Onesies!!
As the fall portrait season quickly approaches, have you been trying to find a solid matching top/onesie for your baby? Is it not one of the most challenging things you have ever had to do?!?
I know that by far, the challenge of finding a solid matching outfit for baby is the number one complaint I hear from parents. Everything has cute baby stuff on in…tractors and frogs or hearts and flowers…not really the look you want captured in a beautiful portrait that will hang on your walls for years.
Thanks to our awesome client, Sarah, I have news…the new Buy Buy Baby in Overland Park and online, has seven solid short sleeve and seven solid long sleeve onesies available for purchase!
I’m sure supplies are limited, so make sure you get yours today!
So Long, But Not Goodbye
Photography by Brandi Through the Eyes of Our Intern – Volume 5
As my KU move-in date moves closer and closer, my time at Photography by Brandi is also coming to an end. It has been, at minimum, an informative, fun, stressful, rewarding, humorous, confusing, and enlightening experience. I wouldn’t have chosen to spend my summer any other way.
I’ve learned about the importance of doing what makes a profit, while still valuing, above all else, that you are doing what you love to do. I’ve learned that the day to day in business can be fun and entertaining a lot of the time, but that it can also be an incredibly challenging day filled with spreadsheets and calculations. At the end of it all, though, the product you create fulfills all the hard work it took to get there. As I look back on times this summer, when I challenged myself or felt overwhelmed by a task, I now understand that I’m better for it. I know about frames, I know about mats, I know about shutter speed, and I’ve learned more than I could write in one single blog post. I’ve learned more than I could write in ten.
So now, here on my last day, it’s definitely bittersweet to say goodbye to the little upstairs office where I have spent so much time this summer. However, I have had an absolute blast, and I am under the impression that Brandi, Pete, and Tracy enjoyed having me around. So, hopefully, you might see more of me at a Photography by Brandi event in the not-too-distant future. Thank you all for reading!
-Bert
Bert, we had an amazing time with you this summer! It was a great chance for us to break out of the day to day activities and focus on the bigger picture…the whys behind the whats. It was definitely a reminder of how much we have accomplished, and how much more we plan to do in the future!
You always had great questions and thought provoking observations. You challenged us in ways that made us think about our business and the who, whats and whys behind our decisions and our actions.
Thank you for everything you helped us with this summer. We made some awesome progress on a couple of large projects that have been in the works for a very long time!
We’ll never forget the summer where four of us (and three dogs) were squeezed into a tiny office space, with 100 degree temperatures outside, driving the inside temperatures up and up (with way too many computers running all at once)! We will cherish our mid day breaks for chicken lunches and great conversation – ranging from technology to politics?!? to Harry Potter to KU to business!
You are definitely invited back to the studio anytime you want!
-Brandi
A Furry Fresh Look
Our favorite veterinarian hospital, Blackbob Pet Hospital, is one of the locations around Kansas City where you can see our portraits on display.
Earlier this year, I noticed that the current portraits had been hanging for a few years. This means that it was time for a fresh look! Back in May, we invited Blackbob Pet Hospital employees to bring out their furry kids for a special Pet Portrait Day. We had cats, dogs and a little bit of craziness, but we captured some adorable images!
Now, those adorable, four legged, furry faces, including Bruiser, the Blackbob Pet Hospital employee’s “kids” and a few other Blackbob patients adorn the lobby, hallway and exam rooms.
We feel very blessed to have this opportunity to hang these beautiful portraits for all to see!
Taking It On the Road
Photography by Brandi Through the Eyes of Our Intern – Volume 4
Last week, Pete and I traveled around the local area, visiting several businesses with which Photography by Brandi partners with in marketing. The way that marketing occurs is variable in many ways. At some places, there is simply a small countertop display and we simply restocked the business cards. At others, I was in awe of the way Brandi’s portraits seemed to paper the walls. At first, I was confused as to why one particular business seemed to have Photography by Brandi’s images seemingly on every wall, while others merely reserved space on the counter for business cards.
As the day went on, the mystery dissolved. At the businesses where we had a stronger presence, Pete and the local staff members greeted one another as old friends; they knew one another by name, asked questions about each other’s personal lives, and shared jokes as if they were sitting around having dinner conversation. At the other locations, the relationship was formal and professional, but it was perhaps just only that.
When I asked, Pete made it clear that when a business has a strong, lasting relationship with another business, it is easier to work together in mutually beneficial ways. Many of the businesses that have the most successful relationships with Photography by Brandi have had staff members out to the studio to experience a portrait session. This allows them to feel personally connected to Photography by Brandi as they see how the business works, and this personal connection helps them promote our business in a more natural way. It became clear to me, by the end of the day, that when two businesses maintain a purposeful relationship, in whatever sense of the word, the relationship benefits both businesses to a greater degree, and the relationship will last that much longer.
I think this is a supremely important lesson for me to learn. In addition to what I’ve learned about how to run and manage a business from the inside, I learned last week, the relations that a business builds with other businesses can be nearly as crucial as any other factor.
-Bert
For the Love of It
Photography by Brandi Through the Eyes of Our Intern – Volume 3
Last week, I talked about the importance of “boring stuff” – logistics, inventories, profits, and the like – in a small business. As with everything, though, moderation and balance are key. A successful business should not be an entity solely driven by the pursuit of profits. Logic is crucial to a business’ success, without question, but human nature also has its own place in the business world.
Allow me to explain. Brandi does a myriad of different type of sessions – newborn babies, children, seniors, families and pets. The profitability of each type of session is carefully monitored, but what Brandi loves to do, deep down, is not going to be affected by any such number. Brandi loves to photograph children, babies and pets, because of their passion for life, their big personalities and their individualism – not because those types of sessions produce, on average, some arbitrary number of dollars more than any other type of session.
The understanding that Brandi has taught me, about not only doing what makes money, but also what you love, has given me perspective on business. A business must absolutely understand profitability and what goes into it. Without these tools, a businessperson is merely a hobbyist without a plan. However, a business completely devoid of passion, and tangible human nature, will find itself in a position of equal disadvantage – a “corporate machine” with no real rapport with its clientele. The absolute key, I’m finding more and more as I complete my internship, is finding that happy medium between what you love to do and doing what pays the bills.
-Bert
Spreadsheets, Numbers & Budgets, Oh My!
Photography by Brandi Through the Eyes of Our Intern – Volume 2
This week, I had the opportunity of delving into the financial side of Photography by Brandi: budgeting, financing, profit margins, and several other Excel spreadsheets’ with staggering amounts of numbers.
I’m a “big picture” thinker myself, and so I was less than ecstatic when I learned that I would be dealing with data in a spreadsheet. What I’m learning is that what most people (myself included) deem “boring” is actually where so many businesses find their success.
There are millions of talented people out there, but so few of those talented people are able to manage and market their talents into a successful business.
Photography is one of the best examples that comes to my mind. With the advancement of digital photography, anyone with a hundred bucks to spare can become a photographer in the time it takes to drive to Wal-Mart and pick up a run-of-the-mill digital camera. There are also more “professional photographers” out in the world now than there ever has been before.
So why aren’t more of them finding success? Is it simply because their photos are lacking in quality?
Occasionally. However, the way I see it, there are more photographers who have a legitimate talent, but just have no knowledge of the “boring” processes it takes to succeed. Along with that initial ignorance, most don’t even have the desire to seek the knowledge. I’ve used photography here as an example, but the same can be said for any business.
True success is never accidental. The reason that businesses like Photography by Brandi succeed, while so many others fail, is that businesses like Photography by Brandi spend considerable time managing profits—checking the numbers on ad campaigns and events, looking at costs and weighing their value in terms of that aforementioned profitability. It’s one thing to create an amazing product, and it’s another thing entirely to market and manage that product into a desirable commodity. The process of doing so is where success lies.
Long story short, “big picture” guys like me will have to learn how to crunch the numbers if they’re looking to get ahead.
Sigh.
Back to those spreadsheets, I suppose!
-Bert
A Different Perspective
Photography by Brandi Through the Eyes of Our Intern – Volume 1
Hello, readers of the Photography by Brandi Blog!
My name is Bert. To introduce myself further, I am an intern at Photography by Brandi. I have been working this summer with Brandi and Pete to increase my knowledge of business, help Photography by Brandi in any way that I can, and, most importantly, do my best to not screw things up royally along the way!
I was sent to Brandi last summer by a friend of mine, and when I had my session, I was extremely pleased – not only with the final result, but with every step of the process along the way. As an aspiring businessperson, I was absolutely astounded by the efficiency and presentation of Photography by Brandi, from our first scheduling meeting to our last pickup day.
But, enough about how great this whole operation looks from the outside; you already know that.
Since starting my internship here, I have been fortunate enough to see the “behind-the-scenes” aspect of Brandi’s business, and the hard work and dedication that goes into creating such a seamless presentation. It isn’t all fun and games. Photography (and the business of photography) can be stressful and trying. However, through a combination of effective marketing, and a keen eye for perfection in the finished product, Photography by Brandi has been, for me, a perfect place to begin my education on how to own a successful business.
Hopefully you have enjoyed my insight, and I look forward to writing again!
Happy Summer!
-Bert
Holiday Time, Already?!?
Oh me, oh my…it’s beginning! The first 2011 Holiday Card order has been placed!
This can only mean one thing…it is time to start scheduling holiday and fall sessions! It’s never too early to get your appointment on the calendar. Evening and weekend times are always the first to go, quickly followed by weekday times.
Drop me an email at photos@photographybybrandi.com or give me a call at 913.829.8539 and we’ll get something on the calendar!
Quick Minute
Pete and I have just returned from a quick trip to San Diego. We were able to squeeze in a little bit of work, as I attended a newborn photography workshop, and a little bit of fun and relaxation, as we spent a day soaking up San Diego’s sun, beaches and oceanfront! (Of course, I currently have a nice strawberry color to prove it!)
I have lots of images and stories to share, but with being out of town for a few days, and the fact that our Helping Paws event is in just a few days, my San Diego and workshop images are going to have to take a backburner.
Here’s one image to wet your palate!
A New Face
There will be a new face around the studio this summer. Bert, one of our 2011 Graduates, is going to be working and learning as an intern for us over the next few months, before he heads off to KU to start his professional business education.
I’m excited to see what this summer will bring us! I’m hoping that not only does Bert come away with lots of ideas and practical applications, but that the experience brings us some new ideas and some thinking out of the box opportunities! (Maybe I’ll even have Bert write a few blog posts…that could be fun!)
So, if you see Bert around the studio, be sure to welcome him to the PhotoByB family and give him a little Rock Chalk love while you’re at it!
