I’ll never forget it.
My mom was hanging a picture or something.
I do remember her holding a hammer.
I think I was all of 14 yrs old, me and my four younger sisters, running around, making life chaotic, loud as only a family of five kids can be loud.
My mom stopped, turned at us and yelled: “If you kids don’t F*CKING keep quiet…”…
Stunned silence.
Crickets.
The sound of a hammer rustling and grip tightening in her hands.
Our jaws hanging in shocked awe, eyes bursting wide with fear.
Never, we never, ever heard our mom swear. Ever.
It sure makes a room go quiet.
On that note, I noticed my wife started ‘cussin in the last year or so.
Finally. But I do feel bad, somewhat. She is not one to descend into vulgarities and bad taste. That’s my department.
See, I like swear words. It’s a habit of mine. I find it refreshing.
Cleansing. Offensive.
Sorry, is what it is. I know, I know, I’m a bad influence on her.
It’s one of the eventual side effects of being married over time.
You become to some degree the other person.
It’s the same with branding your photography business. (Not that being a potty mouth is a smart move around your clients. No no…)
But, good branding will eventually sink in. It takes time. Just like teaching your innocent sweet wife to go biker mouth.
Branding means in large part becoming a part of their hearts, minds and souls.
They think warm, positive, fuzzy feelings about you and your studio. They believe
in you. The feel committed. They love you and your product.
This is achieved over time, through years of sessions, offers, affiliation marketing, promos, events, displays (offline and online), sales room experience, reception rooms, publicity, networking, ads….you get the picture.
It takes time. A lot of time. And keeping your mouth clean of course.
Save the curse words for home when you’re with the kids and you absolutely must have silence.:)
Yours in photography and success,
Robert Provencher
“If you want to be a profitable and successful photographer, then study profitable and successful photographers.”
JOIN US
Mike Provencher says
Love this. I can just feel the silence in the house after your mom said that!
Mike
Robert Provencher says
you know it. Those steely blue eyes that could burn through steel…:)