Skip Who???

I write this blog because I truly enjoy helping you guys, my readers and followers. If you've met me then you know how true that it is.  If you haven't, then I admit it sounds like a scam. I called or wrote a couple of photographers this week, totally at random, to just give them advice on their websites. One person wrote me back,

"To be completely honest, when I first saw this email, I had no idea who you are or how to process this offer of input from someone I have never heard of. It threw me off, to say the least. :)"

Okay, so here's thirty seconds just about me...I'm the industry's biggest groupie when it comes to photographers. I've spent my entire adult life, or at least the time when I was supposed to be acting like an adult, involved in some aspect of photography. As past president of Hasselblad USA and Rangefinder/WPPI I've worked with some of the very best photographers in the world.  While I know more than I let on about shooting and can definitely capture an image, my passion is on the marketing side.

I believe in networking, marketing, education and helping you THRIVE, not just survive. As sappy as that sounds, that's why, with the help of some incredible friends, we built this site and Skip's Summer School, which is now Summer Session in August. And yes, I will plug it and hope you'll consider joining us this summer, because it's grown to be an amazing event, not because of me, but because of the people involved.

On the business side I was laid off three times in my career, twice through cutbacks at Polaroid in my twenties and once as an executive in my fifties when PhotoAlley.com imploded. That was just before I joined Rangefinder/WPPI.  I've stood in the unemployment line and I've taken risks with great outcomes and a few that really sucked. In short, I've done smart things and stupid things, just like everybody else. I understand feeling like a failure, because I've been there.

The bottom line this morning is just to remind you that SCU is work in progress to be a resource for education and help you find the tools to avoid feeling like a failure. This video, while I hate my face in it the whole time, says exactly what we're trying to do. It's on the home page, but nobody ever goes to the home page, because there's so much going on everywhere else on the site.

So, if you get an email from me or a call, it's not a scam, it's me doing what I enjoy most - helping you figure out what you can do better and how to build a stronger brand for your business.

My favorite quote is from Zig Ziglar,

"If you wait for all the lights to turn green, you'll never get started on your journey!"

Stop waiting for everything to be just right - it'll never happen and you'll grow old waiting for a level of success that will always elude you.  Join us in Chicago and you'll see what I mean...