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I don’t think of my self as old, except at times when a part of my body doesn’t act or react the way it used to. But, I would say that many of my colleagues would call me old, chronologically speaking. The premature deaths of Glenn Frey, David Bowie, Natalie Cole and Alan Rickman – all in the span of a few weeks and all in their late ‘60’s, has given me pause to look at my own mortality. It has also given me resolve to make the most of each day. The fact is there is nothing we can do about our age. Gail Mooney with James Michener, Chesapeake Bay Photo © Thomas Kelly Unlike other things in life that we can change, we can’t change our age. But we don’t need to allow a youth-obsessed culture, define our value. I’ve grown weary of the dismissive attitude our culture has about aging. It’s especially frustrating for me as a photographer, filmmaker, and creative entrepreneur . Creativity comes from the spirit within. Our spirit never ages, so neither does our desire and need to create. I’ve

I don’t think of my self as old, except at times when a part of my body doesn’t act or react the way it used to. But, I would say that many of my colleagues would call me old, chronologically speaking. The premature deaths of Glenn Frey, David Bowie, Natalie Cole and Alan Rickman – all in the span of a few weeks and all in their late ‘60’s, has given me pause to look at my own mortality. It has also given me resolve to make the most of each day. The fact is there is nothing we can do about our age. Gail Mooney with James Michener, Chesapeake Bay Photo © Thomas Kelly Unlike other things in life that we can change, we can’t change our age. But we don’t need to allow a youth-obsessed culture, define our value. I’ve grown weary of the dismissive attitude our culture has about aging. It’s especially frustrating for me as a photographer, filmmaker, and creative entrepreneur . Creativity comes from the spirit within. Our spirit never ages, so neither does our desire and need to create. I’ve n

Being productive isn’t necessarily about doing more work in the day. If you’re not doing the hard work that success demands, you’re fooling yourself if you think you’re ever going to be successful. You’ve got to do the hard things if you want to enjoy the great things. It’s as simple as that. If you’re not working hard, you’re not working smart. But what if you’re already working as hard as you think you can? How do you do more if there isn’t any more time to work? Being exceptionally productive has a lot to do with your priorities. In fact, that’s the secret to getting more done each day. Managing your priorities. First, you have to know what those priorities are. You have to know what matters the most to you. Where you want to be in the long term and what you’re doing right now to get there. Once you know that, you have to work hard to maintain that focus. It’s called momentum. That’s the secret to productivity. Managing your priorities to make sure you maintain momentum. That means

One of the overwhelmingly apparent habits of high achievers is their insatiable curiosity. They question everything. They don’t just want an answer. They want the explanation behind the answer. They want the research behind the explanation behind the answer. They aren’t satisfied to believe what other people tell them. They own their facts. They know what they believe. And why they believe it. It’s important. And often overlooked. In the busyness of your daily schedule, it is easy to just accept the answers that someone else gives you. It’s easy to mimic the formulas that seem to be making someone else successful. The danger there is that you never truly understand what works for you. You never figure out the secret power you bring to the battle that no one else can exactly replicate. You’re too busy copying someone else’s battle plan that is built around their secret power. You’re trying to be like them and will likely fail. Because you don’t have all the pieces. Your skills are diff

Many business owners are concerned about keeping their social media presence so professional that they end up turning out to appear non-personal or fake. Some unintentionally brag often about their success because they are proud. It is one thing to stay positive and inspiring on social media as people are attracted to that. However, like anything else in life, do so in moderation. There is a point when this practice becomes insincere and others begin to notice. Once that happens, your tribe that you worked hard to build will start to fall away. You will be seen as an insincere braggart which is just as bad as being a negative Nancy. I don’t encourage anyone to start being negative on social media either. What I encourage is for users to be genuine. Be personal. Be real, and here are four ways to do that. 1. Mention your Previous Failures Once in a While . The fact of the matter is, there is a lot of social media envy around. If all you ever do is brag about your successes, people who a

Many business owners are concerned about keeping their social media presence so professional that they end up turning out to appear non-personal or fake. Some unintentionally brag often about their success because they are proud. It is one thing to stay positive and inspiring on social media as people are attracted to that. However, like anything else in life, do so in moderation. There is a point when this practice becomes insincere and others begin to notice. Once that happens, your tribe that you worked hard to build will start to fall away. You will be seen as an insincere braggart which is just as bad as being a negative Nancy. I don’t encourage anyone to start being negative on social media either. What I encourage is for users to be genuine. Be personal. Be real, and here are four ways to do that. 1. Mention your Previous Failures Once in a While . The fact of the matter is, there is a lot of social media envy around. If all you ever do is brag about your successes, people who a

In the blogging world of photography and motion, there is a lot written about gear and how to use it, but precious little written about “the business”.  Chances are, if you are a photographer who has been in business for more than 10 years, then you know that technology has not only changed our tools, it has changed the way we do business. For starters, we are doing business in a global economy, and with that comes pluses and minuses. One big plus is that we are able to reach a much wider audience, than ever before. That is, if you have an understanding of how to do that and take advantage of the opportunities that are out there.  The minus or downside is, if we don’t adapt our dated business models, in a business that has seen monumental changes, we will not be able to compete. Commercial photographers are in the visual communications business.  We create imagery that delivers a message or tells a story for a variety of “markets” including; advertising, corporate, architectural and

It’s not what you do that matters so much. It’s how you do what you’re doing that matters. What you do is just a ticket to the game. How you do it is what makes you a superstar. It’s easy to imagine that there is some missing thing out there you could start doing right now that would instantly catapult you past the tough obstacles in your path towards greatness. That’s not just silly — it’s dangerously wrong. To accept that is to admit that you’re basically in the business of looking for short cuts. If there were one big thing you could be doing, don’t you think you would have already figured it out by now? Stop asking yourself what you’re missing and start asking yourself how you can improve what you’re already doing? You could be more delightful, unexpected, and thorough. You could deliver much better customer service. You could give more value than people pay for. You could invest in being more personal and relatable. It’s how you execute your strategy that ultimately determi

It’s never as easy as you think it should be. All those beliefs and opinions you have that you hold as unchangeable — those are just a few life circumstances away from being changed. By you. On purpose. What you thought was clearly black and white is now shades of gray. I remember one such story vividly: Before I was the businessman that I am now, I spent 3 years in seminary studying New Testament Greek theology. It was an extremely conservative Baptist study of the Bible. One of the hot button topics that was frequently discussed was homosexuality. I was taught, along with hundreds of other students studying theology there, that the LGBT lifestyle was a choice — a deliberate way of living based on perverted sexual preferences. That’s what I was taught. Quite simply, those people were going straight to hell. No chance of redemption whatsoever. At the end of my third year, I was asked not to return to that seminary due to my views — that differed from the positions of the faculty. I oft

Imagine having 20 immediately-actionable tips to grow your business. Now imagine that these tips come from individuals who have your best interest at heart… And imagine that these tips will not only help you grow your business they will help you stay aligned with your highest values as you do it! I AM GRATEFUL, to be one of the co-authors in this QUICK TIPS E-BOOK, In In this e-book, Quick Tips for Conscious Business Growth, you will find many simple, immediately-actionable tools, practices, and advice that will assist you on your journey. I am happy to offer to you this FREE E-BOOK that shares quick tips for you to grow in your business and career. Keys for Conscious Business Growth #ConsciousKeys Download your free copy, get it now at: http://ow.ly/X9RKZ Key To Conscious Business Growth

On the last episode of Exploring the Eighth House , a very important topic was touched upon. When we lose something or someone very important to us, a loved one or a dream, the response is always grief. Everyone of us has experienced grief in one way or another, and we all grieve in our own ways. That will be today’s topic. Grief. My guest today is author Johanna Derbolowsky, of The Transformation Promise which covers this topic. Johanna developed the Quantum Heart Field Experience, an easy to learn way to transform life’s situations, by changing yourself. She is a metaphysical teacher and healing coach, on the forefront of healing and transformation. Her private sessions are spirit guided and client specific. In addition to her healing work she is an ordained minister with the International Metaphysical Ministries, spiritual counselor and life coach. Her desire to serve and understand has led her to study different religions, philosophies and healing modalities, including hypnotherapy

It’s natural to believe that you need some grand gesture in order to turn your life around. That you need to throw everything away and start fresh. Lots of hard work. Massive amounts of unbelievably focused energy. If you’re only thinking big and quick, you’re probably overlooking small and guaranteed options for long-term success. You’re so busy hoping to find that one thing that will catapult you towards where you want to be that you’re ignoring the smaller stepping stones that lead you there almost automatically. Take, for example, time. There never seems to be enough time to get to everything that you want to do. You want more of it — but know that’s just not possible. No amount of scientific breakthrough will allow you to double or triple the amount of hours in the day. But what if you got out of bed 1 hour earlier each day? It doesn’t seem like much. In fact, when you’re groggy and sleepy it hardly seems like it’s even a smart use of your time. But think about this. That one extr

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Dealing with death is dificult, and it is very hard when parents pass on, even though this is what is expected to happen one day. However, when a child passes on, the grief experienced by the parents is undescribable. I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Ivy Margulies, who is a funeral director and a certified death midwife, as known as a bereavement doula on Exploring the Eight House . In addition to her private practice, Dr. Ivy Margulies has founded Angels Born Still, specifically focused reproductive maternal mental health. She specializes in infertility and all types of of pregnancy loss including selective termination, abortion, miscarriage, stillbirth and infant death. She facilitates several support groups including a miscarriage group, a stillbirth couples group and a pregnancy after loss group. She is the co-facilitator of the global Return to Zero holistic healing retreats at http://www.returntozerohealingretreats.com for women who have had a stillbirth or infant death. D

You don’t have to get all the way there. But you do have to get started moving that direction. The problem with accomplishing big goals is that you often allow yourself to be tricked into thinking that you need to apply massive amounts of  effort over a short period of time in order to be successful. Steady progress is your greatest weapon. You need to build momentum. Build it. Keep it. Grow it. And ultimately, leverage it. Momentum is just a series of small steps applied with consistency. Day by day by day. It’s not a burst of massive energy over a few days. It’s an ongoing commitment to doing a little bit better each day than yesterday until you get  to where you want to be. What does that mean? It means you make one healthier food choice each day. It means you invest the time each day to build one stronger relationship. It means you trade one of your favorite TV shows to read a book that could help you. It means that you stand more and do one small bit of exercise each day. It means

Be optimistic – I’m going to start with the hardest one of all, because it’s really difficult to be optimistic these days.  But I find that if I can maintain a positive attitude and turn my thoughts to what is possible, I actually open myself up to more opportunities in my life, instead of creating more roadblocks. Be open to possibilities . – Be more flexible in how you perceive things and who you are. Change is always happening, but it’s usually gradual.  Most people don’t take notice until “change” forces their hand to act.  It’s always better to be proactive than reactive so embrace “change” as an ever-present fact of life that creates opportunities for those who are open to seeing them. Collaborate – Photographers are very independent creatures and collaboration is not part of their norm. As the “photography” business continues to change, photographers will find that collaborating with other artists will make their own businesses stronger. Diversify – I’m not quite so sure

Be optimistic – I’m going to start with the hardest one of all, because it’s really difficult to be optimistic these days.  But I find that if I can maintain a positive attitude and turn my thoughts to what is possible, I actually open myself up to more opportunities in my life, instead of creating more roadblocks. Be open to possibilities . – Be more flexible in how you perceive things and who you are. Change is always happening, but it’s usually gradual.  Most people don’t take notice until “change” forces their hand to act.  It’s always better to be proactive than reactive so embrace “change” as an ever-present fact of life that creates opportunities for those who are open to seeing them. Collaborate – Photographers are very independent creatures and collaboration is not part of their norm. As the “photography” business continues to change, photographers will find that collaborating with other artists will make their own businesses stronger. Diversify – I’m not quite so sure wh

Several years ago, I believed that Klout was extremely important. I saw value in it, while many naysayers expressed how silly it really was. All that did was encourage me to defend it’s “value” even more. However, over time I saw for myself that Klout is nothing other than a silly game . Firstly, the company keeps how the algorithm is calculated a big mystery. They became even more sneaky with this practice after Lithium had acquired it. At the same token, you can artificially increase the score by gaming the system. You can throw garbage onto your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc and arrange to have a slew of likes and comments and that will increase the score. Yet, if you share some content on a regular basis that is valuable that organically receives engagement- your score will likely decrease or stay the same. Why? No one knows except for the folks at Klout. They keep it a secret on purpose. I have stopped looking at people’s Klout scores and I pay more attention to what they sh

Several years ago, I believed that Klout was extremely important. I saw value in it, while many naysayers expressed how silly it really was. All that did was encourage me to defend it’s “value” even more. However, over time I saw for myself that Klout is nothing other than a silly game . Firstly, the company keeps how the algorithm is calculated a big mystery. They became even more sneaky with this practice after Lithium had acquired it. At the same token, you can artificially increase the score by gaming the system. You can throw garbage onto your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc and arrange to have a slew of likes and comments and that will increase the score. Yet, if you share some content on a regular basis that is valuable that organically receives engagement- your score will likely decrease or stay the same. Why? No one knows except for the folks at Klout. They keep it a secret on purpose. I have stopped looking at people’s Klout scores and I pay more attention to what they sh

The year 2015 is coming to a close. How was it for you? For me, I had many ah-ha moments and learned a lot. Now, I am definitely not one to look highly upon New Year’s resolutions because more often than not, they are forgotten about by the first week of January. After Christmas, you always see weight loss commercials and it’s quite comical. Many people get pumped up about trying the new diet advertised after gorging themselves during the holidays. By the middle of January, those same people forget about that diet and go back to eating the way they did before. It’s quite predictable. However, I did not write this post to judge anyone. I’m just stating my opinions and observations about common New Year’s resolutions. However, I will share with you what I had learned about myself in 2015, and even well before that- and what I plan to do about it in 2016 and beyond. Since 2014, I found myself extremely bored with my life, disappointed with how my life turned out, only saw myself as a fa

The year 2015 is coming to a close. How was it for you? For me, I had many ah-ha moments and learned a lot. Now, I am definitely not one to look highly upon New Year’s resolutions because more often than not, they are forgotten about by the first week of January. After Christmas, you always see weight loss commercials and it’s quite comical. Many people get pumped up about trying the new diet advertised after gorging themselves during the holidays. By the middle of January, those same people forget about that diet and go back to eating the way they did before. It’s quite predictable. However, I did not write this post to judge anyone. I’m just stating my opinions and observations about common New Year’s resolutions. However, I will share with you what I had learned about myself in 2015, and even well before that- and what I plan to do about it in 2016 and beyond. Since 2014, I found myself extremely bored with my life, disappointed with how my life turned out, only saw myself as a fail