[Transcript starts at 1:15]
Hello, hello, hello, my podcast people and thank you for joining me for yet another episode of my favorite podcast. This is episode 520, and we were talking about do you need professional photos for your online business? Obviously, no. You do not. But there's nuance around this. It ties into a bigger discussion that I want to have, and that's why I'm recording this episode.
If you're listening to it slash watching it on the day that it drops, it is Thursday, October 19th, the month is flying by. They, it always flies by. So do the thing, right? Do the thing. Uh, this past Monday, October 16th, part three of Business and Bullshit with My Bestie dropped. Uh, that's the four part episode series that I'm doing with my business and life bestie Jill Fit.
Um, we're talking all things online business and we're kind of testing it out to see, do you want a full show, Business and Bullshit. Listen to it, see if you want it. I'm, I'm excited about it. Uh, we actually recorded that one in person and it's going to tie into this episode, actually. We recorded that one in person.
Used iPhones. I set this up and I'm like, alright. I haven't edited it yet and I'm actually very excited. That's like, oh, the only work I'm going to do this week is just editing it. Um, but that episode was all about the nuts- the third episode was all about the nuts and bolts of online business. And we recorded it in person.
I'm stoked for it to drop. Go watch the things, especially watch the things. I could say, go listen to it, but go watch it and let us know if you want more M O A R. During that episode, right, we were talking about the nuts and bolts of online business and not once did the, uh, topic of professional photos come up.
At least I don't think it did. We talked for a long time, but I'm pretty sure it didn't come up and it didn't come up because clearly you don't need those things in order to have an online business. Alright. But like I said before, there is nuance to this discussion and there's a bigger picture, bigger topic that I want to talk about.
And that's why I'm recording this episode. So of note, because I, I, I love you listeners. I love my people. Today I was going to do an episode uh, based on a suggestion from my girl, Rachel, um, we were going to talk about, I was going to talk about, overcoming comparisonitis when you want to be following your peers, right?
She's online, she's joined this, um, kettlebell group and that means she's following other coaches and she was like, Hey, how about like, what that brings up when you are following other peers and you actually want to follow them. Because oftentimes the advice that I give is like, don't follow them, mute them. But she's like, like, suppose I want to follow them and, you know, if feelings come up around that?
And I was like, that's actually really good. And I was going to do that for today's episode, but then this came up and I was like, hold on, let's do this. When the Muse strikes, lean in, hang out with Her. Uh, so that's what we're going to do that, maybe I'll do that for next week's episode, uh, next Thursday's episode.
But today we were talking about, do you need actually, Rachel, thank you for the suggestion. I will go back and do that. But today we're talking about, do you need professional photos for your online business. Again for the eleventy billionth time, no. The bigger discussion I think this ties into is that things only matter as much as they matter to you.
I am making this episode simply to serve as another opinion in the space so that you don't feel like you're the only one thinking this. If you share this opinion, if you're like, I don't fucking want professional, like, do I need them? I feel awkward. I don't like it. Cool. You don't have to fucking do it.
Right. If you want to do it, amazing. If you want to do a brand shoot, fucking amazing. If you don't also amazing, also viable, your business can and will still succeed.
My whole schtick is that I want you to live and build your best life. I want you to run your business the way that you run, want to run it. That was a little bit of a tongue, tongue twister, tongue tie. Run your business the way that you want to run your business. Because honestly, all the things out there, the approaches, they can all work.
Yes, clearly I like some better than others and that's what I'm going to share. The things that I like. But I'm never here to be like that other way never works and like make you think that this is the only way right. Perhaps this is bad marketing, I don't fucking care. My whole stick is do you. In addition to that I not only want to say do you, boo, but I want to share how I do it because I know that we as humans are a social species, and to that end, people are more likely to do something when they know that they're not the only person doing it.
I will say a little like life hack is to be willing to be the only person doing it, to be willing to be the first person doing it, because I guarantee other people want to be doing that thing as well. But so much of what I create and put out there is because I know other people need to see someone else do it and I'm like, fine, I'll be the one to do it.
All right. So at the risk of sounding like I did it, you can do it too. Cause I fucking hate that. Not saying that. Again, I'm just sharing how I do it. I want to share right now, my experience with photography or photos and videos and professional things like that. So I've never done a brand photo shoot.
And actually Jill's brought that up because she loves that. And I'm like, good for you. And she very much respects that, that I don't like doing it. And she stays with her phone trying to be paparazzi and I'm like, that's fine. Use your phone. Go ahead. We're out doing stuff. I don't mind. All right, but I've never done a professional brand shoot or anything like that and that's very intentional. Why? I think that they're fucking weird, right?
Yes, this is kind of perhaps a never say never kind of thing, but here's why I think that brand photo shoots are weird. The majority of the things that we see out there, right, are people dressing up in clothes they never fucking wear, putting on makeup that they never fucking use, to look totally different than how they normally look. And they go to locations that they never go, in order to present themselves in some kind of way and help build trust with their audience and then ultimately sell them something.
To me, it doesn't feel much different than the influencers that we see on social media that everyone stays making fun of because they're posing in front of rented Lamborghinis and things like that. I'm like, how is this any fucking different? Right, the never say never part, or don't ever say never part, for me comes in because I feel that documenting actual events, using a professional photographer is different.
So, you know, you want to have someone shoot your event or you want to have someone shoot your talk, or you're at a talk and they have, you know, videographers and photography people there, whatever. Yes, I have had that done, um, not even, I've, I've had that done where I set it up and I've also done it, um, via events that I've been speaking at and I'm going to shout out Ramo, man.
She's probably, I don't know their pronouns actually. So Ramo is, I'm just going to go say Ramo, um, like one of the only people that has really shot me well. Like I, if you watch this video right now, you know, I stay moving my hands. I got a lot of action and other photographers have told me that. They're like, you're actually quite difficult to shoot.
And I'm like, well, I don't know what to tell you. Um, but Ramo, and I like the way that they do like kind of the post production editing. Um, so shout out to Ramo. Um, and also shout out to Mark and Amanda. They did the video that's on my website and it was very much like go to the beach and like talk at your house and here's your car.
And the thing, it was just my life. And I was like, this is cool. And they had a drone and I'm like, yes. So yes, I'm in favor and like, I support doing that. Honestly, I support doing whatever the fuck you want. Again, I just want to put out the different, I want to put out my opinion on all of this. All right.
And I want to say that you don't need to do this. You don't need to have a photographer shoot your event if you don't want to. You could have your friend do it with an iPhone or just not do it at all. You get to choose. I just wanted to put it out there that no, you don't need this professional photos and brand photography, brand photography, things like that, because I just hear it so much and I'm just like, cool.
If you want to do it, awesome. But you don't have to. Here's another opinion, another side of things. Go do the thing.
Um, the second part of this episode, or I guess the second topic that this question brings up for me, kind of in the bigger discussion is the discussion around professionalism and being a professional.
It's all rooted in bullshit. All of it. We could go and see how it's actually rooted in racism and things like that. But like, to me, it's just rooted in bullshit. I'm not here to say that your beliefs are bullshit. If you think that this thing that looks like this, or doing this is professional, I'm not saying that you are bullshit or your beliefs are bullshit.
I'm saying what it's rooted in. And to me, it's rooted in bullshit. All right, like what you like, be aware of where it comes from, and then decide how you want to proceed. This goes back to the concept that I introduced in the beginning episode that it only matters as much as it matters to you. I am all about doing the thing, y'all know that's my whole shtick, and it legit drives me crazy to think that folks won't do the thing because they feel it's not professional looking enough.
Like, I can't make this website because I don't have a professional photo. It's like, what? What? Use your goddamn phone and go make moves and like Google something. Google how do I take a picture that… Quote, unquote, looks good. The whole goal here with things is to create a quote, unquote, good experience or favorable or positive experience for the viewer, which largely comes down to clear photos and sharp audio.
That's it. The rest of it is storytelling. I made my first, which just means it's subjective. I made my first website on Squarespace. I took photos on my phone. I may have used Anthony's camera cause he was actually the guy that I use on the, on the picture, cause I was looking to attract not guys, but I was looking to attract CrossFitters and he had a lot of muscles.
I have, so I might've used his camera for like the banner that I had as a picture of him doing an overhead squat because phones then weren't that good. The pics, the camera quality on the phones wasn't what it is now, which is like, you know, insane.
The art that I currently use for my podcast. I had to take a breath there. Cause I'm like, I'm getting riled up. Take a breath, take a breath, Maestro. Take a moment. The art that I use for my current podcast, the picture that I use for the podcast cover, I took that on my phone in front of a mural in Portland.
This is not some brand shoot or anything like that I did and I use it for my fucking podcast. Like I actually use that picture for everything. It's just one picture and I stay sending it out. It's the picture that I use for my little signature on my emails. It's the picture that I use for my Instagram bio.
It's all the same fucking picture. I'm like, this is what I look like. The picture is the picture. We're done. All right. This ties into the bigger picture of marketing. I said picture a lot there. Maybe, maybe rewind and turn it into a drinking game. Your choice. But this ties into the bigger picture of marketing, which at the end of the day, we know marketing is simply.
Storytelling. What story are you telling with your content? What story do you want to tell? If we use Apple as an example here, right, because whenever I come up with a concept and I'm thinking about an idea, let me back that up. Whenever I'm thinking about an idea and I want to present it, I try to like refute myself and like, does this hold true in all the situations?
And the thing that I can, that came to mind was Apple. If we use Apple as an example, kind of their marketing and the story they're telling and kind of, you know, the feelings we have about Apple and why we keep the boxes. Number one, they are a lifestyle company. They're not a computer company, or a phone company, or whatever.
They're a lifestyle company. Their whole, like, subconscious messaging is people who buy this live like this. Or people who buy this do this, right? People who buy this are like this, right? It's very Seth Godin there. Number two, we keep the boxes because it feels high quality and ties into people who buy this.
You know, do this, are this, live like this. You don't need to be quote unquote professional or have hire professionals, quote unquote, for things to be or feel high quality. Like, that's one of the things I keep saying, like, I'm recording this episode on that episode on Monday with Jill, and I'm like, holy fuck, what a time to be alive.
Like, we're recording this on our phones in my living room. We have microphones. I googled a bunch of shit. Like, I have a light. It's next to me right now. You can't see it, although the lighting today looks great because it's an overcast day. But I have a video light that I brought. I was using a ring light.
You can make things high quality without like, going and spending a zillion dollars at like a fucking brand photography session and all these other things. In our case, instead of, we don't have to go to a studio and like, have some quote unquote professionals do it for us. I'm like, we can fucking figure this out.
Absolutely. Much of how we view things is based on how we've been taught to view things. It's based on the stories we've been told for a zillion years and that our parents were told and they were told and everyone was told and how things were in those stories, right? So just like from a very tangible example, a serif font, right?
So like serif font would be like Times New Roman. Serif means it has those like little like dangly bits on the edges of the letters. As serif font, Times New Roman, typically associated with refined, or classical, or traditional, or dare I say it, professional. If we think about video and photography rules, we talk about the rule of thirds, which is something that I actually teach as well.
When we think about video shooting, oftentimes people are taught to like shoot into a corner, because it frames things, quote unquote, better. Yeah, some think is rooted in, you know, how our eyes move around, how to keep attention, like keeping your eye moving with things. Perhaps they're rooted in nature and just how we, how things are laid out, I don't fucking know.
But either way, it's based on a story that we've been told. To that end, have the courage to tell a different story, right? And let's have that story be based off of what you like. In the past episode, if you listen to Monday's episode, maybe it was Monday, Tuesday, maybe it was, no, Tuesday. We don't have episodes on Tuesdays, but maybe the two Mondays ago, the second, uh, Business and Bullshit with my bestie, Jill and I were talking about, I think it was that one, talking about standing out in the space, and one of the things she said, like, you know, if there is a hack, it's simply… audacity.
It's having the conviction and courage to draw line in the sand and to show up and do the thing. And she's like, I know for a fact that, you know, how I show up, me, Maestro shows up, and the fact that I say that, you know, I don't fucking like reading books. I have a shit ton of books behind me. If you're watching this, you see, I don't read all of them.
I read the first chapter and I'm like, got it, good. The fact that I show up like that and I have the conviction and the confidence to be like, no, I don't like reading these things. That is one of the most attractive things for people, right? Just having the courage to show up and tell my story, right? You could think that like with all the influencers and things and like that out there and people are trying like oh If just read these books and like here are my top favorite top five favorite books. And so you think you got to do that same thing. And to have someone in the voice, in the voice, wow. To have someone in the space just being like nah I don't do it that way.
There's something to be said about that. And I think that if we, if we look in, if we think about that with just anything that starts to stand out, it's because someone did something different than what we typically see. They had the courage, the conviction to do something differently than the way that it's been done.
And oftentimes that's rooted in simply how you like to do it. I'm thinking about Beth right now, a friend of mine, a friend and former mafioso, um, and her comment about the Descript. Descript is the software I use for editing. The Descript, the Descript has an eye contact feature. And what that does is I can be looking all around, and if I use this, that software, and I use that feature, turn it on, it'll like, AI will edit my eyes so that I'm always looking at the camera.
It's kind of wild and a little bit creepy, but it, it does it. And I shared that in the Mafia group and Beth was like, Interesting, you know, perhaps neurodivergent folks are attracted to other, is what she said, she's like, perhaps neurodivergent folks are attracted to other neurodivergent folks because of the different kind of eye contact and the way that they're looking around, as opposed to if I used this, if that person was to use that eye contact feature, that's not good, then that's not going to attract necessarily the person that thinks the same way that they do, that experiences life the same way they do, right?
And this ties into having the courage to just do things your way.
So to wrap this up, if you want to get professional photos done, by all means, go do it, especially if this ties into simply having the courage and the confidence to draw attention to yourself and to be like, yes, this is me and celebrating yourself.
Amazing. I'm thinking of like, you know, boudoir shoots and things like that. Amazing. I'm doing it for you. I fucking love this for you. I am just here with this episode to say that you don't need professional photos. You don't need professional quote unquote, anything in order for your business to be legit or for it to be quote unquote professional.
Okay. I'm riled up. I really enjoyed this episode. I'm not gonna read any reviews this episode. I'm looking at the time and I'm like, yes, I thought it was actually me longer based on my outline, but I spoke very, very quickly. No reviews to read cause I also don't have any new ones, but shout out to all of you who have left reviews, who have left ratings.
Y'all the real MVPs. If you want to leave one though, we'd love it. And then I'll read it. If you want to leave one, I'll read it. Or just tap the thing, tap the stars. Five, please. Why are we doing anything less than five? One last reminder, or maybe the only reminder, or we'll say it again. One last reminder, uh, the final installation of Business and Bullshit with my Bestie will be dropping next Monday, October 23rd.
That's part four. And we're going to be talking about selling.
All right. Looking at the time, this was fucking good. The lighting's good. The timing's good. Energy is good. It's a good Monday. As always, endlessly, endlessly appreciative for every single one of you. Until next time, friends, Maestro out.
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