Meet the two new additions to the AJP team, my interns Kelsey and Courtney! I absolutely love these two. They are so kind, talented, and passionate, and I couldn’t have lucked out with two better people. I made the mental decision to expand my team this past summer, announced the application in November, did interviews through December, and chose and trained Kelsey and Courtney in early January. When I opened applications, I didn’t expect a huge response, but received over 30 applications in the first DAY and over 75 in the two weeks they were live! I’m so thankful for everyone who took the time to apply and spent SO much time choosing. I had friends, past clients, and strangers apply from all over VA. There were so many applications I loved, but I ended up sticking with people who were local to Harrisonburg as I finished my last semester at JMU, had a strong desire to learn, had bubbly personalities, and had some experience.

I honestly should have expanded my team like…4 years ago. But like so many of us think before we start something out of our comfort zone, I thought, who am I to expand my team? However, I got to the point where I wasn’t able to run my business consistently and serve my clients the way I wanted, while juggling all the other business hats, being a full time student, having a social life, and taking care of my physical and mental health. Equally, I wanted to grow and scale AJP, and finally accepted that couldn’t without help. One of my favorite mantras is to focus on your strengths, and hire people who excel in your weaknesses, which is where Kelsey and Courtney came in. So without further adieu, meet Kelsey and Courtney and peep through the fun shoot we did together!

Kelsey Williams

Kelsey helps me manage my blog and is a full time media arts and design student at James Madison University. She also runs a photography business called Kelsey Marie Photography. Kelsey loves to travel and go on adventures. She’s also passionate about fitness, is always laughing, and constantly has a smile on her face. She has a strong love for coffee and her favorite thing in life are golden retrievers. Besides that, she’s passionate about encouraging others and making them feel loved.

Courtney Keating

Courtney helps me manage my social media and is a sophomore marketing major in the school of business at James Madison University. She plans on pursuing a career in social media marketing after she graduates! She loves art and traveling with her favorite spots so far being Switzerland or Iceland. Courtney also used to run her own small art business, and is now trying to get more into photography. This summer, she’ll be continuing her love for travel by studying abroad in Antwerp!

And now for the fun photoshoot we did below!