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Seizing Growth
I've been blogging for 8 years. Professionally, I tout the Internet as a visual medium. Yet, I rarely include my own photos in my posts. Instead, I use Creative Commons images. Why?  Truth be told, it was the learning curve of editing software that terrified me. I had no time to learn new things. Relentless deadlines and content demands of social media were eating me alive. Sound familiar? Here's how I changed that.
 Enter Catherine Karnow. She shoots for National Geographic and other travel magazines. Her proposal was simple. Italy: 10 days of dawn-to-dusk shoots would transform me from a rank novice into a crack photographer.
 I was nervous when I showed up in Umbria the first day of the workshop. But we immediately tackled a series of shoots: night shots, panning, action shots, food and architectural shots, and soulful portraits. Days flew. The work was all consuming, leaving me no time to second guess.
My focus paid off. I emerged with a terrific set of shots and a new set of skills. Best of all, it renewed my courage for learning and trying new things. Since returning, I've embarked on new research. I taught myself how to change the oil on my lawn mower. I agreed to give hybrid session workshops (live and virtual), involving a whole new presentation style.
Next year, I plan to join Catherine in Vietnam. It may as well be the moon. I will MAKE the time. Because truthfully, all the minutiae that cluttered my life drove back the things I valued more. Things like having the courage to learn new things. Seizing what we want forces new priorities. Which reminds me of this quote about the rewards inherent in risking what's difficult: "We choose to go to the moon and other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills." John F. Kennedy
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As such, Fiesta may be Ford's first "social" brand to make its mark on the year-end sales report. If you're still trying to convince your colleagues or clients to adopt social media to stimulate sales, read on.
