***All images in this post are copyright Angela Anderson.***

NEXT WEEK: Susan Stripling

{To nominate women you'd like to see in this series please list them in the comments-or if you have a question you'd like to see in the interviews--make sure to include your info in the comment fields so that I can get in touch with you- or write to me at: davina at davinafear dot com }

As always make sure to leave comments for the women who are featured. They like comments as much as I do I'm sure...let them know if you have questions or just to say thanks! for their insight and wisdom...

Make sure to check out the rest of the series by clicking here. Tell a friend!

Your husband is in the film industry.  How do you think that has affected your photography and business?

Gary, my husband, and I met back in 2004. He was working in a creative field with a fierce love for Art, I was still laboring around in the collegiate system, working on a graduate degree and a Fulbright that I was hoping would put me in Paris and Barcelona doing poetry translation. Gary was selling everything and moving to NYC to work in film. When we met both of our worlds just stopped. It was like meeting your future. It was through our support of one another that I picked back up a camera again (I had had a personal mentorship in the late 1990s for a few years in photography by the late James Baker Hall, who was an incredible artist). I was intimidated by the switch from film to digital but Gary gave me the courage. He was already working in digital with his work so it helped my transition.

I think with both of us being in extremely similar fields we inspire one another. We are affected by either other’s aesthetic and vision. I know that because of Gary’s work as a cinematographer I understand lighting so much better. I also truly appreciate the concept of a cinematic photograph. If you have great lighting (read: interesting), powerful emotion (speaking of a portrait), strong composition and a cinematic backdrop or placement the photo becomes this story. Or even better I like to think of it as a long-form  poem.

What are the three most important things you do as a business woman?

I will speak specifically to how my gender affects what is important.

1) Awareness of my connection with my clients. As a portrait and wedding photographer about 90% of my client-base (at least the one that typically hires me) is female. I know that females are deeply connected to their emotions. I love that women go through life naturally with so much feeling. Photography is important to them because they read the emotion in photographs so intently. And just like a favorite song, when it comes on you are transferred back to that time and place when you loved it so much. A great photograph does that for us, and the emotion that comes from that is amazing and makes me happy to be alive.

2) Remember that I am immediately considered as weak. We all know how it goes. You are nice, you are weak. You are strong-willed or just intent and you are a bitch. It is a hard path to walk between. And being an emotionally-connected person sometimes you just want to do everything just to please people, just to make them happy. You have to remind yourself that even though you have the power, as you are  the one in charge, that respect should come into play in business. You must respect yourself and your clients must respect you and your boundaries. Business has some hard truths that I have, over the years, struggled with. Just being an Artist is one thing, adding in business and then adding in the typical traits of being a female and you have a very convoluted existence. You must be very, very strong to survive.

3) Put out what I would want to come back to me. I love and respect my clients and I desire the same from them. An Artist-Patron relationship (which is how I view my business structure) can be so wonderfully intense. I become fully vested in them, their lives, their loves. It takes that much to do a work of Art for someone. I am creating something beyond stilted documentation, and beyond editorial, I am creating something that moves and beguiles both the client and myself: something that comes from the soul of both of us.

What do you do to keep your love fresh and fun with your husband?

My husband and I are super passionate. We are intense, driven, inspired and consistently challenging ourselves and each other. And we both exist in occupations that are high-stress, high-benefit and an absolute dream. So we are integrated. Our love, our passions for Art, our work, our lives are completely intertwined. Unfortunately we have never been able to work well on the same project together (get two alpha lions in a cage and see what happens) but we do sideline each other’s projects and work quite a bit. That excites us. And everywhere we go we get excited about the lighting that we see, the color of the lighting, the backdrops, the ideas that come forth. You know you have a great relationship when you get share the experience of goosebumps often.

What does your workflow look like?  Do you outsource or keep everything in house?

We keep a lot in-house. Megan is in the office as the studio director/client liaison. She sets everything up (schedules), handles payments, most of the communication, ships out gifts and products, leads our viewings and keeps the fort down even in a hurricane of busy-ness. Then AAP has 2 associates and 2 assistants. I am the main, Amy is the lead associate and Alex is our newer associate. Both of them are photographing weddings and portraits. We each do our own editing for our blog entries, slideshows and a little more but the newest associate is always the editor of any work past that. It helps them grow that much more as a photographer, to spend so much time understanding post -the technical triumphs and mistakes. And our album design is also done by someone in the studio. We do, however, outsource our hosting and printing to the fabulous Pictage (and have since 2005), we super-heart Pictage.  

How did you create such a strong marketing/branding presence?

I get complimented a ton on my brand and marketing which always surprises me. I think mainly because it is just me,  things that I like. I decided awhile back that I did not want to look like all of the other photographers in my local area so I just started injecting myself, what I like to see. I also focus a lot on the artistry of the work, the uniqueness of what we do. When you can offer something different than everyone else in your area you grow an immediate market niche. Especially if you can express it correctly. If you know who you are then you can show other people. And if you understand your clients then you can incite them to love you for who you are. I also like to focus on our team: Megan, Amy and Alex (and our stylist Ana). I **love** these girls. They are absolutely incredible people. They are so passionate about what they do and they love this work so intensely that I knew I had to have our clients understand that and appreciate that. Most of my life I have been *different*. In Art it is a boon.

What do you do to help your clients be so comfortable with you during a photo shoot?

I remember how I feel in front of a camera and I imagine that the person/people I am working with feel the same. I then distract, entice, incite and exhaust. The latter being the best way to get a great, honest photograph. Through exhaustion we lose the desire to take the trouble to be aware of ourselves. When we are tired then there is very little separating us from our true nature.

What are your three favorite creative tools and how do they help you to be inspired?

1 - my husband inspires me constantly

2 - my past: the time I had with my late mentor, he was an influence that will forever shape everything I ever do. Without him I would never have the connection I have with images.

3 - other Art. Marc Chagall, I love you.

What are you most proud of creatively?

Reckless abandon. If I can feel so connected to a subject or person that I fully let go, let free my creativity, without reference to what is acceptable or what “everyone else is doing” then I have grown. To grow creatively is to grow spiritually.

Also I am proud that I have worked hard for my presence to not just be a business. There are so many photography businesses that feel like businesses or companies. They either lose their personal touch or worse, they forget they are Artists.

What do you recommend women do who are just getting started in the industry?

The market is flooded and will likely remain so. You must stand out and trust yourself. You *must* be inspired. If you cannot find drive and inspiration in the Art itself then you will likely burn out or become stilted and start just doing this “for the money”. Both of those are heart-breakers. You have to know who you are what is important to you in life. Blaze your own trail. Be passionate. Work hard. Respect  the process. Don’t expect to pick up a camera and all of a sudden “be a photographer”. It doesn’t work that way. You’ll know when you’ve made it. When the sweat from your brow feels more like tears of joy, you’ve found it. Look for a mentor, if you can. Work really hard for them and for yourself. Always respect those who brings you forward, client and mentor.

What do you do for fun…that has nothing to do with photography?

Dream. I am a big dreamer. Big and small.

And one thing I enjoy without measure is silence. Taking your time is vastly underrated. Sitting around with a bottle of wine and your own wonderful thoughts, getting your emotions out on your own schedule, that is the height of being human in my opinion, well that and love of course!

What are you most proud of as a business woman?

That someone as wacky as me can exist as a business woman. Aside from that business is just whatever. I am not an entrepreneur, I am an archaeologist of my own possibilities, an excavator, if you will, of unknown desires. I have a love for experimentation and running a business is fascinating to me like taking apart a clock and putting back together again is for an engineer.

You have a gorgeous studio, tell me about that process and what made you decide to get a retail space?  What did you do financially to make that leap?  Has is been worth it?  In what ways has it been worth all of the effort?

I love my studio, and if all plays right in the next month I will opening a second studio in the next city over as well (Lexington). I love having a place that separates work from home, a place that is built and constructed to make it easy for us to photograph (and use our lighting abilities not just “natural light”). I never thought a lot about whether it was/is the soundest decision financially because sometimes you do things that may not be the soundest decision because they change the way you work, the way you see things and that makes you a stronger, better person and business.

And it has been amazing. One of the best decisions I ever made.

What do you do that your clients rave about most?

The images. They can hardly believe them. 

What is the best thing you’ve done to make your business successful?

Surround myself with amazing, beautiful, intelligent, Artistic people. Clients and employees alike.  

What do you do to keep from feeling overwhelmed?

Meditation 

What three products or things help you stay organized?

1 - ShootQ

2 - Pictage

3 - My *lovely* studio director, Megan

Website

Blog

***All images in this post are copyright Angela Anderson.***

***All images in this post are copyright The Image is Found.***

NEXT WEEK: Angela Anderson

{To nominate women you'd like to see in this series please list them in the comments-or if you have a question you'd like to see in the interviews--make sure to include your info in the comment fields so that I can get in touch with you- or write to me at: davina at davinafear dot com }

As always make sure to leave comments for the women who are featured. They like comments as much as I do I'm sure...let them know if you have questions or just to say thanks! for their insight and wisdom...

Make sure to check out the rest of the series by clicking here. Tell a friend!

* How did you create such a strong marketing/branding presence?

            when started our business 7 years ago we had a "fake us" brand and had three years of dismal bookings and zero job satisfaction.  after our third year of disappointment we said "F" it and threw a hail mary pass...which is basically our brand as you see it today. we committed ourselves to looking outside of the wedding/portrait world for branding and image inspiration and instead looked at the brands we loved and images that actually moved and inspired us. most importantly we decided from then on to be 100% true to ourselves and let our brand and business be totally transparent.

* What does your workflow look like?  Do you outsource or keep everything in house?

            we strongly believe in outsourcing. my philosophy is that i don't want to do anything that i don't love. i use colorati for our raw processing because they are way better and faster than i could ever be ;) i delete through the wedding, give them the raw files to edit, and 5 business days later, it's back in my hands. it's brilliant! i still love (most of the time ;) ) designing and editing albums so i still do it. along these same lines, we have an intern. she handles shipping/packaging, uploading files, ringing credit cards, running errands, filing, cleaning, and so much more. if you're swamped doing stuff that someone else could easily do, get yourself an intern. all our interns have been friends (a good place to start) but you can also find one by checking out your local college. lots of students need to intern somewhere for a class credit and would highly benefit from a hands on experience.

* What do you do to help your clients be so comfortable with you during a photo shoot?

            lots of talking and laughing, little bit of shooting. repeat.

*What are you most proud of creatively?

            the ability to be consistently inconsistent. i love that two clients don't receive the same images and they give us the freedom to do whatever we want.

* You have a great style that has become highly sought after in the last couple of years.  Tell me about your style, how it came about, what you did to create it, and your thought process in making it your own.

            a huge component of our brand is applying the fundamentals of our brand to all of the images we will show on our blog, website, etc. everything we show MUST go through the filter of our brand...if an image doesn't fit within our brand, then it doesn't get shown.  everything we show is EXACTLY the type of work we want to be known for and do more of.  by showing only what we like and are passionate about, we send a very clear signal to our clients about what we do, and what we don't do, thereby attracting the types of clients that are in love with our vision.

*What do you recommend women do who are just getting started in the industry?

            there are so many resources for people just getting started. forums, blogs, workshops, second shooting, assisting, interning. oh, and shoot, shoot, shoot!

*What do you do to keep your love fresh and fun with Nate, especially when stress may be high?

            we go on a date every tuesday :) sometimes we go all out and go to dinner downtown or go go-kart racing. other times, we just spend a few hours sitting in a restaurant talking. it doesn't really matter what we do or where we go, just some time away from the kids and the business is all we need :)

*What do you do for fun…that has nothing to do with photography?

            i love to cook. we recently became vegetarian so i'm learning all kinds of new things to cook. i also play the piano (it gets all the stress out) and i'm a big fan of good tv. it's always sunny in philadelphia, lost, 30 rock, the office, project runway and so many more :)

*What are you most proud of as a business woman?

            i am so proud of the fact that i have a successful business and two kids and have not gone crazy :) in all seriousness though, right now, i am most proud of our shootshops. i love that we have the opportunity to teach other photographers and help them progress with their images and their businesses.

*You have a gorgeous studio, tell me about that process and what made you decide to get a retail space?  What did you do financially to make that leap?  Has is been worth it?  In what ways has it been worth all of the effort?

            i love our studio! having a place to go to work helps me leave it there when it's time to go home. for me, just that's worth the money. we actually started with a much smaller studio that cost about $300 per month, and back then even that was a huge leap for us!  the monthly investment in that studio quickly paid off though, with a higher percentage of clients booking, those clients booking higher packages, and our portrait sales increasing because we had a place to do sales sessions.

*What would you say is your best way of bringing in new clients aside from word of mouth?

            other photographers. whenever we're booked, we refer potential clients to photographers in our area and they do the same for us. it's a great way to get work and make friends :)        

*What do you do that your clients rave about most?

            take awesome photos that don't look like all the ones their other married friends have :)

* The Image is Found is extremely busy!  It looks like you make time for fun, though.  How do you do that and not feel guilty?

            by outsourcing our raw conversions, we're able to deliver clients their images quickly so i have no problem taking a time out for some fun. last week, we took a family trip to portland. while we were there, colorati was editing 3 weddings and our intern was holding down the fort at the studio.  we also only take a limited number of bookings each year...just enough to be financially comfortable, but not so many that we go crazy and are slaves to our business!

*What is the best thing you’ve done to make your business successful?

            we formed a brand. oh and blogging. branding and blogging...they make the world go round.

* What do you do to keep from feeling overwhelmed?

            i'm a working machine on mondays, wednesdays, and fridays (and saturdays for weddings) and a stay at home mom on tuesdays, thursdays, and sundays. setting my life up this way was the best thing i ever did.  oh, and we try to vacation in one way shape or form at least once a month :)

* What three products or things help you stay organized?

            if you're on a mac, you must must must get "things." we use it to organize all our workflow as well as other projects like print orders, branding/design, trips, and even home improvement projects. heck even the mammoth men have their own category ;) you can set due dates, create different projects, and assign tasks to different people. this is particularly helpful with an intern because she always has a to do list.

            secondly, i'm obsessed with quickbooks. i think it's my inner high school math nerd coming out. i love how i can see where we are at financially today, last month, last year etc. it helps me keep track of how our money comes in and where it's going.

*What is something that you think women in the industry should not do?

            care about what the rest of the industry thinks.

* What is something that you think women in the industry should do?

            enjoy your job...it's a good one :)

 To see more of The Image is Found work and other goodies:

***All images in this post are copyright The Image is Found.***

***All images in this post are copyright Bambi Cantrell.***

NEXT WEEK: Jaclyn Kaiser of The Image is Found

{To nominate women you'd like to see in this series please list them in the comments-or if you have a question you'd like to see in the interviews--make sure to include your info in the comment fields so that I can get in touch with you- or write to me at: davina at davinafear dot com }

As always make sure to leave comments for the women who are featured. They like comments as much as I do I'm sure...let them know if you have questions or just to say thanks! for their insight and wisdom...

Make sure to check out the rest of the series by clicking here. Tell a friend!

We have a little different format today!  Click on the link below and you can hear the interview that I had with Bambi.  You won't want to miss it!  She says it like it is, with energy and so much zest for her craft and the industry.  You'll love it.  I've also included a few of the highlights from our conversation just to tempt you into listening to the whole interview.  (Let the interview load before clicking play and you'll have a better listening experience.)

Click here to listen to: Women and Business Interview with Bambi Cantrell*

(*thanks to David Perry for the quick audio edit) 

Favorite Bambi quotes from the audio interview:

 “I’m first and foremost a photographer of humanity.”

 "This is a craft.  It’s not just an accident.  It’s a profession…an artistic craft.”

 “You have to know an f-stop from a bus stop. 

 “If you have the burning desire you just do not accept defeat.”

 “I don’t look at failure as a negative thing.  I look on it as a positive experience that shows me what I’m not going to do the next time.”

 “It’s inconceivable to me that I’m not going to win.”

 “I surround myself with people that are smarter than me and better than me.”

 “My motto:  Humility over ability.  You can teach a humble person anything.”

 “There’s no secret sauce.”

 “If you wait until you have confidence you’re never going to do it.”

 “If someone gave me one 4 gig card I could shoot a whole wedding on that one 4 gig card because I know what I’m doing.”

 “I don’t concern myself with what other photographers are doing.”

”After being in the industry for 25 years what ideas/approaches do you see that have lasted?  And what has already come and gone?”

What has lasted is personalized wedding photography that is exciting.  Photography where the client really looks like they are having a good time.  Something that is really energetic and bold and striking.  What has passed is static posing and using backgrounds, the checklist of poses mentality has gone, it no longer makes sense anymore.

Photographers who have lasting value are the forward thinkers.  They’re the kind of individual who doesn’t get stuck in a mold or put themselves in a category…I’m first and foremost a photographer of humanity.

What are some of the things that you believe women have brought to the table that has changed the industry over the years?

Women have changed the industry a great deal….women bring a [different] perspective to photography.  Back when I started in the industry… all three of us women…men were very nuts and bolts.  They were very logical.  Women are very intuitive.  Women are feel-ers.  I tailored my style to being very intuitive…being visually observant to who the bride was.  I started collecting brides’ magazines in about 1992 and one of the things I started thinking about was, “how do they get brides to buy bridal gowns?”  This was a completely new way of thing for the men in the industry!

Men were thinking, “if I give the most 8x10, I’m going to get the business.”  But women don’t necessarily buy logically, we buy quite often because we think emotionally.  So I started tapping into that emotional experience.  And when I did that is what really caused my reinvention and caused me to excel as a wedding photographer.

There’s quite the influx of people coming into the industry thinking having a great camera is going ot get them somewhere and at the same time I hear you saying you need to go with your gut…

Yes, but you have to have a foundation before you can go with your gut.  You can’t go on blind instinct and shoot your guts out!  I don’t think that’s productive at all.  And it’s not art.  It’s an accident.  There’s no craft in it.  It makes photography look like an accident.  Instincts come after [technique].

How do you know when you’re ‘good enough’?

I’ve never felt that I’m good enough….

(this is a question one of you women wrote to me and I love her answer.  I didn’t want to write it here because she answers this so wonderfully on the audio…you must listen to this entire answer on the audio version of the interview…and don’t miss her first job interview story).

What should women do when photography just feels like work and I don’t want to do it anymore?  Can it be fun again?

Yes!  This is what I do. 

1. I schedule one day about every 6-8 weeks to fall in love with photography again.  A day to just go have fun.  I plan with Lori at Wild Orchids Salon.  We get together and play dressup and barbies for the day.  She brings the models in and does hair and makeup.  We play around with different weird concepts that I wouldn’t get to do with clients.  We play and enjoy.  It’s so much fun.  It’s so inspiring.

2.Make sure to listen to the interview for this idea!

3. Don’t become a sloppy photographer.

4. Learn to delegate, especially us as mothers.

5. Write a list of things that steal your joy and get someone else to do them.

6. Designate time for your family first…and then work your schedule around your family.

Do you have your studio in your home?

(If you have an in home studio you have to hear on the audio what Bambi says about an in home studio…she had one for 17 years!  She gives all kinds of great tips!)

What should women absolutely NOT do? And what should they absolutely DO? 

Here are just a few from her list on the audio interview:

1. Never say never
2. Never let fear rule your life.
3. Don’t associate with negative people.
4. Don’t waste your money on cheap equipment.
5. Don’t cut corners on your finished product or your marketing materials.

Here are some of the products that Bambi mentioned:

ProSelect

ProShow

Triple Scoop Music

Big Folio

WPPI

MEI500.com

Skip’s Summer School

WPPI Roadshow

And make sure to listen all the way to the end of the audio interview…Bambi’s got some excellent business tips.

To see more of Bambi's work:

Website

Blog

Bambi's products

***All images in this post are copyright Bambi Cantrell .***

Click here to listen to Women and Business Interview with Bambi Cantrell

tell me.

We have a stellar line up of women for you (click on their links to check them out) over the next few months in the Women and Business series.  I want to know what it is you'd like to ask them.  What burning question(s) do you have for them about business or managing life, photography, and motherhood?  Post your questions in the comments or send me an email at davina at davinafear dot com and let me know what you are dying to ask.

September 3rd: Bambi Cantrell

September 10th:  Jaclyn Kaiser of The Image is Found

September 17th: Angela Anderson

September 24th: Susan Stripling

October 1st:  Carey Schumacher

October 8th:  Kara May

October 15th:  Nichole V

October 22nd:  Lori Nordstrom

October 29th:  Dawn Davis

November 5th:  Ulrica Wihlborg

November 12th:  Me Ra Koh

November 19th: Melanie Nashan

December 3rd:  Storey Wilkins

question. LIFE.

***All images in this post are copyright Sarah Petty unless otherwise noted***

NEXT WEEK: TBA

{To nominate women you'd like to see in this series please list them in the comments-or if you have a question you'd like to see in the interviews--make sure to include your info in the comment fields so that I can get in touch with you- or write to me at: davina at davinafear dot com }

As always make sure to leave comments for the women who are featured. They like comments as much as I do I'm sure...let them know if you have questions or just to say thanks! for their insight and wisdom...

Make sure to check out the rest of the series by clicking here. Tell a friend!

You are a marketing genius. It seems that everything you do turns to gold. What have you done to become so well versed in marketing?

Most people are good at what interests them. Some people are movie buffs while others know everything about cars. I guess I am a marketing buff - actually maybe more of an addict. I can’t go to a store, restaurant or even get a haircut without analyzing how each company is marketing – both good and bad. My MBA was great but my years at Coca-Cola and working as marketing director of a top area ad agency were invaluable experience.

What are your top 3 tips for bringing in new clients?

- Create dynamic direct marketing pieces to get your clients bragging for you.

- Always be working to build relationships in your market – from shopping locally to mentoring young people (2 of my 3 employees are the direct result of mentoring).

- Be a leader in charitable marketing in your community (come see my program at Imaging USA for PPA Charities). If you click on this link before August 31, you can register to win a FREE Pass to Imaging 2010!

What does your workflow look like? Do you outsource or keep everything in house?

Because we have a boutique business model, we are very low volume. We don’t print our own work (whcc.com), but all of our retouching, framing, etc. is done in-house. We are closed Mondays to clients, yet most of our team works at least part of the day. We shoot Tuesday – Friday 9 am-5 pm with the exception of our seniors who purchase our largest session and we will do an evening session. Seniors are often scheduled outside of regular hours.

It seems like you travel quite a bit. How do you make this easier on your children?

*I do my best to book speaking engagements during the week as it is the least disruptive to my kids. I am  very protective of my weekends.

*I married a wonderful guy and have a great nanny/sitter who comes to our home after school and during the summer. This person helps keep my house running smoothly.

*I hire team players at my studio who I trust to take amazing care of the business and clients when I am traveling.

What are you most proud of creatively?

While awards are fun, they don’t mean that much to me. I am most proud of the fact that I get to do something creative every day and get paid for it. There are many more talented people in the world who can’t make a living at it, which is a shame.

What do you recommend women do who are just getting started in the industry?

*Invest in education! Always grow both your photographic and business skills.

*Have a business plan. If you don’t know where you are going, how can you get there? It is so much easier to make the tough decisions if you understand your financials. Go to Ann Monteith’s Guerilla Management if you want the truth.

*Keep your day job. Truly, if you don’t need to take a salary out of your business in the beginning, you will be able to invest back in the business and make decisions that are best for your brand.

What do you do for fun that has nothing to do with photography?

- I love hanging with my peeps. My husband, three kids and I walk to my parent’s house about a half a mile away each night. We grill out a ton and chill together on our screened-in porch.

- I love decorating and refinishing furniture. I love taking a dated, dirty or ugly piece of furniture and paint, recover or distress it. It is exhilarating to have something that can’t be bought.

- I love to read. I think I get every decorating magazine that comes out and every business book written.

What do you do that your clients rave about most?

I think our clients rave most about our promotional pieces and holiday cards. I bar no expenses when it comes to designing and printing cool things that reflect upon my brand. I love it when I run into someone I know in March who is carrying around our Christmas card in her purse.

It seems that you are extremely busy! It looks like you make time for fun, though. How do you do that and not feel guilty?

Making money IS fun! Ha. Truly, this is my biggest challenge for sure. I love what I do at work so much that it is hard to turn my thoughts off when I go home. What has worked well is to make rules for myself when I am at home – one hour of computer time each day on the weekends (email is my nemesis). My husband is a small business owner also so we have a good understanding of helping each other keep in a groove. Also, 5 years ago, we moved outside our town on 3 acres. So it has become very inconvenient to run in to the studio, which I used to do when I lived close. We love working and playing in our yard which is a great escape.

What is the best thing you've done to make your business successful?

- From day one, I have invested in building a strong brand. From making it a priority to work with the best professional designers, to using the top printers and vendors to investing in a nice studio, I make it a priority to invest in my brand.

What do you do to keep from feeling overwhelmed?

Drink. Just kidding. When I get overwhelmed, I start by balancing all 3 checkbooks then getting everything I need to get done on a list and prioritizing each activity. I hear a former co-worker’s voice from my ad agency days saying “just get one thing done then move to the next.”

What three products or things help you stay organized?

- IGTD (I get things done) – Free mac software. This helps my team and I communicate.

- Mobile Me – syncs with ical, allows us to transfer files, etc.

- Polka dot file folders from Anthropologie – if all the work is in a pretty file folder it is like a spoonful of sugar for me.

To see more of Sarah’s work click on the links below:

portrait website

tasty marketing info

marketing workshops