00:01.77
smacey
So you have you have a theory that a lot of people have just dropped out of the photography game. Ah, you were talking before I pressed record and I was like stop stop stop Stop Stop Stop Stop Stop Stop stop What you're saying is really good What you're saying is really good. So for everyone joining us right now.

00:10.70
aaronmannes
Episode that we have to record we record.

00:18.71
smacey
Photographer mindset podcast I'm your cohost Seth Macey that's Aaron I'll introduce you for him. We talk about mindset principles and how to become a better photographer and reach your creative full maximum creative potential that was my speed speed intro. Let's get back to what you were saying you think a lot of people in what would would you say the last couple months.

00:29.33
aaronmannes
Speak me back.

00:36.71
smacey
Fair to say year have just you think entirely dropped out of the photography game or at least the social media Arena continue your thought before I press record.

00:37.99
aaronmannes
I'll say a year.

00:47.91
aaronmannes
Yeah, it's probably it's probably gone back to the the homeostasis of how you would be as a photographer if there wasn't social media where it was it'd be maybe a little bit more on like I do this on my time I'll have a vacation coming up I'll take some photos. I might get some things printed if I really am crazy about something for the house but without without the constant like dopamine drip of social media and how it was I mean I joined was this four years ago and it was a completely different landscape than it is now. And I think even before um when I joined people who are talking about the the landscape of Instagram and photography before that even and how great it was and how things had changed and it's changed drastically in 4 years I mean and I just think that if you don't really have a passion for it or other avenues if your eggs aren't all in the 1 basket then you keep going and you keep doing things. But if you look back and your eggs were pretty much and like I like photography and I like the social media aspect and that's where the eggs are then. That basket's been taken away I think a little bit at least a little bit. Um I mean there's dras I I struggle to get it if I get a hundred likes on a photo and I know it's not what it's about, but it is just a metric I'm I'm just doing comparison. It's like if I get a hundred likes I'm like oh good day like that was a good day.

02:12.12
smacey
Um.

02:15.60
smacey
Dead.

02:17.61
aaronmannes
Whereas whereas 2 three years ago when I had few less followers or like a potential um group of people that are seeing my stuff and like 1500 likes was like oh that's a good day on a photo. And that's with less following. So. It's just really changed I don't think I don't think my photography is 1 ne-tenth of what it used to be by any means. Ah so the the numbers don't make sense now they change stuff up for a while and they really really ah real pun here.

02:36.76
smacey
Ah.

02:56.30
aaronmannes
Ah, promoted the video and the real and if you changed in that with that tide of reals and went to video I think you could have seen some of that crazy growth and I talked about that sort of fake growth where you'd get 200 followers in a matter of 8 minutes and it would just be like this bulk like we're gonna just. Dump people in to promote this thing we're going to pay people for reals. So there was a ah huge reward to create content in that way and now even that is like ah I mean I don't know about you but reals aren't popping off like they used to for me.

03:32.54
smacey
Yeah, we'll get into that later because I would like to talk about my thirty day experiment I have posted on average once a day for the last thirty days in a row and I'd like to get into how that altered my psyche.

03:34.33
aaronmannes
Personally.

03:37.78
aaronmannes
I Love it.

03:52.48
smacey
What it actually did to my account I know it's only um, thirty days it's not a long haul and I'll get into like my motivations for why I mean I kind of treated it like a game and just to see if I could a commitment game too to see if I could stay committed to doing something that I don't necessarily love or want to do just like all the other things we talk about on the show. It was kind of like that. Well we'll get into that later.

03:54.78
aaronmannes
Come.

04:08.57
aaronmannes
No.

04:12.22
smacey
So Your theory is that for a lot of the individuals who were brought into photography because they liked it and because growing on social media was fun that sadly those individuals. May be lacking the motivation to I guess explore further in this genre is that fair to say.

04:34.82
aaronmannes
Yeah, yeah, explore Yeah so okay before you press record I was getting into the analogy if if I wanted to get in shape and I love running I like I love it truly in my soul then.

04:46.32
smacey
And. Yeah.

04:54.30
aaronmannes
If I wasn't seeing crazy results in terms of like body fat or composition or um, you know time distance. Whatever I just loved getting out for an hour I don't care if I ran a half-mile getting out for an hour and clearing my mind I will so maintain being a runner. Those things those metrics don't matter as much as my love for running now if this is this is more true to me I really don't like running and what I found was it was obviously difficult like it's not it's not fun but I had a ah crazy sort of like.

05:14.51
smacey
Oh.

05:30.63
aaronmannes
Reverse effect like I I did not I did not get thinner like more more strong feeling I felt more tired and more hungry and like really carb craving craving. Um so it wasn't really giving me I didn't have a love for it in my soul.

05:46.25
smacey
Brain.

05:48.12
aaronmannes
And I wasn't getting any of the metrics that showed that I was improving much at a level that was like exciting or enticing I wasn't winning any races I wasn't winning any awards and yeah, there's a lot of that now I go to I start some strength training and I.

05:57.34
smacey
So why content you rate.

06:06.45
aaronmannes
And I remember this from being younger and doing a lot of strength training like my body really responds to that and I feel good I Eat better like um I feel more satiated with like healthier meals and I don't have those cravings. It's muscle building all that stuff I'm getting the rewards and I'm feeling better and. The the effort into it is feeding me back and I enjoy it I mean I shouldn't say like ah it's not a soul burning thing like I I want to lift weights or or strength train. But I'm getting the metrics that encourage me to keep going and yeah.

06:35.67
smacey
Okay, and now the analogy to traditional photography on Instagram and people who don't want to convert to short form video content. The analogy is what.

06:45.92
aaronmannes
Is that if you if you So if you love photography in your soul and you grew up with it and like even pre if you loved it. Pre-social Media. You probably still do it and you're probably still interested in it and you're probably still interested in improving your craft. If What got you hooked was the attention of social media and maybe the the building the growing The oh my God like the thousand people like my photo. Oh My God I have 2000 followers now that if that is what motivated you to do better. Then when that rug gets pulled from you. Where's the motivation truthfully like it. It might have become intrinsic. It might have developed into other things I was talking to you the other day I'm like we we have multifaceted interests in photography whether it's you know, cabin shooting product Shooting. Um. Planning retreats the the podcast every single week just there's there's a lot of social media as Well. We do that as Well. Our own sort of craft like we have a lot of there's a lot of tenets into in terms of what we're doing photography for quote unquote and I think.

07:47.96
smacey
Right.

07:59.98
aaronmannes
That's what keeps us going you take 1 of those things away. There's still 4 other things that are really important and really drive us to improve our craft if we just had the 1 thing and it gets taken away. It's like oh this this isn't really as fun like waking up. Let's put it this way when. When things were I'm a different photographer than I was and I know I have different interests but waking up at like 4 in the morning to go sit in the woods for 4 hours is something I have not done in a very long time and maybe the effort there to like oh I will be rewarded with this effort with like. Acknowledgement and attention and likes and the experience of course, but you take 1 of those away and maybe the effort of waking up at 4 and go sitting freezing in the woods to probably see nothing. You know that balance gets skewed. And for me with the other things going on in life like that's not worth the time all the time I did it all the time now. It's it's far and few in between.

09:06.48
smacey
Interesting and I appreciate your honesty to be a right right.

09:09.33
aaronmannes
Yeah I'll be I'll be honest I mean shit That's what that's what got me into photography is the attention of the social media I happen to like it and love it and have developed into lots of other things. But if you took all of them way if you said.

09:20.90
smacey
Right.

09:26.62
aaronmannes
Aaron like I'm going with a different co-host I'm going with Ian Jones I'd be like fuck fuck that guy and I would cause hell but all right the podcast is gone social media is kind of slow. Um I'm doing like a cabin once every four months or so yeah, like.

09:33.87
smacey
Um.

09:43.95
aaronmannes
It'd be like.

09:44.28
smacey
Um, let me ask you this then what would it take for you to completely put your camera down like I'm sure some people have done for those who had their eggs in the social media basket entirely. What would it take for you to just be done.

09:52.58
aaronmannes
Okay.

09:59.34
aaronmannes
Um I don't I I think the honest answer is I don't think I would ever be done. But I think I could see myself taking hiatus for example, ah guitar There could be times where I don't pick up a guitar for a month and a half or touch. You know, like touch a piano. There's times where I pick it up.

10:15.26
smacey
Um.

10:16.90
aaronmannes
All the time and I'm I'm like into it I think it would come in flows. Ah but I wouldn't be worried about the the need to produce all the time I think it would just I would take it more naturally if everything else was gone like there was no. Ah, you're not going to get paid for this anymore like we figured out Ai like companies. Don't pay photographers ever anymore like that's gone. Um, the you know the podcast is over God I thought it would be Sad. Ah social media got bought out like they don't even.

10:43.94
smacey
Are.

10:48.89
aaronmannes
They don't impose stuff like you have to pay completely to get any sort of views on your stuff which wondering I think might be coming ah Mark my words what day is it October Seventeenth two thousand and twenty three um market. Ah.

10:58.77
smacey
Market.

11:04.22
aaronmannes
If all that went away I think I would just use it as a tool for my own enjoyment to remember special things in life I don't think I would go out of my way to find special things as much I should say.

11:19.61
smacey
Yeah, yeah, yeah, no, that's that's a great answer and I Guess if you're an individual listening and you're like ah man I Really don't don't want to buy into the the short form video system. That's just. You know it's not fun to me I like stills I like getting out nature I did like the social media thing. But I mean it's just not producing anymore or the way I would want it to I'm not telling people to just like start their hands up I mean there's always a way if you're really I guess into that we've said that before but. You know if if you're one of those individuals I think great opportunity to have a sad moment and be like I guess like my heart isn't really fully in this and I can go look elsewhere for things that.

12:03.71
aaronmannes
Um, yeah.

12:08.80
smacey
I Really am into you know or it's an opportunity to realize that okay I'm motivated to adapt and I'm motivated to create some other Baskets. You mentioned how you and I are fortunate enough to have like multiple baskets. So that if one's taken Away. It's like we're still we still have a level of passion that that feeds the fire to want to fill those other Baskets. So I think it's It's a good.. It's a good time in the photography social Media world for you to have a chat with yourself I think I Really don't. Love this enough to to put the effort in that's required to adapt and grow and fill that void. So I'm going to go look for things that give me purpose and give me you know, but that that have that daily passion or I'm going to find a way to. Because because I want to I'm going to find a way to um, continue that social media validation I'm not saying that in a judgmental way or a negative way. I mean we all post because we want other people to validate our work. Otherwise we wouldn't let's be let's be Honest. So I think there's is a great time for.

13:15.10
aaronmannes
Um, no yeah.

13:24.64
smacey
For some Self-discovery not to get like too too too deep. But I think that's like where we're at.

13:27.20
aaronmannes
No, and it's it. It is a great time and in one big difference I've noticed now versus two years ago let's say is two years ago I didn't want to take a break you know Seth I feel like we even talked about that two years ago. Maybe personally as friends of like ah there's too much to miss. Potentially you know huge features or a photo going viral or like all all that stuff like it was it was there was more at risk in terms of. Um, social validation versus now where you can say if I don't post or if I post at nine p m like who cares I wasn't going to get a ton of views anyway or likes anyway like I just want to post right now like I want to put my photo out I I finished editing it I'm going to put it out there.

14:18.20
smacey
Minute.

14:23.62
aaronmannes
It's my portfolio now. Whatever happens happens once you get used to like this low level. It's kind of it all kind of equals out now I get like 250 likes on something I'm like wow great photo. You know like it's it's just different than it was It's just a different bar. But you don't feel like you're missing as much so I feel like now is a time to maybe if you need a break if you felt burnt out after the grind of the last couple years and figuring out reals figuring out this What's what's the right? Hashtag what's the right time the algorithm blah blah blah now is maybe the time to like put it down and and figure out. Do I want to go with this do I just want to do this personally if at all you know and maybe it is just a personal thing. Maybe it's maybe you don't have to push as hard. Um on on all aspects. Maybe you.

15:00.18
smacey
If at all.

15:15.96
aaronmannes
Just settle into like who you really are as a photographer and and I think I think that's okay I think it definitely is okay um I don't think we I and I do know this. We definitely shouldn't be beating ourselves up over like the the poor numbers right now.

15:19.84
smacey
Yeah.

15:34.99
aaronmannes
Because it's just it's just a different game like it. You know so slamming our head into the wall trying to figure it out can be like maddening.

15:45.80
smacey
Yeah, stop hiding your light count too. Nobody cares if you tanked no one cares where it as a badge I've said this I feel like probably half a year ago or a year ago in an episode just wear it wear it man.

15:51.88
aaronmannes
Um, yeah, it's kind of aierric. Yeah, where am the wouldn't know what happens when I when it makes me want to like go in and count.

16:02.44
smacey
Wear it.

16:08.52
smacey
Um, yeah I think you've mentioned that that's hilarious. You kind me think you are.

16:09.10
aaronmannes
Still like that's the impulse I don't do that not crazy but I'm like what makes me go like well how many others like 3 is it are we down to 3 others or is it like still at like a hundred.

16:20.70
smacey
You're naturally curious though. Oof.

16:28.40
aaronmannes
Would what at what point would you get rid of the like out like if Instagram kept going and you'd post and it would be like you got 4 likes.

16:37.00
smacey
Um, honestly, if I had 13000 if I had 13000 I got like 1 or 2 that's like that's impressive that's impressive I mean try and it be like going to the casino and trying to lose right? or if you if you.

16:51.82
aaronmannes
Um, yeah.

16:54.99
smacey
Did a multiple choice test where it's abcd and you got 4% that's incredible I mean that's that's statistically difficult you you know? so I would be I would be impressed of the I impressive. Wow.

17:02.37
aaronmannes
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm going to try my next post I'm going to put I'm go do I went do zero hashtags and see what happens see if it gets to anyone. Thank you.

17:12.13
smacey
It wouldn't be hard but.

17:16.72
smacey
Not right? You know I was also thinking about as you were talking about in our last episode Jared Jared sang's comment about. Do you really want to be that person who's like oh yeah, took some cool photos and.

17:20.50
aaronmannes
Think it would.

17:35.68
smacey
Think he said oh yeah, did some good work for tourism boards and like it's kind of it's kind of empty if you really think about it I'm not saying don't grow and don't push I think I'm saying like search for some purpose. Whatever that is whether that's online or not.

17:39.47
aaronmannes
Um.

17:50.45
aaronmannes
Yeah, if yeah, yeah, if you've gained a platform of any size any sort in the last however, many years like there is an avenue to use it in in certain ways and ones that are deemed. You know, really positive or helpful for the planet or the world or people or animals pets whatever it may be like there's there's ways to create meaning with the photography I just recently reached out to um as as people may know my my. A dog Callie passed away a couple weeks back um but I reached out. Yeah, it is savage she was 17 she lived a great great life hell old so old I was like are you ready girl you ready for the next chapter.

18:28.96
smacey
Just that. Yeah, that's Howlla old. Wow, It's impressive. Yeah, yeah, that's a bummer.

18:46.70
aaronmannes
Um, but ah I reached out to the labs for rescue and that's where I got her from and I think from a friend a while ago gave me some stat that that rescue dogs with professional photos get adopted X amount of times more Than. Just like a regular photo. So I just reached out. Yeah to say like hey if you ever want to like I'm I'm volunteering my time I will come down and do a day's worth of shoots give you the photos won't go Crazy. They're all yours I Hope the dogs get adopted. You know.

19:07.46
smacey
Whoa! really.

19:18.64
smacey
Um, a great idea.

19:24.88
aaronmannes
So I haven't heard back yet. But I just did that the other day and those are things you can do little examples I'm not tooting my own horn I'm just giving an example of like oh this, this feels good and this has meaning and at the end of the day if I can help something out with this tool.. It's great. Even getting paid for like a cabin Gig is like oh Wow, this is cool I have a tool that someone wants me to use and help them. It is.

19:49.80
smacey
Well and like there is value and I mean you're encouraging a family potentially to go have a nice stay away to relax to experience nature I mean if you that's what I was going to say you said your your example was volunteering. But I mean that doesn't mean for it to be you know, meaningful and impactful and heartfelt that it needs to be a volunteering position I think.

19:56.18
aaronmannes
Um, yeah, yeah.

20:03.95
aaronmannes
Um.

20:08.37
smacey
1 of our just an example that comes to mind I don't know if he still listens but Brady Keigs he's doing a lot of filming for some in the running community like videoography full time I think I think he was just in Moab to moab two forty ultra filming some runners I forget their name but I mean maybe that. Those videos encourage people to exercise. Maybe they see that on Youtube and they're like oh man I want to get out by a pair of running shoes and run. You know I want to improve my health I mean there's so many ways that you can you can connect what you're doing to something that has you know purpose and I mean small account on Instagram brady not a huge by any mean by any means but doing cool things doing cool things. So in this 20 minute yeah I mean in this 20 minute I don't know you would even call it episode here minute episode within an episode I think the theme is like.

20:50.99
aaronmannes
Um, but yeah, if it if it lights your fire.

21:04.56
smacey
Find some other baskets. You know if if if you want to keep photography and you don't want to be so reliant on the the fuzzy feelings from Instagram growth that may or may not happen for you as more and more changes come. You're in and year out or if you're just like not on board with the new formats that are required to. To enhance your account I mean find some baskets find some baskets for that purpose to you find some you know areas of meaning that you can use the skillset you've built over the last six months six years right so I think I think that's.

21:33.18
aaronmannes
Are.

21:37.93
smacey
I was going to ask you? What's your advice. Anybody listening feeling that way and I think that's really it.

21:43.11
aaronmannes
Um, yeah I think I think that is it I think find again, we talk about the the why all the time if if you're following people that like when you get to their an ex-girlfriend an ex-boyfriend like it dings you like sometimes you have to curate your. Your feed your social media. It's the same thing with with content or you're you're constantly comparing yourself or you're if you're frustrated that your photo's not getting out to enough people or or the amount of people it used to. Maybe it's time to step back and be like all right? Let me this isn't feeling good. Like it used to. But it's not right now. Maybe I have to find a different aspect. Um, whether even if it's like ah a switch over to social media something different that's different and you're just experimenting and you're starting over somewhere whether it's tiktok they have a cool carousel thing for photos. Like maybe that maybe that's more rewarding. Maybe it's ah 500 px the engagement there is amazing. You know, um I still like it over there every once in a while ah post a photo and be like wow like a lot lot of people saw this that's pretty cool. It's a photography community. Um.

22:45.83
smacey
And.

22:57.64
aaronmannes
You know, maybe there's something else out there. Maybe you just work on your website for a while while social media doesn't really matter as much potentially I don't I don't know if that's a true statement I'm just saying that. Um, but maybe you start sending people your website instead of your Instagram handles because you know maybe you're. Unk re not impressed with or they might not be impressed with likes and follows. But who cares like if your work's good. Make sure make sure you have a good website. You know that's something you always preach is have a really good website. Um, and there's just different ways to again fill some of those other baskets. So that if anyone or that day instagram went down or Facebook went down for like 24 hours and we actually had a podcast and we're like the day in so Facebook died or something but that's always been our one of our like imaginary questions is they they.

23:46.15
smacey
Yeah, yeah I Remember that's good.

23:55.59
aaronmannes
They own it. So it's a company that they could do whatever they want with like it could go away or I have a friend that lost their whole account and like there's no one to contact to get it back. It just got deleted basically like that could happen to any 1 of us. So if all your eggs are in that one basket. Could be a tumultuous next couple of years tumultuous

24:16.25
smacey
Oh my God that was a crazy word. Yeah, where's my where's my thing my sounds.

24:28.21
aaronmannes
Do it.

24:30.98
smacey
There we go another day probably thinking so smile can even explain enlighten us with you knowledge knowledge knowledge. Ah, right, enlighten us with our knowledge with your knowledge rather that was word of the day recorded by yours truly I'm upper at Grammy with some of those flat harmonies. So.

24:55.88
aaronmannes
Tumultuous.

25:03.58
aaronmannes
Tumultuous adjective making a loud confused noise uproarious.

25:10.63
smacey
Uproar I was going to click it again. Click the sound bite again. Oh my god that's enough of that anyways segueing into my my thirty day experiment because you said you know, growing your camp maybe doesn't matter and.

25:13.82
aaronmannes
Ah, excited confused disorderly. Yeah.

25:26.66
smacey
I decided so a few months ago actually on this podcast I said I'm going to post every single day for thirty days I think it was a few months ago. Anyways I failed big time I got a week or 2 in you recall this, you look confused.

25:42.11
aaronmannes
No because I was going to say like you're starting at this story I was gonna say going back to me as an outsider. It felt like you were kind of like I've got other things to do like very far yeah did into.

25:56.50
smacey
Um, yeah I do did end. Do.

26:00.77
aaronmannes
Far and few in between pose. No rhyme or reason just kind of it felt like whenever you kind of just felt like it or had a spare minute. Maybe um, but it wasn't like I don't think once a week. Maybe well I wonder where you we could probably look and see the longest like gap.

26:08.13
smacey
Yes.

26:14.11
smacey
If that. Yeah I mean when I wasn't posting that was a period of time I think I said this as well when the most opportunities came across my my email or my plate not coincidentally I can't imagine that's a coincidence was when I was not focusing on.

26:19.48
aaronmannes
Was probably close to a month

26:30.23
aaronmannes
Interesting. Yeah.

26:38.50
smacey
Social media that the most opportunities came because I also had time to go create those opportunities. But so a few months ago I did try I'm pretty sure someone will know I was on record saying I'm going to do 30 or I'm going to do every day for a month or something like that. Whatever.

26:55.92
aaronmannes
Um, enough.

26:56.16
smacey
And I think I well I didn't I failed big time I did not complete it I did not complete it because I I did get to a point where I was like this this is dumb I have so but so many other things to do I didn't stop because I was like oh not getting the growth I want I stopped because I'm like this is really stupid I have so many other things that like are higher on the priority list. So recently I've had some time some free time when I got back from Manitoba where I was thinking to myself. You know what? I really don't like posting on social media a ton.

27:16.25
aaronmannes
Um.

27:34.31
smacey
Even if you go to like my recent couple weeks posting. It seems like I'm having a blast and don't get me wrong like the memories and stuff and the photos I posted from the year those those are amazing, but the actual sitting down coming up with the caption and and trying to edit something that's going to fit into the attention economy. Not fun I don't and I don't really. Enjoy that although I have enjoyed learning a bit about color grading. But I digress. Um, so on the twenty so twenty second of September when this comes out. It'll be October Twenty so just a couple days short of 30 days I said you know what I have some time.

27:58.21
aaronmannes
Um, no.

28:12.50
smacey
I'm going to post I'm going to try again. I failed I'm going to try again. I'm going to post every single day for thirty days and I'm going to try and post on average three stories a day now. The reason behind this There's a few. Number one I was so backlogged with editing like 3 different trips I'm like this is going to be this will force me to get in get my hands dirty edit some of those photos I have the time it's time to get in there and and you know. Do what? I've always loved which is editing it got to point was there was so much editing then I was like I don't I don't even know where to start start with Jasper do I start with Vancouver island do I start with Manitoba like where where do I begin. do i. do I

28:55.65
aaronmannes
Um.

29:02.71
smacey
Fall Do I have to post fall colors like all that nonsense Bullshit and I I quickly got to point just like dude poster of the fuck you want who cares? if it's winner who cares if it's fall like if you like it post it. So I was like okay I got a good head space now going into this editing so reason number one is it was going to force me to edit which it did. Especially like if you're posting reels too. You need cover art right? If you don't like the frames because it's for the thumbnail. Um, reason number 2 was again with that old theme of it was something I didn't want to do you know like I don't I don't want to do this. But.

29:23.76
aaronmannes
Um, yeah, yeah.

29:38.00
aaronmannes
Um, yeah.

29:40.90
smacey
It's a good experiment in self-discipline and committing to something you know, seeing something through even if it is just for like thirty days it's the same thing as like I don't like my cold shower in the morning I hate it I don't really love running I know it's good for me though I know that the practice of.

29:54.38
aaronmannes
Um, yeah.

30:00.17
smacey
Consistency in committing to something is good for my overall character building. Okay, so that's reason number 2 and then reason number 3 is on an off chance that this account my account does grow with good content in the next thirty days I'd like to I still believe that.

30:05.92
aaronmannes
Um, yeah.

30:18.59
smacey
You know, like 1 ah 100000 follower account with good content that goes knocking on. Let's say like a tourism boards door via Instagram dm like you the social perceived value of that count from the person on the other end you get to get taken a lot more seriously I'm sorry you you do like.

30:24.64
aaronmannes
The doubt.

30:34.33
aaronmannes
Um, yeah, yeah.

30:36.22
smacey
I see a 200000 account and there's this would it be a halo effect almost that like their work is great I mean obviously you can they theysect a little bit more and be like and this isn't that good or they're just working the algorithm really good. You know because you have like who have 400 followers. You're like wow this works phenomenal. And everywhere in between but the third reason was and the off chances does grow I like that perceived value to make opening doors with companies tourism boards easier so that it's.

30:57.72
aaronmannes
Um, yeah.

31:08.26
smacey
Easier for me to pitch my creative ideas and maybe get taken a bit more seriously by the people who still value those those numbers makes sense so far so that's the those those are 3 reasons doing something difficult.

31:17.23
aaronmannes
Yeah yep, yep makes sense so far.

31:27.12
smacey
Forced me to edit and on the off chance that in the short period of 3 d thirty days it grows. It's just it's it's living proof that what I'm doing is working which would be and it would help me get a larger audience which would help me more easily get in the door with whomever.

31:44.83
aaronmannes
Um, yeah, so what happened.

31:45.99
smacey
Okay, so my goal was so my goal was to post 5 reels a week and 2 photos or carras like photo content whether that's or carousels or a single photo. So.

32:02.70
aaronmannes
Um, ah.

32:04.70
smacey
In the beginning I was just like I'd spend a day or 2 just creating content to the point where I was scheduling content in advance because there's that schedule feature. There's a schedule feature right? where you schedule the time and stuff like that right? My captions having it all done.

32:13.79
aaronmannes
Ah, how and and we're doing this on a are you doing? Oh you're right right? right? on the on it script.

32:23.50
smacey
Etc and just so that's that's the posting side as the weeks progressed I was unable to keep up so when I say posting every day for thirty days I posted on. Average once a day for thirty days like there was a few days where I was there's nothing was posted because there was no way with my personal life and the other things I wanted to do but I still wanted to stay true to the the once a day per average. So some days. There's like 2 posts right? So it's really 30 once a day. Average over 30 days right so it got to a point where it was oh my god like I can't keep up like maybe I'm just slow at editing or maybe I'm like too much of a perfectionist but I had the thought of oh my god people who are doing this.

33:01.49
aaronmannes
Gotcha.

33:16.83
smacey
And I don't mean this judgmentally this is entirely objective you live on your phone like you you live there. You have to? there's no way you don't live in front of your computer or your phone.

33:21.28
aaronmannes
Yeah. You have to yeah I on must we just see I'm like I'm 42 and I'm like maybe it's me but your's your 20 s 8 7 Holy Yeah I Always forget 20.

33:36.79
smacey
Unless um, I'm fairly young I'm fairly techy Twenty Nine you know and I'm like whole yeah, you've said this a bunch of times. Maybe you're getting too old and having some amnesia. Um.

33:45.55
aaronmannes
Okay, that's good. You're getting older.

33:54.32
smacey
But I was like oh my God who can sustain this pace and not have their brain completely melt. Anyways, that was first sort of.

34:02.79
aaronmannes
First thought and that's an important one.

34:07.18
smacey
Yeah, first thought of like how can anyone sustain this pace for thirty days is difficult. Maybe I'm just being like soft here. But at least for me, it was like wow ah realization number two was I got to this this was this was a positive one was that.

34:24.19
smacey
Was a couple times editing videos where I was like okay you're coming up on like 2 hours here good enough. good enough you know that spending the next 45 minutes tweaking the shadows on that third clip. It's not going to do shit. So.

34:30.77
aaronmannes
Um, yeah.

34:42.45
aaronmannes
Um, no.

34:42.58
smacey
What's what's that 45 minutes worth it's good enough and that's good for me who is a recovering perfectionist like trying to get better at that right? So that was helpful in that sense just like just get get it out. Get it out. Get it out and I kept I kept referencing back to that episode we did with Justin. Ah, choquette I hope I'm saying his name right? I can't remember remember where he did something similar. It was I think it was maybe for four months he posted every single day and yeah, one of these things was like I don't like quantity over quality like let's just get something out that's neat or cool.

35:07.44
aaronmannes
Yeah I think it was three months four months yeah

35:22.45
smacey
So I kind of had that mindset as well. I obviously didn't want to put out crap want to put out unhappy with this I think it's neat. Ah so to summarize help me a lot with Perfectionism. The stories is a whole different Thing. Stories is so stupid because now you just have to film every part of your life like oh I'm out playing with my dog usually I would just enjoy that time and throw the stick in the water or whatever. But now I'm like crouched in the water filming him running I'm thinking this is so stupid who cares like who. Actually cares. But I mean at the same time I'm thinking you know this is your building Personality. You know you're showing people about your life and then I head would go back to this dichotomy. But yeah, but who cares I had like this devil an angel thing on my shoulder the Angel or I guess you could decide which is which is saying like ah like.

36:00.97
aaronmannes
Ah.

36:19.44
smacey
Let people in and know like your life and your personality like who's behind the lens who's taking these photos and the other one's like who the fuck cares just like live your life nobody needs nobody needs to see this right? You know I mean.

36:26.90
aaronmannes
But I love this? Yeah I have this I this every yeah there, there's There's a few content creators that that make video.

36:38.91
smacey
Ah.

36:41.42
aaronmannes
Um, and some of it's very cinematic and great and I really like I I look up to it like I'm like oh this is great. But then I sit I sit in those shoes and I'm like oh shit like I could never do this because it is that that Angel Devil or that that voice in your head and maybe it's a problem. Maybe ah maybe maybe it's holding me back.

36:51.75
smacey
Now.

37:01.21
aaronmannes
But there is that voice that goes like like do no one wants to see you all the time doing like doing shit I No one care I was busy I'm so busy I'm like yeah just do it. Just do it and that that is the interesting thing about social media.

37:08.40
smacey
Right? Like just do it.

37:19.82
aaronmannes
Media mirror. Oh interesting Freudian slip there social mirror. Ah maybe we just want to look at ourselves the whole time. Whoa Um, no, but that that is interesting I Love that you you were struggling.

37:21.80
smacey
Click.

37:28.83
smacey
Though you're wow, you're so deep. Yeah yeah, well I would hope so so like I'm I'm in there going like it was almost like a ah.

37:37.74
aaronmannes
And felt this she probably shows that you have a good head on your shoulders that you know.

37:46.20
smacey
Ah, slightly tormented mind where I I'm like oh this is a really nice path and my dog's running's fall and so like call him like grizzly come here and film I'm thinking dude put your phone away just enjoy the time of your dog you Idiot This is so stupid. So.

37:59.39
aaronmannes
Um, yeah, yeah, yeah.

38:04.80
smacey
So like the hardest part is like for me was finding because I have luckily I'm fortunate to have lots of content like I have tons of stuff that I could put out difficult part was like deciding actually I should I should finish my thought here hang on I'm get I'm getting too excited but the stories was.

38:19.14
aaronmannes
Get back on it.

38:24.74
smacey
You know like oh my god I I can't there's not enough my my life's not that interesting today to go and bang out 3 4 or five stories. You know I found myself you're forcing it I find myself looking around the room like oh that could be cool content. Oh that could be that will be interesting.

38:31.41
aaronmannes
Um, and then you're forcing interest.

38:44.40
smacey
And it was gross. Yeah, exactly exactly luckily I'm fortunate enough to have that I feel like that self-awareness and like a healthy mindset to know like this is not necessarily.

38:45.80
aaronmannes
Thanks.

38:57.79
smacey
Ah, good place to be operating from I mean maybe some people it more naturally comes to them like maybe it's more organic content creation but a lot of the times I'm sitting in my computer I'm editing or I'm like making lunch or I'm just like walking the dog I mean there's ah, a lot of days of mine that are just very mundane. And to feel that pressure to create something that is going to disappear in 24 hours that's not meant to be like high polish but just to go out and and say and and try and find something that's worth a story post was I was looking for it looking around.

39:32.24
aaronmannes
Um, right? Well, that's where social media is we always have to remember how curated it is and for for.

39:34.69
smacey
Isn't that odd. Oh.

39:42.56
smacey
Right.

39:47.27
aaronmannes
Guy or girl that looks amazing and you're like oh my God they're Beautiful. You have to imagine there's 99 photos in their phone that they look like crap and they didn't pick you know like it's so curated to find the best moments and not even of yourself of your of your living room. Like ah or like your living space like oh I want to post this. Ah I'm I'm proud of my new record player or another picture because there was something in the way like I want to get that off the floor like it's all curated to look a certain way.

40:16.80
smacey
Right? He's so funny enough like in the tiny home Haley I put up a bookshelf. We've been talking about for the longest time and I'm like hey take a video of me installing it in the wall and at the same time. The the things in my store like oh just just just just screw it in you idiot like who cares.

40:34.90
aaronmannes
Ah, yeah, yeah.

40:36.40
smacey
And so I'm like I'm thinking of of a story production of us putting a book a bookshelf in our tiny home and then yeah we should get her on one day we should get her home.

40:44.82
aaronmannes
I'd love to get Haley on and hear the inside thoughts of her head like while you're you, you've changed because you you must have changed your personality to become the person that posts every day for thirty days

40:56.53
smacey
So we'll get into the personality changes because I think there were some nuanced I I had some self awareness. Well I know what she'll tell you right away. She'll tell you when you're not.

41:00.67
aaronmannes
Yeah, and I'm curious from her like her perspective as an outsider of like you know.

41:13.64
smacey
Worried about posting on social media. You're much more attentive. You remember things that have been that I've said or that other people have said like much more focused even though I'm focused on trying to put out something interesting. My general focus tasks distractions.

41:31.14
aaronmannes
Yeah.

41:33.50
smacey
Much more susceptible to to though to being distracted or to to losing focus. Ah when I'm in post mode I mean today. Oh my god I can't tell you the level of add I had today was wild but we'll we'll get into that in a minute. Ah, the bookshelf thing you're right like I made the bed flattened it off got all the dog hair out off it and just like his grizzly seeps in our bed and I was like okay now I'll do a pan of the room and it's like well 20 seconds before my my bed room looked not nice. It was.

42:02.91
aaronmannes
Um, yeah.

42:08.76
smacey
Somebody had just crawled out of it and it is like I don't really know I'm trying to say I guess I I did it also as like a social for reason number 4 Okay I guess I'm realizing now is like it's an interesting social experiment like I've learned a lot about about who I could become if I did.

42:10.44
aaronmannes
Um, yeah, of course.

42:17.62
aaronmannes
Are.

42:28.53
smacey
That forever I'm not saying like that happens to everybody like some people I'm sure are just great at creating content whether it's organic or scripted and you know love it and it charges them I'm not necessarily one of those people and for for people who are like me I can't imagine how you can have your foot on the.

42:42.63
aaronmannes
Um, yeah, let me.

42:47.84
smacey
Gas for so long. Maybe it comes with time I don't know you Yay you jump in.

42:50.73
aaronmannes
Let me let me ask I want to ask you a question. Ah, it's gonna make you think now on the on the your your persona and your podcast and who you are is I think they're pretty aligned like obviously you wear different hats for different things.

42:55.53
smacey
Okay.

43:08.20
aaronmannes
Like me and you in a car on our own. We're probably arguing about parking spots but beyond that throwback to zion but beyond that we're we're joking and pretty quiet and like maybe get into big conversations. But we're comfortable in our own skin and and that's that's a different hat at a work event. You're.

43:14.41
smacey
Um.

43:26.80
aaronmannes
You know, different hat in front of Haley You probably have a different hat in front of family different hat your your podcast hat and again I think it's very true is ah you give off a persona your own persona. But if someone that's like. Im to take care of myself I'm going to be fit I'm going to be organized I'm gonna be as organized as I can I'm be healthy I'm going to go for things I'm going to strive I'm going to goal Set Bla Bla Bla Bla Bla Now when that's out there and then you have to present your life every day. No One's that every moment of every day.

43:59.54
smacey
Mount way.

44:01.56
aaronmannes
Not we we ebb and flow. But when you go to present yourself and your room that's like maybe a little messy but true is is there. Where's that conflict of like oh like I'm and I'm not saying you do this I'm asking I. I've sold myself as a certain way I need to represent that.

44:24.58
smacey
I think that definitely creeps in for sure I mean even because I'm very much and you're right? You can't be a hundred percent every day you know some days you're 50% of what.

44:28.76
aaronmannes
Are.

44:39.17
aaronmannes
Are.

44:43.35
smacey
But you're capable of some days you're one ah hundred and ten percent and you know and that's when you reach new new understanding of what you're capable of some days you're hundred some days you're 90 and I'm very much somebody who.

44:49.68
aaronmannes
Are.

45:02.81
smacey
When they so when I say I'm planning on doing something I mean it and if I fall short it's to me almost like embarrassing if that makes sense. Um.

45:20.44
smacey
So like even even saying oh like I failed my 30 day initial social media thing I mean it's not that big of a deal but at the same time like there is a small amount of like shame I feel in that right because I'm so much you know we're on here weekly talking about how to how to grow a resilient mind and. You know how to navigate the photography industries to atlicia our knowledge. We don't know everything we said all the time but like through our stories and experiences so far like how to how to best navigate some circumstances and there's sometimes where like I don't navigate those circumstances. Well even the ones I talk about on the show.

45:55.82
aaronmannes
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

45:59.31
smacey
Mean there's times where um, you know like I mess up a contractor I don't make I don't charge as much as I should have and I realize after the fact I mean it I and I think the goal is to minimize those instances.

46:16.97
smacey
But I mean no one's getting 100% on a test every time. Um, but I think more your question is at least let's say with making the bet feeling the pressure to uphold a certain image, especially based on what's talked about on the podcast is that correct.

46:32.96
aaronmannes
Um, yeah I think or or like a general this is what I want people to see me as.

46:39.89
smacey
Um I think honestly what I share and my authentic self are pretty aligned I I think they're pretty.

46:52.52
aaronmannes
Yeah I could too.

46:59.21
smacey
Yeah I think they're pretty aligned to be fair, um, and and you're writing your assessment of you know I want to be fit I want to be healthy I want to be mobile I mean I'll take 2 3 hours to stretch roll out. Do all that stuff before I even do anything.

47:02.48
aaronmannes
Um, yeah.

47:16.40
smacey
I've said it a million times. People are probably tired of hearing it but like I will never sacrifice that stuff for the expense of posting or for for anything really I mean there was another. There was the other night. Ah I needed to get a reel out.

47:22.63
aaronmannes
Um, yeah.

47:32.89
smacey
See me say needed to because I hadn't posted one for the day and and god forbid right? and it was ten o'clock at night and Haley's in bed waiting for me I'm like I just was like nah I'm closing my laptop. This is so dumb.

47:33.30
aaronmannes
Um, yeah, Jesus Christ what's happened to you god forget yeah.

47:52.60
smacey
I will post two tomorrow or 2 the next day to keep the one per day average for thirty days like I'm not going to sear my eyeballs late into the evening to post on social media like I won't do it. So I mean.

47:52.25
aaronmannes
Now.

48:08.74
aaronmannes
Um, yeah.

48:09.57
smacey
I think I was fortunate enough to go into this like 30 day experiment having a good level of like self-awareness minimizing vulnerability to to an extent if that makes sense. Um I don't know like if I'm going to continue. Or maybe maybe dial it back to like 2 or 3 times a week could mean I have enjoyed sharing too like I don't want this to be all negative. Let me let me share some of the positives too because like for example, I shared a story when I was trying to find content I had an or I had a day where things naturally were were.

48:37.28
aaronmannes
Um, yeah.

48:46.14
smacey
Ah, we're coming up where I was like oh this would be fun to share like people will get a sense of my personality I had a few of those where it was like more in a positive light rather than negative one. So one was ah sharing some of the the harvest from our garden because we had it with a ton of italian red peppers and I was like I posted it and the amount of Dms I got.

48:53.61
aaronmannes
Ah.

48:57.31
aaronmannes
Um, yeah, yeah.

49:04.57
smacey
Did you grow that all that's so amazing. How did you like how did you I'm just starting a garden. Um, what did you grow like I'm not an expert in gardening I've been doing it for 3 years but have learned some things along the way and it was amazing. Some the conversations that sparked and it was amazing. Some of the insight I gained about. People who you know who I follow and who follow me so I there was a lot of discovery of other people just who took interest in some of the things I was sharing and that was fun to kind of connect with people in that sense and again that's back to what social media is supposed to be and you know and and. The reels that I posted that did quote poorly I would hone in on that 1 or 1 comment that would say something like oh this is incredible footage even though it got 20 likes I mean as as humans were naturally inclined to 0 in on the bad part right.

49:49.49
aaronmannes
Yeah, so.

50:00.00
aaronmannes
Ah.

50:00.40
smacey
The the 200 plays or the 20 likes and we focus on that and um I think it was very successful at when when posts didn't necessarily perform I'm using quote air fingers. There would always be like that comment that said oh this is great or. Credible footage or whatever and I would focus entirely on that and be like yep, the post was a success and it was a success because I executed on my commitment to to posting today know what I mean.

50:24.34
aaronmannes
Um, yeah.

50:30.73
aaronmannes
Yeah, yeah for sure. Yeah I do I Thanks for sharing your experience I Yeah I think you did I think you did I think let me ask another follow up is if I were on day One of I'm going to post.

50:36.37
smacey
Um, hopefully I structured that somewhat in a way that people can follow.

50:49.75
aaronmannes
Thirty days of reels mainly reels and and and content and stories I've heard these stories and you mentioned it you alluded to it like the the growth part. Maybe this is what it takes to grow. Um, and I think you saw a little bit of growth but was it was it. Diseartening towards the end like ah or was it like oh this is what I expect and I I could keep going like were were you maybe deep down hoping for a little bit of a pop.

51:22.48
smacey
Ah, again I think I'm good at going into things with 0 expectations I think we've said it. What is what's the saying expectations minus reality equals happiness is that equation right.

51:36.47
aaronmannes
Expectations mind is reality. Yeah, oh that that makes sense. No yeah reality minus yeah one of the two I don't know the math on it.

51:41.90
smacey
Um, right? or is it reality minus expectations.

51:50.87
smacey
Um, it's reality minus expectations because let's say reality is a 100 and expectations were 50 Those are just arbitrary numbers. You're plus fifty still if reality was 30

51:56.25
aaronmannes
Um, yeah.

51:58.98
aaronmannes
Right.

52:05.51
smacey
And expectations were 50 You're minus twenty so reality minus expectations equals happiness. So with that attitude any growth that happened or any but anything positive was a good sign as long as we weren't going backwards right? And so.

52:05.79
aaronmannes
Um, and your expectations. Yeah gotcha.

52:21.40
aaronmannes
Um, yeah.

52:23.60
smacey
Over the the and yeah, that's a mentality that I keep a lot of the time. It's like let's just move forwards. You know why carry about why why care about how much at least move forwards to begin and then find ways to accelerate that right? so.

52:28.30
aaronmannes
Um, yeah, yeah.

52:39.10
aaronmannes
Um, yeah.

52:40.59
smacey
I Think over the thirty days I had a hundred followers and so even though it's only a hundred and that doesn't even come close to being you know in value to the amount of time I spent if you're if you're doing a time to follower.

52:56.65
aaronmannes
Um, yeah.

52:59.91
smacey
Ah, value conversion. It still proves that if I were to continue and improve make make some adjustments and and and amplify my my my current posting strategy through different techniques and and and other things that it is working.

53:18.80
aaronmannes
Growth. Yeah.

53:18.94
smacey
If that's the goal if the goal is to gain some some growth like I had growth even though it was small which which alludes to the idea that a lot of this is just consistency which alludes which eggs. The other question is do you have.

53:32.61
aaronmannes
Yeah.

53:37.51
smacey
Do you have the fuel in the tank to commit to that long term which is an important question to ask him what I'm asking myself right now you know based on based on where it put my head I think I mentioned like.

53:52.14
aaronmannes
Um I don't I I think I post a lot but it's on my terms and I think as soon as I would have to do it a certain way I would struggle personally like time is money right.

53:54.70
smacey
Great I Don't think most of us are cut out for it.

54:04.44
smacey
Yeah, yeah.

54:09.44
aaronmannes
That's what we've kind of always said um I think I'd rather do paid paid gigs and work for those and literally pay Instagram to promote my stuff.

54:23.23
smacey
Yeah, because you might be if if money is the factor there. You might be net positive after paying that expense. Um, if if that's a method right.

54:24.30
aaronmannes
Um, yeah, right? and and build growth that way potentially but now I think I've keyed into what what it takes to really grow right now in Instagram. You want to hear in case you go in the next thirty days

54:41.80
smacey
Maybe not maybe we cut it off here. But I think before you start like I'm I'm I'm needing to stay true to those reasons I started in the beginning like yeah, the growth would be awesome if my account could go to 100000 people

54:47.10
aaronmannes
Um, yeah.

55:00.25
smacey
That could be awesome or that could actually suck like it could be awesome in the sense that it helps open some doors right? It could be awful in the sense of now you have 100000 people who are into your into your personal life. Maybe if you choose to share that and you need to respond to all those people as to not be rude and now you have to.

55:06.68
aaronmannes
Um, yeah.

55:18.29
aaronmannes
My heart.

55:20.20
smacey
Really concerned about what you say and what you do like maybe that's not great, but originally it was if if in fact, this does this I continue on this path with this strategy and it my count does grow I can I can hopefully. Taken more seriously when I do cold pitches by a Dm or when I reference people to that page right? I need to stay true to why I would want to continue this because I really wouldn't want to continue just to be some cool guy who posts wildlife videos. You know like.

55:40.52
aaronmannes
Um, yeah.

55:56.32
smacey
I'm I'm not really interested in if other people think that I'm awesome I mean I guess we all to a degree again back to that socialci validity validity thing. We all want to think that we we look good in other people's eyes. Of course.

56:14.76
aaronmannes
Yeah.

56:15.72
smacey
Of course, but like that's never the driving factor for me and I guess that's why it's been so easy for me to just take hiatuses from social media and really not give a fuck and just kind of go. Whatever.

56:25.79
aaronmannes
Um, yeah I think you you don't look back too far and and we'd have like 8 people that loved and really cared about us in life. You know like 8 It's kind of funny like this.

56:38.49
smacey
Right.

56:42.78
aaronmannes
When's enough enough like a 100000 people that think you're really cool like does that feel any different than fifty thousand than ten thousand then five thousand then ten people like does it is is the actual feeling or is it just this like fake sort of.

56:56.16
smacey
Right.

57:01.29
aaronmannes
Figment of our imagination that's like oh like that's why it's ah that's why the game like once you get to 100000 do you have that same drive to get to five hundred Thousand a million because it's like when's when's enough enough though.

57:13.17
smacey
I Don't think I would.

57:19.62
aaronmannes
I wonder I felt that way at 2 to well there there is an answer to that I think yeah sure. But.

57:21.70
smacey
Um, I think that and won when is enough money enough money. It's the same thing. How is it any different when is when is yeah, it's the it's There's a law of diminishing returns I Think there's a study on human happiness.

57:38.60
aaronmannes
Don't you remember the day when like ah when I get 10 when I get 1000 cool when I get 10000 that'll be great I'll get the swipe up thing then it's to me the next number in my head is like 30000 because I've seen it I really care. But.

57:45.53
smacey
Who.

57:58.90
aaronmannes
It's the number that's in my head because I see people that when they have 30000 when they post reels like it gets a lot of traction based on enough following to like keep it going I've seen those accounts really blow up when you have like that sort of found nation. Um.

58:11.36
smacey
Yeah, yeah, again though like you got to have the why you got to have the why like I always want to have a why in anything I'm doing so like the why here again would be to help to why.

58:15.82
aaronmannes
I Don't know.

58:23.15
aaronmannes
Um, here again, he said that here again, he said that like very funny sorry to interrupt? yeah.

58:31.15
smacey
Said like a midwesterner. No yeah, you should be sorry is to make life easier for me for for perceived value from other parties and to implore people to care about wildlife and take an interest in it and and nature in general right? if I can do those 2 things with it while growing an account. That's a great why it's great.

58:42.91
aaronmannes
Yeah, yeah.

58:51.49
smacey
That's a great reason to in my opinion for me personally maybe your and people listening their reasons will be different. You know, maybe 100000 people makes you feel like you're worth something. Maybe you need that I don't know I don't know you? um, but that's that's sort of where the experiments at and.

58:53.54
aaronmannes
Um, yeah, yeah, yeah.

59:05.65
aaronmannes
Um, no.

59:09.29
aaronmannes
Um, very interesting I think it is now I was I was I was honestly surprised back in the day back when you said you're going to to do this I was like oh if anything I thought you would say the opposite.

59:10.63
smacey
I yeah I hope that's interesting bit of bit of a story time bit of a story time today and just sort of.

59:27.98
aaronmannes
So it was like an interesting twist of hardly but a lot going on. Yeah.

59:30.37
smacey
Um, well I also had nothing going on right for for for Well I had a little bit less going on than usual and I know that goes against that goes against what we said a couple episodes which was you never like if. You can't assume life will get less busy so you got to figure out a way to do now to do it now. But the problem with that was with that in this instance is that I won't sacrifice those other things. So now that things were a little bit less busy I could manage something that was a lot lower on the priority scale.

01:00:03.69
aaronmannes
Yeah I do I think it's cool I was interested on how it all turned out I'm glad you're still with us and your eyes haven't fallen out of your head.

01:00:04.83
smacey
I'm saying.

01:00:15.29
smacey
Yeah, and I mean it's still very disciplined with the phone like leaving it out of my bedroom. No social media 1 hour before bed trying to do that you know wrap things up have a wind down period. Do you do that.

01:00:28.60
aaronmannes
No I'm not as good as that I on on. Yeah I have heard of it refresh for the listeners I don't remember either. Oh yeah.

01:00:31.61
smacey
Can do the the 3 2 1 rule. Do you do that? You heard of this.

01:00:41.20
smacey
Um, so like no food your last meals 3 hours before you go to bed so you're not digesting all night your last tip of water 2 hours before bed. So you're not up all night peeing and then your last piece of technology an hour before bed.

01:00:49.92
aaronmannes
Um.

01:00:57.39
smacey
I've made it 4 3 2 1 no exercise 4 hours within going to bed and all in the quest for deeper sleep.

01:00:57.87
aaronmannes
4 3 but interesting.

01:01:10.50
aaronmannes
Um, yeah, that'd be that'd be nice. My Yeah I don't know I feel like my sleep hasn't suffered too much if I just based on time like time and sleep. Um, yeah. No, So maybe it hasn't struck me just like you don't stretch as much when you're younger because you can bounce Back. You start to get older. You're like I need to warm up and stretch it starts to hit you more.. That's Good. It's good for you.

01:01:38.77
smacey
Um, stretch every day Boy is feels nice. Yeah I'm out of breath.

01:01:44.92
aaronmannes
Well listen, this has been interesting. Um I'm glad yeah I'm glad you you've survived. You've learned some things the color grading and I've always said we've always said that if nothing else the. Motivation to post and and do things online increases your practice your editing your your video your all that stuff what what works? What doesn't the ability to put out a good enough product and and not stress about every little thing. Absolutely important little things that you can learn. There have a quick.

01:02:04.49
smacey
Yes.

01:02:21.30
aaronmannes
Template I'm sure you've saved a what do you use? Final cut. Um are you doing most of your reels on final cut like professionally like taking the time to yeah so I'm sure you have a template like a real template and you throw down in there. It's ready to go.

01:02:25.70
smacey
Um.

01:02:32.73
smacey
Dip.

01:02:40.90
aaronmannes
Mark things up, get it out of there. Um, yeah, it is. It is good little practice.

01:02:42.90
smacey
Yeah, it's been fun editing. It's been fun learning and I have gotten quicker at editing videos which is cool. Repetition is a mother of skill right? You continue to do things you continue to do faster and better.

01:02:52.87
aaronmannes
Um, yeah.

01:02:57.00
aaronmannes
Um, yeah, yeah for sure. Ah, all good stuff all right? Well oh nice. Ah I Love jake.

01:03:03.20
smacey
Yep, and with that we got a Tpm artwork. Ah Jake Padia it's the um I'm sending you it right now I arbitrarily picked it. Just because it seems like it would be difficult to photograph I mean maybe not. It's the solar eclipse from this past week

01:03:29.15
aaronmannes
Very cool.

01:03:31.30
smacey
It won't send for some reason.

01:03:38.10
smacey
There we go.

01:03:42.37
aaronmannes
There We go all right? Let's take a little look see.

01:03:47.60
smacey
The solar eclipse.

01:03:54.87
smacey
Right? So simple I mean know we know Astronomically what's going on or do we.

01:03:55.12
aaronmannes
Um, Wow That's cool.

01:04:02.83
smacey
Um, what's going on astronomically in a solar eclipse. But yeah I think so yeah, a solar eclipse occurs when a moon pass between Earth and the sun.

01:04:02.90
aaronmannes
I Don't know the moon is covering the sun. The moon is covering the sun. Yeah, we got it. We're smart.

01:04:20.34
aaronmannes
Um, this is big. We're basically Neil Degrasse Tyson yeah

01:04:21.76
smacey
Pretty much. So yeah I mean this seems like it would be difficult to photograph solar eclipse the moon passing in front of the sun and the Earth I have thought I remember reading that if you point your camera directly at the sun that it will just fry the sensor stow.

01:04:38.40
aaronmannes
Um I don't think so but I think if you do an ND and you um f stop it all the way down or all the way up whichever ways the right way.

01:04:45.88
smacey
Right? right? right? right? right? Pretty cool for folks like Jake who got out and took the time to prep and set up and get this photograph of like ah just a black circle with ah with the sun peaking out pretty neat. So.

01:05:02.28
aaronmannes
Um, yeah, crazy.

01:05:03.90
smacey
Respect the ah the prep and the homework so you can check out more jake's ah photos by clicking his handle in the episode description and as always if you want your photo featured and talked about on an episode of the of our podcast you can hashtag. Tpm artwork on your photos on Instagram we cruise through those and they are the artwork for episodes where we don't have guests. Well my man it's been a pleasure talking to you anything else any closing remarks or are we good to go our separate ways. You know it's always a sad time. We go our separate ways.

01:05:37.91
aaronmannes
Um, it is but it's time to disperse Alright take care.

01:05:40.81
smacey
It's time to disperse until next time my friend.