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Live at WPPI A Legacy Conversation with Arlene Evans
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Episode Summary
In this special first-ever live recording of The Empowered Photographer, host Elena sits down with a woman who has quietly shaped the careers of the world's most successful photographers: Arlene Evans. From her roles at Creative Live and WPPI, Arlene has an uncanny "superpower" for spotting the next generation of industry leaders. In this heartfelt and candid interview, they discuss what it takes to land a spot on the big stages, why the "business of photography" is the only way to survive, and the evolving landscape of the industry in the age of YouTube and TikTok.
5 Key Takeaways
- The "Innate" Factor: Arlene looks for raw passion and a deep desire to empower others when scouting for new speakers, not just technical skill.
- Business is the Lifeline: Talent can only take you so far. Arlene and Elena emphasize that without business, marketing, and spreadsheet skills, the average photographer’s career lasts only 1–5 years.
- The Power of Community: With 88% of photographers working alone, attending conferences like WPPI and Imaging USA is vital for combating burnout and sparking fresh inspiration.
- Actionable Education Over Inspiration: For an educator to be sustainable, they must provide "actionable items." Purely inspirational talks are a thing of the past; modern students want tools they can implement immediately.
- The Industry is Thriving: Despite the rise of the iPhone, the demand for professional photography and high-quality print products is growing, especially as "retro" styles and film make a massive comeback.
Resources
- WPPI (Wedding & Portrait Photographers International): The annual conference in Las Vegas.
- Creative Live: The online education platform where Arlene previously served as Head of Photography.
Connect With Me:
- Follow me on Instagram
- Join my Facebook Community
- Visit my Website for More!
Subscribe & Review: 💛
If you’re ready to take your business seriously, don't forget to subscribe to The Empowered Photographer and leave us a review! Are you heading to a conference this year? Tag us on Instagram and let us know which "actionable item" you're implementing first.
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Transcript
Introduction to the Empowered Photographer Podcast
00:00:05
Speaker
I thought it's hard when it's on in another room like this.
00:00:09
Speaker
All right, everybody. This is so weird. i have never recorded a podcast live. Welcome to the Empowered Photographer podcast. First ever live recording. This is a podcast for photographers who want to take their businesses seriously and who are ready to feel empowered. So I'm very, very
Interview with Arlene: Impact on Photography Careers
00:00:31
Speaker
honored. I do have notes. I actually feel a little nervous. This is probably what I was the most excited about for WPPI. So I do have notes, but and they told me they wanted me to do an interview and that I could pick anybody that was here to interview. All of the speakers, photographers, and as you know, we have some of the biggest rock stars in the industry here. And the first person that came to my mind was Arlene. And and if you don't know Arlene yet, well, you're going to get to know her now. um Arlene has worked in the photo industry for over 20 years. Now, this is just her little bio, then I'm going to give you some personal stuff.
00:01:08
Speaker
ah First is the membership and conference director for WPPI, then the head of photography at CreativeLive. She returned back to WPPI in 2019 and became the content director for for the photo group. And she is currently the conference director of WPPI. She's also a wife, a mother, a grandmother now, and literally everybody's favorite person in the world.
00:01:32
Speaker
I feel like I could get emotional thinking about about her. i know'm like But she has single-handedly changed the trajectory of my career and so many photographers' careers. I'm so honored to talk to you today. Oh, thank you. Thank you. I told her to pick somebody else, by the way, but she didn't listen She said, you're crazy. i was like, no, this is what I want to do um So this isn't really just an interview for me. This is really a legacy conversation because she believed in me and saw something in me before anyone else did and when no one else would. And she has done that for so many people.
Arlene's Intuition in Recognizing Photographers
00:02:07
Speaker
So welcome, Arlene. I'm so excited. you. Thank you, Elena. Thank you for having me. You're welcome. Such an honor, truly. I know. But like I said, I was giving her a list of other people to have, and but she ignored me. She's like, I could put you in contact with this person. I'm like, no, I want to actually i want to interview you. So my first question is, you know, along kind of goes along with the intro that I give is that you have quietly shaped the careers of so many photographers, me included.
00:02:35
Speaker
And what I want to ask you is when you first meet someone and when I'm talking about the careers for anyone that's listening, It's more so that she has the ability to know when someone is going to be a very good leader and a good influencer and a good educator. She has really spearheaded that part of this industry. So when you meet someone, what do you see that tells you that they belong on a stage? Like how do you, why does that a superpower for you?
00:03:04
Speaker
Wow. I've never thought about it. and It's sort of an an innate thing that I can feel. Number one, it's the passion. that they have when they talk about photography. That, that I mean, i have, like for instance, well you, somebody like Roberta Valenzuela that I'm, oh my God. Sorry, that was a drone that just went Okay. You know, somebody like Roberta or Lindsey, they were both 23 when I first met them. and
00:03:36
Speaker
They were just so passionate, not only about photography, but about educating and passing along what they knew, like you did, you know what what they wanted to empower other photographers with.
Business Acumen in Photography
00:03:51
Speaker
And i think that is what is so important to me because my career has been all about education and what I feel photographers need to know not only to be a good photographer, but how to run a business. What I've learned over the years is you can learn as much as you need to know about your camera, but if you don't know anything about how to run a business, might as well throw your camera in the garbage. um You can be a great artist. And we all know people, I mean, the average lifespan for many years has been one to five years for a photographer. And we have data on that. because people think that if they buy a camera, they watch some YouTube videos and they read the manual or they go online and read about it, that they can make a living doing this. And a lot of that started when the market crashed in 2008 and then happened again during the pandemic. But if you don't have the basic skills to understand
00:05:01
Speaker
You know, how to put a spreadsheet together or how to put a pricing list together or especially now how to market, yeah how to how to utilize social media, you know, how to surround yourself with people that are going to help you promote and market.
00:05:19
Speaker
you're not going to make it. It doesn't matter how much talent and how much creativity you're going to have. And sometimes that's just a sad reality. Yeah. And so, well, you're in the right place. Cause that's what empowered is about is about the business part. And there was a, we had a business summit yesterday.
WPPI Business Summit and Industry Challenges
00:05:35
Speaker
um first time I think that WPPI has ever done that. No, it know and've been a while it's, it's been a while since we've done it. We've done it in the past. But interestingly,
00:05:45
Speaker
and this but this is like such a good little sideway ah segue in this conversation is that it was something that we sort of had to advocate for to bring back those of us that are passionate about business. And it's and I think, you know, i'm I'm looking at some of my friends here, some of my students in the crowd. Like I always say that 95% of being successful as a photographer, if you want this to work as your as your job, is learning the business side. It is actually not about being a talented photographer. There are very talented photographers who burn out and they will say that they burned out because they hate business. And it's not that you hate business, it's that you don't understand it. And that's where you need to surround yourself with education, community, like you said, all of that.
00:06:26
Speaker
It's so important. I feel very passionate about it. And the business summit was packed. It was really it was packed. It was great. We had one of the biggest turnouts of summits and I felt so excited for everyone in there because I know that, OK, if you're here and you know that you need to learn about business, then you're 10 steps ahead of you know whoever you're trying to compete with.
The Host's Personal Journey and Arlene's Influence
00:06:45
Speaker
Okay. Next question that I have for you is a little personal for me. i actually never asked you this, that when you believed in me, what is it that you saw um in me that I couldn't see in myself?
00:06:58
Speaker
Oh, that's a good one. She believed in me, guys. Family photographers didn't have a stage, and she gave me one i'm Creative Live. She gave me one here. and Literally changed my life. so and ah No one else would do it, okay? I was trying. So I want to know what what it what is it that you saw in me?
00:07:16
Speaker
Well, your work was beautiful, number one. And you didn't have a studio. you're using You natural environments. You were using natural light. You were you know capturing moments, you were storytelling, you were documenting, and as a mother, you know as well as someone who was promoting education, those were the moments that I felt that people needed to have to you know for legacy reasons as you know for families.
00:07:50
Speaker
And you had confidence. You just didn't know it. I was so scared. You were scared. Oh, my God. My first creative live class, I literally didn't sleep for a month. I was so scared. But you but you you helped me get through that. Sandra helped me get through that. Yeah, well, my Sandra, too. Yeah, me and Sandra went through that together. It was so scary. but Yeah, but the the thing is, is that you stepped up to the plate once you were given the opportunity to do it. yeah So it was there.
00:08:20
Speaker
yeah And you just had to be given the stage for it. so yeah And you had something to say. Yes, I did. And that's the biggest part of it. you You had something to say. And I think having been a nurse before, you had the empathy also to project you know to people so that they could understand you know what to capture. i think your background helped pull those feelings and you know, pull the story from people. And I think that was partly from what your past career had been as well. Yeah. Thank you. For sure.
00:08:59
Speaker
For sure. Okay. Well, because I know that this is something that you've done for so many people, um seeing that something in someone, But what really makes you feel what makes you take a risk
Diversity and Risk-taking in Speaker Selection
00:09:13
Speaker
on somebody? Because I mean, maybe I wasn't one of the biggest risks, but I'm sure you have said, i know this person is going to be good. You have to believe me to your team or whatever.
00:09:22
Speaker
What is it that makes you take a risk on someone? Oh, I've taken some bad risks. yeah I'm sure. I'll tell you at the end of the show, because this year, 50% of our our speakers are new.
00:09:36
Speaker
And so this is the the highest percentage of new speakers that we've ever had. Amazing. So talk to me on Friday when I start going through all surveys. But I feel really confident that, you know, we have put together a really great list of of new people. And it's so important for new people to get a platform. It really, and it's hard. you know If any of you who are listening are thinking of becoming a speaker or an educator, you hear no lot.
00:10:05
Speaker
Like when you're first starting, when you don't have the resume behind you. so Oh right, absolutely. so it's very, it's awesome that you're doing that, that you guys did that this year. Well, but somebody has to give you an opportunity to do it. And nowadays, you know i can go on YouTube and look and see if they have a YouTube channel. I can see if they've put out any videos. I didn't have that yeah before, yeah you know, obviously. And on Creative Live, it was even more of a risk because that was live television, yeah essentially. And so that was even harder. but And trust me, here over the years, I've had to give people their money back. for You know, they'll come in. after a class and say that class sucked. And I'm like, oh, well, that obviously didn't go well. that's never happened yeah and And that's obviously, you know, yeah not a big percentage, but not every person's teaching style appeals to every type of student either. And so that's a really hard piece to deal with as well. For sure. or they feel that, you know, that the language that's used and,
00:11:13
Speaker
I tell instructors not to curse, but they do. Oops, I think I did yesterday. Yeah, well, that's okay. No one's complained yet. ah But, you know, there's so many different factors that people look for. And they, it's funny, I've had security guards tell me that photographers are harder to work with, the the attendees at this show are harder to work with than the attendees at the construction show. That they're actually ruder. um because that the expectations of the people that come to this show are much higher than say a lot of the other shows that are in in Vegas.
00:11:52
Speaker
And you guys have very high expectations. I've been pushed up against the wall because somebody didn't get, I mean, I've been physically assaulted at this show. like god i've been, um you know, I've been threatened. You know, I mean, theyre because somebody hasn't gotten into a class because the class was full. You know, i can go on and on about Oh my God.
00:12:12
Speaker
that have happened to me because someone is unhappy about a class or, you know, something relating to a class. And it's not it's not fun. um But ah again, expectations are are very high.
00:12:30
Speaker
with photographers and what they want to get out of the show. Then you've taken that risk. I've taken the risk. And the irony is, is we're probably the least expensive show you can go to. I know. You know, around, which is, you know. That's I people. You have to come. It's totally, it's like free, basically. Right, it is when you, you know, when you analyze it.
00:12:50
Speaker
But, you know, but you also have to understand, this is sort of the, the pinnacle of coming
Photography's Resilience and Professionalism
00:12:58
Speaker
for speaking. And so don't come to me and say, you know, I've never spoken before, but I,
00:13:04
Speaker
I think I'm ready to speak at WPPI. Go spoke speak at a local camera group. Go speak at a PPA local event. You know, go, go, you know, try to go. Somebody just asked me, one of my students um sent me a message on Instagram and she said, I would love to know how you got to to speak at WPPI. Like, how did that happen?
00:13:27
Speaker
And i I told her, I said, A, I got told no for like five years straight. So I applied, you know, I got told no for CreativeLive for years. I said, so I went out and spoke at as many little conferences and events as I could. And when you're, if this, if you're listening and that's something that you want to do, if you want to become a speaker,
00:13:46
Speaker
It looks glamorous. It's exhausting. OK, it's a lot of work and it does take a lot of work to get to these bigger events, to get the respect. And it was years of speaking for free, traveling on my own dime. I was in New York maybe eight times in 2019 because I was speaking with B&H and Adorama, kind of building my way up. And um it's ah it's a it's a journey.
00:14:11
Speaker
So what I'll ask you now actually on that is that things are changing in the world right now. and We talked about this a lot in the Business Summit yesterday, the climate of our country. There's a lot of things going on. So people are noticing lots of changes, changes in how you have to. i mean, I was sitting around with my friends last night. um We were talking about how we're marketing our education, how it's it's changed in the last couple years. And ah what I will say, if you're if you're new and you're here, or if you're listening, the photography industry is thriving. I have students making $100,000, $200,000, $300,000 a year and on tenfold, like a lot of students, and myself and my friends.
00:14:51
Speaker
But it is a little different. So what what would you say you think is the climate of our industry right now? What are you noticing? Well, it's funny because you hear people saying that photography is dying. It is not dying. It's not dying. It's not.
00:15:06
Speaker
It's not at all. It's not doom and gloom. In fact, if you look at the statistics for camera sales, they're different, but they're still thriving. You know, people aren't necessarily spending, you know, they're not buying a new lens every time one comes out. They're keeping the equipment that they might have. But, you know, it it is thriving. And I think part of it is people...
00:15:31
Speaker
are realizing that their iPhones aren't taking the pictures that they thought that they were going to take. And they are realizing that a professional photographer still is the one, I mean, i people will show me their wedding pictures and say, because they spent $1,000 a wedding photographer and they'll say, aren't these great? And I'm like, ah no, they're not. um They, and they, because they haven't put, you know, they say, well, $5,000 is too much to spend on a wedding photographer. and I'm like, no, it's not, you know, it's, and they don't, they shouldn't be giving you the digital files because you should be paying for the digital files. You know, you get what you pay for. And, you know, just because your next door neighbor caught some great moments with your family doesn't mean that that's something that you're going to have. Take family pictures every year so you can document your kids' growth. So you have so you you know have a record and print them. That's the other thing. you know If they're on your phone, what good is that going to do anybody? Either printing, i know they're printing over there. Printing is huge. it is But I think people are going back. They're going back to film. Film has become... yeah you know, a big deal again.
00:16:48
Speaker
So, and I see people now carrying around small like Ricoh's and small Canon and the- My daughter and her friends think it's so cool to have like a retro point and shoot. Yeah. From the retro being from the nineties, which makes me feel really old, but ah they they don't use their phones when for their stuff. They use this little point and shoot and they're like, love the way it looks. And it's so, it's so fun to see that actually, that it's like, and it's funny that that looks retro. oh But it does. It's like the the photos look different. That's so funny. yeah My daughter just found a camera on eBay that she used to use in the point and shoot. And she just bought it because she wants to get the effect of yeah what was in her old photo albums yeah back again. So one thing that I but ah to speak to what you just said about, you know, the value of photography still still being, a you know, a thing and it's and it not being the iPhone.
00:17:40
Speaker
I started my business in 2010. So right after that, that recession. And it was it thrived. um And Sandra and I, so I have to keep referencing one of my friends in the audience, Sandra Cohn. You guys all know her. She's kind of a big deal. But we always talk about this because her business is and I, ah you know, we live in Seattle, but my business thrived right after that. Covid was 2020 was my highest grossing year for photography to to date. Like it was insane how much how many people wanted photography photographs. and People are saying that our you know economy is, i'm not I can't speak eloquently about it, but that there's things going on with the economy now. And I'm like, as long as you understand how to to market the value of your business, people will always consider photography high value. I really believe that. Oh, I do too. yeah Absolutely.
Community and Collaboration Among Photographers
00:18:26
Speaker
And I think you can see that here right now because our numbers this year are much higher than last year. So people want...
00:18:36
Speaker
Photographers want to be together. I mean, eighty the statistic is like 88% of photographers work alone. and so And I know there are a lot of small photography conferences. You have your mastermind, you know, and that's great. And I think people should attend those things too. But there's something also about going to imaging and coming to WPPI and being surrounded by other photographers who you can learn from as well. So go sit and have a coffee or have a drink. and talk about pricing and talk about marketing ideas that they're using so you can learn from each other. You're not competition.
00:19:13
Speaker
you know I don't care if you live in the same city or not. That always makes me crazy. Community over competition. Right. Oh, that's such a great line. yeah And um just learn from each other. And the more you learn, the more you'll realize that you can make a living from this and you can make a good living from it too. And, you know, go to the classes on the show floor. Go to the classes here. They just, there is so much. And go to imaging. go Even though it's in South Carolina next year, I don't think that's convenient for everyone. but yeah um Or go to the hybrid collective. That was last week. Or, you know, just... Come to mine. Yeah, I'll promote any other shows that are out there because, you know, everybody has something...
00:19:54
Speaker
Different to teach and different to learn. It always comes to WPI. always say when I when i leave an event, I can actually never really tell you one thing that I learned, but I go home and I am on fire. yeah I implement so many things, make changes. I mean, at breakfast today, we're talking about, my assistant and I are talking about all these like things we want to do to market different stuff. And like,
00:20:19
Speaker
You're just inspired to be with people. It's so important. The people who don't have community will not last as long. no and I actually really believe that. I really believe that. OK, switching back a little bit to the educator stuff, since you are ah the like I said, you've really helped a lot of educators kind of build their you've given us the platform to then build our own platform.
Sustainability in Photography Education
00:20:43
Speaker
So what I want to um ask you, you've seen waves of educators come and go. What do you think somebody but what do you think makes an educator sustainable? Because like there are that that dies too, just like the photography industry. You'll see someone who's like seemingly teaching workshops right and left, and then all of a sudden, they, I don't know, they've put they retired and they're like not working, they're doing something else. It didn't work for them. So what do you think makes the educator space sustainable?
00:21:10
Speaker
I think you always have to Well, i just had this discussion the other day but with somebody who said, well, that person is was always such a great educator, but they never changed their style.
00:21:23
Speaker
They never moved on from what they were teaching in the 90s or the 2000s. And you always have to change up the creativity that you're teaching people because you know people want to learn something new from you. And if you're constantly teaching the same thing.
00:21:43
Speaker
Somebody said to me today, this is the last time I'm teaching this class at WPPI because I've taught it for two years and I'm not teaching it again because people aren't going to want to come back and see my class. So he said next year I'm going to be, you know, talking to you about something different. So keeping it fresh. it has to be fresh because you guys are going to get tired of it.
00:22:03
Speaker
You're not going to want to see the same thing over again. I mean, you know, look at somebody like Jerry Gionis. I mean, he's been teaching here, gosh, 20, at least 26 years, but he always writes a new class for for this show. He does not teach the same class here that he will teach if he's teaching at Imaging or teaching somewhere else. He always gives me a brand new class. And he spends a lot of time on it. And and that's one thing I do want to emphasize. It's not fun putting together a class, you well know. It takes up a lot of time. Especially when you're learning how to do it. Yeah. CreativeLive gave us some speaker coaching, sort basically, which was invaluable. And without before that, before I did that, I was just doing it on my own, making up how to do it on my own. I never took a speaking class or anything. And I would spend hours, hours, hours, hours on that class and then stress over how it was going to come out. And I would rehearse it. And it was like it is a long process to become a speaker. It really is. People, I think, see us up up on stages and think that we just like got up there and Well, you make it look easy. yeah mean, the people- Well, I've been doing a long time now, but but but in the beginning, it was- Yeah. Actually, I'm gonna reference Sandra again. One time, she we were on our way to a conference, and she accidentally deleted an entire talk.
00:23:23
Speaker
I have PTSD from that. i literally every time I update my slides, I upload them to Dropbox. Like one, one folder for Dropbox will have like 20 iterations of ah of a thing because of that. But stuff like that happens and it's live. It's like when you're teaching, it's live. And when you're speaking, it's live. There's no redos. If you don't connect with the audience, it's a lot. It's very hard.
00:23:43
Speaker
That's the other thing. You know, if you, you can bomb out there too. Yeah. And the audience will know right away if you're not passionate about the subject that you're teaching, They'll see right through you immediately. And I've seen it happen, you know, where, you know, there's people will start walking up. That's really bad.
00:24:02
Speaker
And in the instructor will say to me afterwards, oh, my God, why were people walking out of my class? And and I'm just like, well. they They figured out that, you know, you weren't having a good time, so they weren't having a good time. You know, yeah you know, they they they want to be part of your journey. And if they're not feeling it from you, then they're they're not going to feel it. So, ah yeah, it's so true. You have to you have to be able to connect with an audience. yeah I think that's one of the bigger, bigger parts, too. But another thing I think a lot of speakers do that I I don't think oops works as well is they only
00:24:38
Speaker
speak for inspirational purposes. They don't actually teach something. That one is a, that's a biggie that I, when you see someone who's purely inspiration and the the students don't leave with a actionable tip or tool, I feel like that that's not as, as powerful. We had to eliminate that category. We used to have an inspirational category and I've been challenged on that because we don't have just straight inspirational classes, but I tell all the instructors and that,
00:25:06
Speaker
that students have to walk away with three actionable items when they take a class. You guys pay money to come here to to you know, I've been on planes with returning students and they're writing down things like you were saying that they're going implement when they come back to their studios. And I have found that people, you know, they enjoy inspirational classes, but then they're like, I didn't learn anything really. You know, I can watch Tony Robbins and get that same kind of inspiration or who Jay Shetty or whoever it is, the person of the year, you know, but I need something. So I eliminated the track because I just don't feel that's why you're here. And if I'm wrong, tell me. Because I really know. Well, should get inspiration from the speaker, even if they're teaching you something. Well, that's true. So that's that that should be woven in a little bit, no you know, every time. Right. But I agree with you. I agree with you on that 100%. I get annoyed when I ah watch something thinking going learn, and I'm like, you just, it's that was just inspiration. Yeah.
00:26:10
Speaker
Okay. So i I know that you've seen the shift of, like, know not i want I want to use the word trend, but I mean, even this is I've been coming to WPPI since 2012 and the talks are different because photography has changed. Like in in that when I came to that, when I left thinking I needed a studio and to pose people a certain way and like all this stuff. Right. So things have really expanded. yeah It's really, the the water is warm. The photography industry has never been more available, right, to people.
Adapting to Industry Changes
00:26:38
Speaker
So with what do you think the next generation of educators and photographers is going to look like? Because it's I feel like it's changed. I've, i've in the last five years, seen a lot of changes.
00:26:51
Speaker
So what do you think? Well, I'm just looking at the new speakers that we have coming in this year. It's much more free-flowing, the the people that you know, the new instructors that we have and they're not worried about studios and you know, they're social media heavy. Number one, as you know, because I know you know a lot of them and most of them don't have studios. They're photographing outdoors there's a lot of shoot and blur actually there's a lot of which is not necessarily my favorite style but yeah and right right now with that um there's a lot more black and white black and white seems to be coming back um there's a lot less posing than there was before posing does not seem to be on their list yeah which is great even though i think that uh For some people, especially in wedding, they they still, you know, but I think the client has to be more verbal. There has to be more communication with the client in that respect because I've also seen instructors say, you know, you're shooting for the client, but you're also shooting for yourself. No, you're shooting for the client. They're paying you money as far as I'm concerned. So if you, you know, if you have an agenda that needs to be communicated to the client and if they don't agree with what 100% with what your style is, you have to be flexible too. And so i think that that that style of communication is has become more open also.
00:28:33
Speaker
So I think That's sort of what I'm seeing with yeah with the new instructors that I'm speaking with. It's funny to feel ah to feel old because i don't know i mean i know I'm not that old, but like I am like one of the older photographers here. And when i chat with these youngins, like in their twenty s I don't agree with how they're marketing their business, you know? And it's really, I'm like, am I irrelevant now? But I was on a panel yesterday and and it was a great panel to be on because she's like, I don't have an email list. And I'm like, girl, we need to talk, you know, like, but because I'm like a thousand years old and I know that if she doesn't have an email list, like but you will run out of, But it's interesting because that its ah it is a little bit of an age and generational thing. And and I'm you seeing the the young up and coming speakers, you know, and they're their their virility on social media and all of this. it's it's It's really interesting. I think that, you know, those of us that grew our businesses before social media was
00:29:33
Speaker
such a part of our lives now it's like such a part of our lives that we we know how to do it in a way that I think is so much easier in my opinion because it's not about popularity you know but it's really interesting their their businesses are thriving too you know so it's like oh yeah it's just it's just different and then we've got the other side I have a number of new speakers here and their followings are all on YouTube yeah half a million half a million followers on YouTube yeah by, you know, the videos that they've created. I met a girl last night that's like, yeah, I was yeah like, whoa. Yeah. Listening to her strategy with YouTube was like really mind blowing. Yeah, it is. This is why these conferences are so amazing though. I mean, you, I was kind of like, huh, maybe I need a YouTube strategy and my assistant thinks I need a TikTok strategy. I'm like, I'm definitely too old for that. But, um,
00:30:19
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. Anyway, it's, but, but TikTok is a way that people find clients too. so Absolutely. when And now when they give you their, you know, social media statistics, it includes TikTok and it includes, and nobody's using Facebook, I guess, anymore. So that's a whole other story. But it includes these different channels now that 10 years ago, nobody was
WPPI's Commitment to the Photography Community
00:30:44
Speaker
using. no And so that's the other thing you learn from this. We had a class on,
00:30:49
Speaker
building followers for YouTube yesterday. And, you know, so we're trying to bring in those new strategies also with these new instructors. And you can pick and choose whether or not you want to follow these ideas for your own business. We have a class on Thursday on, you know, if you live in a small town, how you can build a six-figure business, you know, because you don't have to live in Chicago or Seattle or whatever. And this woman has a huge business. So, yeah it's a great time you know, you just have to follow. We try to have a little bit for everything, but we're also hugely open, i am, to new ideas for classes, new ideas for speakers, because we don't know, you know, there are 280,000 photographers in the U.S., which is a little bit mind-blowing. And this is only a really small segment. So if you know someone locally in your area that you think is amazing, you've heard them speak, you've got topics that come up you know with your friends or whatever, and you think that it's a topic that a class should be taught you know about,
00:31:53
Speaker
here, let us know. You've done that for me. I've been like, I think we should talk about school photography. Like I have a class on that or whatever. Yeah, yeah I did. Yeah, you did. You know, i just, ah you know, you've got to, you've got to be able to listen to, to the industry. And i always prided WPPI on being a place that listens.
00:32:14
Speaker
So, and if you don't think we do, let us know. Just don't push her against a wall. Yeah, don't push me. here Don't physically assault me. That's horrible. The guy did get carted out, but um arrested.
Reflecting on Arlene's Legacy in Photography
00:32:27
Speaker
Well,
00:32:28
Speaker
well To wrap this up, Arlene, I just want to say on behalf of a lot of photographers, thank you. Thank you for giving us this the platform and for believing in us and for making it so welcoming it to become a speaker because it's scary. Like I said, it does feel very scary in the beginning. And you were always so warm and welcoming. And I know I'm not the only. Roberto dedicated his book to you, I'm pretty sure. did So I know that I'm not the only one that has this feeling about you. And when I told people I was interviewing you, they were just like,
00:33:03
Speaker
What? Oh, my gosh. You got so excited just because we we cry we all think you're so special. Oh, well, thank you very much. And I just have to follow up with, I am not a photographer, by the way, so never have been. She's not, but she has put some of the biggest educators on the stage. Lindsay Adler, Vanessa Joy, myself, I kind of said not as big as them, but myself, um Roberto, Venezuela. A lot of people owe me. Some of the biggest ones. Yeah. Sandra Cohn. um So many of us owe the opportunity to you. So oh thank you. And I hope that we're doing you proud. Oh, you you're all doing my they're all you're all like my kids. Totally. Really. And she's like the mom we all wish we had. Like we're like when we see her, we just kind of Well, that's funny. My daughter came for the first time two days ago to the show. She had never been
00:33:56
Speaker
here even though I've been doing it for so many years and everybody was coming up and saying oh your mom is like my mom and she's like wait a minute she's my mom and it's so true why was everybody saying that to you mom or I'm like well yeah you are like the all the gossip I can tell you yeah who's gotten married who's I could tell you stories, but I won't. There have been a lot of weddings here, a lot of, not weddings, a lot of... A lot of hookups. Yeah, a lot yeah lot of lot of, there's a lot of dirt under these rugs. Yes, there is. That but I seem to know about. But I just want you all to know how much we appreciate you coming and coming back every year. If you do come back, it's really important that we have an audience
00:34:43
Speaker
for these speakers. yeah and And so that you, they can, you know, and and um share their information with you and hopefully help you build a thriving business and share your creativity within this industry, because it is an amazing industry. And As I always say, we're not curing cancer, however, we're saving history. you know Everybody here is creating history for someone. somebody Somebody write that down. Yeah, no, but it's true. Quote that one. yeah and i tell I tell my students too, because i do I have a group coaching program and I have an annual event every year and it's smaller, 80 people or whatever. That's a pretty big mastermind getting bigger. Well, that's just because it's alumni and stuff. But it's getting a little bigger. But I tell I really encourage photographers to come to big events like this because it's important to see that there's so many different ways of doing it, that it's important for your own
00:35:45
Speaker
nervous system and confidence to see that there are so many photographers thriving. Seeing is believing. A lot of people just, you know, like, this is never going to work for me. Well, if it's working for me or if it's working for her, if it's working for so many people, it can work for you. And in-person events are so important for that. They really are. And that the community over competition piece, which is like my tagline, but you can't are so much better together.
00:36:12
Speaker
Your competition is never going to be why your business doesn't work. My best friend Sandra and I live in the same town. We're literally competing for the same business and both of us have multiple six figure photography businesses. So I want to just close out with saying thank you so much for agreeing to do this. Thank you for having me. I know you're busy this week. I know you're so busy. No, no, no, no. And thank you, everyone, for coming to here. This is such an honor to have Arlene. I love you so much. I love you. Thank you for being at the show.
00:36:49
Speaker
Thank you.