First off let me clarify, I am not going to give you some deep life advice that I have learned in my short 26 years on this luscious green earth. No, these are random thoughts that come to mind when looking back on the year that was.
I hope you learn some new trinkets of information from all of this, but if you don’t, well at least it will be entertaining.
First up.
Pandora and their Ads, What are they getting at?
I have noticed a trend when listening to the free version of Pandora, you know the one with all the ads.
I listen to two radio stations on Pandora:
- Comedy Radio: it’s nice to laugh sometimes on the way home from a day’s work.
- Shuffle: A mix of mostly Mudvayne (because you know… I hate my parents), Young Jeezy (because I never want to forget my roots), and Ace of Base (because I never want to forget my roots).
Over that past months I have notice that the ads played on Comedy Radio are very different from the ads played on my Shuffle.
How different you ask?
Let me first say these ads do share one trait: they are both selling sex,but aimed at two very different people.
Comedy Radio, for instance, has ads for this website called Adam and Eve. Now I don’t know what this website is but from what I gather they sell toys, costumes, and videos (for the adult population). What that tells me is Pandora thinks all people that listen to Comedy Radio are sad lonely men. These ads give this demographic a nice reminder that yes, you are lonely and there are DVD’s for that.
Now my Shuffle Radio on the other hand seems to only plays ads for Trojan condoms. Pandora apparently thinks this demographic of people that listen to hard rock, rap, and early 90’s Europop are not lonely, in fact they are super busy getting jiggy with it, but seem to forget to practice safety first. These ads gives this demographic a nice reminder that you don’t have to sacrifice pleasure for safety.
Now this got me thinking what does this say about me?
Self Help Books – All You Need is One
I have read a lot of self help books in the past two or three years and now I am done reading them.
Why?
Well let me boil done every self help book almost ever. They start of with this eye catching title like “Finding the Best You That is Inside You”. And when you see this title you’re like “Holy caterpillars, I need to know that!”
Next they will tell you a bunch of stories about successful people and businesses that strengthen their points. One business will always be Apple no matter what the book is talking about and there will always be some car salesman from Indiana that will be mentioned as well as the kid’s TV show Sesame Street. What does Sesame Street have to do with you, I don’t have a clue but it does.
What I am getting at is read one self help book and take from it the points that will help. But success comes from busting your ass every day and working long days with little sleep and often little appreciation. It comes with some lucky breaks, you being in the right place at the right time. Oh, and being good at what you already do helps a whole hell of a lot.
My Clients Must Think I Need to Drink More
This past Christmas not just one but three of my client gave me beer as a gift, and on top of that another two or three gave me cards with a few bucks with the note to buy a drink on them.
Now I appreciate the gifts and I drank those drinks. And just incase a few read this, I have the best clients ever. But this got me thinking, do my client think I am up tight and need to loosen up?
Maybe?
How the F is a Photographer an Investment
So I got engaged this year. Yeah that happened.
What that means is I have spent a lot of time looking at venues, DJ’s, and other random wedding expenses. Now I notice this trend with photographers and how they sell themselves on the Internet. If you look for words like cost or price you won’t find them, for it is hidden under the pseudo heading of “Investment”.
That seems odd for I always thought an investment was when I spend money on the hopes to get something better in return. Like I invested money in stocks in the hope to get an increase payout or I invested money in college hoping I make more because of my education (really hope this one pays off).
But a photographer, really? An investment? Are they saying I will give them money in hopes they will give me something better than what I was expecting or that in 60 years my wedding photos will be considered a work of art and my kids can sell them for a profit?
No, no I don’t see that happening. Let’s call a photo a photo and call hiring a wedding photographer what it really is: spending a shit ton of money.
Stay Hungry and Appreciate Where You Are At
You should always want to get better at your job, always want to provide a better life for your family, and always try to self improve. At the same time don’t forget to appreciate where you were a year ago and where you are now.
Look forward to the strides you will make in this upcoming year but don’t forget to appreciate where you are at now. Take time to stop looking back on the past and stop looking forward to tomorrow and appreciate what you are doing today, right now.
Here’s to 2016
Best
JW
