Life and Work with Lauren Munson

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Munson.

Lauren, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
From a young age, I knew I had the capability to do great things. Not due to being the smartest, best looking, or greatest in the room, yet due to those who helped me rise and those who contributed in trying to tear me down. Resilience, tenacity, persistence, these are just a few qualities which helped me feel as if I could tackle great things. Experiencing at a young age it isn’t about how much you’ve been given or the things you’re lacking, but the amount you keep fighting for despite all of the setbacks.

If you knew me growing up, I was one of the most hard-headed, independent young girl you would ever meet. My parents knew not to tell me what to do, because the next day, I would go and do the opposite. I had a tendency to learn the hard way and only follow my own path. I struggled engaging with others and being put down due to being told a woman was supposed to be soft,  quiet; which quite frankly I was the opposite. Consistently being told I wouldn’t succeed due to the decisions made in my life. When I was 15, I got my GED and pursued college at the age of 16. I graduated from college at the age of 20 and began digging into my career. As you can tell, my path was out of the ordinary leaving plenty of room for others opinions.

From being bullied throughout school to being told I was too intimidating to date, I struggled with my identity and finding where I belonged. I began to understand from strong woman surrounding me, we are given different skills, personalities, and abilities because each of us are designed for a specific purpose. There will always be people around you who hate the flavor you bring and vice versa, though neither should get in the way of your goals. I may be a strong, independent, and sometimes intimidating woman. However, even in writing the sentence above, I needed to remind myself I am not intimidating, yet those around me are too afraid of what they don’t understand. Just because others may be afraid of your power doesn’t mean you need to step out of the way to make room for their insecurities.

The two big P’s in my life: Politics and Photography. These two things have shown me how to grow and how to fight. As a woman, these fields provided me with the strength to be shameless in the pursuit of what sets my soul on fire, alongside the ability to see women as beautiful where they are. Politics has been a male-dominated field for centuries, just recently having women come from the ashes. I was taught no matter the obstacle in front of me, such as this one, I could dig a new path for myself. To succeed I began to embrace my own unique abilities, as a woman and a human. As I continued to grow in this field, I saw women were soaring alongside me, yet also trying to become my rival. I knew from this moment the only way I wanted to succeed, the only way I wanted to attempt growing here, was to bring others with me and raising them above myself. I witnessed how beginning to see our differences combined together could be the only way women would grow together. Only then can we create remarkable change. Relationships, sisterhood, friendships creates unity. My heart was, and is, on fire for knowing and loving people fully first. Trying to triumph in love before trying to rise above.

Photography, on the other hand, taught me how women lack positive and affirming images of who they are. I saw how even if they did have the ability to view photos of themselves in a positive light, media portrayed a vastly different image. Taking photos from a young age, around 15 years old, I really only used it as a creative outlet for my teen angst. Yet, it truly is funny how a 15 year picking up a silly piece of equipment, could grow into a woman using the same item to allow others to feel more themselves, more at home in who they are. Seeing the power in a photograph, the power in viewing a photo of yourself and loving every bit of what you see. Seeing a photo and loving where you are in life. Whether you are a mother with a fresh pink newborn laying in your arms, a newly engaged unwavering couple ready to tackle this new mountain, or bounding career-driven women, needing head-shots for her very first day as the CEO. Each example is so different, but the photos taken allow them to step back and see how far they’ve come, to see there is beauty even in when the world may say there are ashes.

From a young age, you’re continually told each individual is called to do something specific. A calling to help you change the world. Constantly searching and yearning to find this calling and land right where you belong. It took me up until a few years ago to understand we live in a culture continuously seeking to grasp, physically hold onto a career, goal, or achievement to prove to others we have made it. What few understand, what we are searching so hard for, is usually right in front of us. Our culture lacks the ability to understand the differences of each person, not only are okay, but they allow us to thrive and dive deep into the one thing which our hearts have been called to do. We don’t have to have name recognition, big titles, or millions of followers to make a difference. Even though our culture teaches us we need a large sphere of influence to make a difference, imagine if we reclaimed the truth we already have influence over the sphere we are in now? Although small, our calling is right in front of us and in use, we just need to take a step back and use the tools we have already attained. If only we could remove the production of aggression and competition our culture has created, especially the creation of women against women. Revealing these truths is what led me to where I am. Revealing this truth sunk my heart deeper into understanding my calling is in sisterhood. Loving woman fully and embracing the relationships around me.

As woman we need to stop doubting our values; we need to stop running from who we are.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The road behind me has not been a smooth one. Not even close, as pavement has turned to gravel, one-ways have turned into forks in the road, and there are too many times to count where dead-ends have been the result of a wrong turn.

I strongly believe each individual faces different challenges, whether you are a man or a woman. However, I struggled with being respected and acknowledged as a woman. I constantly saw myself stepping down when a stronger male figure came into the room, feeling out of place, and even apologizing for being too strong and outspoken; apologizing for who I was. This tends to be a natural occurrence for most women I meet. We are taught to step down when another is speaking and to apologize, even when we are not in the wrong. Taught to put others above ourselves in order to prevent offending others. Women are taught to be polite and to stand by when others rise; we apologize for taking up space.

I’ve experienced many trials and tribulations, especially around my business or growing in politics. But, the wisdom I can extend to other women is to first, stop apologizing for who you are. Once we stop trying to quite ourselves to please others, we can finally break the mold holding us down. When we apologize, it shows we are not fully confident in who we are and the decisions we make. My advice, stand behind what you believe so deeply and remind yourself you don’t have to apologize for taking up space. You are strong for a reason. You are loud for a reason. Sometimes, pleasing others holds us back from having an impact.

The second piece of advice I can give to those who are just starting their journey is to do what you love despite everything else, but be smart about the decision. Quitting your day job for your side hustle can be liberating and freeing, yet if you are financially supported by the day job you need to assess the situation. The first step is understanding what makes you unhappy and creating a game plan. Slowly building your base, asking for help, and networking to give you stability in what sets your soul on fire. Our culture promotes bold actions and constant growth. Social media tends to only show us the highlight reel of an individuals life or their business. I want to remind you these people didn’t just boom overnight, they worked hard and made tough decisions to get where they are today. I want to remind you the highlight reel is never published with the behind the scenes, yet they are synonymous. Work hard, be smart about your decisions, and remind yourself to never compare what your starting foundation to others finished projects.

Whether you are just beginning to build your side hustle into a business, or stepping out in faith and quitting your job, remember to trust yourself. Growing up, my dad always told me “Find what you love. Do more of that and less of everything else.” I still think this rings true in my life today.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Lauren Elizabeth Photography – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
Lauren Elizabeth Photography is a business focused on making individuals feel empowered and beautiful. Specializing in engagements, headshots, families, and seniors. I strongly believe Lauren Elizabeth Photography is known for headshots and engagements specifically. I absolutely love shooting couples who are in love and giddy for the new things life has in store. With that, head-shots are truly something which excites my heart because I am able to help young professionals, or seasoned CEO’s, feel confident in who they are as well as their position in the workplace.

I specialize in bold, vibrant photos usually surrounding the Denver city area. I believe in bold and big gestures, which strongly correlates into my photography and style.

In each session, with each encounter, I aim to make each person feel at home in who they are. I am here to be the best hype woman you have ever met. The photos I take are not just about you smiling for the camera, yet allowing you to open up and be vulnerable with me. I have learned over many years vulnerability is what creates raw photos. Allowing a couple to be giggly and in love or giving a family the freedom to connect and remember each memory they have with you.

When it comes to individual sessions, my favorite thing is seeing someone gush over a photo of themselves when they are so used to picking themselves apart. Especially with woman, I believe you don’t have to be a model to shine in front of the camera. I am here to allow you to be open and free, to guide you as you are. I am here to be an encouraging friend, not just a hired photographer.

Were there people and/or experiences you had in your childhood that you feel laid the foundation for your success?
Growing up as a kid, I truly struggled to accept who I was and loving myself for where I was at. From the age of 13 to 17, I struggled with depression. It was hard for me to grasp how to get out of this deep hole I had dug for myself and how to recuperate after feeling so worthless. So many more problems arose, but instead of going into detail I will point out I felt as if there was no point in growing, as if my deck had already been dealt. Sometimes, when you’re in the middle of feeling your worst, it’s as if you have horse blinders on. It’s hard to see more than just the flaws contained within you. But, I fought. I stood up again and again and knew this battle was worth fighting. I saw a chance for change, a chance to alter the way myself and others perceived the outcome of my future. I dropped out of high school, got my GED, began college at the age of 16, and had a career by the age of 20.

I truly do have so much more room to grow and so many more goals to achieve, but I believe the set backs I had as a child not only held me back, but they propelled me forward. I learned it isn’t about your genetics or what has happened to you, it’s about how you decide to take it all and use it for a better purpose. During those years, I learned the purpose behind my pain. I learned why sisterhood, why have relationships with women is so important. When women even just apologize for taking up space, we are constantly telling ourselves we aren’t worthy. By altering simply the way we speak to ourselves and the way we speak to others, we can have a transformed life. My success is because of my failures, because of my hurt. I had to take a step up and remove the ability for others to tell me what my future would look like. I had to take a step back and remove my own self-doubt from holding me back from growing.

Contact Info:

• Phone: 720-378-1757
• Email: laurenemnsn@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lelizabethphotos/
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/lelizabethphotos/

Image Credit:
Lauren Elizabeth Photography

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