Summer Book : TRIBES by Seth Godin
It is summer 2009 and while some of us are packing the car for vacations to the sea shore or the mountains, many of us are choosing to “staycation”, or rather staying close to home or taking day trips to area attractions. Today’s economy is forcing us to re-evaluate, not just the family summer vacation but our business priorities as well.
Seth Godin the master marketer and author of the book Tribes, recalls that often quoted phrase, that life’s too short, “…too short to fight the forces of change. Life’s too short to hate what you do all day. Life’s way too short to make mediocre stuff. And almost everything that is standard is now viewed as mediocre.”
It sure seems that business like we know it has changed forever, and that everyone with a camera is a photographer. Many companies require employees to self evaluate their work performance. These performance management systems feature not only an evaluation of the job description but also a personal development track. As self-employed photographers we rarely take the time to self-assess our development.
This summer I am staying close to home, spending time with my wife and daughter and taking the time to evaluate my personal goals, my business goals and even my photography goals. Am I making the kind of photographs that mean something to me? Am I working for the clients who use the type of photography that I want to create? Is my business plan providing the rewards that I expect? I am optimistic that the economy will recover. I am even more optimistic that I will emerge from this summer with a better picture of where I am going. Life is way to short.
If you are packing books for your summer, consider the Seth Godin Library and at the very least check out Tribes.
2 Responses to 'Summer Book : TRIBES by Seth Godin'
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Well done Richard! I must have run myself into the ground this past winter trying to evaluate the direction I’m going. Despite the fact we are all going through a rough spot with the economy, I think it may be healthy to regroup and look inward. Personally for me things have become clearer and I look forward to working on a new and better direction.
I think more than ever, Seth’s book “The Dip” is relevant to what we do on a day to day basis. Given that you are facing more and more competition, it would seem like it’s even more important now to figure out if you are in a cul-de-sac or a dip.
You are asking yourself some great questions!