For Nancy, photography has been a part of life for as long as she can remember. Her Opa gave her a Minolta 35mm camera when she was in fifth grade, and she’s been taking photos ever since. Creative Memories gave Nancy a way to bring two things she loved together: photography and crafting.

“I have always loved photography and taking pictures. My Opa gave me my first Minolta 35mm camera when I was in Grade 5, and I have loved taking photos ever since. I have also always enjoyed crafts, so putting those two loves together, photography and crafting, was a big ‘aha’ moment for me.”

Her original reason for becoming an Advisor may have been simple.

“Honestly, my first motivation was pretty simple: I wanted the discount!”

But what started there became something much more meaningful.

More Than a Photograph

Nancy sees something different in every memory keeping project. Some pages preserve family history. Others honor people who are no longer here, celebrate milestones or simply document everyday life.

For her, the magic is in everything a photograph can bring back.

“There is something incredibly special about being able to look back at a photo and remember not just what happened, but the people, the feelings and the stories surrounding that moment. It’s magical and heartwarming.”

Those layers are part of what make memory keeping so meaningful to Nancy. A page can preserve an event, but it can also hold the people, emotions and stories that made that moment matter.

The Friendships That Fill Her Bucket

When Nancy thinks about the most rewarding part of being an Advisor, she doesn’t point to a product or a project. She points to people.

Over the years, she has formed friendships with fellow Advisors, members of her team and customers. She also finds joy in helping someone rediscover photos and memories that have been sitting on a phone or tucked away in a box.

“Without a doubt, the friendships. The friendships I have made with other Advisors, with the members of my team and customers are so precious to me.”

That sense of connection has become part of Nancy’s everyday life.

“The community I am building fills my bucket daily. I honestly cannot believe I get paid to do this! I love CM!”

The Story Behind the Pages

When Nancy imagines her family looking through her albums years from now, she hopes they see more than a collection of photographs. She wants them to understand what those people, places and experiences meant to her.

“I hope they understand how much family and memories mean to me. I hope they can see how much I love my family and how much I have treasured the experiences we have shared together.”

And that is what she hopes her pages ultimately communicate:

“I want my albums to tell more than just the story of what we did. I want them to show how much those people and those moments meant to me.”

What Being an Advisor Means to Nancy

For Nancy, being an Advisor has become something she can return to for creativity, connection and a sense of purpose.

“To me, being an Advisor means fun, friendship, stress relief and feeling valued. It means having something creative that brings me joy, while also creating a community where I can help other people find joy in their own memories.”

That community has also given Nancy opportunities to grow alongside the people she works with, including experiences she never could have imagined when she first became an Advisor.

One of those experiences is the Advisor Escape.

Own It

For Nancy, one of the best parts of Advisor Escape is being surrounded by people who understand the importance of memory keeping and share her enthusiasm for it.

“My absolute favorite part is meeting and connecting with other Advisors. There is something so special about being surrounded by people who understand exactly why memory keeping matters and who share that same passion.”

Of all the moments during Escape, there’s one she looks forward to most: the final-night dinner and party. It’s a chance to celebrate what everyone has accomplished, relax together and, naturally, dance.

For someone experiencing Escape for the first time, Nancy says the whole experience can feel a little surreal.

“You work toward that goal and then suddenly you are experiencing it!”

On her second trip, Cassie Oelberg gave Nancy two words that have stayed with her ever since:

“Own it.”

For Nancy, those words capture what the experience is all about.

“Take in the experience. Relish the fact that you worked hard for it and now you are being rewarded. Give yourself permission to enjoy every minute.”

If I Can Do It, So Can You

Nancy knows that a goal like Advisor Escape can feel far away when you’re first considering it. Her advice is not to make that decision for yourself before you’ve even started.

“If I can do it, so can you! Don’t decide that something is out of reach before you give yourself the chance to work toward it.”

Set the goal. Enjoy the journey. And when the moment arrives, Nancy has one final reminder:

“Believe that you belong there. And when you get there, remember to own it!”

Nancy’s story began with a love of photography and crafting, but along the way, it grew into friendships, community, creative purpose and experiences worth remembering.

Thank you, Nancy, for sharing your story with us and for reminding us to own the moments we work toward.

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Inspired by Nancy’s story? Share your love of memory keeping with others and learn more about becoming a Creative Memories Advisor.