We had the good fortune of connecting with Melissa Foote and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Melissa, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Taking risks can be incredibly scary and uncomfortable, which is why I avoided them most of my life. Instead, I chose to stay in my comfort zone where my family, friends, home and job were safe and predictable.

But when I turned 40, I realized that if I didn’t muster up the courage to take some risks, I would be in the exact same place 5, 10 or even 20 years down the road! I knew I was made for more and decided to jump head first into making some pretty significant changes.

I finally agreed to consider moving… something my husband had wanted to do for years! We sold our house and moved to a new city. I left my career in teaching and started a photo organization business. I tackled learning new skills like how to build a website, create a marketing plan and how to put myself out there to network in the community. I shared my story on stages and podcasts and joined a few amazing business groups.

It was all scary and uncomfortable, and still is to this day, but now I understand the importance of taking risks in order to accomplish my goals, meet new people and live a more fulfilling life!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
In 2019, my parents returned from a once in a lifetime trip to Europe. They couldn’t wait to share their pictures and stories with friends and family! However, they had over 3,000 pictures between their two phones which didn’t exactly make this an easy process and led to the need for a Plan B!

Since I had always loved pictures and teaching, I couldn’t wait to help! Over the course of a few weeks, I taught my parents how to create a single album to organize all of their pictures, how to narrow down to the best of the best and how to create a photo book. It was amazing to see how much confidence they gained in using their phones and how much fun they had tapping into their creative sides!

I had such a great experience with my dad and mom that I decided to use my teaching background in a whole new way! I started planning my photo organization business and eventually decided to leave the classroom.

People thought I was crazy because I was so close to retirement, but I listened to my gut and did it anyway. It was time for a change and, although it was scary, I had a knowing that this was exactly what I was supposed to do in this next season of my life.

I reached out to local libraries and senior communities and before I knew it I was teaching photo classes to hundreds of people. It was incredibly fulfilling to help people tackle their beloved pictures, something they had been wanting to do for years but didn’t know how or where to start!

Eventually, I added my classes online and started partnering with other professionals to offer workshops for their clients.

After the last four years in business, I have an even greater love of pictures and am determined to help as many people as I can organize their printed and digital pictures so they are safely stored in the cloud and easy to share with our tech savvy next generation!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
As a Colorado native, it’s hard to pick just one of my favorite spots! However, if my best friend had a week I would definitely recommend the following:

Monday:
Red Rocks- hike the stairs and check out the museum
Idaho Springs- Beau Jo’s
Georgetown- walk Main Street
Dillon- stay the night at a cozy condo overlooking the lake

Tuesday:
Have breakfast in Frisco and walk Main Street
Drive up to Breckenridge and go skiing
Stay at Grand Timber and have dinner and then spend the evening in the hot tub under the stars

Wednesday:
Enjoy Grand Timber amenities
Head to Main Street in Breck
Shop & lunch at Downstairs at Eric’s
Go sledding at new hill on the outside of town

Thursday:
Skiing in Breck

Friday:
Drive out of Breck on 285 and check out Evergreen and Conifer on the way back to town
Stop for lunch at a hole in the wall
Enjoy the drive and take some dramamine if you get carsick- it’s a windy one!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would not be where I am today without the love and support of my husband, Paul. He has been my number one cheerleader since day one when I told him I wanted to leave my career in teaching to start my own business. He encouraged me to chase my dreams, has supported me through every failure and encouraged me to get back up and try again. He praises my successes and, most importantly, models for our three boys how to support those you love.

Paul has been through every part of this entrepreneur journey with me and continues to build me up and share my vision for all the possibilities of growing my business and serving as many people as I can!

Website: https://www.stepbysteptech.org/

Instagram: www.instagram.com/stepbysteptech

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-foote-colorado/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StepByStepTechLLC

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