What impacted me most during Steve and Jen Bebb's 6-hour wedding photography seminar yesterday was their their core values. Their number one priority is their family (their marriage and their two sons).
They reorganized their 2012 photography schedule and business model to more closely align it with their core values. Jen will only shoot 3 weddings this year so that she can be with their sons every week-end. They have outsourced many aspects of their photography business, including post processing photos, so that Steve can spend his afternoons and evenings with the boys when they get home from school.
Their work day ends at 2:30 p.m. Monday to Friday!
I received much food for thought today, as a man, as a creative and as a business person. I was left with many priceless gems to ponder and hold onto for the rest of my life. Words of wisdom that will make me a better man, a more effective and successful business man and which will, when consistently implemented, enable me to grow my photography business. Many of these gems were already a part of my thinking.
Here are some of the precious nuggets that I gleaned from Jen and Steve.
Being a photographer versus being a business person
You create your reality. What you believe, you will make.
If you show extraordinary, people will assume that you can do ordinary.
Make your own unique business and images. Make a vision for your business.
If you don’t know where you’re going, how are you going to get there?
It’s really hard to stay motivated in your own business when you don’t know where you’re going.
Start with vision … the details will follow.
Because you are self-employed, your business can become your life.
You have to build a business that really inspires you.
These are a couple of their business practices that were eye opening to me.
Jen and Steve devote at least 1 hour a day to brainstorming. They write them all in their idea book.
Jen only answers work-related emails between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on week days only. “Let’s put things in perspective. We’re not saving lives.”
All of the following made a profound impression on me yesterday.
Their core life values
Their positive interactions with each other throughout the day
The team work that they displayed as they transparently shared with us their journey as business people whose product/service is wedding photography
Their love for each other and their children and their determination to keep first things first
Creatives, innovators, entrepreneurs who apply their combined creative energies in their personal lives as well as in their professional lives
The day that I spent at Jen and Steve's wedding photography business seminar was an investment which will yield big dividends for me as I apply the principles and business practices that I learned in my life and in my business model and practices.
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