Is it time for new shoes?

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Somewhere in my life somebody got me The Book of Awesome. It's a 400 page collection of so many of the things we take for granted. One of them got me thinking about professional photographers...

"Moving up a shoe size when you're a kid."

The author, Neil Pasricha wrote,

"...First the gal at the store has to find one (Foot-Measuring Machine) under a chair somewhere, then she brings it over and squats in front of you, then she places your heel in it, twiddles some dials up, takes a breath, looks up, and announce your shoe size. "Seven"  AWESOME"

Okay, before I lose you, here's the connection...so many of you spend too much time thinking about the "small" in small business owner. You've limited your vision along with your dreams. You've forgotten that you've got unlimited potential to grow.  You're not negative about growing your business just incredibly conservative. In some cases it's because of baggage you've carried around your entire life. With some of you, it's people around you who you've allowed to limit your dreams. Others, it's just a matter of building more confidence.

I was in a store recently looking at Oakley Sunglasses. Years ago, in my Hassselblad days I spent a half hour on the phone with the founder of Oakley talking about photography. He was a big camera collector and at the time had an interest in Ansel Adams' camera gear which we were selling for charity. During the conversation he told me how the company got started.

Oakley was named after his dog "Oakley".  At the time he was making visors for motorcycle helmets in his garage! He had plenty of dreams, but I doubt he realized he'd some day be one of the most respected companies in the world.

So, as you're shooting this weekend or just relaxing with family and friends, think about your business. Don't limit your business by what you see happening now, but where you'd like it to be a few years down the road. Focus, pun intended, on your skill set, networking, social media, marketing. Attend every workshop you can. Read other blogs. Wander into YouTube and search for any photographer or for that matter, business owner you admire.

Get ready to grow a "shoe size" and when you do, just kick back and scream, "Awesome"!

And as my good buddy Matthew Jordan Smith says all the time, "Always Dream Big"!  (Check out his new book project - Future American Presidents - Matthew can walk the talk. He always dreams big.)