Today’s blog post is a lesson. Not a lesson in disguise, it’s really pretty obvious.

As entrepreneurs, we’ve heard the adage before, always produce a product that you believe in and can stand behind. I’m not claiming to be a perfect photographer by any means but, I am learning and growing daily. Sure, when I look back at images I took years ago, I see opportunities to improve my technique both behind the camera and in the editing process. However, I know that any image I take and edit today is produced to the best of my ability with the knowledge I have at this point in time. Believing in myself and my work has proven to be very successful for me – generally speaking, my clients are thrilled with the outcome and will more often than not, bring my repeat business and referrals.

Recently, I had the opportunity to stand behind my product even when it wasn’t my product to begin with.

It all began with a mishap. I received a call from a local business that was unhappy with my work. The problem was, it wasn’t my work. There was a miscommunication between the business owner and another photographer. Besides the point, the business owner felt that I could assist her as my business’ name was mentioned by the other photographer. The Mike Holmes in me surfaced and I felt like I needed to fix the problem for a fellow small business owner. You might say it was a sore spot for me given that I am a small business owner myself and understand the challenges of such. So, I offered to redo the original photography work to the client’s satisfaction on a complimentary basis.

That’s when Bo Penny of Penny Lane Organics and I met so that I could photograph 300-500 products for her website and online ordering catalogue. Penny Lane Organics is a line of organic personal care products that are vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and chemical-free. The products were designed out of an effort by Bo and her family to live a sustainable lifestyle, living off their land and growing their own food. Their personal philosophy is; if they won’t put something IN their bodies, they won’t put it ON their bodies. After making and enjoying their personal care products for themselves and their families, Bo began to field requests from more and more acquaintances, friends and  loved ones. And so, Penny Lane Organics was born!

Bo was great to work with and was so happy with my product that she sent me home with various organic products to try. (Don’t worry, this was a special circumstance, I don’t expect this from all my clients!) For a family like mine that has sensitive skin, the products were a blessing. I’ve been using the soap ever since and it’s worked so well for me that I will continue to buy from Bo’s line of products.

It was great to work from small business to small business – one on one. Standing behind and believing in my images made a huge difference for me both professionally and personally. I knew that after Bo saw my images she would be pleased. Bo is a kindred spirit in this sense, she also knows her products speak for themselves. There is a great feeling that comes from applying your life’s work to something you believe in. Seeing the look on your clients’ faces when your product or service suits their needs is truly rewarding.

Not only have I made a contact that will be professionally helpful with networking in the future but, I have also found a product that has helped alleviate the symptoms of my sensitive skin! The best part? I’ve made a friend that happens to speak one of my languages, literally. Bo speaks Croatian and towards the end of our session, we were able to communicate on a whole new level!

Photos taken by Dragi Andovski, September 2013. Published © 2013 DA Photography. Location: Kimberly, ON. Penny Lane Organic.

[subscribe2]