  by Skip Cohen I just finished listening to this podcast from the past. What I like most about it is its relevance. There is no spoilage in great service and building a solid brand in your community. This podcast is especially jam-packed with ideas, as Scott and I wanted to get a little more specific. We shared ten tips to help you build a stronger business. But looking through the SCU archives, I found another short gem from a guest post Scott did many years ago, related to the importance of making sure your customers know you care and that you know your customers! Happy Friday! Do You Care About Your Customers?by Scott Bourne
If you want to sell photography (or anything else) you should spend more time caring about what your customers care about and less about everything else. Your customers don't care what your Klout score is, which of your lenses is the sharpest or which brand you shoot with. Your customers care about having photographs that make them (and their families) look good. That's it. That's all. The online camera forums are full of discussions about photography but, not the people who buy photography. Want to stand out? Want to get ahead of your peers, including those with nicer gear and more experience than you? Simply start caring about your customers. Put all your focus (pun intended) on them and their needs. This is NOT about you. This IS about them. The sooner you realize that - the sooner you'll start to thrive as a professional photographer. Let the nerds in the photo forums duke it out about which lens is sharper. You go out and make your customers happy by paying attention to their needs and making them look their best. You'll win every time.
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 Click to view in the SCU Lightbox by Skip Cohen
It's my favorite day of the week, and I'm turning back the clock to a trip to New York for Photo Plus East in 2009. I picked four of my favorites from the stash to make a very specific point - some of the very best memories are made catching up with friends at conventions. Sure, we go for the education and networking, but there's that very special aspect of "fun" that jumps in and never fades in the years following. Remember "fun?" It's a special word that these days is lost in the challenges of business, the economy, and sadly, politics and the news. But even on the most stressful days, looking back at old photographs brings some great backstories bubbling to the surface and out from under the "baggage" that wears us down. What made this show so special for me that trip was that it was the first time I went to a convention with NOTHING to do except enjoy the show and catch up to friends. It was just after leaving Rangefinder Publishing and WPPI. I wasn't speaking or teaching, had no booth assignment, and it was Sheila's first "real" trip to NYC. Sheila and I had moved in together in May of 2009, and PPE was in October. The day started with catching up to Tony Corbell and Nick Vedros, and enough time for a fast super-hero pose, perfected by Vedros himself. Then we caught good buddy Matthew Jordan Smith on the convention floor and finished one of the days with Tony for sushi and a walk through Times Square. If you haven't gone off on the hunt for throwback photographs, grab a coffee and take a few minutes. Old photographs remind us of great friendships, the important role photography plays in everyone's life, and backstories that just make us smile! Happy Throwback Thursday!  by Skip Cohen
It's Marketing Monday, and I want to continue with my "Drilling Down" series. You're looking forward to a great year and need to pay close attention to everything under the Customer Service umbrella. Great service isn't just about your active clients; it's about ALL your interactions with your target audience. It's about building a reputation for excellence and a brand known for exceeding expectations. Just for a second, think about any company you love working with. It might be a favorite restaurant, a supermarket or even a major corporation like Amazon. For example, we do a significant amount of shopping online at Amazon. I can usually find anything we need. First, Amazon ALWAYS delivers. At a time when USPS, UPS, and FedEx take turns at being underwhelming, Amazon is consistently delivering on time. Second, their Customer Service team is pretty remarkable. I can call their 800 number, express my disappointment with an order, and have it resolved in minutes. And there are often times when I don't need to even return the defective or damaged merchandise to receive credit. THEY EXCEED EXPECTATIONS! Here's a check-off list for your business:
Here's the bottom line, and I'm paraphrasing what I've learned from good friends Tim and Beverly Walden over the years. Working with you should be an experience. You're not selling a portrait session, or for that matter, an album, prints, or video - you're selling the fun of working with you and building trust with your audience. Tony Corbell says it best when he talks about things he did when he first started his business, "I wasn't the best photographer in town, but I was going to make sure I was the nicest!" He's never strayed from that philosophy, although today, he really is one of the best!  Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass. It's about learning how to dance in the rain. Vivian Green by Skip Cohen
It's Sunday, and even if you're relatively new to following this blog, you know that one day a week, I go with whatever's on my mind. And even though one of the fundamental rules of social media is to not get too personal, that's what Sunday Morning Reflections are all about. I first read the quote above many years ago, and it became part of my personal mantra, along with I do it because I can, I can because I want to, I want to because you said I couldn't! Whatever the crisis I was dealing with, whether personal or business, my goal was to always be dancing in the rain. But as I look back on the last year or so, I'm hardly alone - everyone is living in a flood zone! No matter who you are, when or where you grew up, everyone has someone who tried to teach them any one of dozens of one-liner how-to-live-your-life quotes. One of my grandmothers loved "Every cloud has a silver lining," while the other was "A stitch in time saves nine," and "Don't cry over spilled milk." The list goes on and on. We're living in a volatile world, and EVERYONE has been learning to dance in the rain. From a government that's forgotten about "We the People" to the challenges in the economy, the war in Iran, and Mother Nature's wrath with plenty of real rain and severe storms, we could all win "Dancing With the Stars" based on how we deal with each new challenge. With the quote above, Lou Mitchell wrote, ...Instead of postponing happiness until the perfect moment, find joy amid the chaos. Learn to adapt, grow, and find beauty even in the stormiest times. This mindset shift can transform how we experience life, allowing us to thrive regardless of circumstances. And there's my point this wonderful-to-be-alive Sunday morning. They say that with age comes wisdom. In all honesty, I don't think it's wisdom so much as the ever-growing list of experiences, the people we meet, and the shifting priorities in our lives. I've learned that I could never stay positive by myself - it really does "take a village." For me, that village is Sheila, two pups, and a very small group of very special friends. It's about appreciating every day, and those intense walks down Memory Lane. I've learned to savor my past, and so many people who came into my life along parts of my journey I never anticipated. And looking forward to the future, I cherish each morning with the enthusiasm of a little kid wondering what the day ahead is going to bring. It's hard not to get sappy this morning, because even with the highs and lows, I love my life. It's not the life I imagined I'd have, and I hate being estranged from my family, but that doesn't take away from how lucky and blessed I feel for everything I have. Each of us has a different story to share, and nobody got here today following the same path as anybody else. Yet here I am, happy, content, and so grateful for how many of you have played a role. Wishing everybody a day ahead that's filled with peace and positivity. In a world that's upside down, each of us can only work on our little piece of it. Go for those eleven-second therapeutic hugs I always write about, and with your "huggee," think about how important they are in your life. What would your life be like without them? Better yet, how can life get even better with them in it? Happy Sunday...or Monday on the other side of the world.  Click to enlarge in the SCU Lightbox  by Skip Cohen
It's Throwback Thursday, and after so many years of weekly posts, it's getting harder to find images and stories I haven't already published. In fact, I started this post revisiting a 2010 series of portraits of me, Sheila, and Molly the Wonder Dog, (at the right) captured by Clay Blackmore. But after checking my older posts, I found I'd already shared them a couple of times. But here's the fun of Throwback Thursday: old photographs take us on an almost magical trip down Memory Lane. Ever had a friend who's been around for so many years that you can't remember when he or she wasn't in your life? Well, Clay is one of those people! As I started digging through older posts and online albums in my archives, Clay kept showing up. For example, whether he was teaching, helping us with the Hasselblad "Hot Stuff" campaign, photographing the great sushi battle, or capturing an in-booth portrait of the Hasselblad team, we've worked together on so many different projects/events. Clay and I first met in the late 80s, when I joined Hasselblad USA. Clay was working with Monte Zucker, and my role at Hasselblad had brought Don Blair into my life. Monte and Don were two of the most recognized portrait artists/educators in the industry. They had a profound influence on so many artists in the industry, especially on Clay and me. Here's my point today: The best thing about our industry has nothing to do with photography directly, but rather the friendships that come from everyone's mutual love for the craft. Over the years, I've been repeatedly inspired by Clay and the way he grew into one of the most diverse, talented, and giving artists in imaging. I know it sounds sappy, but this industry is a family. We share so many of the same challenges, watch each other's back, and if you're in a bind and need help, there's always someone you can call. Throwbacks help us stay grounded and are like an emotional multi-vitamin when you need a lift! And to my buddy Clay... you and I have talked over the years about how Monte enriched your life, and how Don enriched mine. It's a kick knowing they're both watching over us right now. What an incredible journey it continues to be! Happy Throwback Thursday!   by Skip Cohen It's Marketing Monday, and time to start drilling down on components from the nine-part Focus on Success series. Let's start with your About page. First, you need to think about your audience, specifically, your demographics. Who's your ideal target? For most of you in the portrait social categories, that means Mom. Based on numerous studies over the years, mostly by Kodak, women make 98% of the purchase decisions to hire a professional photographer. It's rare you get a call from Dad saying, "It's time for a new family portrait." If you're not a specialist in the portrait/social world, then your target audience is a little different and well beyond Mom. This is where your galleries start to play a more significant role, especially in commercial categories like table top work and architectural photography. Regardless, you need to know the demographics so you get maximum exposure and impact with each visitor. If a picture's worth a thousand words, then why use a headshot that looks like it was captured by an amateur? You're a professional photographer, and your headshot needs to add to your story, not leave viewers wondering if you have the right skill set! On Facebook a few weeks back, one of my favorite family photographers and long time friend, Alycia Savage, posted the shot on the right. If you know Alycia, then you already know her passion sets the standard for loving photography. The high-key portrait shows her enthusiasm and love for the craft. But when I visited her Facebook page, the header tells her story even more! Click on any shot in the series to link to Alycia's FB page.  Your headshot should demonstrate the fact that you're a professional photographer and fun to work with. Remember "fun?" It's one of those words so often lost in business today.
In terms of what you should write about...
Remember, for most of you, "Moms" and brides are the ones looking at your work. Keep your target audience in your mind, when you write about your background. Here's what they want to hear:
The biggest concern new clients have is whether or not you can be trusted to capture the images they want. Will you be able to meet their mindset? And one more key suggestion - write your About page in the first person and include a signature. (With security issues these days, a facsimile of your signature is fine.) Write your About section as more of an artist's statement and stay relevant to what your target audience needs to hear. Every visit to your website, Facebook page, or other location in social media is a potential opportunity to start a new relationship or expand an old one. Exceed consumer expectations right out of the block with extraordinary images in your galleries, followed by a strong About section! Thinking about a marketing video on your page? A well-done marketing video for your About page can have a phenomenal impact on viewers. Follow the same rules as I shared for your text and let your personality shine through. But keep it short - my suggestion is 1-3 minutes and use the time to accompany your narrative with your very best images, along with a short clip or two of you working with a client. Technically, we're still in the "slow season," so take the time to review your About page - is it saying everything you need it to?  AI Image from Adobe Stock by Skip Cohen If you're joining me for the first time today, Sunday Morning Reflections is rarely about business and marketing. It's my time to simply share whatever's on my mind. As I've learned over the years, none of us are alone in what we're feeling when it comes to so many of life's challenges. Whether on Sunday mornings or any other day, just because I don't write about the insanity in this country doesn't mean I don't care about what's going on. I just hate the idea of adding to all the noise in your life. From social media to family, friends, the news, and television, we're all bombarded with WTF moments every day. Sheila and I work hard to keep the trolls out of our lives. I'm using 'trolls' in the broadest sense, essentially anyone sharing news that's simply idiotic! While sometimes it's unavoidable, Sheila suggested I share the things that work best for us:
Taking time to do nothing often brings everything into perspective. Doe Zantamata
Throughout the day, we've learned to ignore all the trolls out there and we do our best to laugh a lot! We've stopped answering telemarketing calls and text messages from trolls who think they have a right to our time. In fact, I've stopped reading or answering posts on Facebook that can't be substantiated. Every now and then, there's one that sucks me in, but a little research and I'll learn it was all AI-produced and fake. At that point, I usually unfriend the bonehead who posted it. Essentially, we've learned to raise the drawbridge and keep the trolls out. Life is simply too short, and just this morning Sheila said, "I miss the world we grew up with!" We're not putting our heads in the sand and ignoring what's happening in the world, just not giving up energy to deal with all the BS. And just for the record, even though I don't post directly about this stuff: It's still the Gulf of Mexico, Canada has never been our enemy, gas is NOT under $2.00/gallon, costs for just about everything are up, the Rose Garden should never have been paved over, the money being spent to build a ballroom is absurd when kids don't have healthcare or lunches; the members of the cabinet are not smarter than a fifth grader and Congress, while individually there are some remarkable people, as a group they couldn't manage a pretzel stand in a ballpark. Trust me when I write, that's just the tip of the iceberg - there are times EVERY day when the pride I've had my entire life at being an American is replaced by the embarrassment of everything that comes out of the president's mouth! So, the way we cope is a routine of positivity, supported by each of us, including two pups and a very small circle of friends. We go for those eleven-second hugs I've always written about and spend a lot of time being grateful for the life we have, even with the trolls that keep trying to take it away. Make it a great day filled with memories you can document and appreciate later on. Spend time with the people you love the most and do your best to never take them for granted! Happy Sunday...or Monday on the other side of the world.  There is only one way to avoid criticism: Do nothing, say nothing and be nothing. Aristotle by Skip Cohen I read Aristotle's quote the other day, and it stuck with me. Why? Because it describes what so many of us do so often, especially in today's political climate. And in cyberspace, especially, it's easier to just be quiet than deal with the abuse after the fact. What amazes me is how often somebody's waving a banner based on something they've read on the Internet, and it's all fake, created to capture followers. For example, there was a post, complete with photographs, of Nancy Guthrie's body being found two days ago. The story suggested foul play involving greed and an inheritance battle within the family. It was all a fabrication. If you question some of these supposedly legitimate posts, you get shot at by the trolls. These days, avoiding people who want to be trolls is almost impossible. In fact, we've all discovered we have friends who have turned into political warriors, doing their best to right-fight their way into contradicting what we believe. I didn't start out writing to share things you already know about the challenges involved in having an opinion these days. Just an effort to remind you that you're not alone and don't shut down expressing yourself just to avoid criticism. But there are some people with ignoring - all listed in today's illustration above. Wishing everybody a terrific weekend and time to chill. That doesn't mean you have to be quiet; just stop doom-scrolling and stop listening to people who don't have their facts straight. The quote below, even though I've shared it before, is so on point for today: Don't believe everything you read on the Internet.
Abraham Lincoln  Click to enlarge in the SCU Lightbox  by Skip Cohen It's Throwback Thursday, and a great time to share one of the "almost lost" podcasts with my good buddy Scott Bourne. But there's a throwback story to tie in with the podcast series. Scott and I launched the podcasts in 2010 as we worked on our book, GoingPro, published in 2011. However, we actually met for the first time many years earlier. In 1998, Hasselblad introduced the XPpan, a 35mm panoramic camera. As the industry magazines picked up the story, I got a call one day from one of the publishers. She was looking for images captured by a photographer outside the Hasselblad staff. I sent her a package of images I'd just recently received from a photographer I had never met, Scott Bourne. Our paths wouldn't cross again for another decade. In 2009, after resigning from Rangefinder Publishing and WPPI, my first project was to launch Skip's Summer School, (center photograph above). It was a three-day workshop series in Las Vegas, and I was looking for speakers. Somebody suggested I talk to Scott Bourne. Twitter was still in its infancy, but Scott was leading the pack with 25,000 followers. That was an extraordinary number at the time. It was a few weeks later that Scott refreshed my memory and told me the story, going back to XPan. He brought up how our friendship got started in the podcast below. It's a perfect example of a topic that's one of your greatest marketing tools - relationship building. If you're stuck finding ideas to help you with relationship building, I just recently shared a blog post on the concept. It's just a click away. The Almost Lost Podcasts: GoingPro - Episode 4: Relationship BuildingAs I wandered through my archives, I pulled a few pictures from projects Scott and I worked on together. I've learned so much from him over the years, and what a kick to now be old farts and still be in touch!
When was the last time you took a moment and thought about the backstories you share with people who have been key supporters in your career? Throwback Thursday is a great time to take a few minutes to savor those memories from the past, especially with people who came into your life and became "family." Brian Chalker wrote: "People come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime." In our case, Scott and I came into each other's lives for a reason, that's become a lifetime. Happy Throwback Thursday!  "Build your own dreams, or someone else will hire you to build theirs" Farrah Gray by Skip Cohen Since early January, the mad scientists in the SCU Lab have shared nine different themes on ideas to help you with just one goal: making 2026 one of your best years ever. It's not a complicated goal, but in a world driven by technology, so many business owners have forgotten about the simplicity of the basics when it comes to marketing and business. In the weeks ahead we're going to start drilling down into many of the concepts, but just in case you missed one of the main nine, here are all the links with their general descriptions. We're still in the "slow season," but that only refers to incoming business. As an aspiring artist and owner, there's rarely a time you can slow down when it comes to building your dreams. And if you're stuck with ideas for the new year, you know where to find me.
 Special Projects  by Skip Cohen This is the last chapter in the 2026 Focus on Success series. There have been eight to date, but this is one of my favorite suggestions. While I'd love to take credit for the concept, it's thanks to artists like Matthew Jordan Smith, Jeremy Cowart, and Jonathan Givens, just to name a few. Many years ago, I did a podcast with Matthew as my guest, and we talked a lot about special projects. The concept is meant to help you stay focused on your creativity. This is even more important when your bread-and-butter business isn't as glamorous as you had hoped. A unique project allows you to be in complete control and can be virtually anything you decide to capture. This is all about having something you love doing on your schedule as a sidebar. It doesn't have to be your core business. However, you never know when a sidebar project can become something bigger than you planned. For example, Matthew's book Future American President was based on an idea that had been part of his life for at least 3 years before publication. And when Aretha Franklin passed away, Matthew focused his energy on Aretha Cool, a collection of incredible images he captured over the years of working with one of his favorite clients. Jeremy Cowart had an idea and established HelpPortraits.com; Jonathan Givens published a stunning book, Dance Across the USA, that brought dance to one national park in every state. Each project captured the creativity of its "author" and grew into a substantial contribution to imaging.
Click on any of the above for more information. Most important of all special projects help to keep your sanity! This is about helping you stay focused on your passion for the craft beyond whatever pays the bills. When did you last shoot for your most important client - yourself? So often, what might have started as a just-for-the-fun-of-it idea evolves into something more focused and substantial. The world is upside down right now, with dozens of issues we all worry about. The challenge is to stay focused on something you love doing that keeps a camera in your hands while also building your confidence and creativity. Don't let your quest to build your business overtake your need to grow as an artist. As I've written in the past, you can't create images that tug at people's heartstrings if your own heart isn't in the game. And to keep your heart in the game, you need something that you're excited about that helps you grow as an artist, utilizes your skills, and makes you smile even when business is slow! You never know when a sidebar project can grow into a serious part of your career path. That's the fun of staying focused on what's in your heart, regardless of what you do each day to put bread on the table. When I was 14 -years-old, I made this PowerPoint presentation, and I invited my parents into my room and gave them popcorn. It was called 'Project Hollywood 2004' and it worked. I moved to L.A. in January of 2004. Emma Stone
  by Skip Cohen As I've explained so many times in the past, I rarely know what I want to write about when I sit down at the computer on Sunday mornings. I've stayed true to my original vision for Sunday Morning Reflections, which was simply to go free-style (keeping with an Olympic theme) without focusing on my weekday topics of business and marketing. Every morning, I start with my email, and today the message on the right came up first thing. The subject line was, "Happy Anniversary," and the words "Cheers to another year" were what hooked me, as I struggled to remember what milestone deserved celebrating. I burst out laughing when I got to the rest of the text. First, it was a reminder that 14 years ago yesterday, I used OpenTable for the first time. From there, I had to rack my brain for what the event was. Thanks to Sheila, I got through the mystery. It was during WPPI and Sheila, and I had dinner with Rob Nowell, then from Sprout Studio. They had a booth at the convention, and the Steak House at Circus Circus, at least back then, was one of the best-kept secrets in Vegas. But it's not Throwback Thursday, and my point this morning, mixed with a little sarcasm, is about the information highway we're all stuck on. Seriously, I love looking back and taking a walk down Memory Lane, but celebrating my first time using OpenTable doesn't make my time-to-celebrate list of ANYTHING! I've never received anything from OpenTable, except for dozens of restaurant reservations over the years, and only for that particular reservation. But here's my fear... if OpenTable, along with hundreds of other online companies I've used over the years, is about to contact me every time there's an anniversary, I'm in serious trouble. I'm about to be caught in a pile-up on the information highway.  There's my first Amazon order, first movie from OnDemand, first airline reservation, car rental, Marriott reservation, first Skype and FaceTime calls, and the list goes on and on. Then there's a milestone with the first telemarketing call and F-bomb as I hung up, first bogus bill from the Geek Squad or an extended warranty on a car, usually one I no longer own...again, life is filled with classic moments that are meant to be simply forgotten. They're not meant to take up space anywhere, whether it's a hard drive or your brain! I've spent time stuck in traffic in NYC and Los Angeles and it was never fun!
I'm all for looking back on milestone moments, especially when they relate to great friendships. I love thinking back to when I first met some of my best friends. I remember great dinners and so many moments of gut-wrenching laughter with good friends and family. All of those moments are well worth my time to look back on with gratitude and appreciation... that's the stuff that deserves to jam up the information highway! Wishing everybody a day ahead that is filled with moments worth remembering years from now. And as you give somebody special one of those eleven-second hugs I always write about, take the time to think back on the milestone moments you both share. It's those common denominators we all have with the people we care about that are worth a traffic jam - NOT whose phone service you used to call them the first time! Happy Sunday...or Monday on the other side of the planet.  This is what I like about photographs. They're proof that once, even if just for a heartbeat, everything was perfect. Jodi Picoult by Skip Cohen
A year or two back, I promised to stop using the Jodi Picoult quote, but there isn't a better one when it comes to looking back. The group above comprises many of the finest artists and educators in the photographic industry. I shared the image in 2020, but with WPPI coming up next month, the timing couldn't be better for a walk down Memory Lane once again. Alan Karlin sent me two small albums many years ago. They were filled with his shots from WPPI 2004, and this one is a classic. Click on the image to view it a little larger in the SCU Lightbox! This group shot is most of the instructors/speakers at WPPI 2004, and it's a stellar crew. These artists blazed a trail of influence for so many photographers today. Sadly, there are at least six who have passed away since Alan clicked the shutter, but that doesn't change the impact they had on so many of us. How many do you recognize? Happy Throwback Thursday!  AI image from Adobe Stock  by Skip Cohen It's Hump Day and perfect for a little inspiration from Dr. Seuss, who has some pretty good advice now and then. Like most of you with kids, especially older kids, we used to read Dr. Seuss stories all the time. From the tongue twisters in Fox in Socks to Green Eggs and Ham...you name the book, 50 years ago, and it was on the bookshelf. I even made green eggs and ham one morning with a little food coloring. I used a little too much, and the kids’ tongues were green for a short time, but that didn't stop the laughter. This morning when Sheila and I shared our motivational breakfast reading, mine was by Lou Mitchell and he quoted the doc: "Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened." That inspired me to find a few more classics - all good choices to keep it light on Hump Day. “You’ll miss the best things if you keep your eyes shut.” “Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” “And this mess is so big, And so deep and so tall, We cannot pick it up. There is no way at all!” “It's not about what it is, it's about what it can become.” Dr. Seuss also shared a lot of great ideas/lessons in life, not just from his collection of kids' books.
“I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, It's a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope. Which is what I do, And that enables you to laugh at life's realities.” This is definitely a time in history when we need to look at life "through the wrong end of a telescope!" We need more fantasy in our recipe for living. Happy Hump Day everybody!   “Great salespeople are relationship builders who provide value and help their customers win.” Jeffrey Gitomer by Skip Cohen
A few weeks back, wandering through Dropbox, I found the archived stash of recordings of the original GoingPro podcasts from 15 years ago. This is the third podcast we did with a focus on one of our favorite topics, sales. I'm always amazed at how many artists hate sales. It all starts with listening to your clients and then asking the right questions. There's a great line I've used a lot over the years, "You've got two ears and one mouth - so listen twice as much as you talk!" In this podcast, Scott and I went back and forth on sales, listening to your clients, asking the right questions, and building value for your photography services. What good is working to capture and create the finest images of your career and build a business if you can't close the sale? PS While here and there we made a comment that today might be dated, overall, there's no expiration on the concepts we shared. This isn't about a carton of milk with a date stamp - there is no spoilage in building a strong relationship with every potential client.  by Skip Cohen
It's Marketing Monday, and spring seasonality is just a few weeks away. It's the perfect time to hit on one more ingredient in the Focus on Success series for 2026. Sadly, there are still too many of you who continue to procrastinate and ponder the year ahead. It's a you-snooze-you-lose scenario, but there's still time to kick off new projects and promotions! No matter how frustrated you are, worrying about the economy and the political mess the country is in, the craziness in life can't stop seasonality. Spring is the second busiest time of year, with prom season, Mother's Day, graduation and Father's Day. But if you're sitting back and waiting for your ship to come in, you'll miss the opportunity to do more business entirely. Or, as I once heard a comedian say, "The day my ship came in, I was at the airport!" You need to create a little excitement in your community. Great promotions don't happen by themselves - they need great execution too! Here are some tried and true tips to consider:
Last but not least, photography is about the relationship between you and the client. I've written volumes about relationship-building being your best marketing tool. If you aren’t ready to greet each new customer with the biggest smile in person, on Skype, FaceTime, or Zoom, in your voice, or in your email, then don’t launch the concept. You can tell when somebody isn't smiling, even over the phone. You have to believe and sell one basic concept: “Nobody can photograph your family as I can!”  by Skip Cohen It's been over ten years since I started writing Sunday Morning Reflections. I started it because I wanted to write about what I was feeling outside the business of photography. Going off track has become as much for me as it is for you. Often, a Reflections post is a blueprint for how I'll spend my Sunday. This morning, I had a hard time deciding what to write about. I made the mistake of doom-scrolling through Facebook, which took me down a path of frustration and even depression. The world is a mess, and I simply didn't want to write about what so many of us already feel. That's when it occurred to me that it had been a long time since I'd shared Melody Beattie's wisdom. She's an incredibly talented writer, and just like most of you who need that first cup of coffee in the morning, I needed something inspirational to get me going. Let Yourself Play by Melody Beattie How long has it been since you played? How long has it been since you played at your life, had fun with it? Our imaginations are so delightful when we're young. Watch a child sit in the middle of the floor and build castles with blocks. Watch a child play - any object can be anything, and anything can be fun. Life can pound that out of us if we let it. Breathe life back into your imagination. Come back to life. Let yourself see dragons in clouds and leprechauns in trees and velvet in a rose. Imagine what it would be like to grab a handful of cloud. Then touch the tree. And put the rose to you cheek. Let your imagination come alive. Play the game of "What If?" What if anything could be anything? What if life could be fun? Sheila and I have declared today a "slug-day." No plans ahead except a great breakfast and chilling with the pups. We're going to kick back, enjoy a day that's wholly stress-free, and play. We're going to follow Melody Beattie's lead and take the time to smell the roses!
Wishing all of you a day when you can put aside the noise of the outside world. Make whatever's in your heart a priority and take the time to recharge your battery! As always, go for those eleven-second therapeutic hugs, and if you're tuning into this blog late, I read an article in AARP Magazine many years ago that talked about the value of hugs lasting at least eleven seconds. And if you're dealing with something stressful in your life, take some time to step away. Find yourself a place in the shade of low-stress. Look around, and I'm betting what's really most important in your life is right there in front of you. Sadly, it's often hard to find under the baggage that the world has left on your doorstep. Happy Sunday...or Monday on the other side of the world.  Click to enlarge in the SCU Lightbox One can never speak enough of the virtues, the dangers, the power of shared laughter. Françoise Sagan  From New Yorker Magazine by Skip Cohen From Google AI: The phrase "laughter is the best medicine" is a widely recognized idiom suggesting that humor and joy have therapeutic benefits for physical and mental health. The world is upside down, the economy is uncertain, we've pissed off Mother Nature, and we've got a government that's forgotten about "We the People," but that doesn't change the responsibility each of us has for our own health and immediate environment. Nothing helps improve life more than laughter! After reading the quote above, I stepped away from "doom-scrolling" and wandered through my archives, both on my computer and on my phone. I grabbed a few of my favorites in screenshots. As I expected, each shot brought back memories. Within a few minutes I had a huge smile on my face, and, like a lunatic, I found myself laughing out loud! The key to unlocking the grip the outside world had on my heart this morning was my collection of photographs from past good times. My Houdini-like escape from the clutches of current events and things everybody keeps telling me I should worry about was all thanks to good friends, Sheila, two pups, and laughter. You can't put your head in the sand regarding what's going on in the outside world, but you can laugh at it whenever an opportunity comes by. One of the things we like about "Nightly News with Tom Llamas" is that they always close the broadcast with something good going on in the world. It leaves you with a choice to make - be "Chicken Little" and panic over the sky falling, or grab a handful of Alfred E. Neuman philosophy and take a break from worrying about things you can't control. That brings me full circle to my point - too many of us are taking life too seriously. I'm just as aggravated over current events as anybody else, but I want to take the time to smell the roses and appreciate all the things in life that still make me smile. It's the one way to keep the trolls of the world from winning! Wishing everybody an outstanding weekend ahead. Take the time to laugh, but more importantly, pay attention to the people who make you smile. They're the ones you enjoy the most. You need to focus on how they contribute to making your life unique and something to cherish every day! Happy Friday! You have to be at peace with yourself. I love to laugh. I think laughter can cure.
You can see it in a person's face. Around age forty, when your face has lost the glow of youth, what you are inside starts to form on the outside. Either the lines go up or they go down. If they go up, that's a good sign. Elizabeth Taylor   A past reception in Hermosa Beach by Skip Cohen
It's Marketing Monday, and I've still got a few topics left to help you focus on making 2026 one of your very best years in business. Regardless of what the government tells us, costs have increased for almost everything it takes to run your business and live your life. One solution to the challenge and, at the same time, to expand your reach comes through partnerships. You don't have to fly solo on everything it takes to run your business. There are so many opportunities to work together with other companies. This isn't a new topic at SCU, but one I've written a lot about over the years. It's still the "slow season," giving you the perfect opportunity to build new relationships and strengthen old ones. Great partnerships can dramatically strengthen many aspects of your business. Here are nine different opportunities/partnerships to consider:
For those of you who are rolling your eyes and thinking there's nobody to partner with because your specialty is so limited, here's a list to work from. I'm sure I've missed plenty, since these are all in the portrait/social categories.
Stop thinking you've got to do everything by yourself. Business has changed dramatically, but alongside the frustrations, there are unique opportunities for creative leadership. You don't need to jumpstart your business alone - think about the strategic alliances in your community to rebuild together!  The nicest thing about the rain is that it always stops. Eventually. Eeyore by Skip Cohen When I sit down to write on a Sunday morning, I rarely have a topic in mind. I usually start by scrolling through FB notifications a bit and see if anything catches my eye. Next is a few minutes to procrastinate and play with the pups. Then it's back to the keyboard, and if there's still nothing in my head, I just start writing. There's my warning to today's post, which may or may not finish with a message. This is the equivalent of a Sunday drive with no particular destination in mind - I'm just out for the ride. There is a message here...I'm overwhelmed with the state of our country right now. I can't seem to find a "destination" where there's no one whining, complaining or screaming, even then it's justified. It's tough because I agree with so many of their posts. But it's not what I want today. I want to find a place of peace that lacks the stupidity of so many different people. Even the Super Bowl, which I've always loved, has the nonsense controversy of Bad Bunny at halftime. The guy won Album of the Year, and he's a remarkable entertainer. And who really cares about the half-time show, when half the audience is watching to check out the commercials! As I scrolled through Facebook, I had to stop...I was doom-scrolling - each post was more depressing than the one before it. And nothing will change until Congress grows a set and stands up for "We the People." We're not putting our heads in the sand---we just want a day of rest---a break from the reality of the world! A day to appreciate what we have as a family, and we'll cope with the chaos of the world mañana. Right now, our biggest decision is the menu for watching the Super Bowl. We're going tapas-style with a little of everything we enjoy. Here's my point: I'm wishing everybody a terrific day ahead, one where you can pull the plug on all the negativity in your life. Ignore the trolls even though they're everywhere. Definitely do your best not to get sucked into their fights... and if somebody posted something you really need to respond to because your heart just won't sit still, save it for tomorrow! Meanwhile, stay focused on the people most important in your life. Go for those eleven-second therapeutic hugs I always write about, and don't let anyone trample on your optimism and appreciation for life. Happy Sunday...or Monday on the other side of the world. Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadows.
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