Every month, look for Olive’s face on the Jules Café blog to answer a question and be entered in that month’s contest!
I was recently interviewed by the amazing Kevin Kubota, and one question he asked in particular really stood out for me. If you could do one thing for your business for 15 minutes every day, what would it be? And in honor of Mr. Kubota, the winner of this month’s contest will win a fabulous Kubota Imaging Tools Flashdrive Dashboard. I have one, and not only does it make finding all of your actions easy breezy, but it makes it that much easier to discover new ones you may have over-looked.
If you want to play, just click on “add a comment” and give us your tip!
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I love Olive! and I love the dashboard! I already have one, but I just wanted to be first to post a comment and say Jules, you rock.
Actually SHOOT!!! That would be awesome. That is why I started this business and have lost that part of it. I need to shoot for me. ME. : ) Just not enough time in the day but I have to MAKE time. LOVE you JULES!!!!
I would say take 15 minutes and identify one thing about yourself that is unique… that says who you are and what sets you apart as a person and an artist. Then, at the end of one year you will have a 365-point list of who YOU are. At that point you could take the list and develop a mission statement, or a poster, or a screen-saver, or a calendar, or a journal that you can have at your studio with you everyday. Too often we loose our identity in our creative work and forget about all the things that make us… US! You just never know… a bad day next year might be saved by your own encouragement your new screensaver! -Paul
I would take the 15 minutes a day to work on my web presence – update my blog, my Facebook and LinkedIn profiles and work on finally getting a real website together.
I wish I could take 15 minutes a day to visualize shots I want to take, so that then I could figure out how to get the shot pictured in my head. Too often while shooting I feel rushed, and when I DO have a few extra minutes, sometimes I draw a blank and don’t know what to do. I think if I had pre-visualized shots I wanted, I would be able to quickly arrange it, and get something for “me”!
I would recommend spending 15 minutes in silence contemplating gratitude for the gift of being able to do what I love, and being grateful for each of my clients, and future clients.
After struggling with being sick for three weeks, my mother simply advised me that I must get better- “health is wealth.” Your creativity and ability to produce is affected by your physical and mental well-being. Choosing to run, walk the dog, practice yoga or anything else that gets your body moving is also good for the soul. Therefore, by taking 15 minutes each day to care for ourselves, physically and mentally, we are able to shoot more, better engage with clients and further market our businesses.
15 minutes of the day discovering new light. I often find myself in a rut using the same lighting I always use. That light isn’t bad but finding new ways of using/seeing/playing with light would be awesome.
My goal would be to learn one more thing. I believe that if we all learn one thing or simply improve 1% every day, we could have dramatic improvements in what we do. Think about it: 1% improvement a day (or even a week). How fast does that add up!
Is there a new technique or shortcut that I can learn? Can I find a new blog that will help me with marketing? A shortcut in Photoshop? Anything and everything is up for grabs. Is is the simple goal of improving 1% per day.
So I would use those 15 minutes to learn, study and execute one small idea that will allow me to improve 1% that day.
Love Olive and the new website! 15 minutes a day should be spent working on images. The dashboard would greatly help me shorten the time I spend in photoshop.:)
BLOG!!
I would like to spend 15 minutes everyday giving back to my wonderful clients. Maybe it’s a quick email, sending flowers, sending them an extra copy of their favorite photo or sending them a thank you card. It’s my clients who keep my business and creativity alive:)
I would have to say I would take 15 minutes each day and focus on why I am doing what I am doing and why it is imporant to me. Starting my own business was huge and even though it is just getting of the ground by word of mouth it is important to me to remember why I am doing it everyday.
I guess I would find something that inspired me. I would do it in the afternoon to keep my blood pumping so that I would be ready for the next day. Maybe read from a folder of saved emails from happy clients, or look on the web at someone else’s work.
I am just staring out, so the best thing for me has been to network with other photographers through forums, blogs, twitter, etc. I have gotten such great advice and made some fun friendships that have really helped to give me clarity about myself, what I am doing, and why I am doing it!
I would spend 15 minutes of every day calling potential or current clients checking up on them and seeing if there is anything they need, want or to let them know they are appreciated.
I’m listening right now to the recording of yesterday’s Fast Track coaching – thank you so much for sharing so openly. You are an encouragement.
To answer “Olive’s” contest question…I would send out hand written notes to say ‘thank you’, or just to say ‘hello’. I get so busy sometimes juggling my different roles in life that I forget to slow down and connect with others. Life, in whatever role, is ultimately about relationships.
Like everything we care about I think nurturing your business is important. We’re so wired these days that the first thing we do is turn on the computer to edit or read emails. I think 15 minutes should be given to remember why we ventured into this..remember the passion you started with and nurture that. Stand back and take a look at what’s left of that and make it grow. I always think that if you do what you love..you’ll take off. So remembering you love what you do and nurturing that is a priority. It will keep you creative.
I would look at other blogs to see what other folks are doing, photography ‘how to’ websites or products to offer your clients. I find a lot of inspiration and learn a great deal by looking at other photographer’s blogs or putting a favorite city in the search box on Smugmug to see how others view my favorite places. I’m still in the beginning stages of my photography business and there are so many folks out there willing to share their knowledge, I try every day to ‘soak up’ something new. Thanks Jules….I love the new Cafe!!
If I could do one thing everyday for 15 minutes I would journal- not on my blog but in a written book just for me – we spend so much time on images and blogging and being electric I would love to have time to step back into a space that was just about me and my voice that I didn’t have to share if I didn’t want to, talk about my goals to myself, and my frustrations what I thought about what was really working and what wasn’t and be able to look back on that in a year would be awesome – sometimes I miss my handwriting. Go figure.
If I had 15 min each day, I would use the time to view other photographer websites, get inspired and maybe even email them to make a new contact in the industry. I believe there is nothing nicer then meeting new people who have the same passion for photography that I have.
I believe there is always something new to learn and one needs to move forward all the time, if you stop you will automatically go backwards!
Jules, I also met Kevin Kubota and love his actions, I am saving up to try get them but I would LOVE if I won them, plez plez plez! Gotta ask!
x
If there was an opportunity I would love to just observe my clients for 15mins before their shoot just to get a feel for what they are like, if they are couple — what those moments are like when they think no one is watching to see their chemistry, and perhaps grab a few shots when they are generally being themselves.. or at the very least a little meet and greet to get to know each other better.
I too, am a learn one new thing a day lady.
15 minutes goes a long way with a good business practices book, blog or my new favorite – podcasts! It’s amazing how much your perception of what is right and wrong changes or how you open yourself to new ideas just by opening your MIND.
For a budding new photographer in the industry, a 15 minute dedication to my business GOLDEN. I would spend 15 mins each day looking for new ways to push my business forward using the acronym SSS.
Setting – constantly look for new locations, backdrops around SF.
Subjects – look for creative ways to market and attain clients
Skill – practice everyday and push harder to strive for excellence
all of the above can be achieved in 15 mins or less thanks to the world wide web!
I spend 20 mins every day either teaching or learning. There is always something new to look into, to work out, to adopt or dismiss. Time to seek these things is important. Likewise, I like to give some of my time back. There is always someone else seeking information, experience or feedback. Somedays I can do both .. some days I just pick one. I also spend 1 hour a week – minimum working ON my business rather than in it.
I spend my ( at least ) 15 minutes browsing my favorite photographer’s blogs and websites getting new ideas on what kinds of pictures I might want to make, and getting inspiration which keeps my passion growing every day.
I would use those 15 minutes a day to shoot something beautiful, fun, or creative. The 15 minute shoot would not be for money, stock, or for clients, it would be for the personal enjoyment of taking photos and to remember why I love taking pictures in the first place.
15 minutes a day? Hmm… gotta be networking… meeting new people/clients/friends is he best thing you can do for a business!
Your network is your net worth!
One thing we really like to do (and should prioritize more!) is writing handwritten thank-you notes to our clients and vendors that we’ve met. If we could protect those 15 minutes a day and write 1-3 notes, imagine how great the clients and vendors would feel getting them? Those little “triggers” would not only reinforce what we want our brand to be, but would also keep us in the forefront of their mind anytime they think of photography. That, and we really value relationships in our business – and what better way to say that you care and that you’re thinking about someone than a handwritten note…they are so rare these days!
Enjoy what you do and do what you enjoy! Life is so much more fulfilling that way.
LOL I went for whole life thing instead of 15 minutes… A.D.D. excuse. 15 minutes? To quote a Kevin Kubota Twitter… Write down your goals for the day.
What I want to start doing for my business is spending 15 minutes a day thinking about how to give back to those within the small business community who have given so much to me.
I used to live in a much different area of the country where the small business community was usually more against each other than for each other, and I am beyond grateful to now live in a place where so many people (clients and fellow business-people alike) are so willing to support both me and each other. It still never ceases to amaze me…
I never want to take that support for granted, so what I would like to start doing more actively is figuring out how to give back to a community which has supported me so willingly and unselfishly. Spending 15 minutes a day focusing on someone other than myself and my business is a good way to start!
There are so many fun things that I could do for my business 15 minutes every day, but the task that I SHOULD do (not so fun) is daily upkeep of my bookkeeping tasks and Quickbook entries.
Jules, I’d like to take a cue from you, and photograph my 3 dogs everyday. So many precious moments come and go. I think about photographing them everyday, but now I want to start doing it.
First of all, thank you for being so GENEROUS!!! (I’m in HI so we’re still the 31st)
I would spend 15min: doing some quick/really short stretching or cardio exercises.
Since I’m an on-location photographer, I do a lot of climbing, crawling, lying on the ground in order to get those special shots…especially in Hawaii and for families with crazy Keikis (kids).
It’s just hard to hold a conversation when I’m out of breath or pulling a muscle
I would spend that 15 minutes looking at the world with my camera in my hand…and a child at my side. Seems we learn as we grow…but ironically, we also close doors to new possibilities and creativity at the same time. The years teach us what can and can’t be done, but children don’t know that yet, and therefore they bring an earnest “let’s do it!” attitude to just about everything they dive into. Can you imagine the creativity we’d enjoy if we could only figure out how to tap into that innocence again? If we’re to stay ahead in this world, we need to shoot with the anything-is-possible freedom of a child. Too much desk time, to many deadlines, we lose.
More wonder. More joy. More “let’s do it!’ Bring it on.
If I could spent 15 minutes a day doing something “extra”, it would be to brighten one person’s day every day. Imagine the impact if we could give just a slice of our time to improve the day or life of someone else.
Naturally clients come to mind, but consider all of the relationshipps in our lives and how each one could substantially be improved by simply ‘giving back’ or ‘paying it forward’.
Many times we get lost in the business of running a business and don’t take the time [or make the time] — if I had just 15 extra minutes a day, I would spread my gift in the most enriching way possible.
If I could do one thing for your business for 15 minutes every day I would do more follow up with clients. I would use the information I gather to my advantage. I ask for all the names, ages and birthdates of all those that I photograph. I would send birthday and anniversary cards to clients. I would send a little note to a newborn client at their newest baby’s 6 month birthday and suggest a 1 year session. I would drop a family session client an email whose 17 year old son is entering his senior year and suggest a senior session. I think that sometimes your own client base doesn’t realize your full potential/bandwidth unless invited to. They are usually so focused in on what they specifically hired you for that they don’t think to how else your photography can document their lives.
WOW WOW WOW ! Thank you so much to everyone who participated, and congratulations to Veronica Suh who won the Kubota dashboard. I think the thing I should be doing for 15 minutes per day is spending time on the various forums such as the DWF, PhotoNation, B-School, Photography Mentor or Pictage’s forum. Its such a great way to keep current and find out about new products, services or workshops!