Are you stuck on the escalator?

At least thirty years ago I was at a Polaroid sales meeting. One of the managers was late and when people asked where he was, somebody yelled out, "The power went out. He's stuck on the escalator!" That set off a lot of chuckles about things that are simply stupid and make little sense in life.

Well, I've been working on a new book on marketing and last night I thought I had this great idea for the title, "Stuck on the Escalator".  Well, when checking this morning I found this video on YouTube and it's spectacular. Just trust me and enjoy the laugh. It's from Motivating Success and part of a whole series of great videos.

Most of you know where I'm going on this one...

When something doesn't go as planned, stop acting like you're stuck on the escalator! Seriously, over and over again I keep running into photographers new and well-seasoned who simply hit the panic button when something doesn't go as planned. We're an industry of way too many "Chicken Littles" and the sky is NEVER falling.

When you don't get the results you hoped for, you get to take a "mulligan" and another swing at the ball. It's not your only shot. Yes, there are some projects with more on the line than others, but the greatest thing about being in photography and being an entrepreneur, is having a chance to try things a different way.

One more analogy...Learning how to scuba dive isn't about swimming under water. In fact, it's a relatively easy sport to pick up.  Really learning to dive is about knowing what to do when something goes wrong. In the same respect, being a professional photographer is all about knowing what to do when something doesn't go as planned - it's the reason to make sure your skill set is the very  best. With every image, you shouldn't need to "chimp" because you know you got the shot.

With marketing, promotions, your blog, website and running a business you're going to make mistakes. People are going to let you down. You're going to have moments of disappointment. Here's where all those trite one liners about falling down and getting up come into play.

Even more important is the way your network can be involved. Keep building your network and in turn utilize it when you need support. Don't be afraid to hit the "help button" and, oh yeah...

I'm in your network too. If you're stuck and need help ask for it!

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