other better… and consume lots and lots of sugar.
We have an AJ Workshop getting-to-know-you game that we stole from our friends at Showit. Let’s just say that the Richmond crew had — by far — some of the most interesting stories to tell; and by interesting, we mean personal experiences with bank robberies… and machetes. That kind of interesting!
What you’re seeing in this photo: Jordan saying something embarrassing. Amy not believing Jordan just said what he said in public. And everyone else laughing. This photo should be re-captioned “everyday life.”
We kicked off Day 1 with lighting, composition, posing, and wedding day life hacks. If the catering manager tries to bring you a filet minion that’s THIS big…
Be like, Look, buddy! I’ve been here for six hours already! I want a steak that’s THIS big! Then, go to the coat closet, inhale your boxed turkey sandwich, and get back to work!
Everyone laughing… at the idea of Jordan dreaming of a giant steak, and then really eating a sandwich in a coat closet.
If you smile big, you’ll get the BIG filet Jordan was talking about over there!
Or maybe it’s up there…
It’s always fun to watch the attendees react to listening to Amy pose the models!
And then it was time for them to photograph everything… while we looked for that filet.
If you guys find the filet, let us know!
It was overcast and a little darker inside than we’d planned for, so we had the attendees use reflectors to brighten our models’ faces. It was so cool to watch them all work together. Teamwork makes the dream work, right?!
Just based on the expression on Amy’s face, it’s pretty obvious what she just yelled. You found it! You found a filet-flavored DONUT!
Our amazing attendees with our favorite photography tool: the ExpoDisc.
Can we stop for a second and acknowledge Amanda Veronee and her creative team for the BEAUTIFUL styled shoot they put on?! We’ll be sharing more about the whole team and all of their gorgeous work when the shoot gets published this summer, but for now, dang. You guys nailed it!
And what about our sexy models (and friends, so we can call them sexy on the Internet, and in life) Annamarie and Ryan!? Stunners, right?! We think they should have babies. The world would be better, more beautiful place for it.
Okay, now that you’ve found the filet-flavored donut, I’m gonna get a few shots of it. Ya know, to remember today forever.
We always try and give our attendees at least a few minutes in small groups to work with our models!
And a little bit of time for them to shoot alongside Amy to hear her thought process about lighting… posing… and filets.
Day 2 is all business! It’s the nitty-gritty of how to build momentum FAST in your business and then keep it going. And there couldn’t have been a better backdrop than Paisley and Jade. The ladies who own this vintage furniture rental company in Richmond’s industrial district are straight up awesome. There’s no other way to describe them. They’re just cool girls.
So we talked about our dream of getting served filets THIS big at weddings, right?
We love doing individual head shots because it gives us a chance to spend one-on-one time with each attendee AND give them something to have for THEIR website, too!
It also gives everyone a chance to hang out and socialize a bit, because after all that learning, like a Kit Kat bar, it’s like, Gimmie a break!
Five minutes earlier: Jordan did his Croc Hunter impression on Periscope. Now: he’s watching the video with the attendees. Oh, goodness! What are we gonna do with him?! I suppose were gonna love him. That’s what.
Watch the full video here to see what the attendees saw!
We love all of you tons and tons, and we feel SO blessed that we got to spend two days with you! We love hearing the success stories (already!) from your businesses, and always know that you’ve got two people in Arizona cheering you on every step of the way!
Ready to take the next step in your business? You’ve got ONE MORE CHANCE this year!! We’ll be in Scottsdale, Arizonan August 31 and September 1 and there are just a few seats left! Click here for more information and to snag a seat!
Past Workshop Recaps
Feb. ’15 | Scottsdale
Feb. ’15 | Scottsdale 2.0
Mar. ’15 | Scottsdale
* To be the first to know about our upcoming workshops and speaking events, sign up here!
A special thank you to Paisley and Jade for hosting us and Amanda Veronee and the outstanding creative team that made our stunning styled shoot (that we can’t share yet!) come to life, and our generous workshop sponsors and partners who invested in our attendees with incredible giveaways to help them grow their businesses.
Creative Team
Photography: Amy & Jordan
Florals, Design Concept: Amanda Veronee
Venue, Furniture, Flatware, Map: Paisley & Jade
Gown: Tiffany’s Bridal
Letterpress Invitation Suite: Paper & Honey
Styling Assist, Acrylic Chairs, Chargers, Boxes, Glassware: Posh PR
Gold Printed Napkins: Etsy Shop @thecarolinedoll
Makeup Artist: Glamour by GiGi
Cake: Sorby Sweets
Models: Annamarie & Ryan Akins
Sponsors & Partners
Showit
PASS
ExpoDisc
KISS Books
Two Bright Lights
Photo Mechanic
Blog Stomp
