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Finding Your Brand Part 2

Lesson 4 from: Senior Photography: Break the Mold

Blair Phillips

Finding Your Brand Part 2

Lesson 4 from: Senior Photography: Break the Mold

Blair Phillips

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Lesson Info

4. Finding Your Brand Part 2

Next Lesson: Branding Q&A

Lesson Info

Finding Your Brand Part 2

but you guys came in and you noticed some of the stuff that we had already that we're gonna go through and the branding Still think about the large conglomerates, the large companies. You know, when you mention a name, you just like a sudden you automatically think about it. Think about this is where Brandon can go wrong. Imagine if you're coming to my house for the first time and your whole way there. You You were thinking, OK, this guy's house is gonna look like this. It's gonna be gray. He's gonna have carpet here. He's gonna have these counts of paintings on the wall. And when you get there, it may not be anything at all. Like what you imagined. What if it was, like, all country western and had cowboys stuff everywhere? Yeah, I would give you way. I would give you a mixed signal. Right. But by through that last hour, you guys could probably guess how my house would even be decorated. You know, you could probably guess how I would dress, You know, if we were gonna go out to dinner t...

onight. It's an average is gonna kind of dress somewhere similar to here and I wouldn't show up with, you know, address on because number one, that would be really weird. But you you know what to expect. And I'm not gonna throw you a big curveball and give me something that's not me. And that's the same thing that you want to do in our businesses. And I can't reiterate enough. Have to be yourself. You have to be true to yourself, no matter how much you want to be someone else. Like when I was a kid, I wanted so bad to be Michael Jackson. I wanted so bad to be him. But, you know, it just didn't work out. And I'm not saying that that's a bad or a good thing. Um, let's talk about some innovative ways to use some marketing products. Once you find your brand, you can take a regular product but elevated and make it your own. So, just like through my lab, a change color lab, they offer the same types of products to everyone. And instead of just selling it for the way it is, I say, You know what? I'm gonna buy this product that you said everyone else, but I'm gonna take it over here and making my own. I'm gonna give it my almost spin on things Other good batter and different with that. Take a plane, say a plane, but take a canvas gallery rap. We sell a lot of these in the studio Tom's of Cans, Gallery Wraps and I think part of the reason is is because when people come in that lines, both hallways going all the way down the hallway to the selling area. So you show what you want to sell, right? So that's what they see, and that's what they like. So I brought an example they don't want to share with you guys, like, if you look at this one here and look at it from the side, it's like Wait a minute. Is that texture on there? Shouldn't stick things on Prince like, why would you stick something on a print that someone just paid a lot of money for right? It's part of my branding. The client tale that I'm reaching out to This is what they expect. They won't this they don't have any gripes about it because they trust me because I've exuded my branding and pounded it in their mind that they know that anything goes here. So these campus gallery wraps. This is a great alternative to put this down. This is a great alternative to a framed piece. But I just started on this this morning. I just I just put a couple on here just so you get the feel for what I'm talking about. This is using a regular product that's available, you know, just about any lab. But through my lab, I used the campus killer wraps that are the metallic are not metallic. The pearl finish just gives it. I mean, they're beautiful, love these things, but I go to the local crafts department an hour in our area like a little craft store, and I buy these also little things here. There's little Rhinestones. It come in sheets. You know, it's just if your if your studio isn't bleeding or it isn't eclectic elegance. If it's more of a rustic more of a country, more of a pastel pretty colors than that's the direction that you goto own it. This is me and my studio, so I'm showing you how I do things differently. I'm not saying that I'm not saying that you run out and start putting Rhinestones on everything. I'm not saying that that's how you're gonna be successful at all, because it may not make you know, make sense. Like, What was your name again, sir? Randy. Let's take Randy, for instance. Randy. He and I are very different both and just sheerly because we come from a different generation Range is a little older than I am. Maybe a couple of years or so. Um, Randy Randy. If he starts putting Rhinestones on his campus gallery, Rap's his family is probably gonna think there's a little something wrong with them somewhere. You know, Randy has to find a way to put Rhinestones on his canvas, if you know what I'm saying. And that's not anything to be taken out of context either. But Randy has to find a way to take this canvas and put Randy spin on things. I'm just merely giving you an example of something that we do. And as you got Sol in there, you know, we basically are just sticking these things on something that was shiny to begin with, even if they're just something to give it a different look now. Is this for every client? Absolutely not. But is this for the majority of my clients? Absolutely. So why is that? Why? Why would most of my clients be cool with this? Yeah, why would they were? Why would a lot of my clients be okay with that? Yeah. Bingo. Ding ding, ding ding. Exactly. I would give you something in a minute just for such a good answer. But the bad thing is, I'm gonna give it all of you guys. But she had a good point. She said, You know, the reason is because my clients have given them I've paved the road to know what to expect. So they expect for me whatever I give him, because I'm consistent. I keep harping on the consistency thing. So take normal products. Tournament is something. Turn it in to put your own spin on it. If you don't like it, put a different spin on it. Reach out to the youth in your area. You know, if you go to church, if you go wherever, reach out to the youth and that's where, like Randy, you know, that's a little bit older, you know, and I don't mean that in about it's just your older than I am. Randi is a little older than I am. Randi has to his branding Your branding is way more important at this point because you've got, like, a one shot deal there where it's like if you come in and muddy the water all up, you're gonna have to wait for it to settle back down and try it again. Some of us we got that one opportunity to really make it stick. So, Randy, you're going to go home and you're gonna figure out a way what your brand is and you're gonna say, You know what? I'm gonna on it. And I'm gonna be true to myself. I'm not gonna be like Blair and where my hair on spiked up like I'm 20 years old. Yeah, he said I own this beard. I've got my beard and I'm gonna own it. You know, I'm gonna make it work for me, and that's exactly what you're gonna do. Now. I'm so excited to see where all of you go with it, and I want to keep up with each one of the after this and see the changes you're gonna make. So that's the biggest thing. Is knowing your brand owning it and stay in true. If you start jumping off, fall off the wagon and go on a whole different direction. Clients are never gonna identify with you because you're all over the place. And that made that mistake early on. But recently we said, Hey, no matter how much I want to be this guy, this is what I have to be. So even simple things like what about a simple appointment card? This is something that works my nerves right here. This drives me crazy. You all for a high end product. High end service. Everything looks great, but your marketing materials are printed on 8.5 by 11 piece of paper from an inkjet printer. It's almost like it's think putting cloth seats in a Ferrari. What? Why would you do that? You know, that makes no sense whatsoever. So we have a Ferrari, we're gonna put Italian leather in it. We're gonna wrap the steering wheel with Italian leather. We're gonna put nice tires on. I want this car to be stellar. I don't wanna have it halfway right. What's really popular in my area is guys will take a car that costs about $1000 and they will put a set of wheels on this About a $6000. They got their brand and their priorities all mixed up. You know, you said you were from Georgia, so, you know, we were there, man. Were there nothing bad or wrong with that? That's just what they do. So even a simple reminder card. We cannot reminder cards. You only got one of these. We get our reminder cards, print information, each color lab as well. And what it is, this is a folded business cord that is printed on Pearl. I spare no expense with this. This is what I am giving my client to remind them of their appointment with me. Why am I gonna jot that down on a sticky note? Does this cost me extra money? Of course. But this is built into my cost of goods. This is built into my session fee built into my five by seven. Everything is accounted for. So instead of giving them that piece of paper that they're like, Oh, yeah, this is everything I give them. They're going to say, Oh my gosh, Even all the way down to the toilet paper that guy has is awesome, which is really not. But, you know, I'd go through and mark on. Sometimes I'll write little funny sayings through the through the roll on roll it back up. So I got always be on their mind. Maybe that's taking it a bit For if we start getting like because then people wiping No, that wouldn't No, no, no, no. That's taking it too fast. When you can take branding to four, you gotta let him breathe a little bit. But I want to give you guys one of these and we're gonna talk about these as well. So here. So it ran to take one down, pass around 99 bottles of beer law. Now with this, this is a two part deal. Let's talk about deferred diversifying some of your products as well. When you look at this, I put the top are on the bottom there it says photo session and then underneath that it says order session. So we're using this product for two separate uses. But look how have mine decorated here instead of using a pan or a Sharpie Alternate the celibate in true fashion. To the brand of my studio. I've used Arriens. I use a Rhinestone. How many women? I don't understand. What? There is power in a Rhinestone. I don't get it. I don't get it. I have no clue. I thought about you know if I could go back to the years when I was dating. There's no live show up girls house like this. Right here. Hey, how you doing? Good to see you. All right. You ready? They would square. They would've been all over me. I don't know, but there's so many women coming out like, Oh, that's how you do that. You're just so creative. Every little thing sticks in their mind and fellas in the room and men on the Internet Do women ever forget anything new? That's exactly right. That's exactly right. And that's not a slam towards women. That is a mere observation, because without women, we we would be even without mine. I wouldn't even be here today for sure. So we have to give you ladies a lot of credit. Um, but yeah, it's print on pearl. They get used to seeing high end high quality products. That's what they grow to expect. And there's not a better compliment other than man, even everything all the way, even down to your appointment cards or nice. I think I have a question, actually, just a comment from NC fan who says the Southern girls love the bling bling. Hey, that's fan, that's That's the way straight to the women's hard again. I don't understand it, but maybe sometimes under the Carolinas we have our priorities mixed up. I don't know, but didn't see fan, thank you for that comment to keep us going their way. Have these indicative off whatever type of session it is as well. So if it's a baby, am I gonna give them something with a senior image on? It doesn't make sense. It's gotta create that warm connection in their heart, make them feel good, make them make them feel like that is specialized to them. That's another thing a lot of people say. Well, Blair, how do you photograph all of this stuff and be good at it? Like I don't I don't think you could do that. You have to pick one thing and go in and do it really well, not say. Well, why can't you just pick a bunch of things and try to be really good at all level? You know what's wrong with that? My dad never told me that. Son. You're only gonna be good at one thing. You know, tell your kids. Tell your family. Tell everybody. Lift him up. So you know what? You're gonna be good at everything. There's a There's a novel idea. What about that? So again, Thank you. Cards. Am I getting Would Blair Phillips photography? Would we get a generic printed card? Probably not. Does that mean it's wrong if you do that? Absolutely not. But we've had nine years of building my brand in a way that that I want it. So when I give someone a thank you card and this is some that's important too, every week Excuse me. Every week we take, I'm going to try and do about two or three weeks. Sit down at your desk. Just pick someone at random, write him a thank you card. Just pick one of your past clients. That came two months ago. Right? Thank you. Hard, Randi. I sit in my dad's thought about you and your family. Christmases common so naturally. I thought about you and I just wanted to say thank you. I hope you have a great holiday and look forward to seeing you guys again. Out, out somewhere. Make Christmas. Whatever. And when he gets that, he's gonna open up and it's going to stick with him for a day or two. And he's like, Man, I got took the time in this busy world that we're in an email means absolutely nothing anymore. I could send him the email and he's like, Oh, yeah, who? Big wall he was sitting in there drinking coffee and 70 male. Big deal. You take the time to do this now with my card. We used these designer cards from H and H as well, and I'm not. This isn't like an infomercial for agent age. This is what I use. This is what I'm doing here. So these cards see how they designed their fold over designed everything, looks prim, proper and matches my brand. Nothing says thank you. All right. Picture This client just came in, Spent $2000 with you. Nothing says thank you. Like a five cent breath meant when they go to check out my l Thank you so much for your order. Here's a breath mint. Really? That's what we're giving people. So even a thank you card. Now, I'm not going to just stop with that Thank you. Card before it goes out of must you? We're going to put one of these things off and I'll stick it down. All right, in here somewhere. Wait for it. Bam, Don't now it is not only personalized, but it is really personalized. And it matches the branding. So now when they come back to the studio, they know I'm not gonna attract the client that Onley wants pictures made with I don't know what the white background on the wicker basket. Because there, this doesn't scream. White background, wicker basket. And there's nothing wrong with white background wicker basket. Let me say that. But you open it up. There's a message in here. It's a message from the studio. So I want include staff. We've all signed it here Is computer generated, obviously. But then is my time to give that heartfelt message. It's not a generic card, not a generic court. Society is just not taking the time to do this anymore. And in my opinion, what we're doing is photographers is definitely not a necessity that photography is not a necessity. I've got friends of mine now they've got a little baby. Uh, she's a little every year old, and I'm gonna put him in a headlock when I get home, because they still don't have a digital camera to take pictures of the kid. Every day they walk around, they pull out the IPhone, they don't have a single picture printed, they don't they don't happen. And there's so many families growing up. How many kids do you know today that are gonna grow up and have those? You guys have photo albums from when you were a kid At some point? Yeah. This generation, uh, they're not gonna have it You're not gonna have, because people don't value photography as much. So the reason that I'm elevating all this stuff and telling you to elevate it is because this is what it's gonna take. I'm not saying that Ryan Stones or when it's gonna take, but we're gonna have to spend that extra money. We're gonna have to go the extra mile and create those products that are gonna stand out, and there's just no other way to do it. Let's move forward here, Okay? Even even when someone picks up a framed wall portrait. A framed wall portrait. This is a holiday card, but we don't use it as a holiday card. We use it as an instruction card, so you feel it around and it says, officially certified by Blair Floral photography and it on the back. It talks about print care how to care for your print now wound Earth. People probably aren't even gonna read this, but I've just charged a good bit of money for that. So if I can give them this, it makes it feel more justified when they get home. It's just like if you go to a boutique, a fancy little clothing boutique. Yeah, sure, we're spending to save you. Spent $ on a pair of jeans. It's like, but if that lady throws him down in a walmart bag and hand them to you, it really doesn't feel good. But if you spent $200 on a pair of jeans and she puts it in this nice back, wraps it all up, puts a little sticker on it, puts it on the nice thing, puts little frilly tissue papers in it and hands it to you. It matches. It feels a little bit better, but I'll still have buyer's remorse when I get home. But it feels a little bit better, and that's what we have to do with our clients. So that's why each one of them it's something similar is now going back to that. This card right here, I wanted to give our online viewers cause it's with Creative live. It's not obviously just about the viewers in here. Unfortunately, I know you guys are gonna be sad now, but it's about reaching out and connecting with a broader our audience as well. So I want to give everyone the opportunity to We've done all the design work for these cards here. If you choose that, you know what I would love to have those appointment cards, but with day care and my other job and was trying to be successful in photography. I don't have the time or the know how to do all that consume. I just give it to me, okay? fine. We've listened and we're gonna give it to you as a free download here. The apartment card template. All you have to do, basically, as you click on it, drag your logo into it, size it, let it go. Senate H and H get printed. It's that easy. So if you want, you can even change the Burbage if you wanted to. Everything is click change, click change. So get gonna Blair flubs workshops dot com, and you can do a free download there. And that is just one of the many things that will be giving to you guys as well as all the online viewers as well. So go home and make a difference. Don't do the same thing you've done year after year, you know, do something crazy. I don't. Don't get too crazy, though, because your spouse well say, Look, I don't know where you been the past few days, but you need to go back and get yourself checked back out here because I don't know what's going on. Um, be true again. I say it all the time, Be true, but elevate everything that you're doing now again, going back to this canvas here. Will this work in Seattle? I don't know. You know, there's everything works everywhere. It just depends on how you sell it and how hard you want to work at it. You know, we've got some clients that come in that they may not be into that. And if there no, not into the 100% we'll figure out something that will elevate our product just a little bit more. Let's talk about your space. Let's talk about how you decorate. You know, if you're gonna have a studio, what am I gonna do here? How do I want this to look? Because I'm telling you, it's not just about the way it looks. It's about creating an environment for spending. And it took me a while to learn this. Do you realize this was the first time I realized? Picture this and you that this has happened? All of you guys, you're walking through the mall carrying your bags and all of a sudden you won't pass this one store music's thumping and you smell smells good. Smells like a teenager. But it's not just a good smell. What is that? You realize that companies like Hollister American Eagle. All that they actually pay people toe, walk through their store like every 10 minutes and spray cologne in the air. Don't go buying all the new clothes. I'm just They spray all the clothes with cologne because it's a brand identity. They want you to know when you walk by and you smell it, even if you're not looking at it. That's the store that's this store and know exactly what it is. I know what it is. So these companies have gone above and beyond to make sure that you can recognize and identify with their brand. Now, Randy, would you when you walk by and smell that it may not. You may be like out that stuff smells when you walk in. You may, but, you know, you may be like a pretty good when you walk in. It may be the kind of story that you're like. I got to go check that out, so it just depends. You know, it's not for everybody, just like your business. Don't consume yourself with trying to appeal to everyone because, just like with those large conglomerates, they're not for everyone. You don't see 85 year old men buying blue jeans and Hollister. You know, if you do, there's, you know, there's somebody needs to watch him. There's there's something going on. And if he drives one of those vans with a little bubble window in the back, then you really need to watch him. Really need to watch him. So my studio Look, these these guys have good taste here. That got gray. Yeah, they probably copied that from me. Just saying, Yeah, I'm kidding. But I wanted gray, silver, white, black, one of chandeliers that were dripping with crystals and whatever. And let me say this to my studio. You know, it looks very high end, and it is a high end city, but everything in there was done on a shoestring budget. Let me just tell you, like the whites that I have in their these crystal chandelier, I couldn't afford those normally. But I searched and searched and dog and dog and dug and dug and dug. And I wouldn't take no for an answer. And we found those online. I think they were, like 40 50 bucks, whereas most stores and went to their like, Yeah, these are 18 50. If you buy today, we'll give you a free ride to clean them. All right, That's not my I don't even need to be in there, so I had to scour the Internet and find it. So no matter where you wanted to go, there is a way to get there. You may have to do like me, and, you know, go around the mountain and through the valley, and but you're gonna be able to get there. You're gonna get there so aesthetically when you walk in, there's over in here like this is ostrich leather. Now, is that necessary? No, that cost me no more to do. It cost me probably less to do that. And it would be to finish the sheet rock. So it's not about spending a lot of money. This was cheaper than she rock. I bought this stuff on eBay. I put the phone pad behind it, looked on the Internet of how, toe how to a poster cut a shorter glued in, put it rapid. And next thing you know, I've got panels in there that makes me look like I spent thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars that, quite frankly, I don't have again. I don't know who in the world is going to change. These things are gonna clean these things. Um, I sure hope is not gonna be me. But that's probably it's looking like moving forward, even the outside of our studio. What in the world? The ghost. Just kidding. I did that the other night before I came. I was taking long exposures and I was like, Just standing over one of these and freak people out. But it's Halloween. We have light bulbs that change color. I know. It's You're like, OK? Is that really necessary? No. But again, you have to understand I should have taken a picture. What's next to me? The buildings that are all next to me on both sides. They were built in the thirties, and they have not changed a thing since the thirties. Maybe a coat of paint. So it's like people ride by. It's all dark. But in the spirit of Halloween, our lights for the color of pumpkins doesn't make sense. No. Is it something I want to do? I feel good. Do I feel good when people ride by? Absolutely. I've got people that are caught Blair wrote by your studio of the day. That is also how did you do that? Well, what would you like to know? Bless you. What do you like to know? Another thing that's really important to my brand is music anywhere that you go in my studio. You're going to see you're gonna hear music, not see it. If you see it that you've got some sick powers, you're gonna hear music everywhere I go prime example. When I walked in here this morning, it was really, really quiet. I'm the new guy here. I didn't want to say, Hey, uh, an eternal radio or something that I feel like I'm in a funeral home. They want to say that because then they're like, OK, who's this guy? I think he is. We don't have music here, but just and true creativelive form in about five minutes. It kicked on and we were in here doing our thing. Um, music. Just help it. It helps everything. It helps. A matter of fact, we should eternal now. But my mood went from man. I'm really nervous. I'm nervous about how this is gonna unfold today. My mood went from that so I just completely forgot what I was doing. My great Oh, gosh. Like, right now, I don't even know where I was going with that. I'm kidding, But I completely forgot what I was doing and that eased my mind. So everywhere you go in the studio, no matter where you are, even how side of my studio when you pull up out in the parking lot and it's so funny. Guys, I have have the older generation where I live. It's a very one mind in town, so funny you can sit in the lobby and watch and then walk by, you know, there and walking by and they'll stop. No, look around. Now here, the mute music pumping, you know, look in there and I'll say, you know, as they walked by and then I walk out with my hair the way it isn't like they're like, Yeah, that does Got another one. I guess I don't I don't really appeal to the older crowd in my community, you know, um, at face value. But if they give me a chance to come out and talk with them and help put their stuff in the car like Oh, I know you. I know you all have heard Gertrude talk about you. You just a sweet young man. You do some crazy pictures, though. I don't understand that mess in their own soul tables and all that stuff. But anyways, everywhere you go, there's music in the dressing room in the bathroom. When people go in to relieve themselves in the bathroom, they're gonna be in there. They're going to, like, way go. There we go. That far way. Maybe that's crossing the line. I get it. But, you know, if you kind of my studio, you are gonna jam even while you are on the toilet. That's how that's how much were embedded with music there, the dressing room itself. Little things that you can do with your brand that create a wealth. Just a wealth of goodness for you. We got these markers. You know that right on the car windows. Just get just married. You know, don't I'll blow your horn. All that good stuff. Well, we said, why don't we get some of those And why don't we just draw on the mirror? We got a big It's like a four foot by eight foot mirror. So we just drawn there and takes just a second to do it. And it comes off with Windex. I wish I had a dollar for every senior that I've seen on Facebook. They'll stand there. But here, Mom, take a picture of me and they'll stand next to the mirror and they're like, or whatever you know. And then they tag that to my page. It goes on my page. It's amazing the amount of the amount of goodness that comes out of doing something that's so cheap so and I keep going back, and I don't know why I keep saying this other than it's just where my heart is because I guess I've been an underdog my whole life, and I choose to be that way a lot of time. I want to be the underdog. I don't ever want to feel like I've made it. You know what year I'm good? I know I'm good. I'm the man, not I will never be that guy because you're never good enough. So it's not about spending the money like I think I keep going back to that because the way I grew up, you know, I didn't have everything just like some of you may not. So it's not about that. It's about the little things in life you can do. I can accomplish the same thing with a marker that any other studio could do Was spending $10,000 on this same exact idea. Same thing with a $3 marker. So it's all about the little things. Everyone I told you about people going to the restroom, who would have thought that I would have a slide dedicated to my bathroom? All right. Yeah, exactly. The bathroom we have got large. That's Ah, that's a 20 by 30 in our bathroom. Like who hangs large campuses in their bathroom. Well, hey, this might spark an idea. You know, you're in there on the John, and you can look over and see your engagement picture, You know? I mean, who knows? Yeah. Good question. I have a quick question because he was talking about using a $3 market right on the window, but it just kind of sparked the question that I came up with you. Thank you. Car, because you write a personalized message. What type of pain do you use because you get one and right, but it won't dry. Oh, yeah. Not a very good question, too. I use a just a plain big ballpoint pen. That's not the not the flow pin that's got the lead, like the liquidity Inc in there, cause you had that. You got to sit there. Nobody got time for that, right? So yeah. Good question is too plain Old Pan, and it writes perfectly on the pro paper. So good question, Lorenzo. But again, if I don't put stuff out for people to think about and people to buy, they're playing out, not gonna buy. So if I can plan to see that Hey, you know what? I know this seems kind of crazy, but that area that you have in your bathroom one of these one of these senior pictures, senior picture collage is a small one could go in there to decorate and add value to that. That's kind of far fetched, but it could happen, so if you don't throw it out there, it's never gonna happen. You know, you shoot or you sell what you show. You don't show it, you know I'm gonna sell it. I can tell you how beautiful something is all day long. But until I can show you a tangible piece of it, you're not really that interested in it, right? Like a car salesman. I mean, sound. You've been in the car lot and said, Just give me a spend blue one. That's kind of, you know, maybe 40 50,000 miles leather. So you just get one like that? No, we're going, man. We inspect that. We drive it, we kick the tires. All that the same thing with all of our products here. Good wheel. I went to good. Well, that's where I got my life pictures for their I got a gold light fixture like something my grandparents would have had a spray painted it. We bought little lampshades to go on it. We glue little frilly feathers around it And thats we've got a psychedelic looking weird. Looks like dead chickens up on the on the So it's you know, and again that's a that this is probably sensor dust all in my camera that's not designed to be a texture. Unfortunately, um, so again, how many times have you heard me say it's not about seeing how much money you can spend or well, I can't afford what you have. Glier. Well, hello. That's probably a $20 light fixture that's cheaper than anything you can go by at a large hardware store in our studios. Face my brand expresses variety. That's just It would be a lot. My life would be so much more simplified if I could just hold in on this and let this be what I do. But my mind is never going to be happy doing that. I'm a go get it guy. I have to go have to go. So my studio expresses a variety. So when you look at the studio, I've got set, set, set, set, sit, sit, sit, since all the way down, all the way down and then back up the other side. And it's because as a photographer, my world is a lot more fun when I have a lot of different things to work with. And let me say this for the interviewer's and especially for you guys that I start off with a studio full of shooting bays and no, absolutely not. I struggled for years going outside, saying, All right, um, let's go this oak tree over here is man. This is an awesome oak tree. This thing is 700 years old and it's been in my family. Uh, you're gonna love it. It's gonna be great. It's got green leaves and texture and roots, and it's gonna be It's gonna be great. I've done it. I had to own it. The hell's my oak tree. I own it. So I think that's why this feels so good to be here talking to you guys because my dad didn't start this business and hand everything. I mean, I've had look right up underneath here. All right, This is a piece of carpet underneath here. That is that. That was me years and years ago, and now I'm at least on top of the carpet. So that's that was me. I'm on top the carpet and I'm happy here. I always want to climb, which is where you guys are. So a lot of variety is fun. It's not necessary. You don't have to have it. But that's just what I like Part of my brand people know that they're gonna have that she's reaching for the mic. Ladies and gentlemen, she kicked it. I thought she had a question. No problem. Same thing when I talked about creating an environment for spending when people around the corner and see our theater room, this is where we sell. I don't want them to walk in and sit on a foldable metal chair like they would have a church picnic, because it just doesn't create that environment. First thing I want those people, my clients when they walk in around the corner, I want them to say this right here in their mind rules is gonna calls me. That's what I wanted to say and I'm not trying to rip anybody off. I'm trying to get the most that I can for the amount of work that I put into it. So I set up a room that says, Hey, I'm not cheap, not cheap again. This room looks really high end. Did everything in the on a budget prime example the ceiling. I looked like a pretty high end ceiling right there. I worked with a contra contractor in my area and he said, Hey, you've got people that I would like to have your clientele matches my brand and I said, Well, Yeah, well, uh, we want to it, my dear big guy. I said you want to trade a little bit of work. He said, What do you got? I said, why should build me a really trick ceiling in here and everybody that comes in here? I don't tell him that you built it. They said, Oh, I could do that. So he built the ceiling for me. So I've traded out my services. I help his business. He was mine. Now I've got man, I've got a whole room full of people that I worked with on that same, and we market share Now, this doesn't look quite as beautiful. The ah took the label off for There's other reasons involved that you guys just don't need to worry about. I'm kidding. When clients come in, they sit down. Hey, Randi. Kaye Something. Drink any water? You want water it? Yeah. Okay. Grab. You want to come back And my brand? This is just who I am instead of walking over setting in their cup holder. But here, I'm gonna toast us to This is this is my brand. This is who I am, Lorenzo. He got man bottle water. Good deal now, Throwback. I don't take it back from him, but that's just that's who I am. It's how I am what I do. Um, but own hours are trying. Told this rule still here This is a square, many business card from our from our lab, a square, many business cord and as our logo on the front and then on the back as H 20 But it's our brand. Even with water, I want to brand my water. I can take water that I get for $3 for 24 of them. Tie a ribbon around it, card on it. Women, are they? They're just like, Oh my God, they'll be like they put it and they'll go back and say, Do you not Blair feels were there today? And let me just tell you Sanders pictures are said die, but even his water has stuff on. It does not play same thing. So if you ever wanted to try something like that and true Blair Phillips photography fashion, we're gonna give you guys that for free. If you want a free download of that, go to the site and all you do is click drag put yours and they're just size it, and you're good to go. So if you want one of those for free and there's no strings, no strings attached. Okay. All right. Good. Dale Dasha. Thanks. So, yeah. Go check that out. You get it for free. Another thing. And again, this this section is based pretty much solely owned branding. And I'm crying, trying, like, really hammer the branding thing And you in your minds, because branding is so important and it's gonna become more and more important as each month goes by in our society, even our file cabinets, even our file cabinets, the little labels is going to file. Cabinets are done. I mean, is that excessive? Yes. Excessive doesn't match my brand. Yeah. Does it cost a lot of money? No. We've got interns that we get from the high school, and they learn a lot about blinking out stuff. Let's just say that way they get a full educational course in in this type of stuff. So, um, we again, this is Kraft paper, not Kraft paper. Was that wait for Mary one? So, even these this is scrapbook paper, and we got to the local thinks hobby lobby is something that we get scrap of paper cut in little pieces. Drop it down in there. And there you go. There you have it. So super simple adds a lot of value for very little money. Very little money, lampshades, everything in. There is just everything in there. Everything matches. Remember when I talked about this Smale and how Ah. Recognisable smell and things like that Same thing there. We have wait for it. We have two types off candles that we run, you know, for different seasons. Let's just take this season for now and you walk in the studio as soon as you open up the door, you get, like, punched in the face with this sweet cinnamon pumpkin. It just makes sense. It doesn't feel like a commercial environment, you know? And it's again, very little money, but for a lot of return. A lot of return there. Um, And then once it gets closer to Christmas, Randy, you'll appreciate that that I have fresh balls in there. No problem. Um, in case you guys didn't know, Randy does. He is. He helps out Santa Claus during the season. I didn't realize that he makes appearances. So kudos to you for that. So he brands himself for that and for tired. He is just multicultural all around the place. That's what you call Spread it out. Making it work. Um, so again, little money the return and create that brand identity all the way down to even your smell. When you walk in, there's five senses that we all have. You know, the sight, sound, taste, feel or touch. We've got all those. So brand yourself in every one of those And don't just say, all right, Well, I've got a pretty couch and a nice plant here. That's good enough. You know, go that extra mile. Because if you're not gonna go the extra mile, all those competitors competitors in your area, they're they're going to do it. So you got one shot at it? Yeah, one shot. And that's it. Because a lot easier to do it right now to do it the right way. Now that it is to spend the next two years having to rebuild and get you back to the point where you were, so does that make sense? So if you just like graduating high school. I tell these kids all the time, do it right now so that you won't have to in four years from now. Come back to this point. Rebuild the last four years of your life to get back to your starting point.

Class Materials

bonus material with purchase

Senior Posing Guide
Blair Phillips Discounts

Ratings and Reviews

David - Muse 10
 

As an experienced photographer myself, this class was both helpful and inspirational…we're never too experienced to learn from someone. Blair is really a lot of fun to watch and listen to. He has a way of making things fun with his high energy and dry sense of humor. To be completely honest in my review of this class, the lighting and posing sections, while VERY good, have been done over and over again by lots of photographers and didn't offer much in the way of new ideas. The real value was in the customer service and marketing techniques presented here. Blair's use of video as a marketing and communication tool with his clients is very unique and sparked TONS of ideas I would like to implement in my studio. His simple pricing structure and the way he presents it to his clients is also unique and has helped me rethink some of my own methods. "That being said" (Blair should appreciate that phrase) this class is totally worth the price and will continue to be a good reference for me. Some photographers are excellent at their craft but are dry teachers; others are great teachers but their "real-life" work doesn't live up to their classroom presentations. Blair is the real deal and makes this class very exciting.

a Creativelive Student
 

Blair is great. This class is packed full of great info and is a genuine good hearted person.. Really like his approach with high school seniors. I recommend it.

a Creativelive Student
 

This has been my favorite class on Creative Live. I loved how Blair explained exactly how he landed dance and sports contracts. This class was packed full of ideas for marketing and selling products. There was just so much great information. Thanks, Blair!

Student Work

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