I was pleasantly surprised last week to catch the response to a couple of fun quotations I tweeted, each relating to Success and Failure.

David Brinkley:  “A successful person is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks that others throw at him!”

Bill Cosby: “I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is to try to please everyone”

Woody Allen:  “Eighty percent of success is showing up.”

What prompted my short rampage on the success/failure theme was the increasing number of comments lately where I’m hearing photographers who are spending too much time focusing on the decline in business and are showing the frustration that no matter what they do they’re “failing”.

Well, I live with a very special lady who absolutely refuses to let me even use the word, “failure”.  If something didn’t work, then it simply didn’t work, but nothing in life is a failure until you stop trying.   So, the challenge today, in terms of your business is really very simple.  Notice I’m saying “simple” – not EASY…it takes work.  Try out the following exercise:

1) Shut off all cell phones, your computer and anything else in life that interrupts your thought process.  That might mean locking the kids out of the house for a couple of hours.

2) Find your most favorite place in the house.  For me it’s often my “Daddy Chair” in the bedroom.

3) Whether you like wine, a cup of coffee, a soda or a martini makes no difference – get yourself something to drink and get a pad of paper – that’s right – we’re going to do this long hand.

4) Ready?  Just start writing down ideas and brainstorm the challenge – write every idea down and no idea is a bad one.

Example:  You’re a wedding photographer and business is down.  What things could you be doing to raise awareness for you and your business? 

Do more local advertising

Put together a direct mail campaign

Purchase a list of brides

Take the owner of the local bridal gown store to lunch

Do a Saturday bridal shoot at the store.

Who’s the biggest hair salon in town – they know everything that’s happening especially in small communities.

Look at your brochure or website – are the images the best they can be?  Would you hire you based on the information on your website?

How about a joint mailing with several other vendors in town, e.g. a limo company, a florist and a caterer?

My suggestion is to spend an hour doing this and then bring somebody else into the discussion, be it your spouse, a neighbor or a friend who knows you well.  We’re all too close to our own business.  I’m always amazed when a photographer shows me something about their work to critique and they’re so surprised over my suggestions to make a change – it’s because it’s the easiest assignment on planet earth – to review somebody else’s work/project when you have no direct involvement.   So, you need one of your friends, who’s not in the business to just come in and join you in the process of looking for new ways to attack the challenge.

Most important of all, let’s ban the word “failure” from our vocabulary.  Nothing is a failure, just a life lesson or an FGO (Friggin’ Growth Opportunity) – sorry can’t take credit for that last little gem!

Thomas Edison: “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that don’t work.”