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This week in Florida has been a wonderful break from the snow, ice and freezing temps of Kentucky, but for me it has been much, much more. \u00a0First it has been the activity I enjoy most in life, just hanging out with my bride. \u00a0Sherelene is not only my wife, my confident, and love of my life, she is also my best friend. \u00a0I’m always on stage, that has been my life, entertaining and teaching others, and I love it, but it is also work. \u00a0When I’m with Sherelene I’m just myself and she knows me to well for me to try and impress her, shockingly she loves me for who I am, and that works for me!!!! \u00a0So this has been week of relaxing, and slowly preparing for the “big” March trip and the rest of the year of workshops and appearances. \u00a0I wanted to share how I prepare for workshops, lectures and going out to be with the folks I’m honored to spend time with.<\/p>\n
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Number One: \u00a0Get the focus off myself.<\/strong><\/span> \u00a0My purpose is to help others. \u00a0Help them learn, help them relax, help them enjoy the process of the event. \u00a0I can’t make a workshop or seminar about me. \u00a0I need to focus my energy on reading their responses, and meeting their needs. \u00a0What people think about me is not important, what is important is delivering what they paid for, and need. \u00a0If I do that then their response to me will be positive, which is great, just not what is most important.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Number Two: \u00a0As the Boys Scout Manual says: \u00a0Be Prepared!<\/strong><\/span> \u00a0I would never go to do a seminar like the one in Peoria, or a workshop like the two with Jack Graham out west without intense preparation. \u00a0Jack is a professional and he will be prepared! \u00a0 In the next 16 workshops for the rest of the year, Jim Begley and Snake, Bill Pekala and Fred Sisson are all pros, they will be prepared! \u00a0I owe the guests nothing more than being on top of my game, it involves planning, study, consideration of the group coming, and more study. \u00a0The audience or attendees can’t learn if they are not relaxed and at ease, and they can’t feel that if I seem to be at a loss as to what I’m doing!! \u00a0I must be prepared!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Number Three: \u00a0I must be truly, genuinely, enthusiastic about being with them!<\/strong><\/span> \u00a0You can’t fake truly being excited to be with people, you either are or you would rather be somewhere else. \u00a0When you get to that point, it’s time to do something else. \u00a0People deserve a great experience and you can’t deliver it, if you are not having a great experience yourself! \u00a0I once knew a great photographer that was wonderful shooter and filled with incredible knowledge, but he hated hanging out with people, he would have rather been alone, I can’t imagine being that miserable, and conducting workshops! \u00a0The best leaders I know, can’t wait to get there and get started!!!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Number Four: \u00a0Research your locations and know what you are going to do!!!<\/strong><\/span> \u00a0Photographic success and great workshop experiences depend on being logistically prepared. \u00a0Where are your going to take them? \u00a0What will the light be like? \u00a0What will the conditions be like? \u00a0What will the subject matter be like? \u00a0Will the flowers be blooming? \u00a0Will the fall leaves have turned? \u00a0How will conditions; (wind – cold – rain – snow – road conditions etc, etc.) affect the shoot? You have to know!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Number Five: \u00a0Are \u00a0your ready to roll with the punches?<\/strong><\/span> \u00a0Things “will” go wrong. \u00a0Even the best planned event will offer up surpises!! \u00a0Can you make lemonade our of lemons? \u00a0If you can’t, it’s going to be a tough life as a workshop provider!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Number Six: \u00a0Be sure you are “most<\/span>” concerned about your Guests, and their needs!<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0If you are not truly first and foremost focused on the attendees, you will fail. \u00a0Running workshops can’t be letting others pay for your trip to place you want to shoot! \u00a0Do it before an after they arrive and leave, or use shooting to demonstrate how to do it in the field! \u00a0NEVER keep shooting when someone needs \u00a0your help! \u00a0It’s better to miss a shot, than let someone down that paid for your help!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Number Seven: \u00a0Have Fun!<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0 If you a re not having fun, no one else will either. \u00a0A good leader, leads by example. \u00a0you can’t fake it, if you are having a blast it’s likely your guests will too!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Number Eight: \u00a0Trust God with it all.<\/strong><\/span> \u00a0If I am doing it as unto Him, I need His help to do all the things I mentioned above and more! \u00a0My most important purpose is to show people they are loved, that God loves them, that He truly cares for them and that they are safe in His arms. \u00a0Those attendees that have told me that the workshop they attended changed, their lives, fulfill my greatest prayer and hope! \u00a0All the Glory goes to Him!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n This week I’ve been getting into the right mindset to really do all the above, and resting up so I can keep up the pace for a year! \u00a0 I want to to be the be the best I can be! \u00a0My guest are counting on it!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Blessings,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n the pilgrim<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Do you like the photographic pun in the lead image. \u00a0The hot air ballon is getting filled to be ready to fly, just like I get filled with hot air to run workshops!!!!<\/p>\n Ha!!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This week in Florida has been a wonderful break from the snow, ice and freezing temps of Kentucky, but for me it has been much, much more. \u00a0First it has been the activity I enjoy most in life, just hanging out with my bride. \u00a0Sherelene is not only my wife, my confident, and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13425","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-chronicles"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/billfortney.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13425","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/billfortney.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/billfortney.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/billfortney.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/billfortney.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13425"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/billfortney.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13425\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13431,"href":"https:\/\/billfortney.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13425\/revisions\/13431"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/billfortney.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13425"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/billfortney.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13425"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/billfortney.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13425"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}