Ever wondered how many surgeries a cat can have? We find out this week. Also we discuss setting boundaries and tell some hard truths about when things just don't work. Tune in!
This week's episode is sponsored by our friends at Retouch Up! Use the coupon code GYST10 for a special discount!
This episode was written and performed by Mary Fisk-Taylor and Kira Derryberry, produced by Kira Derryberry and edited by Joel North.
Ever wondered how many surgeries a cat can have? We find out this week. Also we discuss setting boundaries and tell some hard truths about when things just don't work. Tune in!
This week's episode is sponsored by our friends at Retouch Up! Use the coupon code GYST10 for a special discount!
This episode was written and performed by Mary Fisk-Taylor and Kira Derryberry, produced by Kira Derryberry and edited by Joel North.
This week's episode is brought to you by our friends at RetouchUp. No-transcript. This week's episode is brought to you by our friends at RetouchUp. Retouchup works smarter, not harder. Music Plays Welcome to Get your Shoot Together. The photographer's podcast where we discuss studio business life and keeping it all in line. I am Kira.
Speaker 2:Dereberry and I'm Mary Fishtailer. Hello, Mary Fishtailer.
Speaker 1:Hello Kira Dereberry. How are you? I'm good. Hot it's hot, it's oppressively hot and uh uh, steely Dan just out of the hospital.
Speaker 2:Oh, I forgot to ask about Steely Dan. I'm sorry, shoot, I had my own hospital issues with family, so yes, so it's been a hospital kind of week, last week or this, whatever. Whatever it is.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so uh.
Speaker 2:Dan had another surgery.
Speaker 1:Our cat Dan. No one, not the band Steely Dan collectively in the hospital, but my cat Steely Dan who is on our third surgery for eating something he should not have.
Speaker 2:Yeah, he ate a Barbie shoe right.
Speaker 1:He ate a Barbie shoe and you know I have since seen the Barbie shoes. Since we spoke, I I assumed that he ate like a you know what would be the equivalent of like a stiletto five inch heel Like in my mind it was like a hot pink Same.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's exactly what I'm visioning, and I'm also visioning Barbie being pissed off Like because it was like her, Jimmy Choo's or something. Yeah, she's missing one of her Minolos.
Speaker 1:No, it was like a Barbie sneaker, it was like a little green Barbie low top sneaker and I was like Kevin showed me and I go, you mean he couldn't pass?
Speaker 2:that yeah, Steely.
Speaker 1:It's flat, it's flat.
Speaker 2:It's yeah.
Speaker 1:So, anyway, I but yeah, this is the third thing, the second thing being a. Remember it was a Star Wars magnet, yeah, and then the first thing was a like a piece of Lucy's, like a frozen.
Speaker 2:That's right, like an Olaf or something yeah.
Speaker 1:And and, of course, and then, of course, he had his other surgery in December. So so this cat is is an investment piece.
Speaker 2:He's a $20 cat is what he is.
Speaker 1:We like to call him an investment piece and he goes. Would you like he goes? Maybe we should let him be kind of an outdoor cat. And I was like that's $20,000. You think I'm going to let it walk right out the door? No, no, no, no, ma'am, no, ma'am, no, no, no. And collectively, uh, and and you're some of you are listening going, it's a cat. I cannot believe. You just said $20,000, guys, it's complicated. Okay, it's, it's, yeah, it. If you, I'm not, I know, like I know, but the thing is is that when somebody says you're at the vet and you bring your pet in and it's ill, and they go, okay, now, if we don't fix this, he will die.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:We have a solution.
Speaker 2:And he'll be back to normal. And he'll be back to normal If we do this.
Speaker 1:Your next words can't be. And how much would it be to put him down? Because they're just telling you like right now we can fix it. We can fix it. You know what I mean.
Speaker 2:We can I get it? I trust me, I get it.
Speaker 1:And that's how it happens every single time. It's not like they go. Well, you know he has cancer and we have treatments, but it may or may not work Right, and he's you know also, like he's 15 years old, like he's not old, is a younger cat, yeah. Yeah, I can't imagine that his life expectancy is as long as my previous pets. You know what I mean. Yeah, I mean because I mean honestly, like how many times can you have an intestal surgery?
Speaker 2:Like and I don't know. It seems like he's hitting his limit.
Speaker 1:Well, that's what I said. I mean, we didn't ask. I don't want to and obviously I don't want to put him down and I'm. I really struggle with that, but but we did ask. We're like you know, you know when, when women have C-sections, they're like you know, really, we don't want to have too many of these. Right, it's very dangerous for you. Yeah, at what point is it like medically dangerous for him to keep being? I mean, at this point can we install like Velcro or snaps, so you?
Speaker 2:know how easier to get in there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, just easy access for when he eats something. Again, because it's impossible to keep him out of everything and and the solution is, it's not easy, it's not like we'll put a muzzle on him. Well, listen, he's got to be able to drink water and clean himself. Like he's getting muzzle A cat, I don't think. So that's what somebody? Told me and I was like how is he going to bathe or drink water if you?
Speaker 2:do that? Yeah, no, you can't do that.
Speaker 1:And you know, because it's not like you can put, it's not a dog, Dogs you put water in front of when they're thirsty, they'll drink it Like right, right, right. As you put it down, cats just like meander over to water whenever they feel like you're not looking. You know, and so he. I can't do that. The vet told us to dedicate a closet or a bathroom to him and when we are not around him, to put him in it, and I was like I can't, I'm not doing that, like I can't do that. I mean, as it sits, he's in my office downstairs.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so he is kind of. He is kind of quarantined off.
Speaker 1:He's quarantined right now, but that can't be his permanent home. No, you know what I mean, and so I mean, as of right now, though, that's pretty much what's happening, but still, even even in there you know what I mean Like I can't, I can't just empty the room of all possible hazards, and things are hazards that you don't even, you don't even think about.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you don't even think about.
Speaker 1:You don't even think about. Like there was a yoga mat in there and he started chewing on the yoga mat and I'm like like biting pieces off the yoga mat off and I'm like, okay, see, I don't know what you're going to do. Like I you know what I mean? Like basically put him in a padded room and he's going to eat the padding on the yeah Wonder why he wants to eat that stuff, though that's the thing I don't know.
Speaker 1:I have. I have asked, I was like, does he have pike, guides he having an anxiety disorder like, or pica or whatever it is? They said, well, there's not really any studies on on animals or cats having that. But you know, and and I was like, is there? I mean because there's like anxiety drugs for dogs, yeah.
Speaker 2:You know, or CBD. I mean I think I tried CBD.
Speaker 1:I've tried, I've tried that for him. I've tried, I've tried, I've tried plugging in. There's little plugins that you can get for your house that are like pheromones, for, like you know, just supposed to calm them down. No, no difference, no difference. And then I have oily cat pheromones coming out of my plugs. That's gross. Yes, you know, yeah, yeah, I mean it doesn't smell like anything, but it's fine.
Speaker 1:But you know, it's just like, I've tried, I'm trying, and the vet's like yeah, there's not really a medication we can put him on, and you, you know, you know, maybe he's just there like some cats, just not, just not that smart, and I'm like okay, okay, well now we're.
Speaker 2:Now we're dealing with a dumb cat.
Speaker 1:Well, we, I think, we've, I think we've known that. So pretty, though. Nothing there, nothing, no, just vacant, just a vacant.
Speaker 2:He is very pretty. He's a very pretty cat, very, very, very handsome.
Speaker 1:Yeah, he is unhappy, he's happy right now.
Speaker 2:He's just living the best life. Oh, Ricky Sam.
Speaker 1:By the way, ricky Sam his name is not Ricky Sam, but he is honestly like never happier than when that cat, the other cats in quarantine. Well, of course, he doesn't purr like. For for several years I thought that he didn't have the ability to purr like him, because he just never makes the noise Purs.
Speaker 2:Because Dan is not there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, just like fully, just fully enjoying life and just being his best self.
Speaker 2:I like it. That's well getting all the energy. Sounds like Ricky Sam is a smarter cat.
Speaker 1:Oh, he is for sure, hands down. Yeah, yeah, we. I mean, he basically has poseable thumbs and can like unlock and lock the door. He plays the piano on the side, he's a floutist.
Speaker 2:Well, that's hard. Flouting is hard. All right, well, cool, cool, cool. Well, I'm glad that Dan is home. I'm glad that it worked out. I was. I was felt awful for you guys because I didn't know how it was going to go. But these animals, when you love them, it just, it is what it is. It's just you know, that's what you take on and I'm assuming he's uninsurable.
Speaker 1:Absolutely uninsurable. I have checked, I'm sure you did. They want to see if you, if you get pet insurance. They want to see like records from the vet.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and there's no way I can provide.
Speaker 1:I can only provide.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you've got all kinds of records you can provide.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, I can show you lots of things.
Speaker 2:Oh my gosh.
Speaker 1:All right, guys, let's take a quick break from our amazing sponsors and we shall be right back hey you is it 2am and you're still up retouching that one year old cake smash session because there's just not enough hours to get it all done. Stop what you're doing right now and upload that session to retouch up. Never tried retouch up? No problem. Sign up for a free account at retouchupcom and use the referral code G Y S T to tell them you're one of our loyal listeners. With retouch up, there are no contracts, no minimums, no complications and nothing to lose. For a limited time, all listeners of this podcast can save $10 with the coupon code. Just fall 10. That's G Y S T F A L L 1 0 for all customers. That's enough to retouch like four headshots or get five extractions or remove all the leaves out of the pool and the cars out of the parking lot on that real estate shot you just took. Get your life back with retouch up at retouchupcom and we're back, okay, well, hey, I'm so Kira.
Speaker 2:Just a little update. Just a little update I got my ukulele.
Speaker 1:You did, I did it. Are you surprised? I am so excited.
Speaker 2:I'm excited. I told our friend David yesterday. He, besides Daryl and Alex Now I'm telling you David Truss was the only other person that knew. But yeah, so this is what's happening. So the cool thing is that when I bought it, it came with this program. And what is the program called? It's called U-Z-I-N-Y-O-U-Z-I-N, and you play along and it can hear you and it knows if you're hitting the chords or the notes properly. Oh, that's cool. That's because I never had a piano lesson or guitar lesson.
Speaker 2:I don't read music, so I'm learning from scratch. Okay, absolute scratch. And I'm not naturally musically inclined. Some people just are they pick up by ear. Like Darrell, he could read music. He sings Jacks. He taught himself to play the piano and the guitar, not Maryfus Taylor, okay. However, I'm doing it. So I try to do it every day. I'll play my ukulele. Waffles hates it. So I've had to put the ukulele up because when it's down he wants to eat it, oh, no. And when I hit, when I strum it, he loses his absolute Mind. See the point where he goes nuts. He goes freaking nuts, like I don't know what it is that noise, and I'm like am I that bad?
Speaker 1:No, I don't know what it is.
Speaker 2:This is just me playing. Like my dog has fleas, like just you know, like the stupid little songs you learn, you start learning to and he absolutely hates it. So we have to lock him up and I'm practicing my ukulele.
Speaker 1:Oh, my God, Welcome to Pet Talk with Curie Deverain. Maryfus Taylor, I mean I know, I know, I know.
Speaker 2:So, guys, I promise we will not make this a pet ukulele.
Speaker 1:I don't know I'm kind of yet for it. Can we have a pet ukulele podcast?
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's a very, that's a very specific niche, at least at the same time, anyway. So, yes, got it, I love it, I'm learning, and so there we go, guys. I'll keep you posted on my ukulele.
Speaker 1:You should post a picture of your ukulele on the on the Facebook page.
Speaker 2:I will, I will. David was like send me a picture of your ukulele. I'm like do you not believe me? Like I literally bought it. I haven't. Um, yeah, I've gone through the lessons, I've got. You know me, I'm such a ding dong, like I have to get it perfect. So I'll replace on the over. But it's good, the repetition is what I need because, oh, no, you've got to.
Speaker 1:I mean, that's the only way you get better. Yeah, you've got to play the same thing over and over again. Yeah, I'm not sure if I'm standing.
Speaker 2:I was trying to learn like sitting and it's just for some reason, um, I need to stand. I play better. I feel like I hit the notes easier when I'm standing. So, um, and as you can imagine, holding a little tiny, itty bitty guitar, and if you have a chest, and then it's just all very awkward so it sits better if I stand, so you can vision that.
Speaker 1:Just put a little string around around it and have a little guitar strap. Find, your find an old camera strap and put that on, put that on there and then yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, the strap will be bigger than the cello. They're tiny, they're smaller than you think.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so did you end up getting the one that you, uh, that you talked about, I got the van go.
Speaker 2:I got the Starry Starry night from that brand that you sent me Um and that's what it included this program, which is really cool, which is a really great program. I mean, I don't know how they do it. I don't know how they can hear the notes I'm playing over on Waffles Barking, but they can, so that's neat.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's really neat. I imagine they would help you tune it too. You know it's got a tune.
Speaker 2:That's what we did first, just learn how to tune. I tuned it there and I you know you, whether you're tuning up or down and did all that first. We did all that first and I did it with the program and it helped me. And, um, well, now I won't one. I know man, Well, you know what guys. You don't know what's going to happen in. Imaging USA next year, there could be a ukulele concert.
Speaker 2:Little yukenite It'll be the theme you know, yeah, um, so, uh. So anyway, we'll keep you posted on my ukulele progress, but I will. I will get a picture of it and send it. But I'm excited I really am. So you know, we talked a couple weeks ago about you know kind of, you know, embracing something new that wasn't just business or something different. So between that and the cooking game that we do, um, I feel like I'm expanding my horizons.
Speaker 1:It's not actually cooking, guys, it's a, it's a really, it's a really silly game we play called cooking diary on our phone. So anyway, well, you know, I'm I'm really excited for you and, honestly, since we had that talk, I cannot get my art project out of my head Like I was thinking about that the other day.
Speaker 2:I was like I literally was thinking, man, I wish I had a space. And then I literally thought, wow, if I had a space in, kira could come up here and she could, she could take it over and do her artwork. And I was just thinking about that the other day. So I don't know, it's just interesting. You know you keep putting it out there and whether you're a fan of the secret or manifestations or whatever, like you, never know.
Speaker 1:You keep putting it out there, it can happen. Honestly, here's, here's where I struggle, and we talked about this already. But you know, I have had so much time now and since since that talk, to think about it. I kept saying, okay, well, if I buy a printer, if I buy, if I make an investment in a printer, I've got to really use it. Like I got to know that this is going to work and I haven't even made one yet. You know what I mean? I haven't even made one yet. So it just seems crazy to go to buy the printer. And then what? If I my first one, I go. You know what? I can't do this. I hate it. I hate it. I don't like this at all. So I'm just going to go ahead and and spend the money and get some prints made.
Speaker 2:Do some.
Speaker 1:You know what I mean. Just get some prints made, print them on a couple of different kinds of paper, just make the investment. Get an easel, get you know, stretch it on there and like just try and see how much I enjoy it.
Speaker 1:Because I see it in my head, like I see it happening in my head, but I think it's a little crazy. It's the kind of thing I would I have done in the past, where I just go buy the thing thinking that that's what I'm going to do. You know what I mean. It seems crazy to have never done it at all and then invest in like an expensive, like in-house printer to do it.
Speaker 2:Right, at first it's like I've never played. But you know, $120 ukulele is not the same as investing in a printer, like, if I, if it doesn't work out for me, oh well, dude, I don't like to waste money, don't get me wrong, but it's $120. It's not thousands of dollars Like. That's a different, you know different investment.
Speaker 1:Now I'm going to go to Michaels and just get some supplies and if you know what, and if I don't use the supplies and I'll have an easel which will be handy.
Speaker 2:Yes, of course.
Speaker 1:It's always handy to have and you know, I'll give, I'll. I'll give one of my friends, one of my artist friends, like the paint or.
Speaker 2:I'll let Lucy paint with it, or whatever. You know, who cares?
Speaker 1:It's, it's, it's not that, it's not that deep. You know what I mean.
Speaker 2:And you absolutely should do it. I think that's, I think that's great, but all right, well, you know I want to dig in on something, so I thought I had a really great idea, okay.
Speaker 2:I thought I had a really great idea and I'm kind of like beat the summer heat and just like a little tiny, like little limited edition thing that we were going to do that was going to introduce a new product line that we haven't sold before, like we talked about last time. Yes, and it is failing miserably. Oh, yes, I like to share. You know we always share. Let's share both, like we're. Not everything is success. Yeah, so I'm going to. Let's dig in.
Speaker 2:So this, this whole project, it's a black and white project but it's different. It's high key black and white. And now, guys, you know I'm in Virginia. This is a very sellable. This is very common here, or used to be. But you know, those high key black and whites, I kind of have the vignette, the white vignette, yes, the white vignette. And then I found a beautiful line of oval frames with even the convex glass, like stunning.
Speaker 2:And so I, you know, did some samples. I used my Jesse's kids, my Alex went, and I did a, I did a voicemail and I posted it and I've done two emails and I opened dates up. So all you have to do is like set your date and get in, and I literally thought, I thought I bet I'd look. I thought I was going to look like six to 10 sessions, none, none, none, not one. Oh I know. So let's break this down right. So all right. One thing I thought about is this Is it because of when I launched it, meaning the week before and after 4th of July, maybe? I mean, this is a big travel, that's a big travel time.
Speaker 1:People aren't there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, people aren't home, they're traveling. And let me come back to that, because I actually have a nuts, something else I want to talk about. That, or it was a dumb idea, no, I disagree with that.
Speaker 2:Or now, when I did the post, I put it obviously in an oval frame so you could see that. And actually we did it two ways. We did it where you could do a traditional or a more modern. So the way that I photographed it is a very traditional, soft, high-keep and yetted one that would go in an oval. Or, if you wanted something to be more modern, it went in a square, double matted Square frame and it was more. It was side lit, so it had a very, it had a more of a, it had a harsher light.
Speaker 2:I don't even know how to describe it, but they looked different. But I wonder if, because I'm trying to communicate a product flat right, like I'm just one dimension, like I'm trying to share, you can't see the convex glass, you can't really differentiate between the softer vignette and the harsher light. You know what I mean. Like if it wasn't, it wasn't readable or it wasn't, people weren't able to see how that's any different than just a black and white headshot. Like, is it not easy to communicate it because of the product?
Speaker 1:Hmm, maybe it hides the product a bit, maybe I don't know.
Speaker 2:Like you know, I think like if I did a video, that would work. But videos are not easy to you know. Communicate a video.
Speaker 1:What about like an animated GIF? Like what if you took a forward photo and side photos so that you could see, and then the, and then you know like, have it sort of in the image in the email, just sort of flip back and forth so you can see that it's a bubble, you know, from the side. But, but, but. But I mean that's one, that's one idea to show off the frame. But maybe it's just a time of year thing, maybe it's a time of year.
Speaker 2:I mean, it's hot and humid here. So we thought, you know, just a studio, simple studio session, like I did, because I don't obviously I don't ever really discount anything outdoors or on location. But I thought, you know, just do a few of these and knock them out. And it's because we've had clients in the past ask for it, Like, do you do that, do you have access to this type of frame? And because my mom did it at me when I was little and I want to do one of my kids Because it used to be a really popular thing in Richmond and a lot of our clients have them from when they were children.
Speaker 2:So through the years we've had people ask and I found they found a great resource and but yeah, it has failed miserably. So I've had a little bit of a tough like go. Like. The past week has been kind of depressing because it just I don't know the last time and I know it's probably happened, but I don't know the last time that I created something that it didn't hit at all, not even one, not even one, not even one inquiry.
Speaker 1:Well, I think one. Every time that has ever happened to me, I instantly think I'm trash and nobody wants the things that I have, 100%. You know, I mean, and how many times have we, you and I, put out a workshop and thought no one's coming, no one's coming, and then even like there's crickets, just just on the watch of it, and then by the end of it it's sold out, correct? So you know, I think that giving up, abandoning the idea is not the answer you know what I mean.
Speaker 1:I think you've got to try again, and I think I don't know that it's because we know that people don't spend a ton of time reading you know what I mean. So maybe it is in the way it was displayed.
Speaker 2:Maybe and you know I should look at the copy maybe maybe I didn't communicate it well. And again, the timing like this, these two weeks are dead for us. Normally, you know, because of the timing, this is a big tour for some reason, and you know I don't celebrate 4th July, it's just something I don't do. But you know a lot of people they take that time because they can hike a long week and they can travel. And this brings me to another thing.
Speaker 2:So one of the things I've been thinking about is we've also had a few people that they want to do something, but they're, we're going to wait, we're going to wait. And I probably had way more than half of them say well, we need to wait because we're doing this huge European vacation, this African safari, this whatever, whatever, whatever. And I was talking to gosh, another higher end business here in town, jewelers. Anyway, she was like, yeah, I've had the same thing, like I was, it's been happening. So I think that a lot of people didn't travel for like two and a half years and they have saved and they are taking huge vacations.
Speaker 2:I have clients that are taking, I mean 25, 34 huge vacations.
Speaker 1:Let me tell you I never in my life have taken a three week vacation right Like I've, never.
Speaker 1:not because I there's no judgment there I've not been able to you know what I mean To take off and I this year I have three of my closest friends have been gone for a month because they are doing like they're going to Canada or they're going to, you know, they're hometown, and doing like a tour of like all these places and I've got one friend, that's, you know, going to Europe, you know, for three weeks today and it's like these longer vacations, these bigger blocks of time during the summer I think are becoming more common. So I mean it is maybe we, I mean honestly it's because it's not been a very American work ethic thing to take long vacations, whereas people in Europe and oh, they always take- three or four weeks, yeah, a month.
Speaker 2:just close down for a month.
Speaker 1:Yeah, just everything goes down, and so, like, I think it's much more common in other parts of the world, but I think it's starting to start happening here, where people, like you know, life short pandemic maybe was the thing that maybe taught them that, like, maybe we need to be taking more time with the family, I need to be taking that sabbatical I've been putting off, I need to be taking, you know, I think. I think that that's something to be considered as well.
Speaker 2:You know that's a great point and I you know I've heard that I've had that, the same thing, and I've never done that. But you know it's. It's funny you say that because there's a really there's a pretty, pretty famous restaurant here in Richmond and I looked at it. I was like, oh, I want to go there, like I need, I keep meaning to, and they have taken off. They literally closed June 22nd and they're not opening back up till September. They've just taken the summer off. Yeah, they're Italian, they don't, they're not American, yeah. And so I thought, huh, that's wow the nerve. And I thought, no good for them. And you know, you're right, and but I guess for us, as small business owners, I need to know this and I need to to plan, because well, they should have checked in with us.
Speaker 2:honestly, they really should have let me know, Because how am I supposed to know? I know.
Speaker 1:I know my karaoke nights with friends are really suffering.
Speaker 2:I bet, I bet I bet I mean, yeah, so I don't know, it's just, I just want to share that because it happens to us guys. I mean, you know, I love sharing with, with all of the listeners, but sometimes I my ideas and you know I don't. My friend Christian is like let me talk you off this ledge. I'm like I'm not on the ledge, it's just. I'm just like feeling very defeated over the past couple of weeks, like I've had. I've had more than one person come back and say, yeah, we were going to do this, but we're just going to do this now and maybe we'll. And I thought, whoa, where, what, what? And well, we're taking this big vacation and we don't want to spend the money right now. And I've had that happen, I think three times, three, two or three times, and I expecting this to be an XYZ amount sale. And then them blindsiding me with, yeah, not, not right now. And I'm like what just happened? Like where?
Speaker 1:is this coming from? How? I mean and I know this is something we always, I think every it always resonates with people. But, like anytime something doesn't work in our businesses, in particular, as on, as entrepreneurs, we take it personally. It's because you don't like me, it's because I'm losing my grip on my popularity with my client, it's because maybe they like this other client or this other studio better? Maybe, maybe somebody has poached you, maybe, who knows, who knows? Every time we just we just take it personally. I can't tell you. I've been struck. I mean, I have told you privately, but like I've been struggling with, like I've seen a couple of clients work with somebody else and go what did I do? Yes, what did I? How did I? Did I offend them? Did I not give them a superior product? Or am I? Am I falling out of popularity? Am I losing my, my, my connection with my clients? I mean, it causes me to question everything. So like when something fails for us, it's we're so connected personally to the work because we create it. You know what?
Speaker 2:I mean.
Speaker 1:Like it comes out of our brains and fingertips, and you know what I mean. It's not just like we're working in a store. You know, and it's it's part of us, that it's really hard not to be like no one likes me. Yes, I'm a loser. I'm a loser Even even after years of success or coming off of a recent success even. You know, it's just, and it's amazing how that will just kick you down so much harder than like the wins Cause. I mean, how many wins have you had in the last year?
Speaker 2:I know you're, I know you're right and you know you and we both do it. We, we absolutely both do it. Let me, let me like, let me let me dog pile on you, adding on, and I know that you've had this. You know we we've talked a bit about you know you experienced that with some of your clients. I actually had a client I saw she posted yesterday to vote for another studio for the best of.
Speaker 1:Oh ouch, and.
Speaker 2:I'm like what in the heck just happened? But then I had to go wait a minute, client's a strong word. She was kind of a friender, like a friend vendor who kind of came in kind of with a barter. And then I looked at the photography recommended and I looked at the prices and I'm like well, dang, yeah, I mean $375 for 35 edited files and they're beautiful and they're outdoor you know, a natural light outdoors, whatever, but they're gorgeous. Okay, yeah, you know what? That's a very I'm not going to ever be in those things because I'm not. I'm just not a I don't want to say not popular. It's that I'm not for most people because of the way I'm priced. Do you know what I'm saying? Like people, most people, are not going to, can't afford it that's just the bottom line or will not use the money for it. You know, when you know, like what she charges for 35 edited files, I charge deep and pick up my camera.
Speaker 1:Right right, you're not going to. You're not going to it's. You can't beat yourself up about that, because that's just not even in the same realm of what you offer. You know what I mean and you know that what you offer does work.
Speaker 2:It does. It does. It doesn't feel like it's working right now very well. It doesn't today?
Speaker 1:No, it doesn't, it doesn't in this moment. But I mean, isn't it funny how tied to our self-esteem our work is, you know? And I mean I was talking to a friend the other day as a photographer and she was talking about how she couldn't come to something I want her to come to because she had a shoot on like a Friday. I said why?
Speaker 1:are you scheduling a headshot session on a Friday? You know what I mean Like cause? I mean you know that eats into like any plans that you might want to make, you know. And she was like well, cause, I said I only do mine during the middle of the week, you know, and she goes well, I'm not you, I don't have the demand that you have, and you know. So I have to kind of take it whenever I can get it and if somebody says they want to do it on a Friday, that's when I have to do it. And I was like that's cause she's. You know, I mean she's an amazing photographer but, like you know, like I believe in her so much more than it feels like she, she gets.
Speaker 2:Well, that's normal, right, you know? Yeah, I think that's very normal. I think I think that we quite often our friends that are photographers or in the industry or any small business owners. We believe in them way more than they believe in themselves, and vice versa. They probably feel the same way about us at times.
Speaker 2:I would imagine maybe I don't know, but I mean I hate to hear that because you and I are such I don't know we're we're. It's easy for us to say, well, just set your boundaries. You know it's scary to set boundaries. I think we all probably went through that. I mean we didn't have these boundaries early on, right, like it's something we've developed into. But why is that not okay? It's like we're sitting, we've sat here today and talked about several things that it's like it should be okay. It should be okay if you want to take a three-week vacation and you should expect to come back and still have a business, it should be okay to set your boundaries. It should be. And it's like why do we struggle with that as it's wrong? It's not wrong, it's we're telling ourselves it's impossible or not okay.
Speaker 1:Yeah Well, we're telling ourselves it's impossible and not okay one, because it's kind of like that there's a word for it. But where it's been built it's kind of a built in, not you know teaching. That's happened from when we were younger. You know what I mean. Like the American work ethic is work 80 hours a week, put everything you have into it. You know, if you snooze you lose that hustler. The hustle, the hustle the grind you know what I mean, yeah.
Speaker 2:You know, if you're not working, then somebody else is getting If you're not busy, if you're not over busy you know, glorifying busy, you know that's another thing.
Speaker 1:And then you think fine, I'm going to adopt the you know what, I'm going to take the time for myself and I'm going to take off. Well, frankly, there are people out there in that hustle doing the hustle game you know what I mean, and you think, well, if I do that, if I take that time off, I don't want to hustle. But now I have to hustle because the other people are going to be hustling while I'm, you know, on the beach.
Speaker 1:And I'll come back and they'll have hustled away all of my clients because they're not sleeping and they're overcaffeinating, and they're getting up at 4 am to work out and then going to bed at seven o'clock at night. So they can. You know what I mean. It's just I can't. It's a vicious cycle.
Speaker 2:You know what.
Speaker 1:I mean, and it's like, even when you want to quit the hustle, you can't.
Speaker 2:Well, no, we don't give ourselves permission to, we don't give ourselves permission to fail, we don't give ourselves permission to, you know, to take time and you know, rest when you're tired or refresh, recharge, all the stuff that we should. And I don't love it, I know that I do it, but I just don't like it and I don't. I guess I'm not doing anything to fix it either. So talking about it's real good and you know, good and great.
Speaker 1:But honestly, I'll say it the other day, because I have never really been this person and it's not a slight on this person, because I certainly did it. But the other day Kevin came home and I had my laptop with me, but I didn't have any shoots that day and so I was planning on, like you know, turning the TV on and just answering emails and getting caught up and whatever right, and that lasted for about two and a half minutes, and then I shut the laptop and I turned a movie on and then the next thing, I know, I watched a documentary. And the next thing I know I did I, you know, watched like three episodes of a series, you know. And then by the time Kevin came home and he found me, it was like I had been caught. Right, you feel guilty?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I felt guilty, and I said I took a bed day. Yeah, I took a bed day and I'm sorry. And he goes why are you sorry? You deserve a bed day. Like you work, you travel all the time, you work on weekends, you know you're doing two jobs at one time right now.
Speaker 1:Like you know, take a bed day. If you have time for a bed day, do it. I was like I really don't have time for a bed day, but I needed one. Yeah, like I need one.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, it's true. I mean yeah, and if I do that, if I don't, if I'm not reading a book or working or marketing or have sessions or orders or whatever, I tend to feel guilty and I want to stop. I want to stop and I wonder, and I mean this is gonna get a little hippie-dippy here, but I wonder, you know, you kind of hear this a lot, but I wonder, when I'm just letting that go and just let it be, so to speak, I just wonder if it thinks would work out. You know what I'm saying Sometimes, when you just let it go, it all works out. Does that make sense?
Speaker 1:I mean, I am finding that at least this year I have been like certain things that I'm really worried about and I think I need to fix that. I need to go in there, I need to do it. If I wait just a little bit longer than the panic it has been working itself out.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:You know what I mean. I need to insert myself into this problem and fix it, you know. But it turns out if I just wait a bit it actually is just fixing itself. You know what I mean. And maybe my interfering, or maybe my getting involved, or maybe my panic about it, or whatever is actually not, would have made it not end soon.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it may have worked out as well, but you've exerted energy that you didn't need to spend and I think we have a bank right. We have a bank of energy and I think we deplete it quite often over things that would work themselves out. So I'm talking myself off the ledge as I go, because for me, this little promotion and by promotion I wasn't like it was free or anything I mean when you set the appointment you had to invest and I was very happy with the pricing or collections that I put together. But for me, when it fails, it's not just that, my idea, my marketing, my everything, because I do all of it. So we have to remember that it's not like, oh, just that session didn't work out because I created this image, I did all of it, I did the consultation, I kind of the idea, I did all the stuff and it failed. So it's like sometimes I think, if certain jobs you do, you do your job, but we do all the jobs. So I failed at five things, not just one thing.
Speaker 1:Well, and see, that's what makes it extremely hard to troubleshoot, because my advice when something fails is to isolate the variables and change one thing, but when you feel like it could be one of five things, it could have been the time of year, it could have been the imagery that I showed, it could have been the price, it could have been the product doesn't want it.
Speaker 1:It could have been four or five things and it's like OK, so how do I? What if I send another email out? Do I just change the images that I show?
Speaker 2:Do I add that gift? That shows the dimension of it. Use a different subject line Do I?
Speaker 1:I mean what? There's so many things to change, it's so hard to isolate with the problem. I mean, when I worked in tech, that was the only way to fix something. It's like everything has to be the same except for the one thing you change that one line of code. Because if you change three lines of code and then you come back, there's no way to know what worked and what didn't work or what the problem was. So when I do it in the studio too, when I'm working with lights, it's like I'll turn off all the lights and I'll turn them on one at a time, right, and I'll just say OK, that helps me isolate the problem. Right, it's this light that's positioned wrong or has too much power, and it's like it's so hard to do with a market piece. It is, it is.
Speaker 2:I mean you're right. I mean you cannot engineer it or reverse engineer it, you just can't, it's not as simple as something that you can scientifically approach, which how you're going to photograph something you can take a scientific approach to.
Speaker 2:You don't even go we do the same thing. Ok, what's going goofy here? Is it this? Or if something's going on with your camera, you don't take it all apart. You do one thing at a time so you can isolate the problem. But when you're talking about the marketing, the concept, the branding, all the stuff, I can't just keep changing one thing and sending it out because, let's be honest, you just can't do that.
Speaker 1:No, you can't keep doing that. Every time you do it it's diminishing returns. But just thinking about the problem because people don't read I doubt it was. It might have been the subject that was a catchy, but I doubt it was the content of the email. Like I doubt it was the marketing, the writing of the email. So I wouldn't beat yourself up too much about how it was written, but maybe re-approach the subject, because that's what grabs people.
Speaker 1:You know, what I mean. It could have been the images. Maybe not enough images, maybe not images high enough in the fold. You know what I mean. Before they scroll, maybe it didn't display on the phone. You know what I mean? I mean there's a couple of things, but it's probably the bigger click-baity, image grabby things that if there was a reason for it from the physical item of the email, it was probably one of those. But also, even if you fix those, it could be this this is a bad time of year to be marketing via email.
Speaker 2:Possibly no, and I don't think you're wrong and I'm kind of leaning into that. I know little girls tend to hit really, or little boys like they just hit really. That's just meaning like specifically, if it's a, this is certain ages that they just tend to hit. Well, and I certainly story-branded it I know the images were huge, above the fold, way before copy Like we all know these things right, we're experienced enough. But I'm leaning into it being time of year. But it is like, and I'm okay with not I'm okay with I keep using failing Failing is not a bad word, by the way, guys Like if I failed it, yeah, fail fast, fail forward, right, let's learn something from it.
Speaker 2:So what am I going to learn? Well, but I still. I think I'm a little bit confused and I think what I'm going to do is exactly that I'm going to wait and do it again, like in two weeks, because people tend to holiday right now, and then before the couple weeks before school starts, because then, once school's getting started, that's another time that I don't can't get attention because they're too busy getting their kids back in school. So, and another thing is where the heck did this summer go? Like I don't even understand it.
Speaker 1:I think it's because I can't even go outside.
Speaker 2:It's so gross, I just yeah, it's pretty, it's pretty crazy.
Speaker 1:But just worse summer ever. Honestly, weather wise it's just been, it's just sweltering.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and we're like, and we're I mean I was telling, well, I mentioned to you and my daughter earlier, alex earlier, like I feel like we live in Florida. All of a sudden we're getting these crazy afternoon thunderstorms which kills my afternoon evening garden. Hundred sessions I can't tell you how many I've had to reschedule, and sometimes we can't reschedule you know why? Cause they're getting ready to go on this huge vacation or the kids are going back to you know wherever they live, or I mean there's I've had that too that I couldn't even get rescheduled because of weather, yeah, I know. And because I forecast and because I goal set and I use these sessions and I kind of count on them, cause I'm pretty consistent with my average sale, when you start losing a couple now I'm taking a hit on my. You know, it's just, it's weather. I mean there's nothing I can do about that. So, so, honestly, because that was happening is what I thought. Well, let me try this promotion and see if that will fill that gap right.
Speaker 2:Fill that gap between you know, losing those couple of sessions because now family members aren't here and we can't do what we wanted to do cause we couldn't had to cancel because of weather. I thought this would fill in and then this didn't hit. So it's been like meh, you know, and it's just the way it goes. Like am I gonna, you know, get up tomorrow and go, you know, keep trying Absolutely. Like this isn't going to defeat me, but I am think I think today's just going to be my day to be like huh boo, like I don't have any more energy to give it today. I'm gonna let it go and start over tomorrow. Maybe we'll see.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think just just just let it, just blow it out, you know what I mean. Like, just if you know, let it go and then and then start fresh in the morning, you know or even next week. Maybe next week it's a better time to push it out. You know what You're right.
Speaker 2:I yeah, I get to go and see. We're getting the band back together this weekend. I told you I'm at my son's gonna meet us and Darryl and Alex and I and Jacks will all be in Knoxville for an amazing wedding this weekend Alex's college roommates getting married. So we're gonna spend the weekend together, we're gonna Airbnb and we'll be back in Knoxville. So I'm excited to spend that time with my family and maybe you're right, Maybe I'll just hit it again next week and come back. I mean it's gonna be here and nothing's gonna burn down and it's gonna be okay. Also, guys, we have to keep reminding ourselves. But I just wanted to share today, because I love sharing things that are working. But I just want everybody to know that it doesn't matter whether you're one year into business, two months into business or 30 years in. It doesn't always work, you know, and that's okay. That's okay. It doesn't mean I am a failure, it just means that didn't work.
Speaker 1:It doesn't mean that nobody likes you.
Speaker 2:Well, that's debatable. Well, Waffles does not like it when I'm playing that ukulele.
Speaker 1:I'm gonna tell you that right now. Yeah, maybe he doesn't like, maybe he's not a music lover.
Speaker 2:He is obviously not a ukulele lover. Let me give you that. So, anyway, but anyway, all right, gang. Well, yeah, so thanks for letting me get that off my chest. It's been, it's been a little burden that I've like been like, and you know what, at first I'm like no, I'm like I was talking to my husband on the sign and I was like I'm like I just I feel like a failure and I'm like embarrassed. He's like who's judging you? Yeah, nobody even knows. I'm like that's fair, that's fair.
Speaker 1:Literally nobody would know. If it didn't, you could put it out there and you could never say anything about it again if you chose to, and nobody would know, except everyone listening. But nobody would know.
Speaker 2:Well, yeah, I choose to share it because we we have promised. One thing we promised is we're gonna be real and this is really happening right now. So you know, hopefully next podcast I'll have something really exciting to share, but today I will share that. I too come up with things that don't always work out, so I think it's a good share.
Speaker 1:I think it's a good lesson, so moving on, all right. Well, let's wrap this one up. You guys can follow us on Instagram I get your shoot together. You can follow us on Facebook I get your shoot together. You can email us at girlygetyourshoottogethercom and subscribe to us everywhere where podcasts are played. We will see you guys next time. Thanks y'all. I'll see you guys next time.