Meet Joe Sinnott

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Joe Sinnott a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Joe, really appreciate you joining us to talk about a really relevant, albeit unfortunate topic – layoffs and getting fired. Can you talk to us about your experience and how you overcame being let go?

After spending 30 years as a staff photographer at a company with a local and national footprint, I found myself laid off in my mid-50’s early in the pandemic. I’d spent most of my career tailoring my abilities to fit the needs of this employer, and my skill set was a bit unique to the position I held. Combined with my age (any HR pro can tell you what happens to laid off folks in their 50’s), I was looking at narrow prospects.

I was fortunate to have planned ahead, and have a good part time gig teaching at a well respected arts college. I’d also always maintained some freelance work. Jobs in media aren’t thick on the ground in even the best of times, and I was always aware that my situation could suddenly change.

The main things I did at the beginning of rebuilding my career was to be thoughtful and organized. I made sure to spent a some time each day cultivating new contacts and letting folks in my professional network know I was available. I created a new website (and acquired the skills to do so) and increased my use of social media. I also went through all my LinkedIn contacts, and messaged anyone I’d worked with in the past at wherever they moved to.

I spent time thinking about the things I could do that other people might need, and promoted those services in places interested potential clients might be. Breaking out all the off-beat skills I emphasized in the old job as specific areas of unique expertise allowed me to generate new revenue at things clients needed, instead of trying to sell myself as a large collection of random and seemingly unrelated abilities.

The important thing was to keep moving and form relationships with people that aligned with their needs. I put a lot of thought into figuring out what kinds of problems potential clients had that I could solve, and then presented myself as the person to do so.

There were a lot of people in the same situation at the time, and a significant number of those I knew were starting their own businesses. Since I’m primarily a photographer, and I reached out to ask how I could help them getting their new thing started. I often had folks respond along the lines of, “I can’t afford you”, to which my answer was that they could pay me whatever they could. If that was zero, then I’d take their pictures for free. My reasoning (beyond just being helpful) was that although not all those businesses would take off, some of them would. Having formed a good relationship at the very beginning of their new thing, there were good odds that as some of them rose I would have the chance to rise with them. I’m still doing that five years later, and it’s been more successful than not.

Find out what someone’s problem is, and be the solution. It’s been my driving business philosophy, and I credit it with being the most significant part of my current success.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I’m primarily a commercial photographer who works in several photographic specialties. Business events and entertainment are a lot of my client base, but I also do portraits and some other kinds of work. I’m fortunate to have worked with some notable individuals and institutions.

I consider myself extremely lucky to earn a living as a commercial artist, and that sense of gratitude is reflected in my my professional relationships and approach to work. I don’t spend a lot of time figuring out whether something can be done. I figure out how to do it. Making pictures that people can use, are within their means, that they’re happy with, and that communicate their message are among the most satisfying things about my work.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Knowing things is better than not knowing things. I’m a big fan of enthusiasm and everyone should have it, but by itself it’s not a replacement for expertise. A lot of my success has been about knowing how to do things that others in my field can’t do. It’s not enough to have talent. You also have to have the foundational skills to make your vision into something tangible and real.

I’m pretty organized and disciplined, but those qualities can be flaws when they lead to inflexibility. It’s important to have a plan, but you also have to be prepared for what happens when the plan goes awry. I prepare a lot for what I think is going to happen, and a little for what I’m afraid will happen.

Treat the people who work for you in a way that makes them glad to be there. It’s OK to criticize when appropriate, but remember that relying on a team is about asking them to lift you up on their shoulders. When you get to the top, you reach down haul those folks up there with you. You’re never going to get the kind of commitment and effort that leads to extraordinary results by making enemies and expecting them to watch your back.

Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?

Step back, take a breath, and remember there’s no such thing as a photography emergency. My clients’ work is important and I treat it that way, but I’m not curing cancer. It’s easy to let perspective be a casualty of immediacy, and I actively remind myself of that when things go sideways.

I do a lot of list-making. When there’s too much going on, I take some time and write down everything that needs doing. Then I categorize those items by “important” and “urgent”. It’s amazing how often things don’t wind up in both categories. Once I get that sorted, I rank them in the order they need to be done.

When something gets finished and I cross it off the list, I get a small dopamine rush. It feels good and provides positive reinforcement for getting more done.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.josephsinnott.com
• Instagram: @crucibleofjoe
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JosephSinnottPhotography
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-sinnott-6451332/
• Twitter: @crucibleofjoe

Image Credits

Photo: Joseph Sinnott / ©WNET