We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jim Flynn a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Jim , thank you so much for joining us and offering your lessons and wisdom for our readers. One of the things we most admire about you is your generosity and so we’d love if you could talk to us about where you think your generosity comes from.
Growing up I had amazing role models in both of my parents. Our family did not come from wealth but my parents worked really hard and provided us with a roof over our heads and food on the table. My siblings and I did not get cars or go away for spring breaks but what we did get was love and attention, we were the priorities in our parents lives. Even with my parents busy work schedules (my mom worked 3rd shift at a state mental hospital) they always made time for us and others, Volunteer work was important to them. Whether through the church or other non profit organizations, my parents were always willing to give their time to important causes. I never understood it at the time but as an adult I learned through following my parents example that volunteer work gave them (and now me) a great sense of reward knowing that their efforts made an impact on the lives of others.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I started my career in photography in 1989 when I moved to Boston after graduating art school in Denver, Colorado. I began as in assistant for various photographers but I was ultimately blessed with two wonderful mentors, Bill Miles and Bob O’Shaughnessy. These two men inspired an incredible work ethic and generosity toward the people they worked for and those who worked for them. They were role models indeed and I am so grateful to have had them be in my life during such crucial development part of my career.
My photography business has always been in the realm of commercial / advertising with an emphasis on people / lifestyle on location. My clients are in the Healthcare, Pharmaceutical, Life Science, and Financial industries. What I love about what I do is that I get to help creatives bring their vision to life. It also allows me to work with teams of people who are really good at what they do. One of my greatest joys is working on a big production where I get to hire a lot of staff and having them all show up on shoot days and I get to sit back and just let them do their jobs and watch them do it brilliantly. I don’t like to micro manage a shoot. I like to defer to each of my staff’s expertise in there various roles and allow them to shine. It’s a lot of fun to watch.
Through the example of my parents, I have always used my skills to help non profits. Pro Bono work has allowed me to donate my time and work to some amazing organizations. Knowing that I can help brings me great satisfaction and reward. It’s always been a part of my business plan. One project that I am most proud of is the documentary I directed called Beyond Rusinga: https://www.beyondrusinga.com/
It is the story of an NGO that is dedicated to the eradication of cervical cancer globally.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The 3 skills that I have found useful are 1) Careful and thorough planning /pre-production, 2) Listening / Communication and 3) Most important..BE PATIENT AND BE NICE.. to everyone.
Advertising agencies spend a lot of money on shoots. There jobs are on the line with their clients every time they do a production. Careful and thorough pre production insures that there are no slip ups on shoot days which might embarrass the agency in front of their clients. Things will happen on shoots, its a given. But paying attention to details and careful planning ahead of time will help lesson the impact of those events when they occur.
My relationships with clients has always been successful when I spend the time carefully listening to what their needs are and then clear communications back of how I intend to execute there requests. It’s important that we go into a shoot all “Reading from the same sheet music” in order to avoid mishaps or missed shots.
Being nice is not always the easiest thing to do but having a reputation as someone people want to work with, that is some of the best marketing you cannot buy. That goes for both clients and contractors. You need people to want to work with you. You could be the best photographer ever to drop out of the sky but if your attitude sucks, you will miss opportunities.
Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?
The most impactful things my parents did for me was to instill the values of helping others and treating people the way you would want to be treated yourself. Fairness and helping others may cost me money at times but it sure helps me sleep at night.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jimflynnphoto.com
- Instagram: @jimflynnphoto
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JimFlynnPhotography/
Image Credits
Headshot Photo @Jen Bakus
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
