I’ve never been a big Ross Perot fan, but this quote I found a while back hit home:

“Most people give up just when they’re about to achieve success. They quit on the one yard line. They give up at the last minute of the game, one foot from a winning touch down.”

If I ask a group of photographers about advertising, somebody will always say, “We tried it once, but it didn’t work!” Ask some people about trying some different lenses or shooting wide open for a different look and you’ll hear almost the same, “I’ve tried it, but my clients like the look I have!”  Ask them to move the lights in the studio, the ones that are put in the same spot every day on the masking tape on the floor and you’ll sense the same concern.

Well, what if those photographers are all standing on Ross Perot’s one yard line?  What if they just needed to run that ad a few more times for people to contact them?  What if they only needed a little more patience to wait out the economy?

Trust me, I know it’s tough waiting for your ship to come in.  In fact, there’s a great line I’ve used, “It’ll be my luck when my ship comes in, I’ll be at the airport!”  But I’ve seen so many photographers who were able to stay focused, stay aggressive in their marketing efforts and believe in themselves and things did come together.

It’s all about taking action, being patient and not giving up.   And since Ross Perot put me on the one yard line this morning, might as well stay with a football theme and give Vince Lombardi the spotlight:

“It’s easy to have faith in yourself and have discipline when you’re a winner, when you’re number one. What you’ve got to have is faith and discipline when you’re not yet a winner!”

Happy Sunday everybody – make it a great one!  It’s Al Pacino’s birthday and the anniversary of Freud opening his practice in 1886 – how’s that for an obscure fact ?  I’m just not sure what to send either one of them!  LOL