Intro by Skip Cohen
Thanks to Bev and Tim Walden, there’s so much great content on running a photography business available. Bev’s “Tuesday Tidbits are always loaded with inspiration.
Her recent email hits on a topic that we’ve all heard before, but here’s a thought that takes it a little deeper. We’re about to ramp up to some of the strongest seasonality our industry has seen. Why? There’s a stronger sense of family – and while it’s the result of the pandemic, that doesn’t change the role you can play in helping people capture memories. Think about it – what’s grandma missed the most these last few years? It’s an easy answer, her family. That opens the door for portraiture.
Being in business today, any business is a tough hill to climb, but the need to capture memories hasn’t slowed down. And if you’re still frustrated over the time it’s taking you to regain sales you lost over the last couple of years, it will only slow you down.
Even in phone calls with clients – you’ve got to demonstrate unbridled optimism. So, here’s a suggestion – smile, even when you’re on the phone. Your tone changes when you’re smiling, and while a few of you just rolled your eyes because it seems like such a goofy, hokey way to communicate – just try it.
Lastly, and to Bev’s point – surround yourself with positive people! Put the “negators” on your life on the sidelines and focus on your clients and their needs!
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| “Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or lose.” -Lyndon B. Johnson |
As entrepreneurs, we are all also leaders, and our attitudes will either sink us or cause us to rise above circumstances.
| “It is your attitude, not your aptitude, that determines your altitude. “-Zig Ziglar |
You and only you are responsible for your attitude; it is a choice you make daily, even when you don’t feel positive. Too often, our attitude is shaped by others – what they say or do. Attitude is personal and we don’t allow ours to be shaped by others!
Life is 10% what happens to you (your circumstances) and 90% how you react to it! We are not responsible for how others act, but we are responsible for how we react.
Here’s what we have found to be true…
Your attitude sets the mood or atmosphere around you. Have you ever walked into a room, and you could feel the tension in the air? Attitude is the same; it permeates the air around you and affects all who come in contact with it. A positive attitude is a trait we look for in others. If we surround ourselves with people who have a bad outlook and attitude, it brings everyone down and causes problems.
“Surround yourself only with people who are going to lift you higher”
Oprah Winfrey
As the owner of a business… Your attitude, as the owner and leader in your business, will be mirrored by those you work with, whether it be staff or family. You must set the atmosphere you want in your business and others will follow. Having a positive outlook and attitude requires work-it doesn’t come naturally for most people. It is critical as you will judge your circumstances differently with either a positive or negative attitude.
Ever heard the phrase, “Is your glass half empty or half full?” It is the same glass with the same amount of liquid. The only difference is how you view it! Tim once said having a positive attitude was like wearing “rose-colored glasses.” In other words, though circumstances around you may be negative, your rose-colored glasses allow you to see beyond the problem and see the solution.
Giving up is not an option with rose-colored glasses; in fact, it is not even a choice that is available!
Finally, attitude is not seeing something that doesn’t exist, but seeing what does exist in a different way!
This week, take “can’t” and turn it into “can.” Take “impossible” and change it into “possible.” I know you can do it!
