Wednesday Wisdoms

What’s your plan right now?
How are you dealing with this?

Alleviate some of the constant stress we are all feeling right now by having a plan in mind.
Set your intention. 

No matter how many zigs and zags it takes to get you where you want to go, you may discover a few things you needed along the way.

I mentioned the importance of having a plan during this significant time in our lives. I discussed this in the webinar series I recently started on Thursdays with APA LA. This time can be incredibly valuable, but it’s also very stressful. Finding ways to incorporate something into our lives that can help shape it and manage stress is crucial.

We’re all listening to these webinars and doing as much as we can, but we also need strategies for self-care and stress management. I plan to balance the personal and professional aspects of my life better. I love working and don’t often stop, so I need to learn to balance it out.

I do this by going camping and reading The Untethered Soul each morning. While camping, I read this book and observe the birds, wondering if they are communicating or singing. It’s these moments that give me the kind of life I want.

So, my question for you is: How are you taking care of yourself right now, and what kind of plan can you put in place to manage the stress of the current situation?

Listen to what you need right now without pressure. That is where your true success will come from.

Another week of this craziness, and here we are—taking it all in and figuring out where we’re going with it. Last week, I posted about the importance of not letting personal issues overwhelm the business. My coping mechanism involves acknowledging when I feel down, taking time to be with those feelings, and then harnessing the motivation when I feel uplifted. This balance helps me manage both my personal and business sides.

Tomorrow, I’ll be doing a webinar with APA LA. Please tune in if you can; it’s a way I’m propelling my business in an organic way.

In my post last week, Maura Sir Dans, a fantastic consultant, made a great point about not feeling pressured to do more right now. Instead, focus on reflection and pausing. If you feel pressured to become more or do more than you’re currently capable of, that pressure might stem from personal issues rather than the needs of your business. Pay attention to what might be uncomfortable but could truly help you move forward.

As understandable as it is that we are all seriously freaked out right now, we must keep our business hats on and rise to the occasion. 

Don’t forget to notice the difference between the personal and the business. 

The time is now to distinguish what parts of us are running the show.

There’s a lot of change going on, and it affects our business. We have to be careful not to let personal reactions or stress take over our business mindset. Our business needs to remain separate and focused, without being derailed by personal issues.

We have an opportunity right now to understand and adapt to what clients need because they’re also experiencing changes. For instance, I spoke with a client this morning who noted that their meetings are now virtual via Zoom, which means they need more visual images to showcase their products. Previously, they used to bring their products to meetings. This shift might be something smaller clients need to address depending on the type of work we do.

On the other hand, I talked to a larger client yesterday who is still bidding for jobs as if they will happen in June and July. Each client has a different approach, so we need to stay attuned to what they’re going through. This requires clarity and motivation, and we can’t let current stress diminish our focus.

Remember, our business is always about change—whether we’re freelancers, photographers, or creatives of any kind. It’s about adapting and moving forward. Keep your head in the game, remember your purpose, and continue to do what you do best.

This is a time in our life and careers we will never forget. 

If you want to know what to do right now, it is all about you. 

This is your time to check-in, to sort through what changes need to happen to become your best. Look at the ideas and interests you did not have the time for. Go with it and take inventory. 

Be the creative artist that you are, and plug into your work zone no matter what the condition of our industry is right now. 

Ask yourself the questions that will help guide you to whatever ideas or decisions need your attention. Create the head space to listen to your answers. 

The time to enhance and propel your business is right now as clients are open to your ideas. 

Dive in to your overall plan and Busta Move*. 

*implementation of unexpected strategy (80’s slang)

I’m noticing that this period of quietness or downtime is actually a pause in our lives and businesses. However, it’s not a complete standstill. There’s a buzz among photographers who are forward thinkers and are coming to life during this time. This is something I’ve always encouraged as a rep: to bring out the best in my photographers and help them be the biggest they can be.

It makes me happy to see people using this time to discover what they might be missing, what they need more of, and what wasn’t okay in their lives but went unnoticed because of their routines. Everyone is unique, and finding your own way to bring to life what you need for long-term success is crucial. This is the time to do that.

We have better odds that clients will remember our work if we don’t speak as they flip through your portfolio pages.

I noticed early on in my career that when clients are looking at portfolios, it’s important for me not to speak too much. I found that talking while they were viewing the work could be distracting. The whole point of showing portfolios is to let the images speak for themselves, allowing clients to absorb and focus on them. It’s much harder to remember an image visually when you’re being spoken to and have to respond—it’s a lot of multitasking. So, be conscious of this when showing your portfolio: stay quiet and let the images do the work.

The Personal Touch by Terrie Williams is one of the books that helped me find my way of connecting to people in a genuine way when I started SternRep.

There are many teachers, books, and methods I’ve used to improve at what I do. As a rep, manager, agent, sometimes bookkeeper, and definitely someone involved in public relations, I’ve learned a lot. That’s why I recommend this book, but the truth is, there’s so much to our jobs—it’s overwhelming. This is especially true for photographers. You need to stay sharp and be knowledgeable about the best quality, software, hardware, and equipment. Keep up with your learning sources and stay on top of new developments in your field.

When you begin pricing out the requested optional usage prices on your estimate, pad them with the expectation that the client will respond by minimizing with less usage options and you will have to present cheaper rates.

Often on jobs, estimates, or bids, we’re asked about renewal or reuse terms. They might inquire about rates for one year, two years, or additional uses like print advertising. They may also ask about extending usage beyond the initial period—such as for an extra year or five years.

You should be prepared to include some flexibility in your pricing. Quote a bit higher than what you expect they’ll accept, knowing they might come back and request adjustments, such as a shorter term or reduced scope. This way, you’ll have room to negotiate and adjust the prices as needed.

Does that make sense? The idea is to leave some room in your bid so you can accommodate their requests for reductions and still meet their needs.

You look like an amateur if you don’t have an official website email + a signature at the bottom with your website link on it.

Look, there are many photographers out there, and we’re competing with a large number of people contacting our clients. We need to reassure them that we are an established business. In the past, we used to rely on stationery with our business address and information. Now, photographers primarily use Instagram and their website. Therefore, your email signature should convey that you are real, professional, and reliable. It should demonstrate that you know what you’re doing and that clients will be in good hands with you.

Make sure everything about your estimate and your production considers what you are covering and what you are not covering. It is our responsibility to set these boundaries, not the client’s.

When you’re on set and they want more content, how do you handle that?

The best way to handle it is to prepare for it on your estimate. You should have a blanket statement in your emails and your estimate that says, “ This bid is based on the information we have so far and any changes may incur new costs or overages.” Make sure every topic that is even generally touched on is included in the bid. 

Let’s say you didn’t have it in your bid, you would talk to your rep. But if you don’t have a rep, you explain the situation to them. “You didn’t mention that, so I didn’t include that in the bid. Did you want a price for that?” I like to turn things into questions so if they request something that you don’t have you would ask them if they would like that included and, “I can get you a price for that.”

Recognizable mural walls are our responsibility to be legally released + paid for before handing over the images to the client. If not, we are putting our clients in danger of significant legal issues.

Before the job begins there’s so many production details that must be your responsibility to get cleared. The location permits, the location fee, and talent releases. Just like your usage is an artist being paid for what you do, the same goes for mural artistry. If we hand over images to our clients and they use it and we did not get that covered, signed off, paid for by the mural artist, we put them at risk of having to deal with a lot of legal problems, and it won’t look good on you. Find out who the mural artists are. I guess a good question is how do we find out who the mural artist is. Usually it will have their name and maybe instagram. It’s our responsibility to find it.