film is not dead // FIND biz guide
If you love reading my blog, but you are not a photographer (because let’s face it, about 9 out of the 10 of you who read my blog are photographers… love ya!), then you really don’t have to feel obligated to read on. You’ll all thank me later, the people who choose to read this post (photographers), and the people who choose not to (hi mom).
I’m writing this post to do something that I normally wouldn’t do… and that is to promote something, but I promise you that it is something that I love & totally stand behind 100%. It’s something that I’ve done for myself, and something that I think is such a huge part of who I am, that I want to share it with my readers as well. The Film Is Not Dead biz guide… the guide that will make your business money.
I’m sure everyone knows that I work for Jonathan Canlas, producing the Film Is Not Dead (FIND) workshops, where I get the chance to meet & be inspired by so many other photographers. What you may not know is that I would never do something that doesn’t totally fulfill me & that I don’t believe in… I would never work for FIND if I didn’t think it’s one of the greatest movements that’s happened to the wedding & portrait industry since, well… I want to say the beginning of its existence, but I will definitely say since the beginning of the millenium. That sounds like a stretch to some, I know… but I wish you knew how incredibly exhilarating it is to have a family of photographers whose mission is to learn, to be inspired & to teach; one that goes well beyond the workshops & into the real world, where we are all friends & confidants, and would welcome each other with open arms in any region of the world. That’s how amazing this workshop is… and how amazing Jon is in that he dreamed this up, it came true, and he has lived his life facilitating the growth of all those who call themselves FINDers.
What you also might not know is that Film Is Not Dead is not all about shooting film *gasp* !!! I would say that the majority of the workshop is about the business of being a photographer, and how to make your business work for you. I even think that most attendees are surprised at how in depth Jon goes into the business side of things. His intention is for everyone to succeed. That’s what I love about Jon & about FIND… he isn’t here to tell you how successful he is just to make you feel less successful! He’s actually telling you how successful he is in order to help you be more successful!!! Talk about a breath of fresh air; especially in our industry, when so many people want to harbor their success like kings with gold, looking down on the rest of us common folk.
One of the ways that Jon has made this happen is through his workshops called “FIND 2.0,” that he hosts with the ultimate business guru Kristen Kalp, and where it is all about achieving success as a photographer & business owner. I was lucky enough to attend one of these workshops last month (as an attendee, wow!), and seriously had my mind blown with how on point they were about each of our businesses individually & as a whole, and how much applicable information they gave us to prepare for taking the steps to become successful. It was quite heart-wrenching as well… here I am seven years into my business, and I still find that I am learning from my mistakes—some very big mistakes at times—and am still subject to the desire to just make everyone happy while neglecting the business side of things, which in turn has affected my happiness as well as my family’s happiness.
Another thing that Jon has done is created the “FIND: Biz Guide,” which is what I’m here to tell you about today. I’m not ashamed to tell you that I actually get paid to advertise the Biz Guide, but I can tell you with all honesty that I would try to sell you this guide to you & to everyone I know without hesitation, even if I wasn’t getting paid to do so. I am S T O K E D on the FIND: Biz Guide, because it has everything that you (as a photographer) need to know to make sure that you are making the most money possible & to ensure that your business is working for you & your family, today, tomorrow & in the future. From Jon’s pitfalls as a new business owner & as a newb photographer, all the way to what he has figured out all along the way that has benefited his photography, both professionally & personally… it’s all in there.
If you happen to be reading this & thinking that this is all just some sort of push to make money, both for Jon & for me, then yeah. We’re making money. But that’s the thing… let’s ALL make money, friends! It’s not about let’s make money on all these folks, but more like, let’s all join hands & be happy together & benefit from one other! I want my clients to know that I’m in this business to make money, because I would be doing them a disservice if I didn’t charge enough to take it seriously. I would be unhappy, burnt out, broke, and looking at my future with desperation & anxiety. I don’t want that, my family doesn’t want that, my clients who love me don’t want that, and I don’t want that for YOU either.
Anyway, I love you all. I’m writing this post to encourage you to purchase the FIND: Biz Guide! Thank me later… or thank me every day you make more money, if you want!
Purchase the FIND: Biz Guide HERE. x’s & o’s, y’all!
p.s. here’s a pretty picture for you (of me!), which I happened to take during the few days that I bared my heart & soul at FIND 2.0 on Hawaii! thanks for the pretty picture, Kirk Mastin!