So many of my friends in the creative fields have been struggling with COVID wreaking havoc on their dreams over the past couple of years.

Before COVID – 19, I counseled many younger people who were exploring using photography/videography as a career. Many of these were people feeling a call to do work in the nonprofit world.

Dreaming ample means having the mental freedom to think about what you want out of life and forget about all the reasons why you can’t make it a reality. For the first time in my lifetime, many people had mental freedom due to COVID. I think this is why there was “The Great Resignation” in our culture.

“It’s better to have an impossible dream than no dream at all.” 

– Anonymous

Dreamers are not going down a well-worn path that so many have done before them. Developing a growth mindset—or the belief that growth and that learning are more important than success or other people’s opinions—can help you shift your focus to the journey instead of the end goal.

Explore What Really Matters To You

Don’t get stuck in dreaming small. The one thing that is core to dreaming big is wanting to have a purpose in life. I want a sense of meaningful direction in life. I want to use my gifts to help others, and the bottom line is to be appreciated and feel like people need me in their lives.

I felt like I had achieved one of my dreams while on the Georgia Tech staff. My dream was not to work at Georgia Tech. My goal was to use photography to help tell stories that engaged people in learning more about their world and how to improve it.

It just so happened to do this would require my science & technology geek side to make these photos. I had to use my lighting, photojournalism, and storytelling skills to create strong images that helped tell these stories.

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”

— Henry Stanley Haskins

Big dreams rarely have an instruction manual; you figure it out as you go. What will drive you is this sense of curiosity to figure things out.

Without action, big dreams are simply dreams.

When I started, my uncle told me to go and talk to his mentor and former boss, Don Rutledge. Find someone who you admire and respect. Go and take them to lunch. Ask them how they got to where they are today and if they have any tips to give someone starting.

Be Vulnerable

Ask people not if you are good enough to make it. Ask those who are experts what you can do to get better. Assume your work could use improvement. Watching the Olympics is an excellent insight into why you always need to look for ways to improve. Shaun White five-time Olympian and a three-time Olympic gold medalist in half-pipe snowboarding, have to develop new tricks for each unique Olympics. His competition is already copied what he did last time.

Ask lots of questions about different things in life. Why are things the way they are?

Why So Many Fail

There are so many reasons. Here are some things I have observed by colleagues that went away over time.

• Gave Up Too Early – Persistence and drive are needed to make it
• Not Asking For Help – Too many think they can do it alone. No one can.
• Think About Failure, Rather Than Success – Giving in to naysayers and negative self-talk
• Desire For Instant Gratification – Most marketing campaigns take 6 to 18 months before seeing any returns
• Afraid To Make Mistakes – Dreaming is about taking risks
• Not Wanting To Leave Your Comfort Zone

Find a Mentor & Coach

A mentor is someone you don’t necessarily pay for, and a coach is someone you do pay for. Both, I think, are needed. Sometimes one person could serve both roles for you. However, mentors tend to be those who have achieved what you seek, and coaches are those who know how to motivate you and ask questions to help you focus.

Comfort Zone

We have it well documented that many abused wives find it hard to leave their situation. These battered women’s paradoxical responses to their abusers have perplexed professionals and laypersons alike. They know that this survival mechanism and their ability to see beyond their situation is complex.

Too many creatives have this same problem. However, just like those battered women, there is help. ASMP [American Society for Media Photographers] helped me navigate this profession with education, coaching, mentoring, and peer support. The one thing they realized that other photo groups don’t always acknowledge is that while we know how to take pictures, we don’t know how to run a business.

Battered women have organizations to help them; creatives need to realize dreams are realized when they seek out help.

Meeting A Need Is Key To Success

Donald Miller is the CEO of Business Made Simple. He teaches how businesses need to make their customer the story’s hero. The first step a company has is to identify the problem that their customers have that they can solve. Then they must find a clear and concise way to communicate this to their market.

Miller tells those companies to add something that distinguishes them from all their competition. What is funny is that there isn’t anything they do that other companies don’t do, but Don Miller says to communicate it, which will separate you from your competition that isn’t sharing it.

Miller has identified the key to success as you must meet the need of the customer and communicate how you know their problems and can solve them in all of your marketing.

Next Steps

I hope this helps to motivate you and clarify your dreams. Part of achieving your big goals involves working through others. A single person is rarely able to accomplish a big plan on their own.

I think your first step is to find someone to talk to about your dreams. When you say them out loud, they become real.

You would also need to show the connection/connect the dots between other people’s input and the achievement of your dream to enable others to see the big picture and enthusiastically support you.

To keep your fire burning and your dream alive, read inspirational material such as books, blogs, articles, and magazines; listen to motivational audio CDs and podcasts; watch motivating videos and talks; attend workshops, webinars, and courses to inspirational, uplifting and inspiring music.

A sound support system of like-minded people helps in preserving big dreams.

This past week I was covering the Chick-fil-A annual meeting. Andrew Cathy, CEO of Chick-fil-A, shared a quote I think we all need to hear now.

“When your memories exceed your dreams, the end is near.
When your dreams exceed your memories, you pioneer”

– Andrew T. Cathy

The “Great Resignation” is when Americans quit jobs at a record pace during the second half of 2021, and more plan to resign in the new year.

If you have been paying attention, you will also know that this is complicated and not just a simple complaint. Experts continue to say the lack of adequate childcare and health concerns about Covid, exacerbated by Omicron, is one major issue.

The widening gap between labor demand and supply appears to be most significant in low-paying industries like the service industry.

Mothers with college degrees and telework-compatible jobs were more likely to exit the labor force and be on leave than women without children. Again, this seems to be directly related to the childcare issue.

What seems to be the issue is they cannot afford to keep the jobs they have for various reasons.

Shane Benson did an excellent job with a video of a burning forest fire behind him on stage. It painted the perfect picture of all the stress of running a business today.

Ruben Gonzalez was terrified every time he did the luge event until a coach told him to concentrate 30 yards in front of him. Ruben was no longer afraid, and his times got better with this advice.

“If you want the rainbow, you have to put up with the rain.”  

– Dolly Parton

The Vision must be communicated to be successful!

Your job as a leader is to generate a commitment to your organization’s vision. To do this, you must communicate the idea in a way that matters to people.

When you tell a good story, you give life to a vision. A good storyteller creates trust, captures hearts and minds, and serves as a reminder of the image. Plus, people find it easier to repeat a story than to talk about a vision statement.

Use visual aids as Shane Benson did above. Create updates to keep everyone aware of your progress toward your vision. 

In 2022 – Companies will be measured by the way they treat their workers

Employers have shifted from asking what they can get from employees to ask what they can do to support employees and their families.

One of the most significant gaps for the best companies is from what they do to employees to what they communicate.

There is a communication gap at the root of all company’s failures. If you are having trouble recruiting people, have you asked if people outside the company know what you offer to work for you?

Large companies that employ people all over the country and globe cannot have a one size fits. They must let the local leaders have the flexibility to cater to the local culture.

Internal Communications BEFORE External Communications

Before the team took the field, the coach handed out a playbook for each person to memorize. They also ran the play over and over in practice. It wasn’t new to them when they ran the space for the world to see. If they executed it flawlessly, most likely, it was successful.

Effective communication builds a positive atmosphere where teams can flourish, when positive and encouraging communication, team members become more muscular and work better together. 

Good communicators are vital to a business’s profit margin and reputation. Employees who communicate well and understand the company’s vision help make the company successful. Using practical communication skills can benefit a business and its employees.

I believe the best way to communicate today is to be sure you engage in many ways people learn from your messaging. Therefore, writing alone misses how most people know.

Research has found that 65 percent of the general population are visual learners, meaning they need to see information to retain it. Visuals add a component to communication that written and verbal methods do not: speed. Studies have shown that the brain can process images and videos 60,000 times faster than text, making image-based communication remarkably valuable.

Call to Action

Call a professional communicator known for using visual communications and not just writing skills. Bring them in early. Tell them your vision and dreams for where you want to go this year and communicate this to all the stakeholders to make it happen.

Georgia Bulldog’s Freshman Running Back #35 Brian Herrien Scored his first collegiate touchdown. At the same time, UNC’s Safety #15 Donnie Miles could not stop him during tonight’s Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game, September 3, 2016, at the Georgia Dome. [NIKON D5, 120.0-300.0 mm f/2.8, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 45600, 1/4000, ƒ/5.6, (35mm = 240)]

I just got this question today and thought it would make a great blog post.

“How do you get credentials to be able to shoot at some of the college football games? Huge UGA fan and would love to be able to shoot at a game if possible.”

Instagram Follower

I would first send a link to my photos and ask for feedback on my work before I presumed I would be good enough to shoot the game. Always be sure people can see what you can do when asking permission to shoot for a sports team.

I highly recommend getting your domain name and a website. Your website will be your online portfolio.

You must first establish you can shoot good action photos and the best place to start is in your community shooting the recreational leagues. Once you have 10 to 20 great shots, please put them in an online gallery that you will use to ask for access to the next-up venue.

The question you will get from the Athletic Director or Coaches is what you plan on doing with the photos. For example, you may say I want to offer these to the parents and players. However, if you sell them, you may compete with someone who has a deal with the school, and they will turn you down.

You ask around until someone wants you there to shoot photos. Then you build a better portfolio.

For college football, the Sports Information office for the Athletic Department is who gives out credentials. Here is a list of the type of photographers credentialed at Division 1 games.

• Sports Illustrated
• Associated Press
• Reuters
• USA Today
• Local Newspapers
• Wire Services other than AP
  • Zuma Press
  • Icon Sports
  • Athletic Image
• School Newspaper/Yearbook
• Shooters for Athletic Department

I suggest not going straight to the major Division 1 schools but finding those smaller ones. They don’t have everyone and their brother or sister asking to shoot the games. They are more likely to let you on their field. However, they may want you to make some of your photos available to them for purchase. When first starting, you may want to give them some to get your first access, but once you have a portfolio of good images at that level, start charging for your pictures.

There is a level of shooters above most of the editorial shooters. Those are the ones hired to shoot for advertising purposes. So, brands like Nike, Under Armor, Addidas, Coca-Cola, Gatorade, and brands around the sport, will employ the very best to get them those “unique” images.

Now along the way, you may find that you have an opportunity to help another photographer cover a significant event as a photo assistant. They help by carrying extra gear or are helping by editing images. So if you ever get that opportunity–TAKE IT!! Assisting is about learning from the best. You will learn about the expectations before all the pressure on you.

SECRET TIP!!!!!

While a list of people is lining up to ask for credentials for shooting University of Georgia football this year, very few are asking to shoot their Track & Field. Every Sports Information office has trouble getting photographers to shoot some of their other sports. If you want to build a good relationship with them, see if they need coverage of their other sports.

Always ask them for their photo needs. They have to fill out a media guide each year. Believe it or not, they need fewer photos of the seniors than everyone else. Sports Information people are looking for fresh images of the players before next year. The following year, they will need many more pictures of the rising starters. You still shoot the star players but keep the client’s needs in mind.

Study the photographers at the top in the industry. See what they are getting and do everything you can to make your photos as good as theirs. Also, look for unique shots as well. Just be sure always to have safe pictures.

Shooting settings NIKON Z 9, VR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 8000, 1/200, ƒ/5.6, (35mm = 170)

While all of my previous Nikon Cameras could have covered this meeting in past years, there are some adorable things that I see as valuable.

EVF vs OVF

An Electrical View Finder with mirrorless is much better for me than the Optical View Finder with the DSLR. You see, in low light, it is brighter in the EVF. You can see what you photograph so much better than natural light.

As I look through the EVF, I see what it will look like when I shoot it. That isn’t the case with the DSLR. You have to stop and check the images with the DSLR.

I have the settings on the Nikon Z9 set to show me what the scenes will give me.

Another thing that is good with seeing what you are getting is White Balance. You can see if you are off. When I was shooting the stage, I set the White Balance to Kelvin setting so that things like all this red didn’t have my camera compensating and adding a lot of cyan, which would make the skin color off.

Now while I am shooting RAW and can fix this in the post, the more you get correct in the image on the camera will save you time editing.

For metering, I set this to Highlight-Weighted.

So which focus mode was I using?

Auto-Area Auto Focus in the AF-C setting.

Now one other thing I love about the camera is not having a shutter and the ability to turn the sound off.

The lenses look sharper since the focusing is off the sensor.

I cannot say anything, but this is a great camera, and as I learn how to maximize all it can do, I hope I also deliver better images that the customer notices.

Northern cardinal in our backyard. [NIKON Z 9, VR 120-300mm f/2.8G, Mode = Manual, ISO 8000, 1/500, ƒ/5.6, (35mm = 600)]

Today we had winter advisory for our area. So, I was having to stay put and decided to use this as opportunity to photograph birds in our backyard.

When there isn’t snow the photos look like this. The snow changes the lighting, background and when the snow is falling creates more depth with snow surrounding the birds.

When the snow started to fall the trees were still not covered.

Slowly through the day the snow steadily came down. Changing the look of the same spots where the birds came to feed.

One of the fun things to do is research and see what is visiting the backyard bird feeders.

“Vision without execution is just hallucination.”

—  Henry Ford

When the phone rings and I are asked to do a project, it is rewarding and prosperous. What do you do when the phone doesn’t ring?

In business, there is so much work that must be done that while it doesn’t look like it is productive if neglected can make things worse.

There is always paperwork to do, especially if you are an entrepreneur who is a one-person operation like me.

Working on my books is one of the first things I do on most slow days. This is to be sure all the ledgers are up to date. Often this means sending out reminders to slow payers.

Take the time to learn something new. Over the years, I have invested in numerous books, magazines, and many online videos to stay up to date on my industry.

“A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.”

—  George Bernard Shaw

Be proactive. Plan your life rather than just reacting to things.

One of the best ways to plan is to network. This means you must gather the names of people and organizations you want to work with in the future.

Work on creating a database of new prospects. Also, make a plan on how you will connect with these people.

These are ways that I connect with my audience:

• Monthly Newsletter
• Blog – tips for my audience
• Postcards – small taste of my portfolio
• Phone calls
• E-mail

For the self-employed, taking some of this time for personal time is much easier. Many business owners are so busy running their businesses that home chores and projects don’t get done.

So many of my friends have discovered they can work from anywhere this past year. Many college students also realized that they could be anywhere if their classes were all online. I know some friends of mine went to Colorado and snowed skiing during their breaks.

Another friend of mine is planning to work from Hawaii for a month.

“The only man who makes no mistakes is the man who never does anything.”

–  Theodore Roosevelt

For those who work the gig economy, having a phone and computer with you means you can work your downtime from anywhere. Visit your family and if a call comes that you need to respond to, then adjust.

Volunteer in your community. Find something that you can do to give back. It helps others and lets others know your heart for the community.

One of the best things to do during a slow time is marketing. You may be someone who needs to promote your products or services to drum up new business. Having authentic images of your product, company, or staff can put you ahead of your competitors, and I can help you with it.

Work on telling your story of your business and how it intersects with your customer’s story. Please hire me to help get on video client testimonials on how you made their lives better.

Do you need employees? How about letting me help you record the testimonials of your employees and why they like working for you?

There is much to do today in this downtime. What action will you take today?

There are many reasons your organization will fail in the next generation. Most of the reasons are the present leadership not planning for the change.

In this post, I want to talk about realistic planning for budgeting. Most of the time, organizations plan to maintain the same roles as they have now, which is one of the biggest mistakes. As you grow and mature your organization is developing just like you did go through school.

Many of us have gone through preschool, elementary, middle school, high school, college, and advanced degrees. Your organization also develops similarly.

You start with one teacher, and then when you progress upward, you need more teachers in specialties to help you maximize your talents.

If you retire and the organization is still in the elementary years, it may fail because they were not planning for the need for more staff, more supplies, and space to operate in the future.

Let me tell you the story of how one man [Zack] hurt a nonprofit because they were focused so much on the present that he was not helping the organization plan for tomorrow.

The most significant need of a nonprofit is to tell its story to its donors. Zack was one of the best marketing guys in the business. He was working for a fortune 50-size company. He knew how to tell stories to build a brand.

He had a huge heart for this nonprofit’s mission. They were an educational nonprofit that was changing communities all over Asia. Zack knew that the organization couldn’t afford him, so he donated all of his time.

The problem came when Zack could no longer help the organization. He had retired, and his health kept him from being able to contribute anymore.

He never helped the organization understand how they needed to budget for someone like him in the future. He didn’t groom the next marketing/communications person. He loved to travel, and the organization was thriving. He also loved to do a lot of the work himself. He took photos and videos and wrote as well. He found his friends to help as well.

Don’t be just like Zack for your organization. Teach and mentor those who will replace you. Most of all, help set up the organization to afford later to pay someone with your skills. Help them understand how to budget for the organization with the next generation of leaders.

Great leaders prepare the next generation and work themselves out of their job.

You see, Zack had succumbed to pride and his ego. He loved doing the work and getting recognition for it as well. Zack was on an ego trip.

If you were no longer around and the rest of the staff as well all left, what would the organization need not just to survive but thrive? Take the time away from the present work to plan for future work. Create teams to help budget for the needs of the future.

You will discover that the time for the new leadership to start taking ownership is long before you are ready to give it up.