Feeling overwhelmed? Struggling with time management? Trust us, we've been there. This week on GYST, we pull back the curtain on our own personal struggles with juggling a busy studio and personal lives. We share some of the strategies that we've found useful for staying organized and productive, in hopes that they might be helpful for you too. And if there's one thing we want you to remember, it's that it's okay not to have everything under control all the time.
But it's not just about the hustle. The power of art as a unique marketing tool and an emotional anchor can't be overlooked. We guide you through the creation of a unique artwork piece for a special client, taking a snapshot and turning it into a cherished keepsake. We also share a touching story of how restoring a photograph resulted in a priceless memory. Whether you're an artist, a photographer, or just someone who loves a good story, join us as we explore the power of art in creating unforgettable experiences.
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.
Feeling overwhelmed? Struggling with time management? Trust us, we've been there. This week on GYST, we pull back the curtain on our own personal struggles with juggling a busy studio and personal lives. We share some of the strategies that we've found useful for staying organized and productive, in hopes that they might be helpful for you too. And if there's one thing we want you to remember, it's that it's okay not to have everything under control all the time.
But it's not just about the hustle. The power of art as a unique marketing tool and an emotional anchor can't be overlooked. We guide you through the creation of a unique artwork piece for a special client, taking a snapshot and turning it into a cherished keepsake. We also share a touching story of how restoring a photograph resulted in a priceless memory. Whether you're an artist, a photographer, or just someone who loves a good story, join us as we explore the power of art in creating unforgettable experiences.
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. Retouchup works smarter, not harder MUSIC. Welcome to Get your Shoes Together at the Photographers Podcast, where we discuss studio business life and keeping it all in line. I am Kira Derryberry.
Speaker 2:And I'm Mary Fitz-Taylor. Hello, hello, how are you?
Speaker 1:I'm good. My brain is spinning from all the things that I want to do and the things that I must do.
Speaker 2:How do we do that Like? So I'm with you 100% and I don't know. I don't know. This has just been a weird year. I know it's been a crazy year for you because of your presidency and all the stuff going on, but it's just like I feel like I have not been crazy busy, but I feel like I am so busy and I'm pretty sure it's because I've been traveling so much.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean, I think it just feels like it's. I mean, you know we're a broken record and we're like we're so busy, we're so busy, but the thing is is that it's a lot, it's death by a thousand tiny cuts. You know what I mean and I feel like my time management skills have just sort of suffered this year and I also feel like my focus has suffered this year because I think when you do spread yourself, then it's difficult for you to focus on one thing, because you little tiny thoughts about other things in the other project land or things that you forgot to do at home, like I just remembered I forgot to put the laundry in the dryer before I walked out of the house.
Speaker 1:And now you know what I mean. Yeah, that kind of stuff just pops into your head and then you're like, oh, I meant to research this one thing. And then now you're Googling and you know what I mean. So, like my shiny thing, squirrel stuff this year has just gone off the rail. So yesterday I did make a pretty decent sized list of just small items that I needed to get done and I marked a significant number of those things off the list and that helped me maintain focus. But towards the end of the day list marking got slow.
Speaker 2:That's funny. So I did the same thing. Well, no, this is what happens to me, kira. I will make a list and then I won't do it. And I'm good with lists and getting things done, but then 3,000 things happen and then I go oh, all, right, I. What happened to me the other day is I had a nervous breakdown because I had seven lists that all pretty much had the same little tiny things on it. Like I volunteer for the Virginia Association, as you know. So like just getting fall contracts out, getting merits ordered, getting my husband invited we use Melaleuca, so I had to order Darrell vitamin Like those things, tiny little things, little tiny things. I had written those down seven times. I could have had them done if I just stopped writing them down and did it.
Speaker 2:So I spent six hours going through and doing all those things, getting all those little volunteer things done, getting things ordered. I needed to get a wedding gift. I had three graduation cards to get out Like you know what I mean, like you know just that. Like I had a stack of things like respond to a party and, you know, rsvp for this, and again I had three little kiddos who had graduated from either high school or college that I needed to get a card for. I spent six hours doing all that stuff.
Speaker 2:That's a lot of stuff, just little things, because we're not just running a business. We actually have like a whole other life. Like you know, looking at my family's own portrait images, so I can make sure I get a you know my holiday card done, or we're all bunch of us are going to a tech Virginia tech game in the fall and needed to get an Airbnb. I needed to get just all those things that I just had to sit down and do and yeah, so I got them done, but it's six hours seems like a lot of time.
Speaker 1:It seems like a lot of time to get it done. It does seem like a lot of time to get it done and even six hours. Well, I mean, sometimes that stuff just adds up, you know. But I mean I will say that once I did get at least some of it marked off, I did feel better. You do know what I mean, because the stress of it piling up and then you forgetting things, yes, you know is and then you forget more things that off, I know.
Speaker 1:Last week we talked about how I forgot a whole softbox walking out the door, you know. So I mean, you know, you just forget things.
Speaker 2:Well, how many times do you brush your teeth? Oh, as soon as I get done. I got to go order this from Amazon, or I got to order vitamins, or I need to get laundry detergent, whatever. And then three days later, you're like huh. Remember when I said I was going to do that Immediately after brushing my teeth? Here I am brushing my teeth again taking about it.
Speaker 1:I made a special trip to go because I had forgotten my medicine for that I was supposed to take in the morning, and I made a special trip to go back to my house to take it. And when I got there I was met with like six things that Lucy needed. And oh, yeah, you need to go into the bank because the housekeepers are coming in. They only take cash in, so yeah. So you got to run to the bank and do all the stuff and I ended up doing all the stuff that I need that I got hit with when I walked to the door, didn't take the medicine and just left, dang, the whole reason that, the whole reason that I had gone home. So I mean, yeah, yeah, some more of the story.
Speaker 2:Guys. If any of you all have ever felt this way, you're not alone. We may play organized people on television, but indeed we are as big of a mess as some of you guys might feel.
Speaker 1:I think it's so funny that, like you know, a lot of times I'm traveling as president. They're like how are you? How are you doing it all, doing it all? I'm like I'm not. Yes, that's what I said. I'm here.
Speaker 2:Oh, my God, you just guys. First of all, I have an amazing support my husband, my business partner, my kid, like you know and I'm not getting it all done, so it bears that it's not all happening. And there are days when I get home from some of these things and I just do not want to get out of bed.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, it's a lot, it's a lot, but it's all good stuff, and it's all stuff I signed up for, as did you, so you will. This, too, shall shall change. The funny thing is, I thought that this is my first year off the board in 10 years. I thought, oh, this year's going to have all this free time. I have managed to book every single minute of it. I have booked every minute.
Speaker 1:You know why? Because you're not used. If you're not full to capacity, then what's wrong? Something's wrong If every moment of my day is not filled with something I'm supposed to be doing like something wrong if I lost my clients, not like what's going on. My life is ending. Yeah, I've chicken little.
Speaker 2:The sky's falling, this guy. I mean I'm literally, if anybody or chicken little. I just run around like how do I have a full day or two days of nothing or a weekend of nothing? That cannot happen, but we have managed to book it up. We're pretty booked. That's good. Yeah, you too, by the way, because we have a lot of cool things coming up.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we'll be in.
Speaker 2:Louisville in a week or two We'll be in Louisville at a really fun music festival and Cure will get to check out that amazing city where Imaging USA will be.
Speaker 1:And I will not feel guilty about not working. I will not feel guilty about not working. I might not even read my computer. I probably don't, I don't.
Speaker 2:Well, ok, but we should it because we should it, because we won't, we're not going to feel, yeah, and I probably will have an actual vacation and I probably will be slack on my cooking diary too.
Speaker 1:No, we can't slack on cooking diary.
Speaker 2:PS. That's a weird little game. That cura is a cult. The cura's gotten us all in, so it's fun I have.
Speaker 1:I have.
Speaker 2:I you and I sell, I'm good.
Speaker 1:You know you are very good at cooking diary and but our friends Larry and Heather and PG and Deanna, and Alexandra and Alex I. Where are they?
Speaker 2:No, we didn't make it.
Speaker 1:We didn't make it out of the Emerald League this week.
Speaker 2:No stars, we call it because we always got booted down to the gold league. Well, come on. Well, I mean I was. I was in it till the. I was in it to win it till it ended last night. I tried real hard but I could.
Speaker 1:I tried, I was playing until I my eyes couldn't, couldn't, stay any more.
Speaker 2:Same it's become a little bit of a problem. It's like what I do and I it's. It's become a little bit of a problem with me. I probably need to back off a little bit.
Speaker 1:Well, you know what you know what it does. But speaking of it, it allows me to not think about all the things that was 100 percent. It's a great way to just focus my energy on just zoning out. I can't zone out during TV. I can't zone out during reading, but I can zone out during the game. Me too, me too.
Speaker 2:So, guys, this is a really fun game, by the way, and also to spend some money Also it makes my brain work, like it really makes my brain work and a lot of things we do at this point in our careers kind of automated. But speaking of automated, let's take a little pause for the cause to hear from our amazing friends at retouch up. Be right back.
Speaker 1:Hey, you Is. It 2 am 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.
Speaker 1: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 retouchup at retouchupcom and we are back. Mary, yes, I had an email a few weeks ago that I almost blew off and because I was busy, I had a pile of emails coming and the client was asking me for something that I didn't do.
Speaker 2:And this is a past client, not somebody no.
Speaker 1:So not a past client, just a client.
Speaker 2:Just an inquiry through the website. A new inquiry. Those are iffy at best. Those are iffy at best.
Speaker 1:Yeah, iffy at best, right and so, but it was through the restoration portion of my website and she reached out and she said you know, we have my husband's father passed away a while back and we have this portrait that everyone in the family loves of him and it's just a small four by six and it's a portrait of him sitting with his dog in his lap and it's our most cherished image of him. He looks so happy, the dog looks so happy. And then she also goes into telling the story about how, when he passed away, her and her husband took the dog and the dog recently passed away and so now that the dog had passed, they just she wanted to gift her husband with this, with a restored portrait of him. Now the image wasn't damaged, okay, because I said you know, I saw it and I was like, oh, that's a touching story. I said, could you have it digitally? Can you send me the image? And she did and she sent it to me and it wasn't damaged.
Speaker 1:It was just a kind of a poor snapshot. It was just a photo taken probably with a phone or with a disposable camera even, I mean, outside of a brick building on a very sunny day. His white hair was kind of blown out, all of the blacks and the dog were very like loss of detail and it would just it wasn't. It was unremarkable in that the quality of the image. But the photo, the snapshot of the man and the dog dog was looking, the man looks so happy and he's in his wheelchair. So you know, and I wrote back to her and I said, well, I'm not sure what restoration could do for this. But then I got this little idea. I was like, but let me check if we could, if we could have our artists paint it as a portrait, because it was just like a sort of you know.
Speaker 2:So it's a casual capture. It's just a casual capture that you're trying to create a portrait of.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I said would you be interested if my artist could paint it like a do a digital painting of it? And she goes oh my gosh, yes. And I said okay. And so I reached out to retouch up and I wanted to be sure, because I haven't done this before. So I wanted to be sure that a three and a half or four by six, and literally like a 300 DPI or maybe four basic, you know, that could be blown up, one, you know, and then painted on top of, because it couldn't be enlarged with any sort of quality as it was, you know.
Speaker 1:But since it was going to be painted, is that fine? And they said, oh yeah, that's no problem, we can, we can make it as big as you want, and so, but then I thought I'm going to quote this, you know, I'm just going to quote it and send it to her. And because I also had asked if she was going to want us to frame it and and you know, have it printed and framed, so I thought we could do it really right, you know, we could do it on portrait canvas, you know, with us, you know a spray finish on it, we could frame it, you know, through White House or whatever. And so I quoted her three sizes for portrait canvas, you know, with the, with the framing and everything, and just sent her the options on the quote. And it was a hefty size quote, you know, plus the you know.
Speaker 2:So how did you price it out? So, guys, so you're doing you didn't actually take the portrait, which that doesn't matter. You're doing all the work. You're creating a portrait out of essentially a self in pictures, what it feels like, right?
Speaker 1:Yes, that's what you're doing.
Speaker 2:You're doing your brain and I know what retouch up charges to paint it and, of course, we know what it costs to print it and frame it. So you've got, I don't know, 150 under $200 in it. Correct, under $200 in it, yeah, so you're certainly not just doubling that no-transcript.
Speaker 1:No, no, so literally what I did is I thought I quoted it by when I had a flat rate for the digital painting right. So I came up with a flat rate for the digital painting, which is something I had to figure up on my own, because I don't have this option just on its own, without it being one of my images.
Speaker 1:And then I looked at my pricing for these different size portrait canvas, frame images. If it was my artwork at it, right, right. And so if it's my artwork in it, there is in the total cost is the highest cost it could be. So then I subtracted a small amount off of those. Not I didn't just double the cost of the $200.
Speaker 2:Right, I just took what my rate was for those sizes with my art in it and I just took like 25% off of all of those prices, 16 by 20 framed canvas I'm just going to. I know this is not your pricing, I know your pricing substantially higher. But say, a 16 by 20 canvas framed for you is $1,000. And that's your work, framed, printed blah, blah, blah. Right, so you've got that and then. So you essentially took what that $1,000, took 25% off of it but then added a painting fee. Yeah, so essentially you're probably are back to $1,000. Yeah, so I am not a three sizes.
Speaker 1:Yeah, got it I gave her three sizes that she could use or that she could choose from at three different points, like a good, better, best kind of option. You know, not different mediums, like everything was on the same canvas, everything was the same treatment. It was just about the size, you know. And then she picked the middle one. Surprise, she picked the middle one, which was a 24 inch, is what I did, because she said she wanted to put it over their fireplace in their house she started sending me.
Speaker 1:You know she goes. Well, I was thinking you could paint, you know, maybe paint some trees or whatever, and I thought all that was going to get a little busy and so I said let me just try and paint it. What if we have them? Paint it just as a nice modeled background that's in a complimentary color, you know to what the shirt is, where he was wearing a yellow shirt and she goes oh, I trust you, I trust you. And then I gave her, I sent her some frame options, but I made a recommendation on the frame that I thought would work best, based on the image of her living room with her brick fireplace. You know that it was going to sit against. And she trusted me the whole step of like, every step of the way right, and so I met you before, by the way never met me before.
Speaker 1:We're just doing this over email. We haven't even spoken on the phone because it was during a time where I was traveling a bunch to you know. So I was able to kind of do this remotely. And, of course, since retouch up was doing the artwork and it was so fast, I mean, I sent her a proof of it. I sent her, you know, a proof with the frame kind of next to it so she could kind of see where it was going with it.
Speaker 1:And it was no changes Like oh no, I'm sorry, one change. She said that the dog's eyes were a little too bright, because the dog had very dark eyes so they like catch lights were a little too shiny in there. So we I sent it back to retouch up, asked them to tone that down, no problem Came right back to me, sent her a proof, it was done, done, and then she paid the entire amount, not half, like I just sent the invoice, like while we were I didn't send anything out to retouch it, by the way, until she had made some sort of payment on it.
Speaker 2:And did not share a proof with her until then either.
Speaker 1:No, didn't do anything until, and I said I said here's the total amount. You know, here's the invoice. You can you can pay half now and half on delivery, or you can pay the full amount. She just paid the full amount. She just went ahead and paid the full amount. So now I'm just gangbusters like okay, yeah, here's a proof, here's this, here's that, whatever we got it done.
Speaker 1:And then we got it done before her husband's birthday and I was out of town when she needed to come pick it up, so Misty was here and met her to for the pickup. I got the sweetest email from her about how she couldn't wait to give it to him for his birthday because it was so beautiful, and so she went ahead and gave it to him, and then she sent me all these pictures of it up on the mantle and it looks good, it looks all right, yeah, I remember you talking about this and you're like, yeah, it's kind of weird, we're gonna see, but it looked great.
Speaker 2:I mean, you sent me a picture. I've seen the final picture. It's amazing.
Speaker 1:It's absolutely amazing it was what they wanted. It was what they want over their fireplace. You know what I mean. It was their treasured memory of both the dog and her father-in-law, and it was very important to her husband and she was giving it to him as a gift. So she surprised him with this whole piece, you know and it was just the sweetest, sweetest, sweetest thing.
Speaker 1:And then I said you know, I would love to do a spotlight about this story, you know, in my, on my website, in my social media, because I would love to be able to do this for other people. You know, it doesn't have to be my art, it doesn't even have to be a restoration, but that's the sort of idea. And she goes I will definitely write you a, I will definitely write you a testimonial, but I'm gonna have to wait a little bit, because every time I start to write about it I cry.
Speaker 2:Oh, never mind this. I mean, wow, you could not ask for a better opportunity here. So, of course, my brain is like, okay, how do we capitalize on this? And you're already doing it by talking about it, because the whole story here is that there's two stories in my opinion and of course I'm going to go up by my story brand hat on here but there's two stories. First of all, she can speak from a place of regret that you know everything has to end with either a success or a failure. Her failure is that they never took the time to have a professional portrait created. However, because you're an artist, because of your expertise and your authority, you were able to take something and create art for them. Like it's literally like two fold. It's a I mean, it's a dream. It's a dream marketing piece is what it is. Honestly, it is, yeah, because she's she regrets not having a professional portrait of his father, but you were able to make it happen. Like that's huge, I think. I mean, I mean.
Speaker 1:I mean, think about how many. I think about like right now I don't have a professional portrait of my grandmother. I don't. I have same. I have snapshots of her. It was. It was far before I was ever in a professional realm of photography. I always have, is like little like. I have a framed picture of her sitting on a couch, like smiling in, like you know her.
Speaker 2:Yeah, like pajamas or something you know in my house that's what I have. Yeah Same, I have very similar.
Speaker 1:It would have been nice. I mean, it would be nice to have something more formal that was of her, that actually looked like her, and that you know what I mean. I'm sure, like you know, that this has got to be all over the place where people oh my gosh didn't have the opportunity to have a loved one photographed and now they have this snapshot that they just feel like it's a little silly to blow up on the wall.
Speaker 1:But it doesn't look but it, but it isn't. But it doesn't look the quality that they would want to put up on the wall, because they don't understand what you can do, yeah. Because they don't know, you know. So how do you?
Speaker 2:like I think of that, not just my grandmother, for sure, but even my dad. I mean, I was nine when we don't have I mean, like my kids don't really know what my dad looks like and I honestly have to really think about it because I was so young when he died but my grandmother too, like my kids, don't know what she looks like. This is going to make me very sad because, like those, my grandmother was, you know, one of the most important people in the world to me, all my whole, you know, life growing up, but my kids don't, will never know. And why haven't I done this? This is what I'm getting upset about. Why haven't I done this? Why haven't I taken the time to find one of those little pictures that I love and create this? Because we can do this.
Speaker 1:Well, you have the direct means to do this. You know what I mean. Like this is just having an artist.
Speaker 2:She was just actually do this. But I mean, you know, why are we not doing this? And so you know, not only do you have her story, kira, I think the follow up story here is that it's going to inspire you to do something with the portrait of your grandmother. I think it will, I know, and then you can keep to keep that conversation going, and this is an authentic place to share something very personal that we truly and I know I'm speaking for you here, but we truly believe that this is a major benefit for people in our community that don't realize it can be done, and that's what it is. It's why it's not their job to know that we can do this. It's our job to tell them we can do this.
Speaker 1:Well, and she, you know, she came in to me thinking using the words restoration, because she just was all she could think us look better. And you know, I was the one that came back with like, well, there's not much to restore because it's not damaged, you know, and it's just not good.
Speaker 1:So could we? But we could paint it. And she's like, oh yes, let's do that. You know, and I mean and talking about too, I mean just from a practicality standpoint, from a busy studio right now, it is something that can be done transactionally, even though it's a very heartfelt thing. I mean, but you know, I didn't meet her, we did everything over email. So I mean, I'm not an artist, I'm not a painter, that is not something that. It's not that I don't have any interest in it, it's just that I just know my limitations.
Speaker 2:Right, no, I'm fair, you know and and I, you know I.
Speaker 1:But but having you know and I called, I called, it's not a lie. I called Retouch.
Speaker 2:You know my artist you know, retouch is my artist. Absolutely Right, I can have my artist paint it you know.
Speaker 1:And then, and just I don't know, cost of goods wise, it makes sense, you know what I mean. If it's something important enough to somebody to have made for their home, it makes sense. You know what I mean. It doesn't make sense to make it deeply discounted from what your regular portrait, canvas or whatever medium you're putting it on. It doesn't make sense to make it deeply discounted from what you normally charge from that. Because when they come back to you and say, oh, I want to have this same thing done with my, with the image you took of, you know, my family member or whatever, the one that I took, well, that's my, that's my artwork now in the image, right? So you don't want them to go. Well, you charge me, you know, half as much for for the other thing, right?
Speaker 2:No, I, I, yes, and that's why I'm so glad you're talking about that. So we've done several restorations for clients and not that. Then I'm loving this whole idea and I'm now I'm like brainstorming how would I, how am I going to market?
Speaker 1:it.
Speaker 2:But, but. But yeah, when we do a restoration, I just take my price list and I charge them as if I photographed it, because if I'm going to spend my time restoring it, which I am uploading it to retouch up, 100%, but I'm taking the time to do that. I just have not. We used to, oh, we needed, and I just don't, I just don't discount it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know I it was. It was one of those things where I was just like, yeah, but you know I would have done what you did.
Speaker 2:If I were taking that snapshot and I were creating a painting of it, I probably would have just charged what a canvas where Giller canvas would be.
Speaker 1:Does that make sense?
Speaker 2:That to me would be the trade off. Like yes, we're doing the painting work and I probably would outsource this, by the way, but I would probably charge like one level down. Does that make sense?
Speaker 1:So is that in my this level, I would charge this level at the rate that the artists work on this, you know the rate for what you pay. It doesn't make sense to just spend the hours on it for you. I mean it does for your work, but not for it does.
Speaker 2:But you know what, if I'm real busy, it's going to retouch up and then I can always bring it in and that is just it up I have them. I always have reached up to a very light version anyway, I don't just because of the way most of ours are mixed media, but I am more and more because of the time, you know, and I'd rather be at a Dave Matthews concert. But I mean, guys, so like something along the idea of you know, something like from a snapshot to a masterpiece Kind of thought. I mean, that's what you're doing here, right, like yeah, you're taking a snapshot and I like that. I'm going to write that down, yeah.
Speaker 1:So that's my brain immediately.
Speaker 2:It's like how am I going to say this? So from a snap like let us take your, let us take your snapshot and turn it into a masterpiece, or from a snapshot to a masterpiece, I think that you just titled the episode.
Speaker 2:Simple, a very simple plan. You know what I mean, how you just, you know, send it to us and you know we're going to, I don't know like, create a very simple plan. Of course my story grand brain's going, but you know, and then making, because all the every memory matters, Let us tell your story, snapshot to every memory matters.
Speaker 1:I'm taking notes every memory.
Speaker 2:Yeah, matter.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm doing this, I'm going to create a plan because we're right at the holidays, guys, and I could only photograph so many such great gifts. But you know what, if you want to do something special for your mom, your, your husband, your wife, your, you know whatever, like, we all have those snapshots in our, in our library and you know somewhere in a shoebox or on our phone that we wish we could make them better, and then we can do this. Yeah yeah, we just made a lot of money for ourselves for not a lot of work. Let's be honest.
Speaker 1:I mean that was incredibly, I mean as far as, like at time, effort, energy cost, overhead bottom line. I mean it was on the road we're doing this.
Speaker 2:So you're like in Nebraska no, I don't know where you were, but you're somewhere and you're just, it's a laptop, you know it's a laptop job Like you could be anywhere and make that money and that's something that we all want more of, right, we're, you know, we're smarter. Um, but yeah, I mean that's, I guess, when my September campaign is going to be, because my family business at this point is going to come right, like I don't, you know, I will certainly market it, but it's going to come. I mean, my fall is almost completely booked any already. So we have so many days, you know, but this is something I can take as many as I can take, like I don't. The sky's the limit on this for me.
Speaker 1:Oh, I love it. Yeah, I'm definitely. I mean she's. She was so sweet. She was like, yeah, use any of the images that I've sent. Like she sent me all these pretty pictures of her brickfire place, all set up with the, I mean I am.
Speaker 2:I am a better testimonial for it.
Speaker 1:You know, oh my.
Speaker 2:God. And then I think, if you I know you don't blog, but just speaking from a place of um, just, I think that this is something that you're going to say, and this made me realize that I didn't have this, and now I'm doing this for myself. And then, when people go, because if you're going to do it for your own self, that adds so much legitimacy to it Do you know what I mean? Like you know it's, it's like you know if we didn't have our own family portraits hanging up in our home, or you know it's that type of thing. Like, how can I talk about having this if I don't have it of myself? And I, I know that, you know this.
Speaker 2:But you know, several years ago, I went on this major personal journey where I realized, as much as I talked about needing to capture these memories, there were no pictures of me, because I of my own, whatever you know, I wasn't taking pictures of myself, and I made myself photograph myself every month for a year, which was painful, but I did it, and I think that we don't, I, I how many times have we said, oh, I wish this, I wish I had a picture of this, I wish that I can make that happen, and I never have done it Well what are we, what are we waiting for?
Speaker 2:What are we waiting for? An invitation from a snapshot to a masterpiece? Guys, this is gold, if I do say so myself. Just put it out there, and you know what the worst thing that happens is people don't do it, but put it out there. And and please hear Kira when she says she did not deeply discount this because she didn't photograph it she's still taking it in and using her professionalism and her expertise to create something that I can only imagine this woman and her husband and and generations to come will cherish. There's just no doubt about it.
Speaker 1:She was so happy to be told what would look best, like she was, and she was looking for that. She was looking for that guidance because I gave her options and she would say, well, I think this one, what do you think? And I go, you know, if it's me and I'm looking to compliment the brick and you've got a lot of wood in your living room already, I would make it stand out with this one. And so, like she just did it, I love it and I was right.
Speaker 2:Well, this is, this is gold I knew. And the weird thing, guys, is, until we start talking about these things, like because you and I've talked about this a couple times or texted about it or whatever, I'm like cool, cool, cool, cool and now sitting here talking about it, like being centered and really focusing on, like, why am I not doing more of this? Because we're getting to a place where we're having a lot of considerations. Yes, they happen here and there, but this is something that's incredibly modern, because we all, every one of us has something on our phone that we think, oh, I wish I'd taken this with a professional camera.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and, guys, it doesn't have to be a feeling. It could be you and your partner, you and your husband, you and your, you know, your, your whatever went somewhere. You're incredibly beautiful, yeah, your pet or you went somewhere beautiful and the memory of your time in Tuscany or at the beach was so special and you took a picture of the sunset or the sunrise and you wish you had that memory. Well, let me paint it for you and give you that memory. Like, it doesn't even have to be people, quite frankly.
Speaker 1:It could be. Honestly, I'm going to have Dan paint it, because all I got is snapshots of that.
Speaker 2:And you know we all had that one pet that every time you bring out a real camera runs, but they're, the phone doesn't bother them. That's, that's my little Stella. She's that way. If I bring out my camera, camera she's out, but my cell phone does not bother her at all. It's kind of funny yeah. So, oh my gosh, I love this. I love this so much, so very much. I love it too.
Speaker 1:All right, all right, I'm going to do it. Well, there's, there's your nugget, there's your holiday nugget for a little, a little extra cash.
Speaker 2:I like it this holiday, maybe a lot.
Speaker 1:Let's dream big, or like yeah, maybe a lot. I mean well, I mean, I feel like that's a good enough way to take that and run y'all yeah. Yeah, we're just going to leave it there, just like period Yep, all right.
Speaker 2:Well, you ready to wrap it up? Let's do it.
Speaker 1:Let's do it, okay. You can follow us on Instagram at Get your Shoe Together. You can follow us on Facebook at GetYourShoeTogether, and you can email us at girl at GetYourShoeTogethercom. You can subscribe to us wherever podcasts are played. We will see you guys next time. Thanks y'all, yeah.