Today Ete sits down with Doug Trace of Trace Photo Studio.
- About Doug
- Professional photographer
- Husband and father of 4
- South Jersey native
- An "ideas guy"
- An all-around highly creative person
- What helped him get to where he is today
- Seeing the business and its challenges (angry mothers!) from childhood (2:25)
- Taking a $20,000 pay cut to get into the industry and learn his craft (10:30)
- Learning how to interact with clients (12:40)
- Specific qualities and skills he learned from his parents (19:33)
- A very supportive wife (28:55)
- Believing that life will prepare him for the next step (39:44)
- Memorable learning experiences (mistakes) and hard things along the way
- A downside of working for someone else: wage ceilings (10:14)
- Working through family challenges (29:22)
- Burnout (31:27)
- Loving street photography "and then Covid happened" (37:00)
- Major Insights
- Learn to truly like your clients (12:56)
- People often just need to be heard. Stop trying to make a point. (17:07)
- Watch what's coming down the road: digital photography's impact on the industry (20:38)
- Nail down the process and product so you can focus on the people. (33:26)
- Use the unique resources and tools you have access to to differentiate yourself. You have everything you need. (43:38)
- Be honest with yourself and others about your abilities and strengths (45:33)
- You need to build a team of people who are "better than you" and not be intimated by their abilities. (49:36)
- Success = "finding what you're passionate about and being happy with it." (1:00:26)
- "Take every single opportunity that comes in front of you, no matter how outlandish." (1:04:53)
- Miscellaneous Good Stuff
- One time long-haired metal-band rocker. (5:05)
- The truth comes out: "The youngest gets away with the most." (6:22)
- Forget the brides, Momzillas are the real threat. (15:15)
- "The scriptures are the Radiohead of the religious world." (1:06:50)
- "Youth is a time bomb that goes off when you're 40." (1:09:06)
