This News Just IN: Due to some openings coming available last minute, frantically changing schedules, and a few other factors.... all FIVE of the finalists will now be able to attend the Biz Boot Camp next week!!!
Next week is going to be SOOOO amazing!!
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Announcing the Recepient of the Business Boot Camp Scholarship
I won't lie... the folks that decided this had a VERY VERY difficult time. The votes are clear though... it was so tight at the top with a tie for 2nd. With much consideration, I have decided to invite ALL THREE of these women to our April Photo Biz Boot Camp as recipients of the BBC Scholarship!!
Congratulations Beth, Marie, and Ellen!!
The other two ladies have SOOOOO much going on for them and SUCH awesome entries.... that I feel led to get them started with something too. Many of the lessons that I teach during Business Boot Camp are also taught on our various DVDs. We have decided to award each of these young ladies a $500 GIFT to be used on our online store. Perhaps they can use this towards a BBC eventually, or use this Gift to order the DVDs they need best (or combination thereof).
Congrats Jamie and Karen!!
Thank you again for everyone who participated and wrote in. We've got lots of FUN stuff coming up and ALSO found out that another company will be gifting one or all of the ladies coming later this month something special! Stay tuned for more fun stuff coming up!!
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
The FIVE FINALISTS are...
WOW. WoW. WOW.
Over the past five days dozens upon dozens of people sent in nominations... for themselves, friends, family, fellow photographers... even clients and accountants sending in emails! Some were nominated by four or five different people. Some sent pictures and stories and attachments; with others, words were all that was needed.
I read through every one of them, wishing I had the means to take in every one of them. I was feeling utterly hopeless at how to narrow the finalists down from such a large group of deserving individuals. Thank goodness it is not my job to do this!!
These FIVE FINALISTS were chosen because they made us laugh, made us cry, humbled us to the core, and really pulled at our heart-strings. They were completely original and forthright with information and telling us why they NEED this scholarship and told us enough of their stories for the panel to make a decision.
The recipient will be announced tomorrow sometime after all the votes are in and tallied. Due to space limitations, we had to shorten what is posted on this blog, but you can click on to read the full story if you'd like.
Without further ado... we present the finalists!! (In no particular order)
Finalist #1: Jamie Delanie of British Columbia, Canada
WEBSITE
BLOG
Her life's aspiration: to worship the Creator by creating.
This talented photographer has not even finished high school and has already been in business for about a year! She believes in dreaming BIG and never giving up... and will be putting herself through college starting in the fall. Probably our most original entry yet... we'll let you find out more and watch the video for yourselves....
-----------------------------------
Finalist #2: Karen Mikols of Kansas
WEBSITE
(NEW site under construction!!)
BLOG
What do socks have to do with Karen and business organization?
She's a wedding photographer on the brink of her own wedding. Yet another original application that tells us in her own words (and pictures) why she needs the biz help... click the picture of Karen to watch the slideshow (it may take a minute to load, please be patient)
----------------------------------------------
Finalist #3: Marie Bunke of California
WEBSITE
BLOG
Linguist daughter of immigrant parents, she found the love of her life (who became her husband and father of their two children) while serving in the Air Force, only to have a brain tumor take him from her too soon. Newly widowed and living in a small town with little opportunity, she finds her light and hope and joy through photography finally... and begins the healing process...
Marie's beautiful bio pic from her site
"...Fate had other plans for our little family and at 39 I found myself a widow with two young children, ages 3 ½ and 9 years old. To say that I was devastated is an understatement. I firmly believed that if we stayed positive, researched all of our options, went to the best medical facilities in the country that we could beat the monster that had taken over my husband’s body, and most regrettably, his brain. I was wrong. Crest fallen and grief stricken, I desperately sought for something to do to support my family...."
***CLICK HERE TO READ THE WHOLE STORY****
One of Marie's pics
------------------------------------------------
Finalist #4: Beth Daane of California
WEBSITE
BLOG
She's got an airline voucher that will get her to Atlanta and a small time frame during which she can fly....
With their second child on the way, Beth (former social worker) and her husband Sam (Air Force) have no control over where they are called to move every 4 years... and now they're in California where the market is over-saturated and their financial resources are stretched... how will Beth make her photography business flourish amongst so much change and opposition? How can they set the example for their children to follow their own dreams?
Beth and her hubby, Sam
"Hello Liana,
First I must tell you that it touches my heart greatly that you are offering a scholarship to your BBC Workshop. Giving back is something very close to my heart, so when I read your post on OSP I liked you even more then I did before! ;) My first encounter meeting you was at WPPI 2007. I went to see you as a Platform Speaker and it was the first time I had ever listened to another photographer speak. You blew me away! I always remember a question someone asked you about why you didn't shoot RAW- and your answer was that you shoot correctly out of the camera the first time so why would you shoot RAW? When you said that, my thoughts were that ...." ***CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THE STORY***
Some of Beth's work
------------------------------------------------
Finalist #5: Ellen McRaney of Georgia
WEBSITE
BLOG
She's got a beloved Cat who's had a CAT scan and survived cancer. But that's not the only miracle in her story...
On the brink of starting a Masters in Physical Therapy program at Emory University ten years ago, Ellen suffered a massive cerebral hemorrhage that left her with a hole in her brain... unable to read, write, or speak. To say that Ellen is a living miracle and photography has helped her heal might just be an understatement...
Ellen not long after her stroke
"...I was on the phone with my mother and she noticed that I was not making any sense. She asked if I was alright, and I thought about what I had just said. I realized the words I was saying had absolutely no connection to the words I was thinking. I told mom I'd be right back, I thought I just needed something to drink. The next thing I remember, I was spilling the water I had gotten from the refrigerator on myself, I was dragging myself across the kitchen floor with my left arm, my right arm was twisted up and around behind my left side and I couldn't feel my legs. I looked down at myself and knew this was really bad. I'd had enough medical training that I KNEW what had happened, even though it was hard to believe given my age, so I dragged myself over to the front door and unlocked it (knowing SOMEONE was going to have to get in to help me at some point) and then back to the phone..."
***CLICK HERE TO READ THE WHOLE STORY***
In Ellen's own words:
My Hole in My Head. I always joke around that I have a hole in my head, but technically it's in my brain. I remember the first time I saw that scan, about 4 years after the stroke. Up until then, somehow it hadn't really crossed my mind that there would be such a visible dead space. It makes sense, now that I've had time to consider, but I just hadn't thought about it before I saw the scan on the light box. So I took a picture.
And a fun pic she took that we borrowed off her blog:
------------------------------------------------
THANK YOU again to everyone who sent in nominations!! We are holding on to these and will post here when the time has come to open up nominations again, if and when the time comes. Check back tomorrow for the BIG announcement!!
Over the past five days dozens upon dozens of people sent in nominations... for themselves, friends, family, fellow photographers... even clients and accountants sending in emails! Some were nominated by four or five different people. Some sent pictures and stories and attachments; with others, words were all that was needed.
I read through every one of them, wishing I had the means to take in every one of them. I was feeling utterly hopeless at how to narrow the finalists down from such a large group of deserving individuals. Thank goodness it is not my job to do this!!
These FIVE FINALISTS were chosen because they made us laugh, made us cry, humbled us to the core, and really pulled at our heart-strings. They were completely original and forthright with information and telling us why they NEED this scholarship and told us enough of their stories for the panel to make a decision.
The recipient will be announced tomorrow sometime after all the votes are in and tallied. Due to space limitations, we had to shorten what is posted on this blog, but you can click on to read the full story if you'd like.
Without further ado... we present the finalists!! (In no particular order)
WEBSITE
BLOG
Her life's aspiration: to worship the Creator by creating.
This talented photographer has not even finished high school and has already been in business for about a year! She believes in dreaming BIG and never giving up... and will be putting herself through college starting in the fall. Probably our most original entry yet... we'll let you find out more and watch the video for yourselves....
-----------------------------------
WEBSITE
(NEW site under construction!!)
BLOG
What do socks have to do with Karen and business organization?
She's a wedding photographer on the brink of her own wedding. Yet another original application that tells us in her own words (and pictures) why she needs the biz help... click the picture of Karen to watch the slideshow (it may take a minute to load, please be patient)
----------------------------------------------
WEBSITE
BLOG
Linguist daughter of immigrant parents, she found the love of her life (who became her husband and father of their two children) while serving in the Air Force, only to have a brain tumor take him from her too soon. Newly widowed and living in a small town with little opportunity, she finds her light and hope and joy through photography finally... and begins the healing process...
Marie's beautiful bio pic from her site
"...Fate had other plans for our little family and at 39 I found myself a widow with two young children, ages 3 ½ and 9 years old. To say that I was devastated is an understatement. I firmly believed that if we stayed positive, researched all of our options, went to the best medical facilities in the country that we could beat the monster that had taken over my husband’s body, and most regrettably, his brain. I was wrong. Crest fallen and grief stricken, I desperately sought for something to do to support my family...."
***CLICK HERE TO READ THE WHOLE STORY****
One of Marie's pics
WEBSITE
BLOG
She's got an airline voucher that will get her to Atlanta and a small time frame during which she can fly....
With their second child on the way, Beth (former social worker) and her husband Sam (Air Force) have no control over where they are called to move every 4 years... and now they're in California where the market is over-saturated and their financial resources are stretched... how will Beth make her photography business flourish amongst so much change and opposition? How can they set the example for their children to follow their own dreams?
Beth and her hubby, Sam
"Hello Liana,
First I must tell you that it touches my heart greatly that you are offering a scholarship to your BBC Workshop. Giving back is something very close to my heart, so when I read your post on OSP I liked you even more then I did before! ;) My first encounter meeting you was at WPPI 2007. I went to see you as a Platform Speaker and it was the first time I had ever listened to another photographer speak. You blew me away! I always remember a question someone asked you about why you didn't shoot RAW- and your answer was that you shoot correctly out of the camera the first time so why would you shoot RAW? When you said that, my thoughts were that ...." ***CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THE STORY***
Some of Beth's work
WEBSITE
BLOG
She's got a beloved Cat who's had a CAT scan and survived cancer. But that's not the only miracle in her story...
On the brink of starting a Masters in Physical Therapy program at Emory University ten years ago, Ellen suffered a massive cerebral hemorrhage that left her with a hole in her brain... unable to read, write, or speak. To say that Ellen is a living miracle and photography has helped her heal might just be an understatement...
Ellen not long after her stroke
"...I was on the phone with my mother and she noticed that I was not making any sense. She asked if I was alright, and I thought about what I had just said. I realized the words I was saying had absolutely no connection to the words I was thinking. I told mom I'd be right back, I thought I just needed something to drink. The next thing I remember, I was spilling the water I had gotten from the refrigerator on myself, I was dragging myself across the kitchen floor with my left arm, my right arm was twisted up and around behind my left side and I couldn't feel my legs. I looked down at myself and knew this was really bad. I'd had enough medical training that I KNEW what had happened, even though it was hard to believe given my age, so I dragged myself over to the front door and unlocked it (knowing SOMEONE was going to have to get in to help me at some point) and then back to the phone..."
***CLICK HERE TO READ THE WHOLE STORY***
In Ellen's own words:
My Hole in My Head. I always joke around that I have a hole in my head, but technically it's in my brain. I remember the first time I saw that scan, about 4 years after the stroke. Up until then, somehow it hadn't really crossed my mind that there would be such a visible dead space. It makes sense, now that I've had time to consider, but I just hadn't thought about it before I saw the scan on the light box. So I took a picture.
And a fun pic she took that we borrowed off her blog:
THANK YOU again to everyone who sent in nominations!! We are holding on to these and will post here when the time has come to open up nominations again, if and when the time comes. Check back tomorrow for the BIG announcement!!
Friday, April 11, 2008
Call for Nominations!! The Biz Boot Camp Scholarship!!
Happy Friday!!
Known but only to a few, the Biz Boot Camp Scholarship has provided for a handful of professional photographers to attend a Photo Biz Boot Camp in 2007 and early 2008. Now it's time to take it public and allow for nominees!!!
Do you know a photographer or other small business professional ready to take their business to the next level, enforce business health and profitability, and QUIT working an 80-hour work week??
We're accepting nominations now until Tuesday April 15th at NOON EST for our April 29th Boot Camp. Finalists will be posted here Tuesday afternoon. The winner will be announced Wednesday April 16 and will be granted full tuition for the April 29th BBC held in Atlanta, GA, a Profit Center DVD mailed in advance, all materials and meals included too!
(Some of our BBC "Survivors"!)
Please send nominations to info@photobizbootcamp.com with subject line: NOMINATION: ______ (photographer's name who you are nominating). Please include relevant information on the photographer (Name, City/State, Contact Info for you and them, Web Address), a story about what makes them different in their industry, what they do when they're NOT running their business, and why they should be chosen for this scholarship.
Nominees should be available and able to attend in April. You may nominate yourself too!
Winners will be chosen based on originality of submission and need by a panel of trusted advisors.
Thanks for all your help - we couldn't do this without you!!
-----------------
Want to know what the Photo Biz Boot Camp is all about? Ready to register online? **** CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO ***
Known but only to a few, the Biz Boot Camp Scholarship has provided for a handful of professional photographers to attend a Photo Biz Boot Camp in 2007 and early 2008. Now it's time to take it public and allow for nominees!!!
Do you know a photographer or other small business professional ready to take their business to the next level, enforce business health and profitability, and QUIT working an 80-hour work week??
We're accepting nominations now until Tuesday April 15th at NOON EST for our April 29th Boot Camp. Finalists will be posted here Tuesday afternoon. The winner will be announced Wednesday April 16 and will be granted full tuition for the April 29th BBC held in Atlanta, GA, a Profit Center DVD mailed in advance, all materials and meals included too!
(Some of our BBC "Survivors"!)
Please send nominations to info@photobizbootcamp.com with subject line: NOMINATION: ______ (photographer's name who you are nominating). Please include relevant information on the photographer (Name, City/State, Contact Info for you and them, Web Address), a story about what makes them different in their industry, what they do when they're NOT running their business, and why they should be chosen for this scholarship.
Nominees should be available and able to attend in April. You may nominate yourself too!
Winners will be chosen based on originality of submission and need by a panel of trusted advisors.
Thanks for all your help - we couldn't do this without you!!
-----------------
Want to know what the Photo Biz Boot Camp is all about? Ready to register online? **** CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO ***
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Total Money Makeover
2008 has been an AWESOME year of good reads so far for me ... and here's another one that's going on my Recommended Reads list for sure!!
Many of you already know my story about how I was over 20k in debt and making 22k in salary right out of college... and how I turned that around by applying financial smarts to my life and business. There have been some great resources that helped me through all that... but here's one I REALLY could have used back then. Mainly because it is SOOO completely practical and has actual steps and numbers to go along with it... and lots of encouraging stories of others who have changed their financial worlds around too!
If I hadn't buckled down and learned about Running My Biz based on the Numbers, and being smart with my personal finances too I know I'd be in a completely different place today. Now my car is paid off, I have absolutely no credit card or school debt, and I've moved into a brand new home years and years before I thought I'd be able to. I've got a rainy-day fund so if business is slow, it's A-okay... and I've got a retirement fund, savings, and can give to causes I believe in. Oh, and did I mention I'm doing what I LOVE to do and not running the rat-race?? Live changes considerably when you're not worried about finances!
This one is a MUST read for everyone! Click the picture below to order.
Description:
The success stories speak for themselves in this book from money maestro Dave Ramsey. Instead of promising the normal dose of quick fixes, Ramsey offers a bold, no-nonsense approach to money matters, providing not only the how-to but also a grounded and uplifting hope for getting out of debt and achieving total financial health.
Ramsey debunks the many myths of money (exposing the dangers of cash advance, rent-to-own, debt consolidation) and attacks the illusions and downright deceptions of the American dream, which encourages nothing but overspending and massive amounts of debt. "Don't even consider keeping up with the Joneses," Ramsey declares in his typically candid style. "They're broke!"
Many of you already know my story about how I was over 20k in debt and making 22k in salary right out of college... and how I turned that around by applying financial smarts to my life and business. There have been some great resources that helped me through all that... but here's one I REALLY could have used back then. Mainly because it is SOOO completely practical and has actual steps and numbers to go along with it... and lots of encouraging stories of others who have changed their financial worlds around too!
If I hadn't buckled down and learned about Running My Biz based on the Numbers, and being smart with my personal finances too I know I'd be in a completely different place today. Now my car is paid off, I have absolutely no credit card or school debt, and I've moved into a brand new home years and years before I thought I'd be able to. I've got a rainy-day fund so if business is slow, it's A-okay... and I've got a retirement fund, savings, and can give to causes I believe in. Oh, and did I mention I'm doing what I LOVE to do and not running the rat-race?? Live changes considerably when you're not worried about finances!
This one is a MUST read for everyone! Click the picture below to order.
Description:
The success stories speak for themselves in this book from money maestro Dave Ramsey. Instead of promising the normal dose of quick fixes, Ramsey offers a bold, no-nonsense approach to money matters, providing not only the how-to but also a grounded and uplifting hope for getting out of debt and achieving total financial health.
Ramsey debunks the many myths of money (exposing the dangers of cash advance, rent-to-own, debt consolidation) and attacks the illusions and downright deceptions of the American dream, which encourages nothing but overspending and massive amounts of debt. "Don't even consider keeping up with the Joneses," Ramsey declares in his typically candid style. "They're broke!"
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