This past Monday I was very fortunate to be able to attend the Atlanta WPPI Road Show! Mr. Michael Williams of Michael Williams Photography went with me. It was a day of incredibly valuable information!
Bambi Cantrell (www.cantrellportrait.com) was the Master of Ceremonies and as a bonus taught on creating impactful albums. She was not listed on the schedule of speakers and she spoke to us at the very end and if everyone was like me, we felt so honored to hear her talk! In-between sessions, she was so approachable and down-to-earth, it was great. She is a wealth of knowledge and experience, as all the speakers were.
Sarah Petty (is tall!) (www.thejoyofmarketing.com) started of the presentations and from the start, had you thinking about your business in a new light. She really caused you to reflect on how you were growing and presented your products and services without losing your shirt.
Tony Corbell (www.tonycorbell.com) is so passionate STILL! Oh man did he take us back! He made us fall back in love with the craft again. Those of us that felt like they were sometimes just going through the motions to get paid, got their money’s worth. I enjoyed him for his honesty and passion and raw “give it to them in the face” approach. Eye-opener for sure.
Kirk Voclain (www.kvphoto.com), hmmmm, how many ways can you say CRAZY? This guy was incredible and his talent is over-the-top! He kept us entertained (for sure) and educated us in so many different areas. His approach to senior photos and his pricing structure, his mobile home beginnings, made you feel like anything is possible. His prints were simply amazing. The way they pop off the screen on his site are the same as the huge prints he brought in!
Kevin (class-act) Kubota (www.kubotaimagetools.com), what can I say? He’s so laid back, it wasn’t until he was up presenting that I recognized him. Yes, he looks like his photos but he just blended it with everyone else. He’s a little crazy too (throwing door prizes from the stage) but so professional it was jaw-dropping. I was sitting and just honored to have the opportunity to see the amazing photos he’d taken and how his workflow made so much sense.
Icing on the cake…….I took a moment and sent all the presenters a personal email, thanking them for their time, talent, and willingness to help us “little-guys”. At the bottom of each of the emails (the main content was different) I asked that if they had time, to stop by my site and leave me a note, or just respond to the email. Well to my surprise (definitely pleasant), Kevin Kubota was the first to respond. Not only did he comment, he complimented. He did not send a “canned” response, he actually visited my site! That is why I call him “class-act Kubota”. Below is his comment back to me.
Message: “Hey AJ! Thanks for your GREAT note! Made my day for sure :-) I'm thankful you came to the workshop and that it was helpful to you. I enjoyed looking at your site too, great photos! I love the story of how you got your dads cameras too :-) I inherited the photo bug from my dad too and he gave me my first camera, an old Nikkormat, to start my photo biz. All the best!
-Kevin”
Oh, and the mini trade show was great too! I won a white balance tool ($99 regularly)! During the breaks we would go into the trade show room and visit the vendors. Color Right (www.colorright.com) was located in the corner of the room and it was crowded. Through the people, I noticed a jar on the table and business cards being placed in it. I did NOT know what it was for, I could not see the paper that stated there would be a drawing. I figured it was a sales tactic for them to put you on their contacts listing or send you coupons. During one of the later breaks that day, I received a call and noticed it was an Atlanta number. I answered and the voice on the other end explained she was at the WPPI show and I had entered the drawing and won! I asked her to raise her hand so I could see where she was located. I walked over and to my surprise I had won the “original” colorright White Balance tool. What made this really cool is that I was wanting to buy one anyway! God is good!
May God bless and keep you all!
AJ
