GREEN & GOLD SNOWY WEDDING INSPIRATION

Pocono, PA Workshop and Whimsical Styled Shoot | View Full Red Oak Wedding Feature

Hey all! Today I want to give a shout out to two crucial business practices that will take you to the NEXT LEVEL. If you could take a guess at the things I am referring to do you think you would be right? Maybe you would say marketing, list building, funnels, systems, pricing, or technique, equipment, style and branding. All of these are definitely components of elevating your business, but none of them are the two things I am getting at. Ok, I know you are waiting with bated breath, so here it is…

The two crucial business practices to take you to the next level are GIVING and LEARNING. So often we get caught up in establishing the framework and mission of our businesses and getting caught in the web of managing a ton of client needs, projects to finish and deadlines to meet, that we start unknowingly making our personal worlds smaller and smaller. We don’t have time for coffee dates with friends, we are late to dinner with family, and sooner or later our businesses have become little life suckers that leave us thinking, “why did I want to do this in the first place?” In order to become better at all those other business components I named before, it really comes down to giving and learning as a professional.

A couple weeks ago I had the opportunity to go on the IGNITE workshop hosted by NJ SPARK. I was super excited to hear what the other photogs had to say about their areas of expertise and equally excited for the styled shoot they had prepared for the afternoon session. 15 other women and I gathered in Jess’s living room on a chilly Saturday morning to talk shop and make new friends. I cannot tell you the amount of support and encouragement I felt as an emerging entrepreneur and photographer.

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The women leading the workshop were gold mines of knowledge and experience! Coupled with their personal stories and wisdom, six brilliant ladies shared their strategies in the six major business categories.

Amy of Amy Rizzuto Photography spoke about her strategy for impressive client experiences from the moment you reply to their inquiry to the moment they sign the contract.

Cinnamon of Cinnamon Wolfe Photography shared her blogging and SEO secrets so we can continue to grow in consistency and quality, increase our web ranking and always impress our clients.

Debbie of Deborah Ann Photography opened herself up to share about her personal life and struggles that have helped shape who she is and the photographer she has become today. Her message that “God will use everything for the good” really stuck with me and helped to redefine some of my own personal struggles.

Jessica of Jessica Oh Photography shared her unique and occasionally hilarious approach to “unposed” posing. I’m always interested in how other photographers approach this aspect of their business and Jess nails it every time.

Mekina of Mekina Saylor Weddings shared about her experience starting as a second shooter and the doors it opened up to her as she grew her career and begin hiring second shooters for herself.

Cassie of Cassie Claire Photography delved into the album production process and shared a ton of great tips about several professional vendors

These amazing ladies submitted images of the shoot to Red Oak Weddings and you can see the full feature from the two day shoot on their blog! So there you have it, the tip of the iceberg when it comes to giving and learning as a business builder. They really do go hand in hand when you think about it. I challenge you to find one way you can add some learning into your business weeks and to also find ways to give in a unique way during your business weeks. I guarantee you will be greatly rewarded as so will the people you impact in the process.

Here are some pretty pictures from our snowy, freezing and utterly whimsical styled shoot. Thank you to all the vendors that donated their time and talent to make shoot possible!! And don’ forget to head over to Red Oak Weddings to see a fun behind the scenes video, too! Enjoy!