I've seen the size of the fight win more fights than the size of the dog more often than not. I don't mean that literally as in two dogs of different sizes fighting, and it doesn't mean that the first of the two crossed the finish line first. I've seen guys get knocked down and seemingly not have a chance come back and make an okay race become incredible with the never quit attitude. While they may not score the big pay day, they win something more valuable, IMHO anyway, and that is respect. Respect from their team, peers, and fans. Hell, I've seen those guys get more praise than the actual winner in some cases. Why is that? I believe it has to do with the guts and grit they showed.
The never quit attitude is powerful, it demands respect, it inspires. Turn on ESPN during football season and you'll see stories galore about sick kids that make you rethink your life because we sit and complain about traffic or coworkers while they are just happy to live another day to fight. They capture our attention and make you ponder, "what more could I be doing?" They inspire you to have a thought like that.
Now, in no way, shape, or form am I comparing myself to one of those situations but I can't tell you how many times I've just wanted to say, "f*ck it" and be done with a lot of things. Most recently it was my photography business, which by the way never really got off of the ground. It's not that I didn't try. It's not that I didn't have opportunities. It's more like I should have just done more. And by more, I mean take every opportunity that came my way! But I didn't know how much this "business" meant to me until I received a notice in the mail for the NC Department of Revenue stating they were going to revoke my ability to collect sales tax for filing 18 straight months of no taxes due. Don't get me wrong, I've been selling pictures off of my website, but the way NC taxes are set up, my host site has to collect and report the taxes, not me. And to be even more clear, I haven't cleared $599.99 to report anything in many years.
But that is all about to change, or at least I hope anyway. I'm trying harder than I ever have to make this work. I won't stop until someone says that I can't feasibly run this business and even then it's going to take a lot of proof! I'm offering more services, taking more chances, and trying to get to every race I can. I'm going to do it because it is a part of me now, more than it ever has been and I HATE failing!!! Something I've known for an awful long time is I know it is going to take more than just my blood, sweat, and tears to succeed. I don't mean letting someone else doing it for me, I mean I need help from my family and friends and it's okay to ask for it.
So here is me asking for help! I'm asking that anytime you see something I post online just share it; that one little action can make a world of difference. If you know someone asking about a photographer, tell them about me. We all know word of mouth is the greatest form of advertisement. If it doesn't work out it doesn't but at least I had an opportunity to try. My success isn't measured monetarily, it is measured by how many people I can get to become return clients. The money, while important, isn't what drives me...it just affords me the opportunity to keep going.
Let me close by saying this, this isn't just for me. This is for all of YOUR friends that own businesses. I'd be willing to bet that they would never get upset with you for referring them or sharing their work/posts on social media. Their success in their venture(s) could be a break that they were looking for and giving them a never give, never quit attitude.
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