Happy New Year everybody, as we kick off the 1st episode recorded in 2026.
In the conversation with Noreen Owens is one of those conversations that reminds me why I started Coffee & Grit in the first place.
Because yeah… we literally had to re record it...
Technology did what technology does sometimes, and I had that “kicked in the stomach” moment where you realize you just burned an hour of another entrepreneur’s time. But here’s the funny part. Every time I’ve had to re record an episode in the last six years, it ends up being better. And this one absolutely was.
Noreen is the owner of Noreen Owens Photography and she’s been in business for over 20 years. She’s the real deal. A former corporate sales rep who looked at her life, her family, and the pace she was running at… and made the leap. Not because she had it all figured out. But because she knew there had to be something better.
What I loved about this conversation is that it starts with photography… and then it turns into something way deeper.
We talk about why portraits matter more than people think. How a family photo becomes priceless when life hits you out of nowhere. How a camera isn’t the magic… the experience is. How to get real smiles from toddlers, skeptical husbands, and everyone in between.
Then we go even deeper into the work she does that isn’t just “taking pictures.”
Noreen created The Who I Am Project for teens, built out of her own story of being bullied and rejected in middle school. It’s a confidence and self acceptance experience that helps kids see themselves differently. Some of the stories she shares hit hard in the best way.
And for women, her boudoir work is the same mission in a different form. Helping women walk out of a session standing taller, seeing themselves with new eyes, and realizing they are far more powerful than the voice in their head has been telling them.
We also got into the fun side of her world too.
Animals. Themes. Santa experiences that feel like actual magic. Ducklings. Fairies. Wizards. Seniors. Pets. And yes… a turkey named Leonard who apparently thought he was married and also hit on people during the session.
And here’s the cool part.
Noreen is opening a brand new studio in May near M 59 and US 23, and the way she talks about building a team, building experiences, and constantly learning… it’s a masterclass in what it looks like to grow something with intention.
If you’re an entrepreneur who’s ever felt that pull that says “there has to be more than this…”
If you’ve ever thought about turning something you love into a real business… Or if you just want a reminder that the things you’ve walked through might be the exact thing that equips you to help other people… This episode is for you.
Go listen. And then go book the family photos you keep saying you’ll do “someday.”
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