Our dog, Opal, did not make the list this year. We figure there's already enough turkeys involved in Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving should celebrate two things:
- The people we love who provide such amazing support and help us make a difference for others.
- The opportunity to improve ourselves and make something bigger than ourselves that betters the lives of others.
For Glow Imagery, 2010 has become the year of education. Like a lot of folks, 2009 was a challenging year for us. While our wedding and portrait brands did well, a lot of longtime clients (newspaper, publications, corporate clients ) disappeared. This was something of a blessing because it forced us to concentrate the energies of this studio in 2010 on the specialties that we really enjoy: weddings and portraits. Midway through the year the long lost clients came calling again, we simply said no to most of them. Even in the best of times these were not clients we knew figured into our long-term plan.
Here seven other things I am thankful for this 2010:
1. My wife - she provides strength and support in so many ways to help me make a difference for others. Love you sweetie!
2. Our Cliens - none of our dreams are possible without the opportunity to serve you. Telling the stories of the people you love and how you feel about one another through images is such an honor.
3. Chuck Lewis - I began 2010 dissatisfied with the status quo and took it upon myself to relearn what it means to be a successful wedding and portrait photographer in this day and age. That search brought me to Chuck Lewis, a Michigan-based photographer who has been in the industry for nearly 40 years. In an industry flooded with flashy “rockstar photographers” teaching professional seminars and clinics who in truth have no extended track record of experience or success in photography, Chuck Lewis was a welcome change of pace. His teachings have helped revamp much of my approach to my work and my clients in such a way I don’t think I’ll ever be able to communicate my gratitude to the man!
4. Projection sessions - This is a Chuck Lewis addition to Glow Imagery that has been so much fun. We’ve outfitted our client space to do “movie nights” with our weddings and portrait sessions. This has allowed are clients to receive a first impression of their photography that was not possible doing online proofs. It has helped our clients enjoy their photography as home decor rather than just “pictures.”
5. Napoleon Hill - We’ve read several of this author’s books this year and have found his advice for personal and business growth indispensable. Particularly his advice about creating master minds, transforming desire into its monetary equivalent and being very careful who you allow to influence you.
6. Refinancing through once-in-a-lifetime interest rates - don’t let the door it you in the rear end, Bank of America.
7. PPA - The Professional Photographers of America has been a terrific resource to learn and gather more knowledge
8. The Great Recession - it has been said out of great necessity arises great virtue. The difficult economy has forced bad businesses out of business and good businesses to get better. We feel the adversity so many have faced the past couple of years has forced us to not rely on our comfortable assumptions which were doing more to hold us back. Instead of whining and crying about the difficult marketplace and pointing fingers, we took responsibility for our future. We have aggressively worked to improve every aspect of our business. Thanks to these efforts 2010 may end up being our best year yet!
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