Kevin Le Vu Photography looks back at 2019

It’s almost about that time again! Kevin Le Vu Photography inc. is another year older and our team has grown quite a bit. Let’s take a look back at our second family, our biggest lessons and what we look forward to in the future.

Of course, we wouldn’t even have any of this progression without the foundation that was laid down by Kevin’s vision so many years ago. Now, I’d like to think of myself as an extension of that into every team member, every blog post and every client we get to serve.

With seventy-four weddings/ events captured this year, we’ve topped our working capacity again. With the help of Jenna stepping up as another lead photographer I see a passion and a caring that definitely creates more dimension and warmth for our company. She’s overcome so much with us and is just now digging deep into what it means to do this very specialized job and throwing in 110% of her heart into it. I’m very proud of her.

Khoa, whom I actually recruited for Bells & Laces two years ago, is showing his evergreen enthusiasm for photography and attention to the groom’s side that we always needed. His continued respect for what we’ve built always makes feel so good to know that there’s someone who can give that brotherly support and skill that Kevin needs on his wedding days.

Kortney, came on board earlier in the year with such a fire and infectious desire to learn. She really gave me back a sense of hope that I was on the right track with our recruiting, training and standards of growth that I set up for this company and continue to mold. She’s an old soul, but a firecracker in a tiny little package and really brings an individualistic and fun vibe whenever she’s around.

With her to support Jenna and Khoa there to support Kevin, I felt I could take the next step in all my big plans.

Marcus our lead videographer made his way through malfunctioning cameras, corrupted footage and family heartache and still manages to always be the consummate professional and creates beautiful films with every wedding that passes. Michael and Georgia Shu, our married primary second videographers give us 100% confidence in our video team to always work quickly and precisely without doubt. All the while, putting their art into every frame they shoot. Incredible professionals work here.

Steven and Joseph who assist, run the photo booth and support our lead photographers time and time again, reinforce that no matter what the job is, we expect excellence. And just like everyone here, they deliver with trust, no complaining and with style.

Our latest member of the team exemplifies the wheel turning again, yet this time, with a confidence that feels so right after recruiting so many in the past three years.

Bryan has come on board to help me with the ever-mounting tasks of staying relevant, marketing, administration, training, recruiting, social media, human resources, brain mapping, video production, plan B contingencies, Creation of Standards of Operations, management of team members, communications, behind the scenes filming and photos organizing and acquiring data, strategy building and whatever the heck else we need to run this company! It’s so much, and I can’t wait to do it all with these very special people.

This job is not easy and all the fun bits are 20% of the job, which is all that everyone will most likely see. Pretty photos and pretty films.

The other 80% that remains beneath the surface is the grit, the boring, the problem solving, the frustration and sometimes, the downright cluelessness of “how-to business”. But for me, that’s all the fun of it. I hate being bored so the challenge is perfect.

That question of, “okay, how are we approaching this year and the next?”

“I’m not 100% sure, but let’s figure it out!”

That right there is the true face of this work.

That’s it.

That’s the driving force of it every day for me. Let’s figure it out. When you get to make something your own, based on your own experiences, your own pains, you realize you can design your business, your life, your marriage exactly where it needs to be at that moment.

It WILL NOT be perfect.

It will always be a work in progress, but I’m so in love with progress. In the 10 years that we’ve been doing this, the 11 years we’ve known each other, and the 4 years that we’ve been married…Progress is what matters.

I cannot ask myself or others to be the standard, but I can expect myself and others to reach for that standard and progress through the pressure and breathe in that the process is where the glory is.

I thank my husband and my team for a very trying and challenging year. But we were all rewarded. A record thirty-eight weddings booked before the year’s end.

Personally, I’ve honestly never been through a ringer such as this. I struggled to meet the standard. I had to be better and better. I couldn’t stand not meeting the standard, so I hurt for that. But I’m so thankful for the opportunity to try and find my own confidence to succeed.

As always, if this was easy, everyone would do it. I know my team went through some incredible feats of heartache and struggle. It won’t stop, but that’s what life is. We have so much of it to live.

Before, my life used to revolve around pain, pain, pain. Now, it’s progress, progress, progress. My team has given me hope, gratitude and a huge appreciation for the craft and art we execute all the time.

P.S. Of course, we can’t forget another piece of our family with our newly adopted baby girl Nikka Valley Vu. She’s brought back joy into the Le Vu house and is giving Kevin and I the second chance to be the best dog parents we can be this time around.

Thank you for a great year, I’ve cherished the lessons and the exciting times to come with you all. Let’s have a great holiday and appreciate what we’ve done together. We’ve laid down the groundwork and we’re ready to take on 2020.

Love, Meg