Detouring from the regularly friday blog post because guess what? Life Happened!!  It just did. and it does.  I wrote a few weeks ago about professionalism on commenting on eachother’s facebook pages when clients can view in “A Dirty Office Rug.”  I’m very protective of my clients and mentees. It’s my business I have to.  Last night I hopped on to a vendor’s page to check out any posts or specials they may have posted, what greeted me was AWFUL.  As most of America knows a big storm swept through the Northeast last week knocking out power, in fact, some areas have no power still.  My family and many friends were included in this.  So was Instagram, Amazon servers and a few other internet companies.  Instead of seeing people rooting this vendor on (when you KNOW the vendor is stressing out because their systems were down) photographers were very unprofessionally on the page threatening to leave their business and to spread bad word about them.  Because of an event the vendor couldn’t control?!?!  The vendor couldn’t even contact all of their clients because they had no power. No power means so much more than no internet. No air conditioner. No warm water to bathe. No warm food. Stand still of business.  I am ashamed and disappointed at the actions these “professionals” displayed.  Not to say I wouldn’t have been upset, but sometimes we need to remember

To those that were threatening (and causing stress to an already bad situation) to take their business elsewhere, what if it was you that it had happened to and your photography clients had done it? How would you feel? What if your clients saw your nasty comments and took their business elsewhere? What happened to professionalism?

My reason for not having a business blog post today? My son had a fever of 101 last night and ended up at urgent care. Life. Happens. I’ve been lucky enough to have wonderful clients and mentees who understand this. I am so appreciative of this, even more so, after viewing those that couldn’t understand that in this virtual world there are real people on the other side of the computers.

July is dedicated to marketing. The marketing that was displayed by those who posted on this vendor’s wall is really negative.  I recognized some names. Some I didn’t know. But it’s a public website, who knows who saw it.  Did your client? What about a possible business vendor who wanted to create a relationship to help you in your business? We are all human. We make mistakes. But as business owner’s everything we do is marketing. Whether we realize it or not. So I guess today’s blog post is about marketing.  It probably sounds like I’m grumbling and I am.  This industry is amazing. There are so many amazing people. We have it hard enough fighting the onslaught of the digital age, copyright infringement and everyone seeking a deal. Why not just work together instead of against each other?

Have a wonderful friday. If this rains the Negative Nancy’s on me so be it. It is time we stand up against bullies (photog to photog, photog to vendor).  If you have an issue, contact someone directly- don’t blast it on the web. Be mindful life happens. That we are human. That we are all trying to succeed.  Slow Down. Be You. Life Happens.