A Simple 2×2 for Choices by Seth Godin 2 Jan 2021, 4:36 pm

Our life is filled with projects. We invest time, effort or money, and perhaps we get a result.

It’s useful to have a portfolio of projects, because not all of them are going to work.

The 2 x 2 grid looks like this:

It might be simple, but it’s not always easy. Success doesn’t always mean money, it just means that you got what you were hoping for. And while every project fits into one of the four quadrants, there’s no right answer for any given person or any given moment..

Here are some of the traps that are worth avoiding:

1. All your eggs are in a low-chance basket. You’re taking a wild gamble, and it’s your dream. And you want a shortcut. The problem, of course, is that this isn’t a resilient long-term plan. Someone has to win the lottery tomorrow, but alas, that doesn’t mean it’s going to be you.
2. You’re hoping to come out ahead by doing something that depends on scarcity, but you’re doing it in the top right quadrant. The problem is, so is everyone else. All of a sudden, your odds just went down. It’s easy to start an Insta account, but once everyone does it, the chances of becoming a top .01% traffic generating influencer are close to zero.
3. You focus on only high-probability, low-value successes, even if the outcomes are not really worth your time. Getting a $3 an hour gig on a freelance site is easy, but it might not be worth it.

On the other hand, consider a portfolio of projects. Some of them have a very high likelihood of working out, and each one of these outcomes is pleasant, if not game-changing. Play often enough, though, and your persistent generosity will pay off.

And then, mix into that some of the moonshot projects that most people are afraid to take on. They’re afraid because they have equated “low chance of success” with “risky.” They’re not the same. Risky implies that failure will cost a lot. It won’t. You can thrive with this strategy because you have a portfolio, and because you realize that “unlikely” is not the same as “not worth trying.”

The best portfolios are persistent (because patience is a rare skill), they’re generous (so others root for you to succeed) and they build on each other (because then, even the ones that don’t work increase your chances for the next one to work out).

Here’s to a new year filled with possibility.

MFT’s Best Advice on Making 2020 a Profitable and Sustainable Year Post-Pandemic 23 Jul 2020, 12:14 pm

So, I know that 2020 for all of us has been a bit of a roller coaster ride, to say the least.  But, hopefully we have taken the time to work on our businesses even when we could not be working in our businesses and found a way to improve our craft, learn a new skill, implement something we have been “meaning to do” for a while, streamline our workflow, refine our processes and become smarter marketers.  Maybe we also found some time to reflect while staying at home as a way to connect with ourselves, our loved ones and realize that we do not have to live in a rise and grind state 24/7/365.  I know that I did, there were so many things that I fell in love with during the pandemic and being more laid back and content was one of them.  For over 20 years I have lived this frantic, perfectionist mentality that when it all came to a halt it took me weeks to ease into a new and improved mindset of patience for both myself, my family and my business.  I took the time to really work on my business and peel back the layers to figure out how I could come back to work and make it less stressful and more impactful for both myself and my clients.  I went from really disliking virtual calls to figuring out that I could use them in my business and actually make as big of an impact as we do when we are in person, or how I could really manage my schedule and take more time off or at least work from home more and only schedule studio days in blocks, I have become so protective of my time and my energy that I give and take for both myself personally and my clients.  There are some “new rules” for me and my business and I look forward to getting fully back to work and implementing them all.  Here are some points that I hope will spark great ideas for you as you move forward post-COVID and bring you more success, profit and sustainability this year and many more to come.

1.  Implement an intentional and consistent Email Drip Campaign.  Emails are like gold and most of us have an email list, and are hopefully looking for ways to get more emails on a regular basis.  Make sure you are emailing your lists at least once a week.  Every week when your brand shows up in their inbox they think of you, maybe only for a split second but they think about you and that is great.  Eventually when they need your services or maybe you are sparking some interest in them with your email offers or promotions you should be top of mind and they will reach out to you and schedule an appointment.

2.  Do not lower your prices or discount.  I know that it can be tempting to offer discounts, incentives or even lower your prices because you want and need to work especially after not working for so long but do not do this, trust me this is never a good idea.  Stay true to your brand and business and the prices you need to charge to be profitable and sustainable.  There is actually more money to be spent this year than normal because many people cancelled their vacations and that money will be spent, plus there were lots of people staying at home but still receiving paychecks but no place to spend it, trust me when I tell you that they will find a way to spend it and might as well be with us.

3.  Get creative and involved in your community, make your BRAND all about honoring the front line heroes or minority owned leaders or businesses by running a “contest” or similar for people to nominate friends and family members to receive a prize.  The prize could be a free new branding session or family portrait session, etc.  Anything you can do to let your community know you care and are there for them will be a great way to market your business especially coming out of COVID.

4.  Are you consistently agitating a problem your clients have and telling them how you solve it?  I am a HUGE StoryBrand fan, which is a book by Donald Miller.  In StoryBrand he talks about agitating a problem and solving it, over, and over, and over again.   It is important that we message this with our social media, videos, emails and anywhere and way you’re communicating with your clients and potential clients.  Keep a consistent message and dialog going that illustrates the problem your business can and will solve.  For more information on StoryBrand check it out on line at www.mystorybrand.com

5.  If you have not already done this run, not walk and get your hands on a copy of Profit First.  This book and system is one way our business came through COVID still financially sound with very little concern or worries over money.  Profit First talks about taking your profit first and eradicating entrepreneurial bankruptcy.  It is a strong and powerful shift and I promise you it will be one of the best gifts you ever give yourself and your business.

6. Hire a professional and actively working mentor or coach when you can. I have had a coach for decades to hold me accountable and keep me on track. Plus having that second set of eyes, ears and extra brain power helps me stay in my lane.

Photograph for the $ale 23 Jun 2020, 6:26 pm

Photographing for the sale is one of the toughest concepts for small business owners that are also in a creative field to grasp. At heart, being a photographer and taking beautiful images is why most people open a photography business. Quite often, photographers will go into a session without a true direction. They photograph a little bit of this, a lot of that, and everything they can think of because they are creating art. There is a common misnomer that if you can show your clients a plethora of beautiful images then you will sell more. 

However, the point of the session should be to understand what the client wants, photograph those images, and then have some additional poses for them to add-on to their sale. We need to pick a lane for the session and truly stick with it, meaning listen to what they want and stay on course to create that for them. I am not saying that it is not okay to take some creativity time and create some additional options but I have found when we go too far off the desired path it generally leads to being lost or confused and without direction.

As discussed earlier, a pre-design consultation is essential, as it determines the direction for the photography session. Just because you are photographing for the sale does not mean you have to sacrifice the art or creativity. You can actually do both!  The difference with this mindset is just fine-tuning the process and keeping your business on track to sustainability and profitability.

It is very important that all of the notes created
during the consultation are reviewed and followed on the day of the portrait. The
 portrait pose or poses should be taken care of first, and then take some creative liberties. Take a little extra 
time and create other poses, groupings or looks. This extra 15 or 20 minutes of
work will make the sale more profitable. It is crucial to go into the salesroom with several awesome portrait choices as well as other options (up to twenty) for add-on sale products. But the most important piece of all is to share and show what the client asked for first, narrow that down to the top pose(s) and then move on to some of those add-on images and suggestions for purchasing them. Do not start with your favorites, start with what they asked for to avoid the sale getting off track very quickly and confusing the client.

By following this concept, it truly streamlines the sales process. When we ask the client what they want, and give it to them, there is so much less confusion and indecision in the sales process. If there are too many options, the client loses focus in the sales room and quite often cannot make a decision. Please note that if you give them all of your styles or looks in one session (for example: studio, environmental, color, black & white, etc.) you have eliminated the need to come back to you? It is a much better option to stick to one style or product line per session, and then discuss future opportunities to work together again. Leave them wanting more!  

GYST RECOMMENDED PODCASTS FROM VOICES OF COLOR 4 Jun 2020, 2:39 pm

This week, instead of our scheduled live podcast and releasing a new episode, we are pausing, taking this time to reflect, listen, learn, and lift up voices of color. We encourage you to check out some podcasts from people we admire. We’ve created a first list of favorites to check out and plan to continue to share many more to check out.

SIDEHUSTLE PRO with Nicaila Matthews Okome

LIVING CORPORATE

CODE SWITCH on NPR

ALL MY RELATIONS with Matika Wilbur and Adrienne Keene

LYNCHING IN AMERICA

GROUNDINGS PODCAST

JUSTICE IN AMERICA with Josie Duffy Rice and Clint Smith III

RADICAL IMAGINATION with Angela Glover Blackwell

HOODxHOLISTIC PODCAST

STILL PROCESSING with Wesley Morris and Jenna Wortham

GETTIN’ BETTER with Ron Funches

ADULTING with Michelle Buteau and Jordan Carlos

WHY WON’T YOU DATE ME? with Nicole Byer

FAKE DOCTORS, REAL FRIENDS with Zach Braff and Donald Faison

TIFFENCAST with Seshu Badrinath

CAREFREE AND BLACK DIARIES with Shakira White

The Importance of Branding Your Small Business 31 May 2020, 12:21 am

All successful businesses must have an established brand name with a substantial consumer reach. The businesses need to strive to give platinum customer service 100% of the time and offer unique and custom products. All of this has to be done in the simplest of systems. In today’s climate, most of our clients are extremely busy, and, while we need to stay true to the foundation of our business, we need to be flexible enough to accommodate our clients’ busy lives. We need them to believe that we can give them exactly what they do not even know they want, and photograph it to perfection and beyond. Then, it must be delivered with all of the excitement and approval they could ever dream of. 

“The definition of branding is the marketing practice of creating a name, symbol or design that identifies and differentiates a product from other products.” (Entrepreneur – Small Business Encyclopedia 2017)

Beyond having a memorable logo, business card, website or social media platform, good branding increases the value of the business giving you, your staff and your clients the exact direction in which you want them to go. Your brand should and will be a roadmap leading your clients and potential clients to the product lines and services you want to sell and offer.

A brand name has been defined as “the symbolic embodiment of all the information connected with a company, product or service. It also encompasses the set of expectations associated with a product or service which typically arise in the minds of people.” (Aggarwal 2018) With this in mind, one can come to the conclusion that you, as the artist, business owner, studio employee, etc. become a big part of the brand and will be identified as the brand itself as your business grows and finds more success. So, your brand is not just a pretty logo. It is everything that you share, create and use to promote your business. This could certainly be your portrait work, your social media or website blogs, and it is most certainly the partnerships you develop with local charities and like-minded businesses in your market area. Your brand can and will set the tone for so many preconceived ideas right out of the gate. It might be sharing exactly what you would like for them to think about your business, but it might not.  

For example, if you want to sell fine art black and white wall installations and your brand is earth tones, giving potential buyers the impression that you are an environmental portrait artist, right out of the gate your brand has caused confusion.  Unfortunately, confusion does not usually lead to sales. You have to make sure it is exactly what you want to do and who you are as a creative small business owner.         

In today’s world, your target client buys a brand first and quality second. Quality is simply not enough. It is so easy for us, as professional photographers, to take for granted that we are creating quality images. We are selling ourselves short if we do not capitalize on the things that set us apart from the competition around us. It is important to establish a unique look or style that makes your images recognizable as a product of your studio business. This will become your studio’s brand name. 

“If you give consumers a reason to care and feel something about your brand, they have a reason to buy. Most people make purchasing decisions based on emotions, not logic, so create an emotion in your prospects every time they see your brand.”  (Bruce 2016)

The five reasons to turn your product into a Brand Name: 

1.         A successful brand name demands a premium price and garners greater name recognition. A Louis Vuitton handbag is not necessarily better than any other leather handbag, but the perception of quality and elegance allows them to be sold at a much greater price. 


2.         Your client reach becomes greater. As your brand name develops and grows, so will your market area. Clients from outside your area will be more likely to use your services if you have a brand name which has proven desirable to others, and they would be willing to drive greater distances to have access to you and your services.

3.         You will stand out amongst your competition. A distinctive photography style and image will be recognizable to those who see your work. This is, of course, your BRAND!


4.         You will reduce your advertising costs. When you have secured a brand name in your market area, clients will come to you to own the brand name product. This will allow you to forego more traditional forms of advertising, such as direct mail, print advertising, etc. and rely on more word of mouth, charitable marketing or other partnership plans. 

5.         You will streamline your business. As your brand grows, so will the top products and services that you truly want to sell. This usually means that you are able to shift your sales and camera room focus to only selling those products and move away from selling the lower margin, higher production items that are usually not as profitable, more time-consuming and higher cost items. This allows you to concentrate fully on the products and services you want to sell and eventually cut out all of the leaner products that you no longer want to offer.

            “No matter what size they are, the most successful businesses are the ones that have established themselves as a leader in their industry by creating a strong brand. And, when these businesses focus on building valuable customer experiences, they easily transform customers into brand ambassadors.” (Bruce 2016)

Works Cited:

Aggarwal, Saurabh.  Brand Management:  A Theoretical and Practical Approach. Global India Publications Pvt Ltd., Web.  2008.

“Branding Entrepreneur.”  Online Version Small Business Encyclopedia.  Web.  2017.

Bruce, Jenna. “5 Reasons Why Branding is Important for Your Small Business.” mediaspacesolutions.com.  Web. 04 October  2016.

Great Article by Daymond John from Shark Tank 20 May 2020, 2:40 am

I am such a fan of Shark Tank, I love to watch the shows and the deals and the negotiations, it really fascinates me. If you are not familiar with the show check it out but the gist is entrepreneurs pitch a product to investors and hope that they get someone to invest and mentor them. I like most of the sharks, not all of them but most, and Daymond John is one of my very favorites. If you have not read his book Rise & Grind I really recommend it. He has a fascinating story and I loved learning how he built his empire from his apartment and rising and grinding. I am also looking forward to reading his brand new book Power Shift, I have it ordered but have not received it yet.

Anyway, I have taken several of his on line classes and follow his articles and interviews, etc. I ran across this article recently and thought I would share it since I think that there are some great tips and advice in here, I hope you enjoy it and for the full article please check it out here: https://daymondjohn.com/blogs/journal/work-and-lead-from-home-with-daymond-john

9 Ways I Care for My Mental Health by Daymond John

1. Time chunk. Time chunking is when you break up your day into larger chunks instead of reacting to constant interruptions. It allows you to have more focus and get more done. I try to schedule times I check my inbox (living in it all day will slow you down), have meetings, write content, check analytics, etc. Having this schedule helps me get in the right mindset.

2. Communicate with your family about your day. What are your working hours? When do you need quiet time? What should the kids do if you have a call? Whatever you have on your plate, openly communicate with your family and be prepared to make adjustments that work for everyone.

3. Meditate in the morning to get in a good headspace. Admittedly, I’m still not very good at meditating (I can’t seem to turn my brain off!), but it still helps me make the mental transition from play (with a fun 2-year-old) to work. I only spend 10 minutes and I use the Calm app. 

4. Plan out your goals for the day the night before. I like to start by making 2 lists. 1 list includes everything that HAS to get done tomorrow and the other is what I would like to accomplish. Then I move to my calendar. I estimate the time each project from the first list will take and block off time on my calendar. If there’s any time left, I move to list 2. Getting my list out of my head and down on paper helps with decision fatigue.

5. Invest in some GOOD coffee (or chocolate, protein shake, etc – whatever your poison is). I don’t know about you, but I need some caffeine in my life. I miss my morning trips to Starbucks but I’m also saving some cash (win-win?). Sometimes I need coffee to get me going and other times, I need to remember to stop and take a break and a good cup of afternoon-coffee helps me do that. 

7. Keep healthy snacks like nuts, fruits, veggies, and cheese in the house. I don’t know about you but when I am home, I either graze all day or forget to eat anything. Having healthy snacks that are easy to eat and go, keeps me energized.  

8. You have an incredible opportunity to get outside more or exercise in the middle of the day! Now it’s not something you HAVE to do after work but something you GET to do in the middle of the day and it feels like a little cheat. It’s a great lunch break for me.

9. Send gifs and memes to your team. I’m serious! It’s fun. You still get to laugh together and you feel more connected and I think connectivity is what you miss most when you work virtually.

To read the article on line or check out more of Daymond John’s post check out his website, www.daymondjohn.com

Box Breathing to Relax – no actual Box required 😂 13 May 2020, 2:31 pm

This week I want to share something with you that might help you feel more relaxed, calm, and stress-free … how awesome does that sound!?

 I received this breathing technique from my awesome friend and sometime trainer Linda Alexander from Oxygen & Iron here in Richmond, VA.  This breathing technique will help you feel less stressed almost instantly! It’s called “box breathing.” And no, it doesn’t involve an actual box. 🙂 

If you haven’t already noticed, stress can sneak up on you during the day. You might start out feeling great, but then all of a sudden you notice your shoulders are tight and you are holding your breath.

 The good news is that your body has a built-in way to counteract that stress – and also wind down at night to help you fall asleep.

 Box breathing has been used by everyone from Navy SEALs and first responders to nurses and teachers! 

It involves controlling your breath in and out, as well as “holding” your breath.

 It’s called “box” breathing because you do each part of the breath for an equal amount of time (4 counts), as if you are breathing around a square.

Here’s how you do it: 

>To start, all you need to do is sit up straight in a chair, feet flat on the floor.

 Next, slowly exhale through your mouth as much air as you possibly can … for a total of 4 counts. 

 Now, hold your breath for 4 counts, and then gently and slowly breathe in through your nose for 4 counts. 

 And then hold your breath again, for 4 counts.

 For a full session of box breathing, you simply repeat the cycle for a total of 4 times through. 

> You’ll start to feel your body relax almost immediately. It’s pretty amazing!

> If you’re not used to this kind of breathing, at first it can seem a little uncomfortable until you learn how to take normal breaths while using this technique. 

Here’s one more thing you should know: if you’re a beginner or someone who normally breathes shallowly, you might feel a little dizzy the first couple times you do this. That will go away over time as you learn how to control your breath. 

Note: this can be a great technique to teach kids when they feel worried, anxious or upset.

Try this and let us know how you do! 

Episode 48 – Taking the Time to Learn 7 May 2020, 12:00 pm

Mother’s Day Gift Cards 5 May 2020, 2:44 pm

We have had some great success this week selling Gift Cards to our clients for Mother’s Day. We sent out a few emails and have been posting on social media. We are offering a virtual shopping experience and helping them purchase the right gift for the women in their lives that they want to honor. We are designing the gift card, wrapping the present and either delivering or shipping it to insure a Mother’s Day Delivery. Hope you all are working on some great ideas in your business to drive traffic, generate income and give you clients a great and needed service.

Here are some examples of our marketing:

Excellence in Customer Service 3 May 2020, 11:49 pm

Be Authentic. Be Transparent. And Be Nice. This sounds totally elementary, but it is important. Let’s face it; most of us do not live in communities that have just too few photographers. Competition is everywhere, and I do mean everywhere. So, we have to mind our customer service practices to the ultimate degree. 

Be authentic to who you truly are. Clients will choose you because of YOU, so make sure the person and work that you are sharing is truly a reflection of who you are as a person and an artist.  There is not one single person in your community or anywhere for that matter than can do what you do, you are uniquely YOU!  There may be others that do the same thing as you but your mind’s eye captures their portraits and images as only you can, and only you can work with your clients and give them your own special care and service.  So take this USP (unique selling proposition) and run with it, it will truly reinforce with your client that they have made the right decision in choosing you and will certainly share their experience with others.

 Make sure that all of your “rules and requirements” are clear and upfront. Do not try to “pull something over on a client.” I promise you that this will not fare well for you in the future.  A company’s best standards of procedures is to be honest and upfront from the very beginning.  You are a small business owner and it is perfectly within your rights to have guidelines and restrictions, as long as your client understands them from the beginning then your experience together will be a lot smoother with very few to any unintended consequences.  

And, lastly just be NICE. Say thank you, return phone calls and emails promptly.  Take time to write a real thank you note, send a text or make a friendly phone call. Just be nice. It’s free, and it goes a long way.  In a world full of automated, drive through, drone deliveries, on-line ordering we offer one of the most custom and personal products and services around.  Take advantage of this opportunity to shake their hand and smile and say, “Thank you!”. I promise this will lead to future referrals and business because people want to work with good people, it is part of basic human nature.