We recently connected with Richard Waine and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Richard with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
My work ethic comes from a few places.
My grandfather immigrated to the United States as a young child in the early 1900s. He barely spoke English.
He learned new skills, and languages, and worked extremely hard to provide for his family.
As a pharmacist, in the days when pharmacists were almost as good as visiting a doctor, my grandfather went above and beyond to help those in need.
He always made people feel welcome, valued, and loved. He also emphasized effort, resilience, fortitude, and standing up for what was right. A moral compass was important to him, and as the patriarch of my family, that moral compass was passed on.
During the Great Depression, though folks barely had enough money or resources to go around, my grandfather opened the doors to his pharmacy just in case someone was in need.
My parents instilled and reinforced many of the same qualities. I found their encouragement and support to be my safety net. However, their idea of support and encouragement often pushed me beyond my comfort zone.
As a young adult, I found failure to be both frequent and valuable. Playing competitive lacrosse for many years taught me the value of failure, teamwork, strategy, and hard work.
In combination with the fact that my brother and I engaged in many sibling rivalry-related competitions, I grew a terrible distaste for failure, which pushes me even to this day.
Though I accept that I will inevitably fail at some things, I push myself, practice, and work at things until I don’t fail.
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?
Confucius said, “Do a job you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.”
I am a professional headshot photographer, a facial expression coach, and a trusted advisor. My clients visit with me or have me come to their offices to provide a high-end professional headshot experience and headshot photographs of their teams.
While I take incredible pride in delivering high-quality results, the experience is far from stuffy.
I find that interacting with each individual, creating a dynamic atmosphere, making people laugh, and eliciting a variety of expressions creates an enjoyable experience for everyone.
The very nature of each photo session disarms folks, and makes them feel more comfortable despite the fact that they would love to be anywhere else.
I recognize that not everyone who needs a professional headshot actually wants to stand in front of a camera. Some have trouble with self-acceptance. Others fear the court of public opinion. Regardless of their reason, my goal is to show each client something in themselves that they have not yet seen.
Every element of my workflow is carefully designed to ensure that the images are fantastic and that the headshot experience is transformative for my clients.
Watching a client’s face come to life when they review their new headshots on my computer screen is the fuel that keeps me going.
I love that I can participate in the success of my clients. When they achieve great things, I’d like to think that I contributed in some small way.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
The subject matter that I found to be most helpful and impactful in my field is business.
I often advise newcomers to the photography industry as well as more experienced photographers to learn how to do business (marketing, sales, finance, accounting, etc.).
It’s awesome to be a photographer who creates beautiful images. But, it’s even better to be a photographer who doesn’t have to struggle to pay the bills.
Knowing how and continuing to learn to market my services and take care of the administrative side of my business allows me to focus on creating a great professional headshot photography experience for my clients.
Of course, we should never stop learning. I continue to learn and practice headshot photography techniques as well.
In order to give my clients my very best, I have to keep my skills sharp.
Beyond learning business and photography, the qualities that I truly believe will carry you far are:
tenacity, curiosity, perseverance, and passion.
Skills can be taught. Everything else must come from within.
Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?
Early in my career as a financial analyst on Wall Street, one of my colleagues offered me a bit of advice. He said “A problem is not a problem. It is a series of tasks that need to be completed one at a time.”
When I feel overwhelmed, as most entrepreneurs or business owners eventually do, I remember that I just need to adjust my approach.
I make lists.
I use an old-fashioned pen and paper to keep track of my to-do list, which I keep in front of me at all times. Some folks like to keep things digitally (on a phone or computer). I have found that the action of crossing off an item from a physical list fosters a dopamine release, and keeps me moving forward.
At the top of the list, I will write the biggest goal that I want to achieve for the year. It’s a big goal, and it’s probably a bit scary to contemplate. Beneath that goal, I populate the list with everything I need to do for my business, my family, myself, and any other miscellaneous tasks.
As I cross one task off the list, I may add others. It is a fluid document that constantly evolves.
While these lists can be arranged any way you choose, they help me to stay organized and on task at all times.
This doesn’t mean that I avoid feeling overwhelmed or stretched thin. It’s just a coping mechanism that has served me well both personally and professionally.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://richardwaine.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/richardwaine/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RichardWainePhotography
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardwaine/
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/richard_waine/
