Reflections

Beyond Photography A few years ago, I realized something. As a photographer, I could spend my career competing on price, speed, or convenience. There will always be someone younger, someone faster, someone with lower overhead, or someone willing to charge less. I decided I didn't want that to be the only way I created value. Around the same time, I noticed that my favorite conversations weren't about cameras. They were about leadership, organizations, and how different people work together...

The 5% One of the privileges of sitting behind the camera during leadership conversations is hearing ideas that stay with me long after the podcast ends. This week, Las Vegas Mayor Pro Tem Brian Knudsen shared a simple observation. He said that when people ask him for help, he often gives them something to work on first. Only about 5% actually follow through. That made me think. Many of us ask for opportunities, introductions, or support. But perhaps the real opportunity comes...

This year marks ten years since I joined the Vegas Chamber. When I moved to Las Vegas, I was focused on building my photography business in a city where I knew very few people. Like many small business owners, I joined the Chamber hoping to meet people and grow my business. What I didn't expect was how much I would learn. Over the years, the Chamber introduced me to conversations about economic development, workforce, education, business, and community leadership. I attended events,...

What 150 Leadership Conversations Taught Me Over the past three years, I've had the privilege of listening to more than 150 conversations with CEOs, entrepreneurs, educators, nonprofit leaders, and public servants through the Workforce Connections podcast. Every leader has a different story, but over time I started noticing patterns. Here are a few lessons that have stayed with me. 1. Nobody builds anything meaningful alone. One of the biggest surprises was how often leaders talked about...

Photography Introduced Me to Remarkable People. Curiosity Kept Me Listening. For more than a decade, I thought I was building a photography business. Looking back, I realize photography was quietly building something else in me. Three years ago, I started sitting behind the camera during the Workforce Connections podcast. I thought I was there simply to photograph leaders. I didn't realize I was also learning from them. Through more than 150 conversations with CEOs, educators,...