Doug Gordon Workshops

Some time ago my wife asked me what would make me feel like I have arrived. What is the pinnacle for me. When I told her, she said she wanted me to write it down and put it in my wallet like a check and hold it there till I reached my goal. You know what is funny I have changed that check at least 5 times over the last 3 years. I believe in positive energy. My wife has encouraged me to believe it. She is a wonderful woman who believes negative thoughts should not be let in. I used to honestly believe is was crock, but I learned it imagining the great things that I want . And guess what it works. You need to learn expectations. So with being said I want you to write the following question down and answer it honestly… 

My definition of success is________________. 

Good, now that you’ve answered that question compare what you’re doing each day to what you’ve written above. Will the actions you’re taking move you closer to what you wrote down? Or like so many, do you find that much of your day is made up of mostly filler, designed (either knowingly or unknowingly) to get you through to the end of each day. 

Really give that some serious thought. If you find that you’re not giving ample time to tasks which are necessary to move you in the direction you want your life to be — don’t beat yourself up over it. Instead, right now — at this very moment take a real, concrete step which will lead you in the direction that you want to go. After you’ve done so, take another step! 

Keep the following saying in mind — the doing of a thing makes it so… now get doing! 

– It’s your life, LIVE BIG! 

Do not follow where the path may lead. 
Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.
Emerson

What does this mean to you?

 I used to believe, I still do, that if you give something your all, it doesn’t matter if you win or lose, as long as you’ve risked everything put everything out there. And I’ve done that. I did it my entire life. I did it with my business.

My Question is :

Have you?

There really isn’t much more to say , is their. I realized how selfish I am sometime.. How selfish most of us are to complain about our lives. As it bad as it seems sometime, it is nothing compared to what these people are going through. I just wish there was more to do. It is scary.

I as most of you probably did, watched the Hope for Haiti Now telethon last night and my heart just broke all over again for the people of Haiti. This is just so sad and I wish there was more that I can do. So we are doing the only thing we can. We have already and will continue to give a portion of our proceeds from our workshops and educational mater to the Doctors without Borders Group. We started with a $1000 and hope to give more.I just want to encourage the people who follow me in anyway to donate whatever you can. I know times are tough right now in this country, but we are still a million times better off than the people who survived this unspeakable tragedy. Everyone reading this post can afford $10, so please at least text “Haiti” to 90999. Also you can pre-purchase the album of some of the performances on iTunes  It’s only $7.99 and at least you’ll get some great tunes out of it. If you can give more, donate through the website above or call 1-877-99-HAITI .  

Ok I have fought this for a while now. to be honest I felt like kind of a tool. However due to FB dumb friend rule limit which applies to less then 1 percent of their total population. They make you do it. I had no idea you keep  compiling friend request during this time. So as you can imagine it started to get out of hand with requests and me not answering them over the last few months. I apologize I did not know you were there. With being said this will force me to get off my butt and make this page worth something to the people who join it. So on Monday we will start filming a series of tutorials that we will be putting up from time to time on this blog and the fan page for you all to see. It will cover everything from posing, lighting, Workflow, business and of course life.

You can connect to it through Doug Gordon Workshops fan page 

here is the link

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Doug-Gordon-Workshops/191007682903?ref=ts

This is my favorite time of year. As we all know life and business is all about expectations. I believe one of the worst things you can do in business is not set goals. We spend way too much time making excuses of why we can’t do things, rather then just doing it. Besides January being my favorite time of year, it is also my most critical of the year. I think in life we all expect the new year to bring change and promise. The truth is we need to begin with a starting point  and change in mindset. The best advice I could ever give is to:

      * EXPECT POSITIVE RESULTS!  

      *YOU ONLY FAIL IF YOU STOP TRYING!

      * IF YOU KEEP DOING THE SAME THINGS YOU

         HAVE ALWAYS DONE, YOU WILL GET THE SAME

         RESULTS YOU HAVE ALWAYS GOTTEN!

• Understand the critical factors that are impacting your business right now.
  Learn a systematic method to elicit, utilize, and maximize every business problem that has not yet been solved by you and your team. By looking at your business through a new filter, you will discover what needs to be solved first and how to capture, categorize, and sequence your approach to build momentum and maximize success.
• Know exactly where your business really is—not where you think it is.
  The competitive advantages that put you in business and made you successful in the first place are almost certainly not sustainable moving forward. You will review in detail where your business has been, where it is today, and where it is going.
• Don’t use the economy as an excuse
  Where there were once 100 brides to every 50 photographers; the economy is changing to the point where there are closer to 50 brides to every 50 photographers. With fewer buyers, you must understand how to protect yourself and use this opportunity to shift the market in your favor. Most Importantly accept change. Learn to pose. I promise it is the new in thing! It’s not that bride’s don’t want to pose, it’s that they think it takes forever.
• Understand the impact of your studios current situation
  Only by understanding where your business is really at, can you anticipate, predict and solve the inevitable challenges that will occur in your business in advance. Most importantly accept change.
• Create an end vision of what you want your studio and life to be
  Regardless of how successful or profitable your studio is or has been, without a vision for its future, you will not grow. Without an open mind to change , you will not grow. You need to think big. Try to design and refine a vision that is big enough to both inspire and reignite the passion and genius that made you want to be a photographer in the first place. Create a starting point and a goal. Remember even if things are going well, it can change on a dime. Even if it’s not broke, IMPROVE IT!
• It’s time to reshape your business.
  Take a step back and think about what got you to where you are. I always believe it is important to reflect on positives to and negatives to learn. Expand your mind. Take educated changes. 
• Develop a strategy.
  Our strategy at our studio is simple. Most importantly we create and guarantee moments. We believe in delivering a tangible product. Albums, Prints, etc. Our business mantra is everyday find a way. What does that mean you ask. It means everyday take time to do something you have never done before. Take time to market. Think about how much time you spend on the creative side , the technical side and the business side of your day. If you are not spending at least 75% of your day on business ideas, marketing etc. You have problems! Remember business first, we do this to make a living.

I will leave you with one basic rule to live by as a photographer. 

Create personal relationships with everybody. If they like you they will love your work!

Happy Sales Season everybody!

I am excited and honored to be Mr February for Animoto’s famous photographer ad campaign. This ad is supposed to capture the essence of who you are as a person and  a photographer. The portrait is also to be a self expose. This ad will be displayed throughout many trade magazines including a full page in Professional Photographer Magazine and get this a 2 page spread in Rangefinder. The first two page ad in Animoto history. Also because of this great news Animoto is giving anybody who signs up with them 3 months free when they buy a year membership. So that is 15 months for the price of 12. The pass code is London DG. so i guess you want to see the ad. Please let me know your thoughts. 

Also in case you are wondering my belly has been liquified larger to hide the six pack! He He!

Although I miss my family terribly. The last few days at PPA in Nashville and todays kick off Red Bus Road Show in London at the SWPP convention, have been simply amazing. Here are some photos from todays’ shoot.

I had the a great time with WPPI radio host Scott Shepperd. If you want to hear it, go to http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=293620128

Let me know your thoughts

New Year’s resolution time is upon us. January 1st marks a brand new start to a another year and is also traditionally the pivotal point in time that many choose to change behaviors, attitudes, and life in general. It is amazing what the new year brings. In reality nothing has changed other then a day on the calendar. However our minds say fresh start. Why can’t we do this everyday. I mean everyday find a way.It starts the moment you acknowledge change. It is the awareness and attention that you give your motivation.  How often do you step back daily and attend to your goals, beliefs and thoughts? What you wish, you learn to believe. Your mind absorbs every spoken, written and subliminal message you send to it. From the minute you awaken in the morning until the time you go to sleep, you frame your reality. This daily attention goes beyond positive thinking. It is a way of living and holding yourself accountable. True passions are likely to generate spectacular and inspired results in ways you can only begin to imagine.  Learning to live as though everyday is New Years Day,  will remind you to take immediate action and create momentum towards living the life you want, not just what you desire. Make your resolution to live each day to it’s fullest and constantly believe that life is what you make it and nobody else. Learn to believe in yourself and find way to motivate yourself each and everyday.

Empower Yourself And Others – Live Your Life With Motivation!

Now is a time to reform, so start thinking about improving what needs to be improved. Leave the rough days behind and let the world see what your really made of. Okay, so change doesn’t occur abruptly, but then again, you have the whole year. Set realistic goals. Reach for what you can acheive, but never stop striving to be the best. Do better than what’s expected of you, If you think you may be the top photographer, don’t stop reaching higher, because you may not be the top person in the world. That is what’s so great about our business and our art — you can never stop growing.

Are the obstacles before you bigger than they have to be? It’s the calm captain who conquers the roughest seas. So often, we see the big picture when we look at obstacles, making them so monumental that we become stressed and discouraged, certain that we cannot overcome them. Our emotions then exaggerate the situation, making it impossible for us to focus on the task at hand. Remember step back, relax and most importantly learn from the situation. Make it a growing experience.

  You can’t control what’s happening around you, but you can control how you perceive it and react to it. Life happens. It is impossible to control every aspect of it. We don’t have power over the people around us, the economy, or the outcomes of everything that impacts our lives. But, we do have power over one thing—ourselves. Often, it’s not our circumstances or the things that happen in our lives that matter; it’s how we perceive them and react to them that matters most.

Just remember the saying it could always be worse. Learn your lesson and get motivated to learn from the situation. Stress and emotions don’t help us. They make us make mostly irrational reactions. The biggest lessons I have learned in 2009 is that I only fail if I stop trying. Thanks for listening to me babble Happy New Years to you all.