Shit talkin' my way into a career

 

Building client rapport...

with a potty mouth, :)

Do you remember when you were first started out on your entrepreneurial journey?

Remember how overwhelmed you felt before every decision you made?

When I first started photographing people for a living, I was an inexperienced and overmatched pile of nerves before every single session.

Intimidated. Anxious. Scared shitless.

I was unsure of myself not only on a technical level, but also on an human being one. too.

I wanted to appeal to everyone who needed portraits, so I often played it safe with how I communicated with them.

I was unsure of how to build client rapport in way that would inspire them to be comfortable behind the camera, and it showed in the results.

Looking back at those images from the early sessions, I can see that I often left a lot of meat on the bone with most of my clients.

Deep down, I knew something was missing.

And then one day, I had an epiphany and realized the missing piece all along...was me.

Here I am, a photographer charged with capturing authenticity for a living, and I was afraid to fully show up to these sessions as my true self.

Because I lacked confidence in my abilities, I was extremely measured and careful with every word, every direction and every decision. As a result of playing it safe, I was short-changing my clients.

I vowed to never let that happen again, and I promised that anytime I step behind a camera, I was always going to present myself in the same way that I do when I communicate with friends and colleagues.

That essentially meant that I was going to overwhelm my clients senses by talking a lot of shit.

What does that mean exactly?

Think of a colorful mix of irreverence, sarcasm, rapid-fire commentary, silly jokes, busting chops and unbridled energy - long story short, I cut the shit and allowed my true blue, New York swagger to present itself to build client rapport while I go to work during a session...

...and I haven’t looked back since, :)

I’m creating this ridiculously silly, back and forth banter so that it distracts clients from the heavy amount of direction and tactical decisions that are being made in the back of my mind as the moment plays out.

I want them relaxed, confident and mindful of the present moment while I do all the heavy lifting.

The more comfortable they are with me, the easier they are to direct, and ultimately, this creates an environment where we can create some amazingly powerful and authentic portraits.

And ultimately, that’s the bottom line - but hey, why not have a blast throughout the process, right?

Now, I’m curious to hear your story...

How does your personality affect not only the way you present your thought leadership, but, how you interact with your clients?
 

PS - Are you planning on investing in a session and are in need of a photographer who will keep you loose and lively?
ant to work with someone who has a potty mouth and is proud of it?  You're in luck, :) 

Schedule a call with me here and let’s see if we’re a good fit to work together.

PPS - For those of you who aren’t in the know, I mail out these blogs 3x a week, and lemme tell you, they’re a real party, so, if you’d like to get in on this, sign up for it here and I’ll throw in a free gift for you...because I care, :)