Finding Creative Success

This episode is about stretching yourself too thin and the next step in my life and what that means for Finding Creative Success.

John DeMato is a lifestyle portrait photographer and image content creator who works with high-level entrepreneurs and thought leaders of various industries to produce high-quality, highly-captionable images that present informational, entertaining and inspiring aspects of their brand to their followers. More than just a photographer, John sets his clients up for success beyond the portrait session by coaching them on how to best leverage their image content for their websites, social channels, blogs, publications, advertisements and various other needs. A former television producer, John has over 17 years of production experience, and has been featured as a portrait photographer expert on several NBC Universal daytime talk and reality shows.

Heather is a self taught and self motivated fine art portrait and wedding photographer. She started a clothing line called Photog Life two years ago which lead her into mentoring photographers that were just starting out or just stuck. She had a rough road getting to where she is today and she found that there was so much competition and not many photographers that were willing to mentor or help and she realized how much she loves it!

Joel Olivo is the founder of Joco Media, a boutique production company in NYC, that focuses on web content for brands and entrepreneurs.

Entrepreneur, speaker and author Pia Silva is a partner and brand strategist at Worstofall Design where they build “Badass Brands without the BS” for 1-3 person service businesses in 1-3 day intensives. She is also a Forbes contributor and author of Badass Your Brand: The Impatient Entrepreneur’s Guide to Turning Expertise into Profit.

All brands need a story to drive what makes them unique. Aside from selling on just yourself and selling on your USP, you need to have a story that helps you connect with your ideal client so that when they read your copy or see your Facebook post, they connect directly with you!

It's a new year and it's the perfect time to get your business on track! Start your year off in the best way possible by taking these 3 action steps to produce more income this year!

Get that work life balance in check. If there was ever a time to take a break then it is on Christmas!

Roxy is a Wedding Photographer with a career of 20 years now! Lover of strong coffee, her kids, her rescue dogs, and all things photography.   She is featured on OffbeatBride with the headline (Why it's impossible for this Charleston wedding photographer to take a bad photo)

It is SO important to define your niche so you know what to focus in on and so you can define what your Unique Selling Point will be. Without a Niche there are too many directions that you focus will be pulled and it will be more difficult to find a unique way to represent yourself.

Sam is a photographer who shoots only weddings. He has been published in multiple publications, teaches and speaks often at his own and other workshops Sam has been Featured in:   Southern Weddings Magazine Style Me Pretty Weddings Unveiled The Washington Post The Bride's Cafe Grace Ormonde Wedding Style Green Wedding Shoes The Knot Wedding Chicks Completely Unveiled OnceWed Borrowed and Blue

Jenna is a wedding and portrait photographer based in Hawaii. She considers herself an international photographer having started her business in 2009 when she lived in South Korea. She brought her business to America and now shoots upwards of 40 weddings per year throughout the islands of Hawaii. Jenna was named one of 2014's best wedding photographers by Denim and Grace, has a Fearless award, and has been featured on countless publications such as Style Me Pretty, Junebug Weddings and more. In 2017 Jenna hosted, organized and spoke at The HI On Life Photography Conference in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Ted & Rachel Linczak, M. Photog.Cr., are the owners and photographers of Linczak Photography and Nuvo Images. After starting their business in 2006, they quickly became one of the most sought after photography studios in Northeast Ohio, and in 2012 expanded their market reach with the Nuvo Images brand in Charleston, SC.   Ted’s style is glamorous and combines high fashion photography with photojournalism to display relationships and connections between his subjects. His instincts lead him off the beaten path as he continuously challenges himself to not only stay current in the field of wedding photography but also create new trends and set new precedents. His goal in education is to teach photographers the fundamentals of beautiful posing, lighting, and capturing the decisive moment.   Ted won the overall Grand Imaging Award from PPA in 2016 for his album 1863, which also was awarded the Gold Medallion Award by the American Society of Photographers. Ted received the 1st Place Grand Imaging Award in the Event Album category for one of his wedding albums at the 2017GIAs,and has placed in the top 3 for the category in both 2015 and 2014 (3rd and 2nd respectively), and in the top ten for 2015. Ted was named Photographer of the Year for 2017 in Ohio, and also carried the same title in both Ohio and South Carolina in 2015. The PPSC has awarded Ted the top wedding album award in both 2015 and 2016. Ted has won the 1st place award in the Wedding Album category in the SEPPA Print Competition in 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016, and one the 1st place award in the Non-Event Album Category for 2017. In February of 2016, Ted was awarded the Canon Par Excellence Award at the SEPPA Print Competition. Ted has placed in the top 3 in the non-event album category at the WPPI Print Competition for both 2014 and 2015 (3rd and 2nd respectively).

In this episode I want to talk about a problem that many people have but will most will deny having. I know because I denied having it for the longest time and this fear of success is worse than most problems because it spawns other issues like procrastination and stress that could have been avoided.

Ever been on hold with a company and the recording says “Thank you for waiting, your call is very important to us.” and think to yourself “well if my call is so important, why is it taking so long to answer?” That’s an example of bad customer service.    How do you deal with a customer who wants a refund? ($20 deposit story) Refund… Book “Shut up and Sell More Weddings and Events”  by Alan Berg (referred by Max Sadik)   have you ever shot a wedding and during the reception or right before you leave the couple tells you what an amazing job you have done and they haven’t even seen a picture that you have taken? They aren’t impressed with your pictures, they are impressed with you. A great experience will have people praising you even if your work isn’t as good as some of today’s top photographers. They will love your business for the experience. A bad experience with amazing pictures will lead to a bad bottom line. Treat all of your customers like they are the light at the end of the tunnel and you want them to be ecstatic with your work AND service!   Bridezillas aren’t born, they are created. Conversation with Nathan Hill. Most of the time it’s the vendors fault that the bridezilla is that way.  

This topic is so important I am acting on it with this episode! Know your audience!!

Don't waste your time perfecting things that push back your overall success. Launch, then learn as you go!

I have had my fair share of time wasting tasks that I have deemed “necessary” because I didn’t know better. Many of these time wasters are what I call “black holes of opportunity” because the possibilities are endless but they are also tasks that I shouldn’t be concerned about mastering. Focusing on the correct things and executing them better each time compounds into success. Whenever you try to make things to complicated they often end up being a weaker product and don’t accurately represent the effort that you put into them. Don’t let the execution of a task ruin the amount of effort you put into it!

Melissa Jill is an internationally recognized Phoenix-based wedding photographer who has been shooting weddings for 14 years. She photographs 10-15 high-end weddings a year and also has 6 associate photographers who shoot weddings under her brand at lower price points. Over the years, she has developed an extensive database of free information for photographers on her blog. She also mentors photographers one-on-one. She started an album design company called Align Album Design years ago that helps photographers world-wide streamline their album workflow. She is passionate about business, has worked hard to maximize the efficiency and profitability of her studio, and loves helping other photographers do the same.

Janet E Johnson started her online career selling products on eBay in 1998. Her company website is www.JanetEJohnson.com. She runs an agency and has online courses in the areas of strategy and content, Facebook marketing and advertising, Pinterest marketing and video marketing. In her career, she has worked with both large brands and smaller businesses. Her success in social media and background in education helped her launch her 2-year old podcast, Business Growth Time, which was recently featured as one of the Top 25 Social Media Podcasts by Report Garden.   Janet is the creator of the online social media training course, Social Strategies 101, hosts the Business Growth Time podcast, and has been featured on Social Media Today, CNN, Entrepreneur, Smartbrief, Inbound.org, and National Institute of Social Media.

Janet E Johnson started her online career selling products on eBay in 1998. Her company website is www.JanetEJohnson.com. She runs an agency and has online courses in the areas of strategy and content, Facebook marketing and advertising, Pinterest marketing and video marketing. In her career, she has worked with both large brands and smaller businesses. Her success in social media and background in education helped her launch her 2-year old podcast, Business Growth Time, which was recently featured as one of the Top 25 Social Media Podcasts by Report Garden.   Janet is the creator of the online social media training course, Social Strategies 101, hosts the Business Growth Time podcast, and has been featured on Social Media Today, CNN, Entrepreneur, Smartbrief, Inbound.org, and National Institute of Social Media.

Jeremy  Andrew Davis works for Flite Test, the largest online aviation community. Flite Test is YouTube centric as their hub and they branch out into other platforms from there. I wanted to bring Jeremy on to talk about how to use video in your marketing and organic reach through youtube and other social media platforms.

What it means to be a "Professional"

 I recently had a few discussions about my brands quality and how to take it to the next level. This is some of the takeaways I had from my conversations and recent coaching call with some amazing new videographers! 

Everyone has those tasks that they have to do over and over and they take up precious time that you could be using to grow your business instead of just going through the motions. Something I implemented in my business after listening to Kate Erickson was a set of systems in different areas to help increase my productivity and get those tasks done faster.

The absolute best way to grow your business.

  Your first impression for people can make or break a potential sale. There are multiple fronts that you need to think about when you are perfecting your First Impression. 1) You business card - The art of Designing a business card is lost. People think that you need a ton of information and cheesy graphics to have an effective card when actually the opposite is true. Your goal should be to have an amazing quality card that succinctly tells people what you do, shows your brand, and tells people how to get in touch with you or learn more. My card is a thick white card with my logo and services on one side, My simple contact info on the other (email, phone number, website), and a nice photo of me. Why? The logo and main services offered on one side shows my brands style and what we do clearly with no noise. The back side tells people how to get in touch with me or learn more about my services. Having the Picture ads character to the card so people can put a face with the name on the card. I once heard cards with personal pictures on them are more likely to be held on to because of the connection the person can make. "If people see your business card and they don't make a positive comment about it, throw it in the garbage can where it belongs." - Steve Sisler in "The Sweet Spot" I went to a chamber meeting last week where I won a drawing for a gift card by putting my business card in a bucket. I was happy because I had won. The real victory came the next day when the chamber rep (who is a graphic design professor at a college as well) emailed me just to say "...Going through business cards from last night. LOVE your new card, Matt!" No other comment or prior email chain. My card stood out so much to her that she emailed me to tell me how much she loved it! Make cards that give people THAT reaction! 2) Your Website - If you are going to have a website then do it right. Yes, there are free websites where you can get started but I suggest budgeting at least a little to put toward a website to remove any branding from the hosting company. This is YOUR virtual storefront so only have your logo on it. It's like setting up a store but letting someone else put their logo all over it. Also, own your URL. None of that Blogspot.yourname.comGo spend the $20 on the domain and domain privacy to look more professional. My favorite comment that we have had from a potential bride was when she put in our contact form that "finding your website was like a breath of fresh air!" We actually went to dinner with that couple and they said that they loved how professional our website was and that it showed our personality and not just our videos and technological jargon about how high quality our cameras are. They were able to connect with us on our site and because of that they wanted to hire us. In that instance, my website sold our services before we even had to talk to the couple. It makes selling so much easier when clients like you before they even talk to you. 3) Your social media - your social media is your living connection to your clients and future clients. All of your social accounts should have the same style and voice as your website. I've seen photographers promote engagement photos on Instagram, Headshot/corporate photos on their website, and nothing on Facebook. Find out what your brands style and voice is first so that can be communicated across all platforms. We only have 289 followers on our business Instagram account and have seriously slacked off on posting lately and we STILL get leads because our style and voice is clear across our First Impression Points. 4) Above and Beyond - The first three things are basics and a great starting point but there are many other places that you can have a first impression that needs to be controlled in the same way. You need to have a clear brand, style, and voice in order to make a great first impression. Maybe you are going to wrap your car for branding, put up a billboard, or sponsor an event where you will have a booth set up. I spent $2000 on Merch & design for my booth at Southeast Photo Convention and I could have easily spent another $2000 to get it where I wanted it. Where ever your brand is going to be in front of potential new clients, it needs to represent it well. Bonus - How to achieve "Done is better than perfect" while having success with your first impressions. You have heard me say before that Done is BETTER than perfect. I love that saying and I live by it so much so that my wife would say it's to a fault sometimes. You can't spend days working on every little thing that you are going to put out there to promote your business. The best thing you can do is to create a clear brand for your business so you know exactly what meets your standards quickly. Know what fonts represent your brand, what colors are on brand, what lingo you use, what your photo style is for social media and the website, what is your business niche? These things should come across with your posts. If you are a photographer who is known for your light filled pictures with bright primary colors then don't post a dark/moody photo with muted colors. Yes, it might look stunning but it is going to confuse your brand. Get that picture printed and hang it in your house if it makes you feel better but don't let it confuse your brand. I know photographers that have won major awards (still trying to talk them into being on the show) and when I see a photo on social, I can tell if it's theirs without even looking at who posted it. Their style is that engrained in their brand so much that it stands out to everyone!

Vincent Pugliese is, first and foremost, a husband to his wife Elizabeth and the proud dad of their three boys, Andrew, Nolan and Dylan.   Vincent has been a professional photographer for more than twenty two years and has photographed just about every assignment imaginable, having photographed three United States Presidents, and his work has been published in nearly every newspaper throughout the globe, as well as hundreds of magazines and various publications. Vincent and his wife own and run Elizabeth Vincent Photography, which specializes in documentary wedding photography, corporate work and professional sports.   Vincent is an international award winning sports photographer, having photographed every major sporting event, including the Super Bowl, the World Series, the NHL Finals, the Kentucky Derby and even Wrestlemania!   In 2018, Vincent’s first book, Freelance to Freedom, will be released by Morgan James Publishing. It is the story of how he and his wife went from low paying jobs and debilitating debt to a life of financial and time freedom with their children. Elizabeth and Vincent, who live in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, now homeschool their three boys. In the past few years, Vincent has added coaching men "live a life of financial, time and life freedom, specifically through the world of self-employment.” 

This week I wanted to talk to you about something that has been bugging me this week. Niching down. This is huge in business because it allows you to define your audience an you can do that by injecting your own personality into you brand. Defining your audience is something we have talked about a few times on the podcast because it is that important. Find out what you love doing, then find out who you love doing it with so you can target that specific type of person in any marketing and advertising. If you love shooting music videos for rock and roll bands only then you can better market to those people instead of just taking any work that comes your way because it pays. If someone tells you not to niche down because you will lose money then thank them for their advice and go do the exact opposite. Once you get known for 1 (ONE!) thing then you can make bank. Don’t take headshot jobs if you want to be a wedding photographer. Find a headshot photographer that you can refer it to so you get to build relationships and some reciprocity never hurts. Throwing a wide net for jobs works in the beginning because it allows you to find out what you love to do but once you figure that out, hammer into that with everything you have!

Stacy L. Pearsall got her start as an Air Force photographer at the age of 17. During her time in service, she traveled to over 41 countries, and attended the Military Photojournalism Program at S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. During three combat tours, she earned the Bronze Star Medal and Air Force Commendation with Valor for combat actions in Iraq. Though disabled and retired from military service, Pearsall continues to work worldwide as an independent photographer, and is an author, educator, military consultant, public speaker and founder of the Veterans Portrait Project. Presently, Pearsall’s work is featured in a joint exhibition, “The Face of Battle, Americans at War 9/11 to Now,” at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery.   Pearsall was one of only two women to win National Press Photographers Association (NPPA) Military Photographer of the Year competition, and the only woman to have earned it twice. She's been awarded the Carolinas Freedom Foundation Freedom Award, honored with the Daughters of the American Revolution Margaret Cochran Corbin Award, lauded by the White House as a Champion of Change, and holds an honorary doctoral degree from The Citadel. Pearsall has served as a nominating juror for the Pulitzer Prize and held a presidential-appointed board member position for the NPPA. She’s held a position on the advisory board of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at The Citadel since 2009.   While transitioning out of military service in 2008, Pearsall purchased the Charleston Center for Photography (CCP). She grew the once grass roots photo club into a reputable brand for photography education, studio rentals, fine art print labs and gallery under one roof. As CCP grew, so did her personal endeavors with the Veterans Portrait Project. In order to pursue her personal project full time, Pearsall sold the CCP in the fall of 2013.   The PDN “Personal Project” award-winning series Veterans Portrait Project (VPP) began while Pearsall rehabilitated from combat injuries sustained in Iraq. Spending hours in VA waiting rooms surrounded by veterans from every generation and branch of service, Pearsall was compelled to honor and thank them in the only way she knows how, photography. Pearsall has traveled coast to coast documented roughly 6,000 veterans in over 100+ engagements in 27 states, hosted numerous community-based exhibitions showcasing veterans from their respective hometowns, and took part in a USAA sponsored YouTube docu-series of her adventures on the road. In honor of the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War, and those who fought valiantly, several VPP images are displayed on the walls within the Pentagon.   Between her photography, teaching and speaking engagements, Pearsall completed her first photography book, Shooter: Combat from Behind the Camera, which received worldwide praise as "A book of the highest levels in the annals of combat journalism." And her second book, A Photojournalist's Field Guide: In the Trenches with Combat Photographer Stacy Pearsall, is "A must have for every aspiring photographer out there, and even pros can pick up a few new tricks to help them become better photographers."

Michael has been an influence on my life for years now. He has shot video for Tony Robbins, Events on Necker Island, Jonathan fields, and many more! Michael is all about taking massive imperfect action and you can find out more about him at Takemia.com!   Michael is also an inspirational speaker who has reached thousands of people and I am excited to bring him on the show to share his expertise with you! 

Prices is always something Creatives struggle with so I am here to help you determine how you should decide what to charge and when your clients should pay you so that you have healthy cashflow.

My top 5 tips from this year. 1 YEAR of podcasting and learning from some of the best minds in the industry! with over 10,000 downloads, time has gone by so quickly and I hope it helps out thousands and thousands more!!

Have you ever wondered what would happen if you actually stopped your every day activities and just took some abnormally large action to make your goals a reality? Change your future by Taking big action in the present!

There is a beautiful balance between capturing the “art” and capturing the “moment”. Both are equally as important and help create your story. There are so many fleeting memories in life and It’s her honor to capture those.   Although Shannon's background is in fashion photography, she quickly learned that her heart was in weddings, boudoir, and families. The fact that she's able to capture some of the moments that we will never get back is something that really hits home for her.

I have been passionate about setting bigger goals lately. I have seen too many people set goals that won’t make a difference in their life: a new camera, an xbox, a car, etc… so I wanted to tackle the idea of setting goals so big that people laugh at you. Goals so big that even if you only get halfway to the goal, you will have accomplished so much that people can’t help but respect you. That’s how you set a big goal!

Sierra is a wedding & family photographer based in Central Florida. Specializing in authentic moments in vibrant color, she thrives on connection. Ultimately helping people LOVE having their photo taken.   Her personality is mix of contradictions: A love of health and fitness with an addiction to mac and cheese. She has an adoration of the infamous business hustle, but still a deep rooted appreciation for adventuring in the quiet outdoors with her husband.   Sierra has won:  - 2017 Orlando's BOW Awards "Best of Weddings" #1 wedding photographer - Lake Business Magazine "30 Under 30" Young professionals making a name for themselves in business. - Featured: Huffington Post, North Central FL Bride Magazine, Southern Celebrations Magazine, Borrowed & Blue, How He Asked.

I wanted to take this week to talk to you directly. I'm calling out something I'm tired of seeing in our industry and asking for a favor. Once you listen to this episode I want you to crush your goals!

Anthony Tran runs accesswp.com and marketingaccesspass.com - AccessWP isUnlimited WordPress Support service by U.S. based developers for $99 per month and Marketing access Pass is a Custom Wordpress web Design Service!

The Sales Evangelist himself joins us on today's episode so we can learn to become better sales men and women and increase our business!

Josh is a 24 year old thrill seeker, CrossFit addict, and film photographer passionate about life. He has photographed hundreds of weddings all over the country including, Florida, Chicago, Colorado, Puerto Rico, and New York just to name a few. His work has been featured on national blogs such as Style Me Pretty, Green Weddings Shoes, and also published in The Knot and The Celebration Society magazines along with a few others. He love’s the Lord and his family before his business but he absolutely loves what he does!

Brittani and Jon Hon from The Hons Photo & episode of 8 of the podcast are back for round 2 to show us what's changed in their business, what they are offering new, and shedding a whole lot of light on some pretty great business tips!

Eric has A degree in management information systems isn’t the most likely way to launch a marketing career, but Eric started down that path, only to realize that he’s both right AND left-brained – which is the perfect mix for a creative, analytics-driven strategist. Today, with 12+ years of experience, he’s a expert in social media, content marketing, business development and branding. Delivering highly effective, award-winning creative work, forging meaningful relationships with clients and executing innovative strategies for home-run digital and traditional campaigns are what make him tick.

Gian has had a great adventure in life which has led him to being an inspiration in the photography world. Recently Gian has been named one of Rangefinders top 30 rising stars of 2016 and he even got to be on the speaking panel at WPPI in 2017! Gian wrote a really amazing article about why he does what he does and if I read it I couldn’t do it justice. I am going to put it on his episode highlight page for you to go over and be inspired. go over to findingcreativesuccess.com and check it out for yourself!

Anna is a self Described photo historian for modern couples. She has been shooting weddings since 2010 and has been full time since 2013 shooting more than 45 weddings a year!   Throughout her career she has been HIGHLY published photographer in the wedding and commercial world. In weddings, her work has been featured on Grace Ormonde wedding style magazine, moment junkie, the knot, gulf shore bride, storyboard weddings, trendy bride and trendy groom. Her commercial work has been picked up by Rob Report, Cigar press, smoke, cigar snob, Town and Country magazine, Gulfshore Life, and Naples illustrated!

Katie is a hybrid film wedding photographer traveling the world capturing the most precious memories for others and chasing her dreams in the process. Her desire is to capture tangible love and share it with a world that's in desperate need of it's reminder. She's been blessed to be a professional photographer for the past 10 years, 6 of which have been full time. She loves sharing her client's creativity with others and has been published on Style Me Pretty, Southern Weddings, 100 Layer Cake, Wedding Sparrow and many other inspirational wedding blogs.

 Elizabeth’s father was a photographer and he instilled in her a love for photography by making sure that Elizabeth was comfortable on both sides of the camera. Today Elizabeth is an Award winning international wedding photographer who passion is to defy the boring and create memorable, timeless, and interesting images for those she photographs!

Catalina Jean is a wedding photographer based in Portland, OR who specializes in capturing artistic portraits paired with storytelling moments. She has been published in numerous blogs and magazines. She is most inspired by exploring human connection, in-between moments, and the contrast of dark shadows. Her passions include marketing, customer service, finding your ideal client, scotch, her crazy Boston Terriers, and which Mean Girls quotes apply to life. (which are all of them, obviously)

Ben is a Fine Art Wedding & Commercial Photographer based out of East TN. He shoots around 20 weddings in 8-10 different states annually and his Commercial projects make up around 50% of his work. Ben Shoots for brands such as BlueCross BlueShield, Team Health, FITS Socks, PhotoBarn, and more. His work has been featured on close to two dozen magazine covers as well as national and international blogs.

Caleb Pike runs DSLR Video Shooter where he trains youtubers and filmmakers to make better videos through tutorials and gear reviews. He also runs the Video Shooter academy where he offers premium training for those looking to step up their video game.

Aislinn Kate grew up as a “Picture Person with a cheap disposable camera in hand, but it never occurred to her to take a photography class. Instead she went on to graduate from Yale with a degree in Literature and started a short career teaching High school english. In 2007 her husband gave her a new DSLR, 8 months later she shot her first wedding and the rest is history!   Today Aislinn’s company is in downtown Pensacola where she has two full-time associate photographers, as well as several part-time assistants. They do around 85 weddings a year as well as smaller editorial, corporate, and personal shoots on a daily bases. Aislinn’s work has been featured on the Today Show, Good Morning America, The Huffington Post, Buzzfeed, and numerous wedding blogs.     When she's not working, you can find her chasing around her two kids, playing music with her husband in their home studio (also known as their “living room”), and drinking coffee.