Breakfast at Disney...

Not to be confused with breakfast at Tiffany's.

This is the kind of stuff I have had to suffer through all week.

;)




But it's time to say goodbye to Mickey, we're off to North Carolina today, then to Maine tomorrow (Saturday).

It's been an incredible two weeks vacation but it will be nice to be home, surrounded by my "stuff", especially my dogs.

My favorite Disney Image...

So far...

Marketing that will blow your socks off...

I come from a large Italian family and one of the things I love about getting together with my family is that each of my aunts will bring her best dish to the gathering.

Every bite of every dish is exquisite.

The master photographers marketing series is the same way.

What you get is 16 one hour presentations from some of the most successful photographers from around the country and they all bring their best dish to the gathering.

They share (in detail) their marketing specialties, what they as a studio do best - from building relationships with their clients, their studio workflow, how they market to seniors and families, strategies for social media marketing, building strong vendor relationships, charitable marketing campaigns, and more.

Here is just a partial list of the presenters:

David Ziser

Kevin Kubota

Tim & Beverly Walden

Vicki Taufer

Rod Evans

Kent & Sarah Smith

Lori Nordstrom

There is a lot to be impressed about with every one of the photographers, not just what they have accomplished, but if you look at where they did it it, many of them have studios in very small "Mayberry RFD" size towns. It would be relatively easy to eak out a living in New York City or LA but when your studio is in a town that has a population base of 10 or 12 thousand people and you are blowing the doors off your checkbook, you must be doing something right.

I listened to all 16 hours as I drove from my home in Maine to Disney World in Florida (still here, its 84 and sunny right now!) but I you really do need to listen to this somewhere where you can take notes, because the information and ideas come fast and furious and there is no way you are going to remember everything they say. To make it easier it comes with a 16 page outline, one page for each presenter, that has their talk highlights and space for you to jot down
your own notes.

Over Thanksgiving my cousin and I talked a great deal about photography, it has been a long time hobby for him and he is now getting more and more paying jobs and I (strongly) suggested to him that he plan as if he is going to have the largest studio on the east coast because if he doesn't he will not have the resources and strategies in place that will support and sustain growth. He will have to un-learn bad habits and continually "re-invent the wheel" each time he hits a growth spurt.

The master photographers marketing series will give you new ideas, new insights on how to grow your photography in a way that will be successful for you AND your clients.

And here is where I was going to end this review but as I read and re-read it I knew I had to share one more bit of information.

I know several of the presenters personally and at the risk of offending them I have to pull out Tim and Bev Walden for special mention, their presentation alone was worth the price of admission. As I listened to them talk about their studio and their client relationships I would keep hitting pause and sharing with my wife what I had just heard, and instead of the usually glazed look, nod of the head, and "mm hmmm" she actually looked interested and responded with words that had vowels!

But seriously, they shared things that simply blew me away. I want them to be my photographers!

The master photographers marketing series is usually $99 but if you use the code "TELE95" you will receive a $5 discount at checkout

If you are serious about your business, this is a serious business tool.

Now, it's off to see Mickey. If you see a news a story about a Disney Dining Plan member exploding, it's me.

DIY grids and snoots...

Back in May I posted about making your own grids and snoots and have (finally) put together a video with several tips and tricks for using the resources that were listed to make your own.

As usual, if you are a subscriber you will need to return to the blog to view the video, or jump over to YouTube and watch it there.

And just in case you were wondering, it's 81 and sunny here at Disney World.

;)

Big thanks to Mark for his efforts in putting these videos together.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

Photo Credits: Cinnamon Toast New Media

INSPIRATION - THE ESCORT CARD

Photo Credits: The Knot

Happy Thanksgiving!...

It's 5am and I am sitting here thinking about what it is I am thankful for. I won't bore you with the list, but as blessings go I feel like a wealthy man.

I hope that today (and always) you are surrounded by those you love, that you feel blessed, and you carry hope in your heart.

There are those who are struggling and I hope even more for you... that people reach out to support and comfort you, that your burdens become lighter, and I pray that in the days to come you can worry less and love more.

Happy Thanksgiving.