Hey! I have a fountain now! Does that make me a bad person!?!?!? (PS - Don't feel bad, I've been accused all my life of having "good-looking" friends!)

BAH

You're not Tom Vu, you're Ron Popiel

http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/383848/2#3277550 

See?  The word is out.  They know.... lol

http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventors/popeil.htm

Tom Vu?  Never heard of him. 

I do believe that your message is consistent and, yes, I've learned a LOT from you.  My concern is that if "Get Rich in Wedding Photography" is mass marketed (like so many get rich schemes)...will EVERYONE who follows your advice get rich?  I have potential clients who come to me with strong referrals from past raving clients (which would meet the "prefiltered for price" criteria, correct?)...not all of them book me.  Some of them tell me that they really wanted to book me at $3000 but they still had to go with the $1500 photographer down the street.  Did the $1500 photography down the street also attend your seminar or buy your DVD...but because he or she hasn't been in business as long as me...they are undercutting me on price.  What if most of my competitors have your DVD too?

Sometimes I wonder if there are more "I wanna get rich as a wedding photographer wannabes" then actual brides!  LOL  The burgeoning wedding photography seminar and DVD market leads me to believe that *I too* should be thinking about doing seminars and DVDs if I want to get rich in wedding photography.

What do you think?

TOM VU - classic. Alot of fond memories of watching his infomercials on late night TV. Biggest joke out there....

I really appreciate your honestly and humbleness. It is good to meet someone who is down to earth. I have been thinking about buying a house in foreclosure by the way....funny you mention that.

As for your business, there is nothing wrong with being successful as long as you remember there are others that struggle or are not as successful you are. There is a certain limit of pride and how far you can go with the pride. There's healthy pride---like looking around and knowing you have succeeded the way you wanted to in life. But there's that unhealthy pride that one gets to the point that they can't relate or even love one another. Keep loving the people you are with and you will even become more successful in your life.

Aside from that, I wrote a previous comment asking you about the video clips and the dvd--and the closed captioning problem. I don't know if you will consider this, but maybe you can add the open captioning to your dvds because there are at least 800,000 million americans who are hard of hearing or deaf. Did you know that there is absolutely NO photography conventions or anything catered to the deaf? The deaf has no way of learning photography because most conventions and so forth have no interpreters present. Also if I were to have an interpreter at any photo convention or meeting, I would have to pay them out of my pocket. It's like my hands are tied.

I know I have the skills to be a good photographer but I feel so limited. There is ony so much I can learn from photography books. I have devoured so many photography books and I crave "hands on" instruction person to person.

Anyway, hope you have a blessed week
~Julie Ann~
PS. Here's my website: www.pbase.com/julieannlanz
It is not much---I am only so limited in what I can learn

Julie Ann,

WPPI had two interpreters that were with one of the deaf photographers at the convention, tradeshow AND in the platform classes - wherever the deaf photographer was, they followed.  I'd ask WPPI if you wanted to go about those arrangements.  I sign and used to work for deaf telephone Relay so I appreciate your concerns but WPPI did address them at least this year.

M

wow... that sounds so interesting... I have always wanted to learn how to sign. Maybe if I ever catch up on my photo stuff I can try and learn some of it. Where did you learn?

I used to date a girl who wanted to be an interpreter.  While I was in law school I actually worked for the Deaf Relay Service - for our state, it's in Syracuse NY where I live.  I learned sign through that gf and through my bosses, some of whom are deaf.  You can also get books, tapes, watch videos, and probly learn from dvd while you're on the road.  :)  There are TONS of resources - if you want some ideas, lemme know.

M

Oh my goodness...I REMEMBER TOM VU! I never would have if you had not brought it up because dude...you are NOTHING like that guy. He was a grade A moron, and shallow to boot. I'm laughing now, just remembering how I used to laugh at Tom Vu...I used to think he was bad satire...Unintentional satire, perhaps.

You are a likable, Unreal smart, Cool guy. For real. ...And your friends are beautiful people, inside & out. ;)

haha oh man i never heard of that guy before now.... im so glad i got the chance to watch those clips!! i was dieing...

someone needs to get THAT guys a "im kind of a big deal" shirt!!!

>>7) Melissa would never let me be surrounded by bikini babes for a video clip.<<

What if Melissa lets you? Would you?

Julie Ann, my sister and mom both have cochlear implants, and my neice's wife is a teacher for deaf children in elementary school.   U grew up with closed captioning so even now when I'm alone watching a tv show I like to have the captioning on. 

And Tom Vu rocks!  Used to love watching him at 3am when I used to be the graveyard watch commander at the Police Department.