In this episode of Mom to MORE™, host Sharon Macey is joined by guest Melani Lust, the award-winning visionary artist behind Melani Lust Photography.

Originally from San Diego, Melani came to New York to pursue dance and was accepted into the prestigious Alvin Ailey School of Dance. After dancing both commercially and Off-Broadway, she realized show business was not for her.  Melani went to NYU to major in Math and interned one summer in Finance where she realized she was bored out of her mind. She went back to NYU and changed her major to Art History, receiving both her BA and MA. Melani worked at Sotheby’s in 19th century European paintings, which marked the beginning of her artistic journey and development of her uniquely artistic eye as a future award-winning wedding photographer. Melani is a mom of 3 and raised her kids in Westport, Connecticut. She is also passionate about environmental causes and hopes to dedicate more of her time to philanthropy in the future.

Join Sharon and Melani as they discuss the power of slow growth, embracing imperfections and the art of delegation. 

Melani’s journey reminds us that success doesn’t happen overnight. Her story is a testament that building something meaningful takes time and patience. It is possible to start small while the children are young, grow your business, passion or hobby as your kids grow, and as you are welcoming more ‘me time’ into your schedule. No dream is too big or too small, and with determination, anything is possible!

[00:00] Introduction.

[00:51] Melani’s background and her reasoning for being a SAHM.

[05:24] The “birth’ of Melani Lust Photography and creating a career that allowed for staying home with the kids. 

[09:36] How Melani got into wedding photography.

[11:14] Jumping in, even when not feeling fully confident.

[13:11] How Melani has refined her eye over time

[17:14] Melani discusses her favorite place to shoot, and why.

[18:35] Prioritizing, the art of delegation and setting boundaries. 

[20:06] The impact that working had on Melani’s children

[20:41] Dedicating more time to philanthropic work. 

[23:50] Where to find Melani and Melani Lust Photography

Learn more about Melani Lust and Melani Lust Photography:

Website: https://melanilustphotography.com/ Instagram: @melanilustphotography

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

 

Looking for more? Follow along @momtomore on Instagram and Tiktok. Keep an eye out for episode #5 of the Mom to MORE™ podcast where Sharon is joined by Myra Glazer, family matriarch and forever teacher who got her first paying job at the age of 50. Coming soon - you won’t want to miss it ♥