Mel Worthington, a current student in Danger School shared about her experience within the program – watch the video above or read the transcript below about her experience!

Hello! My name is Mel Worthington, and I’m the current cohort of Danger School. I wanted to tell you a little bit about my experience so far. I’ve been a professional photographer for over twenty years. The first ten of that, I was running a wedding photography business with my partner, very successful, very hustle based. And we had a baby and that baby got very, very sick and needed around the clock care. So we dissolved our business, and he pursued a real job with very real health care benefits that we very much needed. And when I came to a point where I could return in a full time capacity, it was years later and I just couldn’t quite get the ball rolling on my own. I would start and stop… I just just couldn’t seem to roll. And then last year, I turned 47, and I said, okay. This is the year where either you get some help and you make this happen, or you let it go and you just do something else. You know, you had the photography thing, and onto something else.

So I was definitely looking for coaches, and I was talking to a few, and I was looking through a few different programs, but I kept coming back to Kristin and Danger School. I love the pod. And also, you know, I’d I’d listened in enough to know that she had been through something similar. And that there had been some start and stop for her, and that really developing multiple streams of income was going to be the key to not worrying about that because life is gonna keep on life-ing. So, I was really interested in what she had to say about that, and the four pillars. And so that’s why I chose it, but here were the things I was thinking about that were holding me back a little bit. One was that I knew the likelihood is that I would be the oldest person in the group or definitely an older. And I was worried about, you know, just being invisible or dismissed. That was not a thing at all. I think that, you know, Kristin’s whole vibe is very community driven and very inclusive, and I think she draws people who are like that. I’m guessing if you’re listening to this you’re probably like that. So if you’re worried about not fitting in for some reason, I wouldn’t. That was not a thing. The second thing I was thinking about is that my personality isn’t very, like, bubbly or fun. I walk a little heavy through the world, so I, you know, I also love traveling, I do, with my family, but not for work. I’ve done it, hated it, like, I know that about myself. I find it very stressful. So I thought, well, you know, I’m not a wedding photographer. I’m not bubbly. I don’t wanna travel. Like, is this person going to try and make me like her? And that was not the case at all. I think a huge part of Danger School is actually learning to listen to your own inner voice and looking at your work and your core values. Because, I mean, if you’re if you’re listening to your own voice, inherently, it’s gonna be like no one else’s. And I think that’s very much what the program is going for. So the third thing was just what I thought I might be able to do. I thought maybe, you know, what if I listened to like an episode of the podcast every week and write down, you know, an action item, then just do it and then, I can coach myself and it can be free. And I think you know, if you’re listening to this, you know that you can have all the information in the world right at your fingertips. But what moves us to action is this combination of, our own will, but also community, having other people to do it with, getting to see their wins and be excited for them, getting encouragement, having accountability, I think just having people around you who are also trying to level up, there’s just no substitute for that. So, yeah, that’s the thing.

And then, as far as outcomes, we still two weeks left, so I don’t have have metrics or, you know, ROIs to share. But there are three things that indicate to me this is gonna be the year I want it to be. This is gonna be that transformational year. And the first is that normally in January and February, I don’t make money. It’s like a super slow season for me. But I have jobs. And I’m not making a lot, but making a little because I’m trying things I wasn’t open to trying before matters. Secondly, I guess related to the first thing. I’m so much more open to suggestions for other directions and things to pursue in my business. Like, things I would have said no to if it she had brought them up day one. Right? So I think I am opening up and I’m realizing that it doesn’t have to be, like, all newborn work or nothing. Right? Like, it can be a lot of things (I never explained that on portrait photographer). And thirdly and this might be, like, the best thing honestly. I made a new newsletter and I had a client who reached out… like we’re not good friends, she doesn’t know I’m being coached, we’ve just done a couple of shoots together. And she was like “everything you’re putting out right now, it just feels so good. Keep going.” I was like, whoa. Like, all the things that I am feeling, the transformations that I’m feeling inside are showing up, like, you can see them outside somehow.

So that’s been my experience. I hope you do it. I want this for you. Go all in. If you commit, let yourself be coached. I let myself be coached during the money section, which was just horrifying and vulnerable, but also maybe a little cathartic and hopeful. Like, it was a good experience once I got past some of the the shame and vulnerability stuff that I was kind of kind of dealing with. And also, it’s worth mentioning that I went through a pretty major life change, in the middle of my busy season. I was already kind of worried about keeping up the coursework just regularly. I’m in temporary housing right now, but I was I was able to do it. And like, the coursework is really concise, so the time commitments aren’t big. Really, the coaching call is the biggest time commitment. And if you can’t make it, you can always go back to the recordings. I’ve had to do that, and also just having access to all the coursework so that I can revisit things. Also, the exercises are helpful, but they’re not, you know, they’re not generated to take a lot of your time. So if you’re concerned about being able to keep up with it, don’t. So, that’s a lot of information, but I hope you do this. You know, I hope you just Nike this shit. Just do it. And I hope it’s it’s great for you as it was for me. So thank you.