Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Remy Haynes. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Remy, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
Resilience has built for me over time, by all the tiny baby steps I’ve taken to make my life better. Instead of giving up when things seem insurmountable, my mantra is ‘rest, then start again when you feel ready.’ Giving myself this grace period has made all the difference in my spirit not breaking but bending and then getting stronger for the next challenge. When I find a problem too big to face, I take up shop in the shallows until a clear path emerges. Then I take stock of how I feel that day and whether I’m up for the climb. If I’m not, I do small healthy actions that build back up my courage. Feeling into problems instead of over-thinking them has been the best way for me to navigate change and uncertainty and build my resilience back up.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
This year I celebrated 23 years of running my own business and it’s been a wild ride! Surviving the recession of 2008 and the pandemic of 2020 has taught me a lot about resilience, pivoting and not giving up. Building my photography business in Seattle allowed me to work with brands like Starbucks, Sound Transit, Coke and Microsoft. Moving down the coast to LA brought me more editorial work shooting and writing articles for magazines, even working with some celebs. I’ve loved it all. Telling stories with my camera has always been my favorite thing ever since my dad bought me my first DSLR when I was 15. I specialize in lifestyle which can include photographing product, people, and spaces.
I’m currently putting some more effort into my writing. Like many people, my goals have changed now that I’ve reached middle age and shifted a lot since the Covid shutdown. I no longer wish to hustle for the coolest job, compete with others or set high goals. My focus is more on how to bring more meaning and connection into what I do with my time every day. During the pandemic shutdown, I finally had time to finish and release my first long form book about courage and resilience called, “Carry Me Home,” available on Amazon. After that book was released, a lot of people asked me how I wrote and self-published it because they had a story of their own to tell. So, I’m scheming my second book and plan to record the step-by-step process of writing and publishing on my Instagram @remyhayneswriting.
As far as my photography goes, I’ve been offering AI lifestyle imagery including headshots to some of my clients and fine art portraits of animals, sometimes with their parents. I’ve always loved animals, so it’s been a fun challenge to hone this delicate skill. I also love to work on movie and video sets to take behind the scenes photos and I still love helping people with their branding. I’m kinda like Beyonce with her country album, I like to learn new skills and be creative in different ways. That is how I stay interested in my art.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
The internet has changed the way we communicate and given us unfettered access to so much more than I ever had growing up. And with another game changer in the form of AI ready to take over, it’s an interesting time for us humans. I think, we can’t forget about truly connecting with each other because you know what hasn’t changed is our brains, not yet anyway. We are still wired for human connection above all else for regulation of our nervous systems and our spirits. Along my journey I’ve found three very important traits and qualities that I’ve possessed and looked for in others that I deem crucial for optimal health, wealth, and happiness.
#1 Be a chameleon; when life gets hard, shift, and adapt. Change what needs to be changed. Don’t be afraid to move, to release negative friends, to go to therapy. Do whatever it takes to find your happy again.
#2 Be a good friend; Keep in touch with good, solid people you can count on through thick and thin. That will be an investment you’ll never regret. Truly care about other people and what they’re going through and you’ll get that love and support back in spades.
#3 Find mentors; Don’t be afraid to say you don’t know something and want to learn. Find someone who is doing that thing you want to do well and ask them for guidance. You’ll be surprised how much people want to help other people step up and into their power. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?
I read several books about healing when I was doing research to write my book and there was one that stood out. The book is called, ‘Heal,’ and it was made into a movie as well. It explores the human body and its incredible ability to heal itself. It explores the spiritual and scientific approach to healing and includes a lot of stories from the greats, like Deepak Chopra, Joe Dispenza, and many others in the healing fields. They talk about the mind-body connection and question whether we can heal our bodies ourselves. I was blown away by the science in this book and loved the way they revealed stories of healing practices. If we are lucky to live a long enough life, we start to see it as cycles of healing. This book is perfect for those who need a little positive belief in themselves to heal and start again.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.remyhaynes.com
- Instagram: @remyhaynesphoto
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/remy-haynes/
- Other: My fine art website: www.customfineart.us
