This Is the Studio I Was Meant to Build

At the top of the year, I had a setback: I lost my job.

And in that moment, I had a choice—to bet on myself, or to find another 9–5 and let that quiet, familiar doubt in the back of my mind call the shots.

I didn’t know what would come next, but I knew I didn’t want to keep shrinking.
So I said, let’s go, and I chose myself.

Since then, I’ve been in learning mode—through more than 30 hours of formal coursework, yes, but also through quiet reflection. I spent time observing, listening, and asking harder questions. The kind that don’t come with tidy answers. What do I actually want to build? What kind of work brings me back to myself? And what connects all the seemingly separate parts of my creative life?

Because for a long time, I’ve carried the pressure to choose. Pick a lane. Commit to a niche. Make things easier to explain.

But I’ve always had multiple passions—strategy, writing, photography, storytelling. Every time I tried to force myself into just one box, something felt off. Like I was erasing part of the reason I started creating in the first place.

Because at the root of it, my work has never been about the format. It’s always been about the feeling.

Whether I’m writing conversion copy for a brand or photographing someone who’s never liked a photo of themselves, my goal is the same: to help people feel seen. In their message. In their story. In their skin.

And so, Leanne Gelish Studio was reimagined—not as a pivot, but as a homecoming.
A space where strategy and photography can live side by side, because for me, they always have.

There’s been a lot happening behind the scenes.

I quietly built and ran a faceless Instagram brand to better understand funnels—without the personal stakes. I earned promotions in both of my remote roles, deepening my skill set and leadership. I kept a small, thoughtful roster of freelance clients. And I kept building—Aunt Loretta’s Kitchen, Soul Sessions, my Substack, my studio site.

At times, it felt disconnected. Until I asked the right question.

Not what’s the product?
But what’s the thread?

Did I really want to become a food influencer? Or did I just love inviting people to the table?

It’s the latter. It’s always been the latter.

Because everything I’ve created—every brand, post, photo, funnel—has come from the same place: a desire to make people feel welcome. To create community. To help others show up more fully in their own lives.

That kind of clarity doesn’t come in a flash. It comes after doubt. And trust me, I’ve had plenty of it. But I’ve learned that doubt isn’t a stop sign—it’s an invitation to go deeper. It shows up right before things start to make sense.

And once they did, I knew what I needed to do: simplify.

To stop compartmentalizing my creativity.
To stop asking for permission to be multifaceted.
To let everything I do exist under one roof—strategic, visual, soulful.

Leanne Gelish Studio is that roof. A creative studio rooted in soul. A space where brand direction, messaging, and content systems sit alongside storytelling, photography, and emotional clarity.

Some days, I’m helping a founder clarify her voice and relaunch with confidence.
Other days, I’m photographing a woman in the middle of becoming—capturing not just how she looks, but who she is.

It’s all connected. It always has been.

And what I’ve come to realize is this:
I don’t want to be the busiest person in the room.
I want to be the most intentional.

I want to work with people who care—about their work, their message, and how it makes others feel.
I want to build community, not just a client list.
I want to create from a place that’s honest, sustainable, and creatively free.

So this is me, beginning again—with more clarity, more care, and more conviction.
Not chasing everything. Just building something that feels like home.

For me. For the people I work with.
For anyone who’s ever felt like their story was too much or not enough.

If you’ve read this far—thank you. Whether you’re a client, a collaborator, or someone quietly figuring it out—I hope this studio makes you feel like you belong, too.