 The kind of commitment I find among the best performers across virtually every field is a single-minded passion for what they do, an unwavering desire for excellence in the way they think and the way they work. Genuine confidence is what launches you out of bed in the morning, and through your day with a spring in your step. Jim Collins by Skip Cohen It's Hump Day, and we're into the seasonality every business owner, especially in imaging, dreams about - the December holidays. I shared these traits many years ago in a post, but it's a great time of year to bring them back. As you're working on holiday orders for your clients keep each one of these traits in mind. A few times over the years, I've referred to myself as one of the luckiest guys in the industry. One example is having the privilege of working with all four of the icons above. Don Blair and I wrote our first book together. I have dozens of Monte stories from so many different workshops and programs. Avedon made me lunch once in the flat above his studio, and Scavullo's dog tried to take a piece out of my leg on a couple of different visits. I chose these four because I had the privilege of spending time with them, and there are so many of you who never got to see them in action. There are so many other artists for each of us to remember, along with contemporary icons active in the industry right now. The common denominators between all of them are the traits below. As we go into the last month of 2023 and, at the same time, prepare for a new year, it's the perfect time for all of us to remember the ingredients that made those four above iconic, along with the traits of so many younger contemporary artists we admire today. Image Quality: They NEVER compromise on the quality of an image. Exposure, composition, expression and impact are as consistent as the sun coming up every morning. Lifestyle Quality: They maintain a lifestyle of giving back and a strong sense of family and friendships. They have integrity, they have poise and they follow through on their promises. They also surround themselves with people with similar commitments. Loyalty: Whether it's to the vendors they work with or their friends, their loyalty is rarely questioned. Everyone watches each others backs and the mutual respect and admiration, at least from my perspective, is pretty much unmatched in comparison to most other industries. Humor: They don't take themselves too seriously. Think about any program you've attended that you loved and learned something - I'm willing to bet you laughed...a lot. Today's photography icons are comfortable with admitting when they do something stupid, have fun with a client or completely screw up a job and live to tell about it. Humility: Not everyone has it, but even those few we might consider a little arrogant - if they knew how they were being perceived they'd be upset and ready to work on a different persona. So, I'm not sure if the quality I'm trying to describe is humility or a willingness to listen, but they've got it. Confidence: They believe in their abilities, their willingness to learn new skills and they understand their camera gear and photography cold - there's no second guessing and no "chimping." Even when they talk about a new idea or technology, you'll pick up a unique tone in their voice, almost as if they've been shooting that way for years. Diverse Skills: It goes with confidence, but there's nothing they can't shoot. We might know them as a portrait photographer and then we'll see work that's fine art, landscape or architectural - they refuse to be type-cast into any one skill set. They may have a signature specialty, but none of them are one-trick ponies. They're always experimenting with new technologies and growing their skillset. Passion: It's the last word on the list, but it drives everything they do! It's not just about photography, but about life in general - they simply never stop loving the craft, their lives, their friends, families - you name it and passion is what drives them to succeed. Here's the bottom line - how do you stack up against the ingredients? Or more importantly, how do your customers feel you stack up? Happy Hump Day! "The only way to do great work is to love what you do.
If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it." Steve Jobs
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 “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.” Simon Sinek by Skip Cohen
It's "Hump Day," and I do my best to keep it relatively short but still relevant. The "why" we do things is at the top of my mind this morning. As a photographer, your target audience doesn't care what awards you've won, what gear you have, or how your grandfather gave you your first camera. All they want to know is "why" you love being a photographer and if you can be trusted to capture the kinds of images they want. Too many of you write your bios, forgetting about your audience. When it's time to open your heart, you submerse yourself in meaningless factoids about your skills. If they're reading your bio, they're already interested in getting to know you better - don't bury them in your list of print competition awards, gear details, and the history of your business. Tell they why you love imaging. Share why your clients trust you to capture what's in their hearts. It's the "why" that makes us all more interesting. It's the "why" that makes my story different from yours. It's the "why" that takes millions of stories from people worldwide and gives them color, emotion, and commitment. In terms of my "why" - I simply love photography and the business of helping more people understand its importance. I love working with so many of you to help you see your potential, and in turn, you help me see mine. I feel a special rush walking into any photography convention, conference, or trade show. And it's not just conferences and conventions - In a few minutes, I need to head up to Clearwater (near Tampa) to catch up to a whole bunch of great friends on Scott Kelby's The Grid. Eddie Tapp is in town and a guest, along with Larry T. (founder/inventor of Platypod), Larry Becker, Judy Host, and the whole Kelby Media team. It's that energy of being together with great friends that confirms I love this industry. Stop worrying about "what" you do and start sharing with people "why" you do it. The "what" is from your left brain and a series of cut-and-dry statements; the "why" is the right brain and is all about your personality, passion, and emotion. Plus, your "why" is unique, while your "what" is often the same as everybody else's. Happy Hump Day!  by Skip Cohen
Last year, right about this same time, I was running a series called "Sound Advice." Looking back through my archives, I ran across this post on diversity in your skill set. It's only a four-minute sound bite, but it's relevant to so many of you. I'm hoping most of you are starting to fulfill holiday orders – but that doesn't mean you can't still think about your immediate future from a "what if?" perspective. When business is bad, life becomes a lifeboat drill. We examine all our costs, procedures, etc. Often, the things we change and cut back on are issues that should have been addressed long before the crisis. So, think back to the height of the pandemic – when events were all canceled, people were paranoid about virtually everything – and we all hunkered down. Now, think about your plans if another crisis were to happen, even the most local event that forced you to change your business model. Do you have the skill set to tackle something else, or are you strictly a one trick pony? What's your backup plan? It's a short sound bite from last year, and while references to 2022 aren't valid, the concept of diversity couldn't be more important and worth considering. With IUSA coming up in January and more conferences and workshops on the horizon, whether LIVE or online, what will you do to expand your skill set?   by Skip Cohen Hump Day thoughts are short ideas to help raise the bar on your success, especially during this upcoming holiday season. Most of you, at one time or another, have been involved in a brainstorming exercise. Most often for me, it happened in marketing meetings in my Polaroid days and later at Hasselblad USA. The whole idea is based on a small group of people doing a brain dump of ideas/solutions related to some aspect of business. There were no rules - just talking slow enough for somebody to write down the ideas - back then on a whiteboard. There was no such thing as a bad idea. The fun began once the ideas were compiled - how to enhance, combine, or boil them down into an actionable program. Here's my point - if you're stuck for promotional ideas for this holiday season or ways to kick off the new year, take the time and start writing down ideas. Don't think anything through initially - just write them down. Give yourself an hour or two in an environment without interruptions. And if you need a little help, bring in a family member, associate, or friend who knows a little about your business. You might be surprised by what comes out of a bit of brainstorming! All it takes is one idea to grow into something to impact your business. Two heads are definitely better than one and by brainstorming as a team and sourcing ideas from each other,
you have a better chance of coming up with a strategy that will allow your business to overcome a setback or challenge. Richard Branson  If you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together. African Proverb  Click for more info by Skip Cohen
Over the years, I've written and talked a lot about establishing a networking luncheon meeting in your community. It's the perfect way to build relationships with other vendors and, in turn, create more business. This is relationship building at its very best. Let's use a wedding photographer as an example, simply because it's so easy to understand the other vendors.
All of you have the same target audience: bridal clients. Getting to know each other and building relationships is vital to building your brand and, in turn, a more robust business. Speaking of relationship-building - pick up a copy of Scott Stratten's book Unmarketing. It's an easy read and outstanding for planting the seeds of ideas to help you build a stronger business. The subtitle says it all... "Stop Marketing, Start Engaging." Nothing will help build a stronger business better than relationship building. And as I've written in the past, partnerships also reduce your cost and expand your reach. A networking luncheon, pulled together by you, supports the leadership position you want to establish and is almost unlimited in the potential for new ideas to work together in your community. Happy Hump Day!  by Skip Cohen
I started this "Hump Day" series just for the fun of it. I'm not looking to share anything complex but to give you something to consider that you might have missed or forgotten about. As I've written about before, Sheila and I share something inspirational, every morning after breakfast. Yesterday's reading from Emily Silva was so on point: "In silence, we can hear our intuition speak. But it can be difficult to find silence in the age of hyperconnectivity. We must find the time to unplug and create silence at least once a day...A change happens when we learn to access stillness...In stillness we find our balance." Most of us get so busy we rarely search out silence until the damage from the "noise" in our lives is already well underway. Find a moment today and kick back and chill. Walk away from everything and appreciate the silence. This is one of the shortest posts I've ever shared, but there's nothing more that needs to be said. Happy Hump Day!  by Skip Cohen
It's Hump Day, and here's a suggestion to keep in mind as you put together future promotions. I've heard so many stories from photographers over the years who put together what they considered a great promotion, but it failed with minimal response. Most often, it was because the perceived value of the promotion wasn't as strong as they thought it would be. Whatever you offer, it has to have VALUE. Value-added marketing is defined as delivering more than your customers are expecting through content and experiences. https://blog.duda.co/ For example, if you've put together a promotion for free goods when a specific service or product is purchased, you've got to make sure your target audience understands the true value of the promotion. We all know when a company pitches us for something they're giving away that has a $299 retail value, you can buy the product for half that through regular retail. Years ago, my daughter, as a fifth grader, wound up on a kid's TV gameshow and won $2000 in prizes, which were taxable at that amount. But the real value was, at best, around $800! It didn't change the fun or the value of the experience, but it does make a point about value. Your challenge is to establish promotional value that exceeds customer expectations. They need to understand the offer, what the product or service does, and how it fulfills a need they have. This is why I love cross-promotions between non-competing companies. A promotion between a wedding photographer and a florist, for example, both have products the client needs. They also have money to spend with both companies. Last but not least, the consumer understands both the florist's and photographer's product line and has a need for both. Hey, it's Hump Day, and these posts are always meant to be short and easy to think about - and if you're stuck for promotional ideas, you know where to find me if I can help. Happy Hump Day! by Skip Cohen
We've all grown up knowing the importance of a good breakfast, but we rarely think about feeding our minds daily. Sheila and I have a couple of motivational books we read each morning. And yes, we read these short pieces out loud to each other and talk about what we just read. While to some of you, it might seem a little hokey - it helps us both focus and know what we each have on our plate for the day ahead. My reading this morning was perfect for this topic: by Emily Silva, Sunrise Gratitude - Before you begin your day, take some time to plan the way you want your day to go. Allow your mind to focus on this intention and visualize how you can incorporate it today. See yourself as you want to act, respond, and communicate. As your day progresses, remind yourself of your intention. An intention can be a guidepost for each day. If you feel off course, remember your vision and act, respond, or communicate from the guidepost. Happy Hump Day!  Even though the storm came in north of us, the winds, rain and now tidal surge are still an issue - but that didn't hold me back from checking it out on Nokomis Beach south of Sarasota early this morning. Ten minutes later the sky was dark again and the rain started back...and the winds have yet to slow down.  by Skip Cohen Sheila and I share a motivational reading every morning, and I cracked up when today, Hump Day, the reading referenced camels! Out in the desert, a camel can sustain itself without food or water for weeks. To survive, it stores up energy for the harsh environment. A camel's ability to conserve energy and water helps it make journeys and sometimes carry heavy loads. This is a reminder that we all have inner resources. If we tap into our intuition, we can make difficult decisions, heal, and thrive. Even when we are going through something hard, what we need is available to us. - Emily Silva, Sunrise Gratitude It's a straightforward point today and a reminder I wanted to share. We all have challenges to deal with, but so often, we forget to take the time, slow down, and think through a solution. We tend to panic first and act later after forgetting everything we've learned over the years. We also forget to pull in the key people at the core of our network, or we go to the other extreme and pull them in immediately when the solution to whatever the problem was right there in our intuition all along. So the next time you run into the wall - take a timeout. Kick back a little and think through the challenge first. Most important of all, don't give up. Most people give up just when they're about to achieve success. They quit on the one yard line. They give up at the last minute of the game one foot from a winning touchdown. Ross Perot Happy Hump Day!
The fool speaks, the wise man listens. Ethiopian proverb  by Skip Cohen Hump Day thoughts are short reminders to help you build a more substantial business. And as I've written previously, I love the camel shot for the header each week. So, until I run out of things to suggest, welcome to Hump Day. We live in a rushed instant fulfillment world, and so often, even in a simple conversation, people aren't really listening because they're already thinking about what they want to say next. We often draw the wrong conclusions simply because we heard what somebody said but didn't really listen. Going back to my Polaroid days, I wrote some pretty good promotional programs for the photo specialty dealers, which was my channel of responsibility. But honestly, I didn't come up with the ideas; the camera stores and Polaroid salesman did! All I had to do was talk to a salesman and ask, "If we doubled your sales quota for next year, what would you need to make your number?" And with retailers, the same kind of question, "If you were going to double your Polaroid sales for next year, what would you need from us?" Then I'd kick back and listen to the responses - they had all the answers. From extended billing terms to advertising to better in-store displays...the list went on and on. Not everything was doable, but that didn't change the collection of great ideas I was pulling together. Here's the bottom line...You've got two ears and one mouth - so listen twice as much as you talk! I found the piece below about listening skills - we all need a reminder now and then. All the answers you need to build a stronger business are all out there - you just need to listen! Happy Hump Day!  Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth! Muhammad Ali by Skip Cohen It's Hump Day, the middle of the week for some of us, and just another day for event artists working the weekends. But, this is a great time for short posts planting a few idea seeds to help you grow your business and elevate your brand. Besides - the camel shot is still one of my favorites! If you're not involved in your community, you're missing one of the best ways to expand your reach. You need to give back and be perceived as more than just another retailer. And, if you do it right, it's a great way to build more relationships and get people to know you. What good is working hard to create the finest images of your career if nobody knows who you are?
And for those who like to say, "Our community doesn't have much going on," take another look. Every community has something. Sometimes your most rewarding involvement will be with the smallest nonprofits. If you're still stuck, check out senior centers, programs for veterans, high school art programs, adult education centers, pet adoption centers, and local hospitals, just to name a few. We make a living by what we get.
We make a life by what we give. Winston Churchill by Skip Cohen
Because I love the illustration from Adobe Stock above, and it makes me smile, I'm going to stay with doing a "Hump Day" feature. It's too much fun not too! I'll do my best to keep it light and continue this series of quick thoughts to help you through the back half of the week and build a stronger business. Years ago, I did a podcast with Matthew Jordan Smith as my guest, and we talked a lot about special projects. Special projects help you stay focused on your creativity. This is especially 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. And you never know when a special project can become something bigger than you planned. Special projects can become exhibits, gallery shows, books, and even new businesses. For example, Matthew's book Future American President was based on an idea that was part of his life for at least three years before publication. Most important of all is a special project helps to keep your sanity! Special projects help 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. Well, it's Hump Day, and the rest of this week is perfect for finding yourself a special project involving your skillset, camera, and unbridled creativity. Perfection is an illusion. If we keep waiting for the stars to align, we will reach the end of our lives regretting that we never tried. Stop the waiting game and take action toward the change you want. Emily Silva by Skip Cohen It's Wednesday, hump day, and If you think about it, there really is no middle of the workweek any longer. The expression started in the 50s when Saturday was a coast day, and no businesses were open on Sunday. Today most retailers run seven days a week. Plus, if you're a wedding and event photographer working Friday - Sunday, there is no "coasting" into the weekend. Still, and probably just because I love the illustration above from Adobe Stock - I'm going to keep it light and start a series of quick thoughts to hopefully help you through the back half of the week. After making a big change in their life, we've all heard people comment, "I wish I had done it years ago!" Change doesn't come easy for most of us, and big changes are always slow, depending on the risk involved. In business, especially, there's a lot to consider. But the challenge so many of us have is finally taking that leap of faith to make a change. Whether it's big or small, we procrastinate too much through the process. The point is, we're looking for perfection - exactly the right change. One of my most favorite quotes is thanks to Zig Ziglar: If you wait for all the lights to turn green, you'll never get started on your journey! There's my point - stop chasing perfection, but don't slow down on continuing to set high goals. Whether it's running your business, working with clients, raising the bar on your skill set, or simply recognizing what it takes to make you smile every day - all you can do is your best. And if there's something slowing you down then just like a garden - it might be time to do a little pruning! "I'm careful not to confuse excellence with perfection. Excellence I can reach for, perfection is God's business." –Michael J Fox Happy Hump Day!
What fools call wasting time is most often the best investment. Nassim Taleb  by Skip Cohen
It's "Hump Day," and for whatever reason, I wandered into cyberspace to check out when the expression got started. Here's what Google gave me: Wednesday first came to be known as hump day since at least the 1950s. The expression figures Wednesday, the middle of the workweek, as the hump people get over to coast into the weekend. Throughout the 20th century, Wednesday was especially referred to as hump day in an effort to liven up the drudgery of the workweek. If you think about it, there's no middle of the workweek any longer. In the 50s, Saturday was a coast day, and no businesses were open on Sunday. Today most retailers run seven days a week. Plus, if you're a wedding and event photographer working Friday - Sunday, there is no "coasting" into the weekend. But here's how I use "Hump Day:" I have several ongoing projects. On Wednesdays, I like to waste time. "First and second Tuesdays" (see my previous post) are always a little insane. By Wednesday, I want to look at what I've done and what I have coming up, and I'll often take time to kick back a little to think through my game plan. I review my calendar, check out any deadlines I have coming up, and then do some of the prep work for specific things I'm working on. It's a day to reflect a little and then ramp up for things I want to complete by Friday's end. We all should have our routines, but sadly, for those of you just starting out, it's natural to be reactionary. You're trying to be all things to everybody. You'll eventually lose focus, and that's when something gets missed. It took me a lot of years to recognize my own limitations versus my available time. I had no choice but work to get a little more organized. Learn from my mistakes so that you can make new ones of your own. Establish a few standard routines you do each day that involve various aspects of your business. And while marketing is a category that needs to be ongoing all the time - remember, your greatest marketing tool is relationship building. Make sure you have time allotted for customer contacts and building a brand that demonstrates your accessibility and passion for the craft. |
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