• 10
    Jun

    Customer Loyalty The Rock Star Approach: Part 2, Mario Andretti

    For part one of this series,  I recycled a rambling story about how I came to do so much business with Starwood Hotels — something like 1/5th of every night I have on earth is spent at a Starwood branded hotel.  Since 2006, I estimate I’ve spent $70,000 in their hotels.  (Yes, smart ass, that […]

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  • 10
    Jun

    Photos that Define Moments

    She sat quietly, off to the side of the booth, softly crying. My mom noticed her.  She was in a wheel chair, staring at her photo.  She was crying.  Nobody was around her.  Mom was worried. “What’s wrong?” Mom asked quietly, “why are you crying?” “This is the first photo of me in a very […]

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  • 29
    Nov

    Do I feel pretty? The business of photography and why we hate ourselves.

    “Oh my God, I have fat cheeks.” Really?  You have fat cheeks?  You’re a professional cheerleader for the NFL, there isn’t an ounce of fat on you, and you think any part of you is ugly?  If you don’t think you are beautiful, what hope is there for the rest of us? My mom had […]

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  • 29
    Nov

    Defining your brand and the business of photography. Or, Trump vs.Clinton.

    I spent five days at the happiest place on earth. A sanitized, sugar coated world where, as one parent put it:  “You can eat M&M’s for breakfast!” A perfect world of no XXX stores, barely a bar, never a drunk, and certainly never, ever, EVER the foulest of foul: LITTER. Spending five days in Disneyland […]

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  • 28
    Jul

    Brand, Customer Service, and Travel or The Best Real Housewife EVER!

    I fly a lot.  I mean — a lot.  I write this at an airport gate on July 28, 2016 and I’ve already qualified for next year’s A-list preferred on Southwest.  That means 50 flights in just under 8 months.  50.  And that doesn’t count last week’s emergency United flight from LAX; a flight that […]

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  • 17
    Jun

    A Lannister always pays his debts. Donald Trump isn't a Lannister.

    One of the hardest parts about owning your own business — any business — is figuring out how to get paid.  Not just what to charge, although that’s an ongoing struggle for most of us, but when to get paid.  Do you require a deposit?  Will you accept credit cards?  Are you going to offer […]

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  • 10
    Jun

    You never know what the day will bring. Or, Marsha, Marsha, Marsha!

    I’d been on the road, shooting events and green screen photo executions in rapid succession that would put a politician canvassing Iowa during a primary season to shame. One week:  six cities in 7 days.  And these were major events, one after another, in rapid succession.  Stressful with travel, juggling client requests, and even weather. […]

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  • 01
    Feb

    Photography Lighting: An LED Update

    This year, US Event Photos hit the ground running.  I can easily remember in past years where our first event was over Valentines Day; this year, I’m in my 6th city in four weeks, with other events completed in Las Vegas and Washington, DC by mom and Melanie.  That means we’ve done 8 cities this […]

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  • 06
    Jan

    The Business of Photography Part 4: New Equipment and the story behind it. OR Make Photography Great Again.

    Warning:  if you are not a professional photographer or serious hobbyist, this is one of those boring posts.  Suck it up, buttercup!  My fellow photographers have been emailing me a few questions.  Time to provide a few answers.  If you are bored just read the (Tourettes notes).  I am funny. Every year, I schedule a break […]

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