Image Pulled From Google Images From Amazon
The most recent copy of the magazine “Professional Photographer” put out by PPA included an article titled “Opposite of Normal – Make Your Brand Stand Out From The Crowd.” It’s the first time that I have come across FindYourYellowTux.com.
Here’s a short video clip:
Fundamental questions:
What business am I really in?
What makes me stand out?
What do you really specialize in?
What are you the best at? “When you have that answer and you can clearly define it for your customers, then there’s no competition,” explains Cole. “You’re only competing with yourself.
Consider the pain points of your clients:
What are my customers’ challenges?
What do people hate?
What are their frustrations?
Do the opposite of normal:
“Whatever is normal, do the exact opposite,” recommends Cole. “Write down the normal experience in your field, what everyone else is doing. Then think, What would be the exact opposite? What would make people go ‘wow’? Open your mind to an unbelievable, amazing experience.”
“Sometimes you don’t know all the answers, and that’s OK,” says Cole. “Just start doing it and see where it takes you. I would challenge people who are scared – once you try it, you’d be surprised at how well it works. But you’ve go to get out there and try.”
My thoughts…
I’m inspired by photographer Joel Grimes. Although I don’t anticipate Joel wearing a Yellow suit and getting outrageous, Joel does try new things and pushes himself to get better. He is also 60+ years old as of this post and that also inspires me that after 40 years he feels that he never stops learning and seems to have this insatiable desire to continue to push himself.
It’s easy to get complacent and not push yourself. But in the world of photography, there are a lot of talented photographers out there, so it’s important that each of us discover what we are best at. From a non-photography perspective, I know beyond a doubt that I excel at communication. On the photography side, I know the type of work that I am not good at and/or that I don’t enjoy doing. My goal is to stick with the photography that I love and that I am good at. However, that’s not where it ends.
“Find a need and fill it” just came to mind as I was writing this post, but sometimes going beyond in the creative field is done by creating a look that others want to hire you to create. The painter, Pablo Picasso, had a unique style of art. Salvador Dali was unique in his appearance and his work. In the photography realm, you have likely heard of Ansel Adams, Irving Penn and in more recent times Annie Leibovitz.
One reason for writing this blog post is for easy reference to hold myself accountable. As an entrepreneur, I know about risk taking and trial and error. I’m willing to try new things and see where it leads me.