Episode 191 - Direct Mail Dilemma

In this episode of Get Your Shoot Together, Kira and Mary dive into the trials and triumphs of marketing to the ultra-wealthy — spoiler alert: they don’t get their own mail! Mary shares a humbling (and hilarious) lesson learned about targeting high-end clients and how sometimes you succeed... and sometimes you learn. Kira reflects on revisiting old ideas with fresh strategies, and the duo talk about living, learning, and leveling up your photography business — foot braces, spirit airlines, and all. Join us for laughter, marketing gold nuggets, and a reminder that persistence pays off.

 ✨ Listen now!

This episode was written and performed by Mary Fisk-Taylor and Kira Derryberry, produced by Kira Derryberry and edited by Joel North.

Transcript

GYST - 191

Kira: [00:00:00] Welcome to Get Your Shoot Together, the photographers podcast where we discuss studio, business life, and keeping it all in line. I am Kira Derryberry

Mary: and I am Mary Fisk Taylor. 

Kira: Hello, Mary Fisk Taylor. 

Mary: Good day. Hello. Good, good day to you. Good day. Good day. I will say good day. Um, for anybody out there who cares about sports, and I'm not talking about, I'm not talking to Kira.

Kira: Mm-hmm. 

Mary: Um. Great weekend for me for baseball. New York. Yankees killed it this weekend. They were phenomenal. Like nine home runs in one, like, sorry to Brewers fans out there. Love it. However, right now is March Kira and what's happening is March is the NCAA basketball tournament and they go in brackets.

Kira: Yes. I was told about this this weekend. 

Mary: Yes. And Tennessee volunteers made it to the elite eight. And they lost yesterday to Houston, so they will not be moving on. [00:01:00] Sad. And that's sad. That's very sad.

Kira: We're sad.

Mary: We're really sad. We're sad. 

Kira: Tell me how to feel. 

Mary: I need you to feel sad about that. 

Kira: Okay. 

Mary: Um, yeah.

Mary: Hey, but also speaking of the weekend and speaking of running, let's send some healing love out to my friend Audrey Win, who went on her first run. Audrey who went on and I don't know if who went on her first run. I talked to her on. Friday, I, I was actually talked to her. She's like, I'm going for my first run.

Mary: I'm like, you go girl. And, um, gots speed. And then she text the group chat that she was running, running, running, and she was doing her walking part of the run. And Tony had ridden his bike and then she got chased by these two huge dogs. And I forget what the names of them were, but I. I didn't even recognize the name like that.

Mary: It was a dog. I thought it could have been. 

Kira: That's what I said. I, I read the 

Kira: group text. I was like, is it, were you chased by a Chupa copper? I have no idea. 

Mary: Yeah. '

Mary: cause she lives out in the, you know, in, she lives in the country and kind of, it's land. Lots of land. And I was like, are these like little boars or [00:02:00] tiny horses?

Mary: I don't, I don't know what these are. And then I looked them up and they are huge dogs, like a bull mast of size and two of them. So she had to scale a fence and she almost had to climb a tree. 

Kira: I'm looking up what the dog is called 'cause I'm sure people are gonna wanna know. Hold on. 

Kira: And I literally put in the

Kira: A Cane corso 

Mary: Cane corso and look it up.

Mary: And then I literally put in, but I realized what it was. I said, Kira would just be dead. She would literally 

Mary: that. Oh, I told, I told her I said that I would've. I peed myself immediately falling down, broken my ankle, and then I would've been mauled. So it would've been, that would've been it for me and my luck, 

Mary: first of all, it would never happen to me 'cause I'm not, I'm not running number one.

Mary: Number two, if it happened to me, I don't know, first of all, my husband. He couldn't have gotten back fast enough on that bike like that. I just would've had to because Tony ran back to a rescue. Um, and I now he was on a bike, 

Mary: not a horse. Right? He was on a bike, a bicycle. Okay. In my head he was like, he was, he was riding back, um, on a horse.

Mary: Like in the, in, [00:03:00] in the version that I thought he was, he was galloping back at high speed. I don't to to rescue her. And you know what, Tony 

Mary: win, it would like if it, if that was an option night, he would, that wasn't farfetched. No, he would, but he was actually already on a bicycle. He was on a bicycle. And it turned around and came back how she had the wherewithal to call him, or maybe she was screaming so loud he heard her.

Mary: I don't know. But I would be also dead because I don't think I could have scaled the fence. And Oh, I definitely couldn't have scaled 

Mary: defense. 

Mary: I'm pretty sure my husband couldn't have gotten back on the bike fast enough. Um, but hey guys, Audrey Wickett has been so, has been marked safe from, what do they call, Chicky?

Mary: Chanas Kain 

Mary: Kain Corso Kain corso. A cane corso, which 

Mary: does not sound like a real dog. It doesn't. And um, I Look, look it up. It's a thing. And it looks, it sounds like 

Kira: a, a, a alcoholic drink.

Kira: Audrey was chased. Can we get, can we get a ring ring around a cane Corso, please. Audrey was chased by a rum drink. I, mm. You 

Mary: [00:04:00] know, that's a trigger. I don't know. Anyway. Uh, God love, God love. Uh, so I, so anyway, got to talk to her. Got we, I got that story. We're not making, we're not laughing, but it was a little funny.

Mary: And then we are in this group chat with just our friends that we were together all the time and now we don't get to see each other very much and almost, almost died a thousand deaths. When I saw Gregory Daniels little grandson with that huge drum set, because I myself had just been at Jeffrey Dhow, he's big drum set.

Mary: Yes. And um, Loren looked a lot cuter. His little at that red drum set that I did, but I can't believe how big he is. That's insane to me. I 

Kira: know. They, I can't believe how quickly they've gotten so big in my mind. Greg's grandkids are still little infants. 

Mary: They're barely born. I mean, I, you know, like he's got, I mean, Ashley's had two and I'm like, I don't know why I get so surprised every time I see how big Lauren, and they're so cute.

Mary: And then, and Kyla too, like, I mean they're, yeah, they both had too. Um, beautiful. But I, um. [00:05:00] It was just a fun group chat between Audrey getting almost mauled by the Chicky Chanas and then, um, 

Kira: Chicky chana, 

Mary: the the grand, the cute grandkids. Uh, and then I did, I, I got to spend some time with the Dhows 'cause.

Mary: Um, thank you. Uh, New Hampshire PPAI had so much fun and, um, some people had never heard of our podcast up there. And I actually got an email the next day. I just started listening and I'm addicted, and I'm like, that's our, yay. Welcome new listeners. That's our evil plan. Um, but um, on one night we were like, we, we just kind of been bumming around all day.

Mary: We didn't, we, I got to have brunch with little baby Lauren and we didn't know what to do for dinner. Did you guys know this is, this is, I don't news Flash Manchester, New Hampshire is the home of the chicken tendee. What? I shit you not when I, when Jeff, because you know Jeff, he's like the cliff claven of the group.

Mary: He knows every, like, he just knows everything, right? Yeah. He know [00:06:00] everything. I don't care if you're like. I wanna learn about roller skating clowns. He'd be like, you know what? I used to be a roller skating, or, my great uncle was a roller skating clown. In fact, the first 

Kira: roller skating clown was from my hometown right here, 

Mary: right where the chicken Tendee was born.

Mary: So Jeff lives in Bedford. We went over to this place who evidently, allegedly invented the chicken tendy. Mm-hmm. I can, I have dreamt of these chicken tin. I would go back. To Manchester, New Hampshire for these chicken tenders, you would specifically, specifically, I don't know what they do to these chicken tenders, but I dreamt of them.

Mary: I was so sad we couldn't go back 'cause I had to fly home. And what they're also famous for at this in particular restaurant that invented, allegedly the chicken tender, but Manchester is the cap, is the home where it was invented are mudslides and I've never had one. 

Kira: What we're talking about the drink?

Mary: Yes. 

Kira: Well, because Not a natural disaster. [00:07:00] 

Mary: No. Yeah. They're also known for Yes. Natural disaster. Mudslides, the take out small. No, no, no, no. Um, no. Um, the drink, so the reason is my understanding is mudslides were made with like ice cream. Oh, and, and I just always thought that what a waste of calories to drink a milkshake.

Mary: Like a boozy milkshake. No, I think you can make 'em different ways. They don't use ice cream and they have every flavor you can imagine almond joy, um, I mean like 20 Snickers, 20 different flavors of mudslides. And they come in this huge, they're huge. You can only buy two. That's how much liquor is in these ones.

Mary: Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. They're strong. I didn't know. I didn't know I did. I didn't know. I didn't know. And here I am at the home of the chicken tendee eating the best chicken tendee I've ever had in my life with the greatest little dip and a mudslide. And you would've thought that Ahow skis took me to, you know, la sink and, and Perry, like you would think I was.

Mary: I mean, it it, they should give that it's still pleasures. They should give it a [00:08:00] Michelin star. 

Kira: They really should. I mean, that sounds amazing. I mean, a, a good, you know, breading salty 

Mary: food. Yes, yes. You 

Kira: know, uh, with a sweet Mm, 

Mary: absolutely. Yeah. Sounds amazing. Yeah. The mudslide was my dessert, Avi. But, um, yeah.

Mary: Anyway, guys, if you are near me at just, I'm sure get a chance. Highly recommend the chicken tenders. Um, hit me up if you wanna know. I don't, I can't, what was the restaurant? I think it was like Parson's back room or Pearson's back room or nothing like it would like, you know, if it would be like, if I come to Tallahassee, it's like, we just love going to this place.

Mary: It's, if you came to Richmond, it's my galley, which they're not known for anything. I'm, I'm feeling very Richmond is all of a sudden become very inadequate because we're not the home of anything special like this chicken tender. I'm gonna tell you that right now. So, yeah, us either. Um, yeah, so highly recommend and, uh, anyway, had a great time in little New Hampshire and, uh, great group.

Mary: They had a really nice, their, their group was really nice. Went to the banquet. Um, lovely people, so shout out to them. [00:09:00] Oh, well, welcome, 

Kira: uh, new New Hampshire listeners. I 

Mary: love it. 

Kira: Yes, I love it. Well, I got to photograph my, uh, fourth, um. Well, let's see. Uh, we have a lot of nieces and ne we have one nephew. We have a lot of nieces.

Kira: Right? Right. And so I have gone through the Mosley kids and they've all graduated. This is Kevin's sister and they've all, we, every, we, for each one of them, we had a special trip. I. Uh, to come to Tallahassee to get their senior photos done. And then, so we've done the Mosley Kids and now we're doing Dairy Berry kids.

Kira: So the first of, uh, Kevin's, uh, brother Bose kids is graduating high school. So I got to do Kaylin's Senior Photos this weekend, and it was so much fun and she looks so grown and beautiful. You know how it is, like, I mean, yeah. You know, you've seen, I mean, you remember when these kids were not even born yet, you know, and then there were infants and like every stage of life through, and now I'm doing their senior photos.

Kira: So this is especially special. I. And we [00:10:00] had, we had a great time. My mother-in-law was here and she got to, um, she's actually, I think Ben, at every single one of these kids senior photo sessions. Oh yeah. So I got the tissue box out for her because every shot, it was like, oh my God, you look beautiful. You, and she did, she looked, she looked gorgeous.

Kira: She wore her prom dress that she, um, is wearing next weekend to prom. And, uh, I went and got her hair done. At the salon around the corner and, uh, at eight five oh salon. And it was, it was just a lovely experience and I'm just so, I don't know, you know, reflective and, and, um, and grateful that I, I get to do this little milestone for all of them.

Kira: And they get special trips out of it every time they do. So the next one will be Natalie, and then the next one after that will be, well actually the next one will be. Lucy Baby Lucy. Yeah, I'm just thinking of the, you know, baby Lucy will be next 'cause she's 16. And then Natalie and then Claire. And then we will have officially run out of nieces and nephew to do, [00:11:00] and kids and dairy berry kids to do senior photos for And what and what happens then?

Kira: I, what do I do? Weddings. I don't shoot weddings. 

Mary: Yeah. You're probably gonna have to skip that. Skip out on that. Right. Well, I'll 

Kira: make, I'll make 

Mary: good recommendations. How about that? Yes. Abs. Well, of course you will. Mm-hmm. Um, well that's fun. So you had lots of family in town, which is just, you know, it's a blessing and a, and an exhausting blessing, right?

Mary: Like, um, I'm sure that's how the Dhows felt when I finally left their house. Um, uh, 'cause I was just, you know, kind of moved my little self all in there. Um. But, but that's great. We actually had a celebration this weekend. We, I got to attend a celebration that I'm not allowed to talk about, so I won't talk about it.

Mary: Oh. But it was a little get together for a certain, someone that, um, is, uh, may or may not be having a baby, so. Oh, don't tell. So, uh, but it's just, it's, it's all very low, low key. So, um, I'll be, I'll leave it at that. Um, not that any of them. Oh, congratulations. Yeah. Not that any of them listen probably to my podcast, but.

Mary: Uh, [00:12:00] very exciting. So I got to catch up and, um, yeah. And then yesterday I tried to do nothing, but I have critiques to do and I had to clean my room. Like I had not even unpacked and I had laundry. I just, I'd gotten outta hand. I think I just got home and I was so tired. I just have not, and I went right back to, you know what, the studio's been a little busy.

Mary: I just have not been able to keep it together, so I spent like two hours just doing laundry and putting things away and. Um, you, 

Kira: you know, it sounds like too, I don't know if you have this problem, but I, I do. When I know there's something I need to do and it's not gonna take that long to do it. Yeah. I come up with six other things that I also need to do.

Kira: But are they as high a prior priority? No. But are they easier? But would I rather, are they easier maybe? Do they, yes. You know, is it more, is it more of an errand, like of a, of a, you know, I don't know. Yeah, so I, I, I have had things that I needed to do all weekend. Obviously I had family in town, so it was difficult.

Kira: I banged out a couple of [00:13:00] things after they left yesterday, and then I was like, yeah, there's, there's 10 more things I need to do, but you know what I need to do instead? I need to do laundry, laundry's, important laundry. I need to get the laundry done. You know what I mean? And so then I get up and I do the laundry, and then now I'm in laundry town.

Kira: Yes. You know, like now I am, you know, and oh, you know what else I need to do. I need to go get, uh, I need to get new Shoots 'cause of the foot. Mm-hmm. Oh yeah. Which I did do by the way. Um, did some re I got hokas. Oh, I love Hokas. Yeah, they're very, very comfortable. I have my, uh, carbon fiber insert that I had to get for, um, my left foot, and, uh, so far so good.

Kira: But, you know, I'll be honest with you, everything sucks wearing to wear, but I, I, this is my only pair of like really, really comfortable Shoots right now. And so I've started looking up like what to wear with. Black trainers, like I know what to wear a black, but it's like literally my every day, like, I'm gonna have to go to the board meeting and I'm not, I'm not gonna have another comfortable pair of Shoots to wear.

Kira: You know? That's what I, [00:14:00] I have to be semi-professional in black trainers. Is that possible? Because But you're wearing black ones. Yeah. Well, they're black with big, white, thick soles. Yeah. Yeah, 

Mary: yeah. 

Kira: And uh, that was what they, I, I didn't order them. I had to go to, I went to REI. Okay. Because I wanted to try a bunch of, I, I tried on Brooks, I tried on like, there was like a list of recommended Shoots mm-hmm.

Kira: For this. And, uh, I tried on Brooks, I tried on the HOAs, I tried on, oh, there was another brand I can't even remember now. Um, but I got literally laughed at when I came into my Converse, like by the REI lady. She goes, you did what? You broke your foot and you ca and you're wearing those. And I was like, well.

Kira: It's all I have. Well, now that you 

Mary: mention it. 

Kira: So, um, so yeah, so they're, no, they are black, which wasn't my first choice. I picked out a cute pair online that they said they had in stock and then they didn't of the Brooks. Okay. And then this is what they had and they're, they're fine, they're cute, right? I sent it.

Kira: Larry Larci highly recommends Hokas. And [00:15:00] then, um, I sent him a picture to confirm, look, I did, I listened to you. I got the hokas. And then he sent me a picture back. We have the same ones. So that's weird. You and and Larry so have matching. Me and Larry have matching HOAs now. I mean, he, yeah, so,

Kira: so, wow. But they're, you know, they're just, they're just black and white. Yeah. I, which I was already wearing black and white Shoots anyway, so it was fine. Yeah. 

Mary: I just have the all white ones. They're just all white. That was not an option. And I mean, and that's not for, like, you can't wear this with everything either, right?

Mary: Like that's, that's not always a good option. I struggle. I, I like Hokas, but honestly, um, I don't, I think they're great. They're real mushy, right? They're real s mushy. Like they're, they're 

Kira: mushy, but they're very like locked in. Like I, I ended up having, just because of the nature of the in injury, I'm like, I'm wearing wides and I'm wearing a half size bigger than I normally wear.

Kira: Oh. Like, because they're so padded. Right. You know, like, [00:16:00] so, um. I'm feeling real sexy. Coming up on 44 Mary. Sounds like 

Mary: it. 

Kira: Just feeling, 

Mary: yeah, just feeling great. Like it. 

Kira: My birthday is on Saturday and as we discussed and, uh, I'm, I'm being served ads, you know, they know everything about you. They know your age, they know everything.

Kira: And so I, the, the latest ad that I was served was studies show. That age 44 is when you have, there are two ages when you, um, when you show the most, uh, physical change in aging and it's age 44 and like 60 or something like that. And I was like, cool, thanks. I know that's not true, that, you know, I'm turning 44 and I don't know what this study is and you're trying to sell me something and whatever.

Kira: But f you add, that was not nice. Like it was like age 44 is, is clinically proven to be the age where your face ages the most and you have the most physical change. [00:17:00] Uh, you know, and I'm like, mm-hmm. That's not nice. 

Mary: No, it isn't nice. Trust me. Trust me. I get it. I, I totally get it. Um, 

Kira: I'm not worried about, about turning 44.

Kira: I think it's a cool, it's a cool age. Like it sounds cool. Yeah. It's a lot more than 56. I mean, 56 ain't bad, right? I mean, no, it's, it's all I got. 

Mary: It's all I got. It's all, it's, 

Kira: it's where we're at. It's where I'm at, you know? 

Mary: But yeah, where I'm at. Yeah. So that's where, that's where, that's what we're gonna stick with.

Mary: We're gonna be grateful that we're here. So, um, we're gonna be 

Kira: grateful that we're here, that we're healthy, that we have two feet that move. Together now. Yeah. In unison. 

Mary: That's true. 

Kira: And 

Mary: the bar is low right now. No, the 

Kira: bar is so low. 

Mary: Oh, yeah. Yeah. Uhhuh. Um, so yeah, so I, I, I did, I made a, I made a, I made a, I think I made a, a terrible marketing mistake.

Mary: Oh, 

Kira: I'll be the judge of that. 

Mary: Mm, well, the data's gonna be the judge of that, [00:18:00] but, um, but sure, jump in. So there is a very, very pinpointed area. It's about 45 minutes outside of Richmond that I want to be in. Meaning it's this one area, one zip code. You do the search on there. I mean, the homes in there are nothing like.

Mary: 2 million to 40 million, right? Like it's, it's the place, it's the place where a lot of people have a country house or their equestrian home or like whatever, but it's old and then there's some newer homes. It is, I want, I have a couple clients in this area and I want more. So because as much as I believe in digital marketing, obviously, I mean, I use it.

Mary: I do all the stuff. I believe in it, believe in it, believe in it. Um, but I just know that I'm not gonna get through to these people with an email and certainly not a, a face, a social media ad or anything like that. You know, that that's not where they're, that's not the level they're at, right? That's just not them.

Kira: Mm-hmm. 

Mary: Okay. Good. Cool. Enough. [00:19:00] No problem. Um, so I created a brand new, beautiful, um, and I, and I thought, well done. I. Um, lookbook and it's, you know, all installations, very little words. All the stuff, you know, it printed it, it's not too thick. Put 'em in Our beautiful vellum hand addressed every envelope.

Mary: Mm-hmm. There's only like 154 of these homes and mailed them first class with a, you know, call to action. I mean, and I, um, I, in my, in my mentor, like my, my mastermind group, I shared it. I. Um, everybody's like, yes. Like I got feedback before I went to print. Like I, I just feel like I nailed it. Mm-hmm. And one of my very dear friends that I reconnected with recently, um, does most of the interior design for many of these homes.

Mary: And I was like, I'm so excited and dah, dah, dah, dah. And he went, honey. And I went, what? He goes, they don't get their own mail.[00:20:00] 

Mary: I'm like, excuse me. They're like, he goes, babe, they don't. They don't go to the mailbox. Like they have full-time house staff. They have cook. They, they don't get their own mail. Well, how do they see their mail? They, their like social secretary or their house manager will just pre-screened whatever. Yeah. If they have to see it at all.

Mary: I mean, they're not sitting down writing checks for the, you know, for the, and t their, you know, for the Comcast bill. Like they're, you know, they're, anything that they don't have because they're so. These are families that when you think of big products, like they are, they are that family, right? Mm-hmm hmm.

Mary: Like Heinz, okay? That, um, they don't happen. So that's like, they're not. They're not reading their mail. Mm. And if I had done that in a neighborhood that I'm also targeting here in Richmond, where the homes are like, you know, 950 to, to three, yeah. They're getting their mail. They're living their, they're living their life.

Mary: They're taking their, you know, but [00:21:00] this is a whole different level of people that. I can't digitally market to, 'cause they're not paying attention on that and they're certainly not gonna open my emails and they don't even get their own mail because I do believe direct mail is crucial for me right now in this digital world.

Mary: As much as I love digital and ai, I. I know that I'm gonna get through, 'cause people go to the mailbox now and there's nothing there. That's why your higher end luxury brands are doing direct mail more than ever. Mm-hmm. And this is in my mastermind class that I'm in, that I'm learning and I'm getting ready to go to Chicago for four days to learn more.

Mary: I believe in it, but I just didn't even, I never thought of it that way, Kira. Like, I didn't even think that was a thing. Like, isn't that crazy? Like it didn't occur to me. They don't get their mail. 

Kira: Oh no. That is not something that would've occurred to me either. So, and you haven't had, how long has it been?

Kira: So there's no way to, you haven't seen any return? It's 

Mary: been a week. It's been a week and I have had none. Zero return. Zilch. Now I will say that we're getting [00:22:00] ready to go into equestrian season. So a lot, like I said, a lot, a lot of them, um. There, they're, a lot of 'em are in Boca or what? They're, so they, they could, if the house staff saw it.

Mary: 'cause it is hand address. Thank That was one thing my friend said. He said, thank God you hand addressed it. Yeah. Because it, if it's automated, it's getting going into the garbage, but because it's hand addressed, it might be on their desk and they might come home and open it. Um, and 1st of April they'll start coming back and, and being there for early spring and for all the horse races and steeplechase and all that stuff.

Mary: Son of a gun. So son of a gun, 

Kira: who would've thought, uh, I wouldn't have thought. But what it makes me think is, should you think of them more, more like corporate and only because it's, you've gotta get to the right person at the place. 

Mary: Correct. Right. Literally nailed it. Two things. I either need to backdoor market because I [00:23:00] need to figure out who their social secretary is or who those people are, who the house manager is.

Mary: And get to them or partner with a vendor, like an interior decorator or blah, blah, blah. Mm-hmm. And have them say, oh, you have to use these guys, yada, yada, yada. Yeah. I, that's the only way I'm gonna get access to more of these people. And then once you get in, you get in. As a matter of fact, I actually was up there on Wednesday with my friend that's the designer, and, um.

Mary: And, you know, we're, we're gonna do some, oh, I know I'm gonna start doing some commercial photography for him. Mm-hmm. And then gradually, hopefully meet the people that way. That's the only way I know, because once you get in with one, then it will, this is what he was saying. He's like, I got one house and then I had 20, you know, you know what I'm saying?

Mary: Because it's a very close knit, very closed group. Yeah. Um, and uh, his business is here in Richmond too, so it's not like they won't, Richmond is the big city. The [00:24:00] closest big city to them. Um, so they come here for whatever, you know, because it is out in the country. Um. Uh, to the point where like you would've peed your pants like we got halfway there and like, there's no way to go The bathroom.

Mary: Second time. 

Kira: Second time in this episode, 

Mary: flashback to us leaving a Yankees game one time and Kira madly, madly underestimated the traffic leaving a New York Yankees game. I 

Kira: forgot about them. 

Mary: We'll just leave it at that. No, she did jump, jumped out of an Uber. And ran to a Dunking Donut and we just left her, the driver's like, what am I, I said, leave her.

Mary: I don't know. She'll get another Uber. She'll make it to, she'll make it over to Louis Vuitton or not. I don't know. I'll be there. Yeah. Nothing could be done. I'm sorry. Um, but anyway, so nothing's there, you know, it, nothing is there type thing. So yeah. Anyway, I just, I love, you know, I, I, I wanna share, you know, I, it just is baffling to me that I didn't think of that, but why would I think of that?

Mary: Like, you know, and I have clients, I have tons of money, but I guess this is a different kind of money. 

Kira: No, [00:25:00] but I mean, you're right about, it's a different kind of money. I mean, it's different kind of existence. I mean, what is life? You know what I mean? Like if that's how you, this is generational 

Mary: wealth. I mean, these are literally Johnson and Johnson family, like these, that's that kind of, it's that kind of wealth.

Mary: I. 

Kira: Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So you have to think about like, how do I get in? And, I mean, I think you're absolutely right with the, the interior designer would be like clutch. I mean, like what if it was included? Yeah. They just know what I mean. Just texted me. 

Mary: So I'm definitely, um, it was kismet and, and the crazy story.

Mary: Whatever you wanna believe in or whatever. And I'm all in and let them right now. And I, I bet you haven't started it yet, but started listening to it. Just start listening to 

Kira: it. Don't accuse me, don't accuse me of not reading. 

Mary: Because I haven't, okay. No, but you could listen to it on your, just if you listen to it a little bit on your way, especially dealing with just people in general, but the chapter on dealing with family hit really, I think you would, I, I, I, I can't believe nothing, but I believe in things a lot.

Mary: And this is a person that was in my wedding. Like we were [00:26:00] at one point kind of best friends. We hung out all the time. We were both going through very weird adolescent things. We were at that. 19, 22 years old going through everything. We thought we knew everything. We thought we were so cool, by the way. So cool.

Mary: But you had banging hair. Yeah, we did. I mean, Becky with the good hair and he's so handsome. Anyway, um, we had, we had a falling out that I never knew why. I never knew why this happened, like he was in my wedding. Like he mm-hmm. And I, I have no idea what happened. He just kind of stopped speaking to me. And I'm like, well, I'm a lot, so, you know, go find less.

Mary: You know? 'cause I get it. You know, I, I, I didn't, it hurt me. It always left a hurt, like, 'cause I didn't, he would, he's also non-confrontational, so he will not, would not discuss it with me. Mm-hmm. Just stopped talking to me. Come to find out he was in a really funky relationship for a long time and lo lost all of his friends during that time, including his very, very best friend.

Mary: Anyway, we now have talked about it, but get this all right. Anybody that knows me. You may know something about me. Guess what I [00:27:00] did One day? One day I had to last minute-ish, decided I was going to Mexico to meet friends, and the only flight I could get that was not like $3,000 was on Spirit Airlines. Hmm.

Mary: I just, are you okay? I

Mary: You Kira and you live to tell the tale. When I tell you I was in the spirit line, the delta, my Delta guy walked by and he went, what's going on? What are you doing? I was like, I, this is all I could get the Delta guy from in the airport. Yeah. 'cause it, my airport's small, like I know all the Delta people.

Kira: Yeah. My, my girl when I check in back Yes. Like Todd, she's always like, 

Mary: miss Terryberry, you Yes. You're ready to go in today. Yeah. Um, and uh, anyway, I'm in line and it's early. It's one of those five ams whatever flights. And I looked behind me and I went, Hmm, that guy's really, and I did a, like, triple take and I noticed him doing the same thing and it was him.

Mary: Mm. And he also was supposed to be on his client's private jet, [00:28:00] but decided he wanted to stay in Richmond with his husband was in town, so he didn't wanna leave town. So he says like, I'll just fly commercial tomorrow. I'll meet you in, in, um, Boca. And um, not only did we see each other that we have not seen each other.

Mary: We had not seen each other in 20 years. 'cause Jax was five or six. Um, we sat next to each other. Now the crazy thing about that y'all is he had never flown spirit. I've never flown spirit. I also was flying with Jamie and I, I book all of our tickets and I messed up and Jamie and I weren't sitting beside each other.

Mary: We always sit beside each other on the plane. Yeah. But um, I think what happened is there was only one big seat. I know what happened. There was only Spirit has four big seats, which are like first class seats. Mm-hmm. And then the rest of it's just regular. They only had one, so I took the, I know. Yeah, that sounds right.

Mary: I took the big seat and Jamie did not get a big seat. I [00:29:00] keep pretending like, I dunno. I.

Mary: I'm such a liar. Anyway, so we sat by each other and we talked the whole, uh, the, and it's one of those early flights that you would've been so annoyed, like you would've hated us if you were sitting anywhere near us on that flight. The guy behind me, have y'all ever had like a kid or a dog that, you know when the seats are close together in a car and that one like kid or dog and y'all can't see me, but cure kid, where they just kind of stick their face between and you.

Mary: Behind us kept sticking his face in there and I'm like, he hates us right now. Um, and uh, we reconnected, which has just been Oh, that's beautiful. It's, it like it has made my, it's made my heart grow 10 times large. Like I, it is just I, what it's done for me personally and emotionally. 'cause I think things have been so heavy lately and.

Mary: It just, it's just, it's just the right time and we both are working on our businesses. And anyway, so [00:30:00] I spent the day with him touring and talking and I'm gonna do a bunch of commercial stuff for him 'cause he needs some marketing help. Um, but, uh, he's the one that had to tell me like, dang it, why didn't I ask?

Mary: Oh, I don't know why I didn't ask him first. Um, but it's there. And you know what, I'm not, it's only been a week. Like I'm not gonna give up on it. And it wasn't a huge investment. And what do I always say? You either succeed or you learn, you succeed or you learn, so, right. I've certainly learned, um, and I do think that, I do still believe that I will get one or two people from it.

Mary: I, I just, I. It might not be right now 'cause they're busy and maybe after Easter, you know what I'm saying? Spring? Yeah. Spring break is getting, is happening over these past few weeks and then Easter. But maybe, you know, early summer somebody will say, you know, I got this back in March and here's my hope 

Kira: is that one of 'em goes, you know what, Anderson, today I would like to get my own mail on like, like the regular folk I know.

Kira: And not today, Anderson. Today I will go to the, the mailbox. I'll, could you tell, could you, but if you [00:31:00] could just direct me towards it. Where is it again? Where is the mailbox? 

Mary: Um, and uh, and I bet, and y'all would be, so I'm at one of these homes and, uh, I'm at one of these homes and, um, I had to like sign in das to go into mostly places, so I can't, but they have one of these homes and they had a bunch of mail.

Mary: On, on the island in the kitchen and you know, I kind of glanced through it and it was all to see if I could see my thing and I was gonna just put them on the top, but I didn't see it. So, and I didn't touch their male, so I've not created a. I'm not, I'm not, I have not committed a crime, but I really thought about it for a hot second.

Mary: If I see that villa envelope, I'm pulling her out and putting her on the top. Oops. Oh, guys, guys, guys, guys. Uh, but I guess I just, I was so proud of myself. So I just wanna, I'm, [00:32:00] the reason I'm sharing this is because. A, I think it's funny and it's such a merry thing, but B, it's just, I was so proud of myself and I really believed in it and I did the work and I did, you know, I went in my mastermind group and I mean, you know, I mean this, I, Donald Miller's in this group, you know, one of these groups that I meet with once a month, like they looked over it and I got so many seals of approval and I was so excited.

Mary: And it just didn't, that did not cross my mind at all. No, but so we try things and then I could sit here and beat myself up over it. I could, you know, oh, I wasted a couple thousand dollars, or I did this, or I did that. I'm not gonna look at it that way. I refuse. I, I'm gonna still believe in it. I still believe it.

Mary: It's gonna land in somebody's hands and it's gonna, eventually, it's gonna pay, at least pay for itself. And, um, I learned a really valuable lesson, so I'm not gonna beat myself up over it. 'cause I mean, that's what we do, right? We, yeah. We, we believe in something. We get so excited about something and then it doesn't work out.

Mary: It starts just, it starts just chipping away at you. Mm-hmm. You know, um, uh, Jamie actually texted me last night that. The [00:33:00] last, um, couple sessions since he's photographed that he's just felt like he says, I don't know what to describe it. Like, I know it's fine, but I just, I just, I don't know, like it just things weren't hitting or I just was off or whatever.

Mary: And last night he said, oh my gosh, I finally feel like I. I back like, I feel so good. He said, for us, we always, like, after we photograph a session or do something, we always say, I absolutely have an image, competition image in it. And that's not because we will actually, we will actually remember to even enter the image, but I wanna walk away from every session thinking I would enter that into image competition and my peers would evaluate it and they would love it.

Mary: I, mm-hmm. For some reason, that's how we. Check ourselves that we're doing our best. Yeah. You know, even though mm-hmm. We don't normally do that. Um, but he goes, I feel like I've got like 12 in this session alone. I'm like, wow. Good on him. And he had really been down like really, really down. And, um, so. I was so happy for him because we all know how, I know you get that [00:34:00] a lot.

Mary: I don't, I think I'm there now. Yeah. I don't, I don't tend to care as much about that as y'all do, but, um, I mean, I do care, don't get me wrong, but I, you know, I, I just think, ah, I can make it look good, but, um, but the marketing thing, when it doesn't hit, I really get down on myself. So, um, so yeah. Yeah. So that was my big lesson for the month of March.

Mary: So That's a good 

Kira: lesson. It's a good lesson. And yeah, it's niche, but it's also like. Yeah, it, it's also like this could apply to a lot of things. I mean, you got me thinking about, do you remember when I was trying to launch the, um, the, the, I can't even think of what, what it was called anymore, but, you know, where I was taking snapshots of people who, who maybe have passed, like my grandmother for example, and then, you know, di having them digitally painted and, and trying to sell that product.

Kira: I love that image that I had made as an example in my home. Like we were just staring at it, me and my mother-in-law yesterday, and going just admiring like how good it turned out. Yeah. And how, how, and I, I was talking to her and I was like, [00:35:00] it just really didn't take off. You know what I mean? Like, I just, it just really didn't take off.

Kira: And then, but you've got me thinking like, maybe I did it wrong. You know what I mean? Like, it's not that it's a bad product, right? It's that maybe I didn't launch it correctly. Maybe I didn't, maybe I didn't reach out to the right market. Maybe I didn't approach the market correctly. So I don't know. I'm, I'm thinking that maybe that's a good inspiration for me to revisit it, 

Mary: you know?

Mary: Um, I agree. And, you know. Mm-hmm. The funny, funny that you bring that up is because, excuse me, the, the funny thing about that is that I think that that might be one of my best ways in, because these people all have, at least here in Virginia, I. They all have huge lar, not huge. They have very large, very beautiful.

Mary: Um, uh, you know, oil paintings, hand hand free hand oil paintings. But they have, I mean, I saw one of the homes we went over to their store. I'm talking like a sta old, stable, full of just images of like their great grandfather who invented this. Yeah. Or this or that or [00:36:00] what, you know, like these people who invented, oh, there's definitely a market here for that, that, yeah.

Mary: Who invented, you know, Budweiser, like, you know what, I'm like these huge stacks and they all need. To be digitally captured, restored, at least digitally captured so that these, their grandchildren, great grandchildren are gonna have them because they're just sitting in boxes. This old film, you know, images.

Mary: So I think that that's probably what I should try to market to the, to the house people, because they're the ones that are managing these homes and they have all this stuff and they don't know what to do with it. Right? And they do wanna save it. And you, what are you gonna do? We all, you know, what are you gonna do with all those framed five by sevens and eight by tens?

Mary: Like. Exactly. They're, they're just sitting in boxes. So I feel like that might be my end more so than coming at them, like coming in from the side versus, you know, straight in with what I want. 'cause I think if I could get that, then I could say they really need to update the family portrait. Is everyone gonna be home this summer or Easter or Thanksgiving or, I.

Mary: Whatever. Mm-hmm. [00:37:00] So I, I agree. Maybe timing was off. Maybe what? I don't know. You know? Yeah, yeah, yeah. 

Kira: Yeah. Well, okay. Good nuggets. Good nuggets. Yeah. 

Mary: Something to think about anyway. But yeah, live. Live and learn. Live and learn, 

Kira: I guess. So much of my life is living and learning. Mary. I'm so, I'm so living. I'm live.

Kira: I keep living and I keep learning. Yeah. You know, 

Mary: you know. And speaking of that, one of, I gave my digital marketing program in New Hampshire and. I would say the majority of the audience was older, you know, my age and maybe even a little older or a little younger around my age. But there was a solid core group, and they sat in the first and second row.

Mary: I'm gonna tell you right now, of young people, people that are under 30, you know? Mm-hmm. They're young and they were, they were taking notes, they were asking questions. A, that made me feel like a million bucks. 'cause as soon as I saw them sit down, I went, those little, those little, they know better. They know more than I do about this stuff.

Mary: I'm gonna feel like an idiot up here. And most of them didn't, which made me feel, feel better. Um, they were asking questions and e and [00:38:00] then the people my age and older were doing the same thing. And it was so encouraging to see, and this isn't a huge group. Yeah. But, you know, but wanting to understand chat, wanting to understand, you know, uh, heat tracking or tar retargeting, whatever it is, you know, I was talking about.

Mary: It was so cool and the coolest thing of all is how many have come to me and said, I dunno. I don't know if I should be offended by this or not. How many That came up to me afterwards and said, I can't tell you how good it is to see someone your age. Trying to learn all this. And I went and, and they, you know, these are people older than me, like that really watching you do it.

Mary: Like I know I, you know, I can do it. So, you know, I know you're teaching your class, which you should talk about that here in a second, but like. I don't care how old we are or how young we are, this is all new to all of us and we all do need to learn that too. So as much as I'm believing in direct mail right now and all that, don't, it does not mean I'm dropping the digital marketing side at all because that for, for nothing else, it's just the biggest [00:39:00] time saver in the world for me.

Mary: Versus I don't have to hire extra people anymore. I'm using AI for that. I mean, would you agree with that part, like. I a hundred percent agree with that part. Yeah. 

Kira: Yeah. Lovely. Yes. Well, where are we gonna be? I am, we're both gonna be at Texas School here, coming up in a few weeks in April. I will be teaching a one day class on April 25th.

Kira: I think Saturday of Texas. Saturday. Yep. Mm-hmm. Yeah. It the, you'll be there all 

Mary: week. You're the, no, I think you're the Saturday the 26th, but I could be wrong. Um, the Saturday 

Kira: of Texas 

Mary: school. Yeah. Before it starts. The pre-con I'll be there. That's the 26th. I know. 'cause I won't be there 'cause my chosen son's getting married that day and, but we'll be there all week teaching.

Mary: So Kira will be there the 27th, 26th, and I'll be there all week. And then we have, um, our next online brush oil class starting, um, that's in May. Mm-hmm. Uh, you mine's also in 

Kira: May. Yep. Um, our chat JPT summer session is going to [00:40:00] be starting on May 12th. Um, and, uh, and that's got a complete, a completely online workshop.

Kira: If you wanna know more about that, you can go to boss level-ai.com, uh, to sign up for that. And then I've got some classes in July that I'm teaching in Illinois. I forget where else I'm teaching, but there are other places. 

Mary: And I think, uh, my next one is June. I think I'll, I'll be in Houston, I'll be back in Texas, uh, June 17th for the Houston, for the big, for the Houston group.

Mary: Um, so, so yeah, we'll be around checking things out, um, teaching, learning, doing all this stuff. If you see us always, you know, say hi, we love to meet you guys. Don't say hi. Yeah. 

Kira: Come say hi. All right guys, well that wraps it up for this week. You can follow us on Instagram at Get Your Shoot Together, follow us on Facebook at Get Your Shoot Together.

Kira: Email us at Girl at Get Your Shoot together.com and subscribe to us everywhere where podcasts are played. We will see you guys next time. Thanks [00:41:00] y'all.