One of the best pieces of business advice I received when I started my business was: Get out and meet people. This might not sound like a tall order, but for someone who's an introverted or shy photographer, it's akin to getting a root canal. Getting pumped up for a networking party or industry mixer takes hours of choo choo thinking (I think I can, I think I can) and simulated meat punching in a freezer (a la Rocky Balboa) for me. But I do it as much as possible.

I want to take this idea further, though. Sure, it's a good thing to meet people in the industry, but simply meeting new people, any people, is powerful. I'm a thoroughbred wallflower, so you'll find me working out alone, shopping alone, and working alone. And I don't mind it. At all. But I discovered that when I talk to people, opportunities arise.

For example, I met with a banker yesterday to discuss my retirement fund. We got to chatting and when he discovered I was a wedding photographer, he told me he was engaged. We traded information and he said he wanted to book my services for his wedding next year. Likewise, I recently had my makeup done for a speaking engagement and the makeup artist emailed me to let me know she was engaged. After we met at the conference, she followed me on social media and when her fiancé popped the question, I was the first person she emailed.

These people only discovered my work as a direct result of happenstance interactions, so it's important to get out of your shell and be seen. Make no mistake, YOU are the best representation of your business, so get out and meet people…you–and your business–will benefit.

Shine On,
j*