Portrait by Taru

Portrait by Taru Personalized Portrait Storyteller | Celebrating A Woman’s Journey | Luxury Photography Studio, Minnesota MN

Minnesota's Luxury Portrait Studio specializing in elegant maternity, school senior, child and family photography by Taru Chhaya

Authentic Expressions in a Relaxed Session, Celebrating You!

What's your pivot story?That was the underlying question we explored today at Purpose Fueled.Hosting Molly Monahan,the r...
06/05/2026

What's your pivot story?
That was the underlying question
we explored today at Purpose Fueled.

Hosting Molly Monahan,
the regular host of the Plymouth location,
brought a beautiful energy to the room
as we reflected on the turns life takes us on.

It's easy to look at someone's LinkedIn profile
and see a straight line of success.

But when you get in a room and really listen,
you see the zig-zags.

You see the human.

It was a reminder,
that connection isn't about networking.
It's about resonance.

It's about seeing yourself in someone else's story.

How was your Friday morning? 👀

P.S. Apologies to anyone who got cropped,
cut off, or caught mid-expression😊
The conversation was far more memorable than the picture!

Life can be breathtakingly beautiful,and then shatter in an instant.Julie Schmolke's early life was an adventure,five ye...
05/27/2026

Life can be breathtakingly beautiful,

and then shatter in an instant.

Julie Schmolke's early life was an adventure,
five years on the road traveling the horse-racing circuit,
living out of a suitcase and exploring the country.

Back in Minnesota, she met the love of her life,
and for 21 years they’ve built a home
filled with warmth and laughter,
even as they faced the heartbreak of not having children.

Then, in a devastatingly short span of time,
her world collapsed.

She faced the heart-wrenching losses of her
brother,
her cherished horse,
her mother,
and her sister.

In the midst of that grief,
her husband underwent triple bypass surgery.

The pillars of her world were shaken and
life suddenly felt profoundly lonely.

So what does a person do when surrounded by sorrow?

She creates JOY (Julie Organizes You)

Julie’s business, JOY Home Organizing,
"Lose clutter. Feel Better”
is about much more than creating pretty closets.

She helps people clear the path forward
when life feels messy,
something she understands deeply.

Her journey is a reminder that life is fragile,
yet the heart remains strong,
proof that grief and grace can coexist.

💬Where have You found strength you didn’t know you had?

🌿

I deeply believe in “being present,”but sometimes being present "somewhere else"is the only way to "protect your peace."...
05/20/2026

I deeply believe in “being present,”
but sometimes being present "somewhere else"
is the only way to "protect your peace."

Once in a while, I find myself stuck
in a conversation that feels
endlessly negative and draining.

So here’s what I do:

→ Try to gently shift the topic or perspective.
→ Excuse myself for a “water break”.
→ Take a deep breath and mentally wander away ... 😊

Curious 👀
How do You escape a conversation,
that’s draining your battery? 🔋

🌿

Have you ever walked through adifficult season in your life?If you have, like my friend Katie (Inouye) Mednickyou know t...
05/14/2026

Have you ever walked through a
difficult season in your life?

If you have, like my friend Katie (Inouye) Mednick
you know that finding a way through
isn’t having all the answers.

It’s about returning to yourself.

After building, leading, and exiting a software company,
she’s now creating Alumah
with a different intention,
and I feel deeply aligned with it.

In a world that often feels loud, fast, and disconnected,
it’s a space that gently guides you
back inward,
back to clarity,
back to yourself.

🌿📱A private space in an app for reflection, meditation,
journaling, and discovering the next right step.

Because becoming someone new isn’t the answer
But remembering who you already is.

✨

Liz Higgins’journey reflects resilience.She had a passion for creating homes,flipped three houses andbuilt her own real ...
05/07/2026

Liz Higgins’
journey reflects resilience.

She had a passion for creating homes,
flipped three houses and
built her own real estate team,
turning her vision into tangible success.

But the 2008 financial crisis brought unexpected challenges:
✨she lost her business,
✨navigated a divorce,
✨and had to start over.

With courage and determination,
Liz rebuilt her career as a Private Mortgage Banker.

Along the way,
she raised her four kids ...
while balancing the weight of a new beginning.

These days some of her favorite moments,
are the simplest ones ...

Quiet evenings by the lake,
laughing with her husband over playful little bets,
and dreaming together about where life might take them next.

Liz also serves as a board member
of the Wayzata West Metro Chamber
and is the founding member of the
Women EmpowHer Network,
using her experience to uplift and inspire others.

Somehow through all the seasons she has lived through,
Liz still carries a warmth about her,
the kind that makes you believe
joy can survive even the hardest chapters.💛

When I first met Liz, I’ll admit ...
I was a little intimidated.
But behind her strength
is someone incredibly kind and humble.

💬 Have You ever found yourself again after a hard season?




“How do you stop caring about what people think of you?”My 11-year-old daughter asked me this,and I’m so glad she did, b...
05/06/2026

“How do you stop caring about what people think of you?”

My 11-year-old daughter asked me this,
and I’m so glad she did, because at her age,
I didn’t even think to question it.

It took me decades to find the answer.

It wasn’t by ignoring the world.
It was by gently choosing my focus.

I gave my mind better things to hold:
✨ My intentions.
✨ My family.
✨ My purpose.

And somewhere along the way,
the noise got softer.

When my mind is full of what truly matters,
there’s simply less space for what doesn’t.

So I told her…

there are far more meaningful things to think about
than what others think of you. 😊

💬 How would You have answered her?





This is what afun-filled, Purpose Fueled Friday morningwith Molly Monahan, looks like.A room full of conversation and ge...
05/01/2026

This is what a
fun-filled, Purpose Fueled Friday morning
with Molly Monahan, looks like.

A room full of conversation and genuine presence
some amazing new people,
some old friends and
some who, in just a few moments,
felt like old friends 🙂

To each one of you, thank YOU! 💛

Grateful to Mick White and the whole team
for creating a space where
we find our people
and fuel our purpose.



In pictures: Molly Monahan, Terri Jo Halverson, Rainy Yelich, Sarah Kerbeshian, Gretchen Knutson, Cindy Daniels, Sharon Barczak.

Kamden Nute was taking the pictures :)

PS: Were you there? Please let me know in the comments, I’d love to celebrate you here! 😊

PPS: There were 3 moms there with their sons … guess who 😉

PPPS: Who am I seeing at The Devil Wears Prada tonight? 👀

Cate Smith Abbott is the Vice President,Creative and Content at UnitedHealthcare.In the corporate world, she is known fo...
04/30/2026

Cate Smith Abbott is the Vice President,
Creative and Content at UnitedHealthcare.

In the corporate world,
she is known for her strategic expertise.

But to those who know her,
it’s the heart she brings that builds
meaning in everything she does.

What struck me most when we spoke was her quiet humanity.

Cate has moved through difficult seasons
and emerged with a deeper gratitude,
an ever-expanding empathy for those
navigating their own challenges.

She is the human who reaches out to a former colleague
battling cancer, simply to offer support … just genuine care.

Beyond her role, she is so much more:

A woman who describes herself simply as resilient.
A lifelong lover of jewelry who once dreamed of being a jewelry designer.
As someone who chose to leave a chapter of her story untold, not out of denial, but because she saw herself as whole beyond it.

There was such quiet strength in that choice.

The stories of our life aren’t scripted.
They unfold in the pauses, in the patience, and in grace.

💬 What defines You beyond your role?





Pause. Pivot. Rise.After a decade of documenting thejourneys of women across the globe,I’ve noticed a pattern.Every woma...
04/29/2026

Pause. Pivot. Rise.

After a decade of documenting the
journeys of women across the globe,
I’ve noticed a pattern.

Every woman was asked to pause.

For health.
For motherhood.
For the moments,
when life refused to align with our plans.

And in those silences, the pivot appears.

It isn’t a retreat from ambition,
it is a deepening of it.
A return to self.

A redefinition of what success looks like,
and what truly matters.

And then comes the rise.

A rise in fulfillment.
A rise into who You are
meant to be, beyond the role.

💬 Have You ever experienced a moment of pause or pivot?






I always wish,my younger self knew what I know now.So I did the next best thing,I went and told her… and him. 😊I had the...
04/24/2026

I always wish,

my younger self knew what I know now.

So I did the next best thing,
I went and told her… and him. 😊

I had the opportunity to speak with
the young men and women at the
Wayzata High School Photography Club.

Here’s what I shared:

• Your audience is always human.
Your subject may not be.

• The true goal of your work
is to make someone feel something… anything.

• Your why matters more than your how.
And discovering it takes time.

Honestly …
I'm still learning what I wish I knew back then. 😊



💬 What would You tell your younger self today?





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Plymouth, MN

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Tuesday 9:30am - 3pm
Wednesday 9:30am - 3pm
Thursday 9:30am - 3pm
Friday 9:30am - 3pm

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+16123223113

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