CHAPTER 33
33. Show Up
On a national photographers’ listserv, a question was
posed to a panel of experts. The question was, “How does a
photographer attract his targeted audience?” While many
panelists came back with typical responses like “send monthly
e-mailers” and “build a kick-butt Web site,” my answer was
simply, “Show up!”
These two little words carry lots of power behind them.
For me, “showing up” means that you are present to your
business, moment to moment. You accept the responsi-
bility for your success and you work toward that goal on a
daily basis.
“Showing up” is not a typical scenario for talent; in fact, it’s
not too far off the mark to state that most creatives wait until
the phones stop ringing and the jobs stop coming in before
they begin to realize that they are disconnected from their busi-
ness in one way or in several ways. Waking up at this point can
indeed be a rude awakening.MONEY AVOIDANCEWhile there are many opportunities to show up in your
business, there is one word that sums up the area that most
creatives still seem to avoid.. .money.
I believe that if you were to poll photographers working in
our industry today, you would find that many do not under-
stand how to build a business that has a sound financial base,Chapter 33.qxd 6/27/07 9:06 PM Page 198