<note to avoid moderation - no links have been posted, no links will be posted>
So Tony invited himself to my podcast and I have begrudgingly accepted . So if you have any questions you'd like to have asked, and topics or issues you'd like us to discuss I'm all ears. Podcast happens tomorrow (Tuesday Feb 7) morning so get your suggestions in tonight.
My idea for a topic would be about how to effectively communicate value...this is one of those things I am struggling with and would love to hear more on it!
How about moving into a higher price bracket?
How about being young and saving for retirement?
How about when to let the lady take the lead on things (if she normally does not...).
I think it will be interesting because you are basically running the same type of husband and wife show but with somewhat different approaches to client types, and target markets.
Ask about why he has changed his lighting setups from speedlights to Einsteins back to speedlights...and why? Actually just ask about his lighting philosophy in general.
@RJK - I don't believe Todd and Tony are going to be talking about photography techniques... you might want to look into the Genesis workshop if you want to pick Tony's brain on lighting topics.
@TTR - 1) I'd like to hear some discussion on supporting your brand via the website and blogging. Like whats the thought process behind the "does this image support my brand" question.
2) I'd also love to hear some discussion on finding the balance between "art" and what most clients actually purchase (enlargements and what they want in albums). I don't believe most people (besides photographers) really want the ultra-artsy-hip-vintage-grainy-film look to their portraits. Tony discussed this briefly before after being asked in a thread why most of his sets were safer. His reply was something like, most clients don't want the abstract stuff. So maybe a discussion of shooting with profit in mind vs shooting for "art" and how it could affect the bottom line.
I think that I'd like to hear a discussion of two items that he does differently than others. One is the addition of an associate to his studio. Why, how, impact on creating a longterm brand, and any fears as to dilution (truly not meant as a dig Chuck, I love your stuff. The second being pricing, especially as he has hinted at potentially keeping his prices artificially low.
Best,
Dave
I'd like to hear Tony's take on "passion". Considering Chuck's stance on the subject (which I agree with and would love to talk with you over a beer sometime Todd, because I think there were some unmentioned things in the podcast with Chuck), I'd love to hear Tony's opinion on the topic. Should Tony take more of a business-minded approach, my follow up would be how that affects integrating Chuck's philosophies into his brand, if it all.
I second the suggestion for talking about the growth of your businesses. Especially regarding any kinds of tipping points that occurred with regard to client exposure, inquiry volume, brand awareness, etc. What prompted them? When did they happen? How did you capitalize on the changes as they were occurring? What are the histories of your growth?
Also, if you guys want to be transparent, a discussion about how each of you has also consciously decided to market services (and products) to photographers would be very interesting. How much of your income comes from catering to the needs of the rapidly expanding wannabe photographer market? Workshops, DVDs, etc. I know both of you have very consciously built your brands with that in mind...
I feel like there is a lot of that going on, but nobody talks about the business of, consulting about, the business of photography. Know what I mean?
p.s. - I just listened to the existing podcasts today, while cleaning and rearranging my office. Really good stuff all around. One tip: look at your blog post tags and categories. I had to go into a search of your site to find the podcasts. Not all of them are tagged/categorized consistently. If you tag them all, they will be easier to dig up. And a hard link to the podcast category in your nav might be a good idea.
I'd like to know what kinds of set backs they have encountered business wise, or what risky decisions they have had to make and how they all panned out.
. So if you have any questions you'd like to have asked, and topics or issues you'd like us to discuss I'm all ears. Podcast happens tomorrow (Tuesday Feb 7) morning so get your suggestions in tonight.