- Holly Drennen is the owner of Holly D Photography, a wedding photography company based in Napa Valley, California, that serves the entire wine country, San Francisco and Nationwide.
Holly and I have been the best of friends since we were four years old! Growing up together we would go through our moments of practically living at the others house to being too busy with family stuff and barely seeing each other. Back in our day (like we are so old) we did not have cell phones!! OMG I can not believe I just said that. However, no matter what our current situation was, we always had this bond that was unexplainable. To this day, we can read each other like a book; I can tell when she is feeling a certain way and she knows what I’m going to say before I say it.
Fast forwarding through the YEARS of stories about our friendship, the summary is this; to see your best friend become a highly successful and sought after photographer makes you so honored to have witnessed their journey from the start.
When Holly graduated college she began working for a corporation. I remember the conversations about how much she didn’t like her job (but she liked her coworkers in case they’re reading this). At that time, photography was more of a side job/second career for her. She had gotten so busy that she was working monday-friday at her corporate job and doing photography on the weekends! What I really admired and gleaned from Holly during this time is that even though she wasn’t in love with her day job and yet had a good thing going with her photography business, she stayed the path of her plan. See that is the difference between Holly and I, which is probably why we get a long so well is because we are polar personality opposites. She is a planner and such an organized thinker; me, I go with the flow and take the punches as they come. I would say we balance each other out…sometimes lol!
Holly has won NUMEROUS awards, books out months in advance and works SO HARD. Knowing Holly’s background and having grown up with her, it makes me appreciate her drive to succeed even more. Along with her willingness to succeed, she has a true gift for photography! The shots she captures are a result of nothing but a commitment to develop the gift she has been blessed with. She takes classes frequently, she is always working to better herself and never stops wanting to grow in her career. Holly doesn’t know it but she inspires me every day.
There isn’t enough I can say about my friend, she deserves to be hyped up to the fullest! (Even though she really doesn’t like this). She is always positive, always wanting to be better than she was yesterday, always trying to save a dollar (literally), and always puts her friends and family first.
I was able to ask Holly how she stays so positive and what advice she could give to inspire others, here’s what she said;
~What inspires you?
“I’m always inspired by other amazing entrepreneurs that are equally driven in their businesses! When I see entrepreneurs like myself working towards their goal, it drives me to strive for more in my business!”
~ What advice would you give women right now to help them feel their best?
“As a driven businesswoman, balancing life is so important and sometimes women can work EXTRA hard. I think it’s always important to take care of yourself and keep in mind to make the things that you value your priority. Once you learn how to balance everything evenly, it will all work out!”
~What are your favorite products or brands that keep you feeling beautiful and inspired?
“One brand that I absolutely love is Tres Chic! Whenever I’m attending an event or dressing up for something special, Brandi is my go to! She always finds the perfect item to compliment me!”
~What made you decide to become an entrepreneur?
” I discovered my love for photography & was so excited when I realized that I could make it into a business. I learned the foundation of business from working at Kaiser Permanente and over time, my photography skills increased from years of practicing. I was so busy working full time at Kaiser & full time with photography so I decided that doing photography what I wanted to thrive in and it was one of the best decisions I’ve made!”
~How would you say the world of health and beauty compliment each other?
“Health and Beauty are so important and definitely compliment each other. I’ve always believed that beauty starts from within, just how health has to do with how you take care of yourself from the inside out.”
~ What are 3 tips you would give to anyone who is feeling down or low about their self and wellbeing?
First, surround yourself with positive people! Finding a group of people who strive to be positive and keep reaching to become a better version of themselves is so important. Always consider this with your friends, family and even colleagues!
Second, talk to a friend! Sometimes when we are feeling down about something, a little human interaction and expressing yourself can help you to feel 100x’s better!
Lastly, take care of yourself. Self-care is so important! Whether you like to work out, eat something healthy, drink some water, spend time with a friend, take a nice bubble bath or enjoy the sun! All of these things make me feel better instantly!
Positivity and passion can take us such a long way! I really appreciate Holly’s drive to succeed and how positive she stays through the good and bad! Her story inspires me every time I think about it and I know reading this has inspired you!
Thank you so much Holly for being a part of Health is Beauty! Love ya!
Coming up next; Madi Ditler, Fitness & youtube influencer
Don’t miss Madi’s feature launching Saturday May 9 at 10am!