Office Space

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MIXMASTERMACHOM said:
If you had an office space you had to pay for would that change how you do business or would it remain the same? Would you agree to do events that you normally would turn down?
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If you're somehow trying to make a point that having an office is a crazy expensive undertaking just say so, but if you're able to make DJing your full-time career choice for more than two years, there should be enough in your piggybank to afford some sort of space that isn't 30 steps from your bedroom. Having to pay for an office hasn't changed how I do business. I've taken my work seriously since gig #1, all the way back in September 1986.

MIXMASTERMACHOM said:
Would you agree to do events that you normally would turn down?
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I'm not in the business of normally turning down events, Mix. If there's a need for the services I provide, I appreciate every opportunity that comes my way - the office has nothing to do with it. If I turn down an event, it's because I'm already booked or have chosen to enjoy some time with my family. My calendar fills up with all sorts of things - this month includes an annual fundraiser for a local humane society, two wedding receptions, a weeknight community night-out event, a one-hour middle school pep rally and a jr. high school prom. Without fail, every single event I do leads to other events.

There's a quote that I used to think was the corniest quote ever: "Success comes in cans". Somehow it's resonated with me for more than 20 years.

success-comes-in-cans.png
 
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rickryan.com said:
Just confirmed acceptance on the office space. He says the crew is expecting to be finished by end of next week and we can move in the following Monday. He's even going to let us take down the chair rails and put light gray on the walls (for photography purposes). I'm kinda getting excited about this.
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When you make your first million from the office, can I borrow $5?
 
Just posting an update, we (finally) moved into our office space over the weekend and are quite stoked about it. I'll have some pics in the next day or so but can tell you that we have the space setup for both portraits and meeting. For furniture, we got a distressed white TV stand, which holds a 48", UHD4k TV. For seating, we went with 4, barrel chairs from WayFair.com;

Zipcode%25E2%2584%25A2-Design-Liam-Barrel-Chair.jpg
Because of an upstairs water leak, we ended up with new drywall, new paint and new wood (vinyl) flooring. I have my first planning meeting (with an already booked client) this evening. My wife has a prom portrait session setup for Wednesday evening. Now it's time to scramble and try to get some prospects in the door. I had my (hopefully) last sales meeting at Panera Bread on Saturday and it was amazing to actually notice how distracting it is. The prospect actually apologized to me as she kept looking off. I'm hopeful that this will be a much better space for meetings. I posted an announcement to FB this morning and want to come up with some kind of promotion in order to push meetings with prospects. Maybe a free headshot, etc. Any suggestions?
 
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Seriously... I was taking free headshots at prospective clients as well, 'til I realized they were all ending up dead or critically injured, and had to postpone the event I was supposed to DJ for. It was costing me too much money.[emoji1]

Congrats on the new office, Rick.[emoji4]

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rickryan.com said:
I posted an announcement to FB this morning and want to come up with some kind of promotion in order to push meetings with prospects. Maybe a free headshot, etc. Any suggestions?
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Don't go for the free-stuff promotion just yet; anyone can offer free stuff, most people don't need free stuff, and your space will help sell your services for you. Wait, watch and enjoy the ride in your new space.

DO consider having an open house and inviting local wedding professionals. Once venue managers and salespeople see your office and realize how serious you are about your business, getting people in the door won't be a challenge. Also consider joining your local chamber of commerce, if you're not already involved.

rickryan.com said:
For seating, we went with 4, barrel chairs from WayFair.com
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The only thing I don't love about barrel chairs is that they make it harder to read the couples who come in to meet with you. On the other hand, you can practically predict how long a marriage will last by observing how close or far apart couples sit on a sofa. Either way, you can always change out the furniture in a year.
 
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https://goo.gl/photos/sQEJJK36WSeYQgbG9

Can you guys get to these pics? They are of the new office space, taken right after our first portrait session. Obviously, the space is is disarray but gives you an idea. No pics on the walls yet but it worked like a charm for yesterday's session. The shots turned out nothing short of stunning and it was amazing at how many different looks we were able to get out of such a teeny-tiny space. I have my first in-office sales meeting on Tuesday evening and looking forward to the privacy as opposed to Sbux or Panera. When the wife posts the shots from yesterday's session I'll share them.
 
rickryan.com said:
https://goo.gl/photos/sQEJJK36WSeYQgbG9

Can you guys get to these pics? They are of the new office space, taken right after our first portrait session. Obviously, the space is is disarray but gives you an idea. No pics on the walls yet but it worked like a charm for yesterday's session. The shots turned out nothing short of stunning and it was amazing at how many different looks we were able to get out of such a teeny-tiny space. I have my first in-office sales meeting on Tuesday evening and looking forward to the privacy as opposed to Sbux or Panera. When the wife posts the shots from yesterday's session I'll share them.
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That link seems to be a porn site![emoji1]


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Check this one out, from yesterday's portrait session:

17991120_10211332087832494_1223050678583904100_n.jpg
 
Your lighting is uneven and throwing a shadow on the left side of the face.
Sorry, but that's not what I would call a good portrait.
 
Yeah I see a Shadow from the Nose...I don't have a good eye for portraits, but myself I wouldn't want the shadow in the pic.
 
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This is simply a critique, not an attack, even though I'm sure he will interpret it as such, but not only is the uneven lighting causing shadows on the left side, it's also causing the highlighted side to be overexposed and washed out.
You can see it in the eyebrow and white of the eye on the right side.
 
DJ TJ said:
This is simply a critique, not an attack, even though I'm sure he will interpret it as such, but not only is the uneven lighting causing shadows on the left side, it's also causing the highlighted side to be overexposed and washed out.
You can see it in the eyebrow and white of the eye on the right side.
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The mother applied the extra light over the eyes. As for the shadow, I like it, as do dozens of other comments we've had so far. Not to mention the lady in Michigan who asked if we'd travel there for her daughter's wedding.
 
DJ TJ said:
This is simply a critique, not an attack, even though I'm sure he will interpret it as such, but not only is the uneven lighting causing shadows on the left side, it's also causing the highlighted side to be overexposed and washed out.
You can see it in the eyebrow and white of the eye on the right side.
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Nothin' a little photoshop can't fix....:djsmug:
upload_2017-4-20_16-15-7.png
 
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I'm not sure why you would let the mother make a decision that would ruin the picture. This is not a critique on taste.
These are breaches of a technical nature that ruin the shot, imo. Did you not take before and after pics to show her the results of why this was wrong?
 
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