Years ago, when we first began to talk about the idea of starting our own business, I really wanted to keep it a secret. I’m the kind of person who really doesn’t like to fail. (Sad, but true.) So, until I really thought we would succeed, I didn’t want to tell anybody about it. Ryan on the other hand, is completely the opposite. He loves to try new things and saw the whole thing as a great opportunity for adventure! So of course, the very next time we were sitting at a table full of family members, he boldly announced, “Guess what everybody! We’re going to start a wedding photography business!” At the time, I was scared to death that he said that, but he actually had an ulterior motive that I am thankful for to this day. Ryan knew that if our family knew about our plan, they’d be asking about it all the time and it would force us to get past the fears and actually make the dream a reality. And the rest, is history. What can I say? The man knows what he’s doing :-)
We’ve been talking a lot lately about goals; goals for our business and our personal lives. And of course, the best way to actually accomplish a goal is to write it down and then tell people about it so there’s someone to hold you accountable. So that’s what we’ve decided to do starting today. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the concept of the 101 in 1001 list, it’s basically a list of goals (101 of them) that you want to complete over the course of 1001 days (about 2.78 years). Since the timeframe is longer than a year, you can think a little bigger than just your typical shorter term “New Years Resolution” type stuff.
We started out by each writing a separate list, but as a couple who also have a business together, we found out pretty fast that a lot of the goals we each came up with as individuals overlapped and applied to both of us. So we decided that rather than bore all of you with two lists, we’d make it a combined effort. As we accomplish our goals, we’ll be writing about them here on the blog so you can all see how we’re doing. I’m going to warn you now that you’ll probably see some iPhone photos along the way to commemorate our milestones since we don’t ALWAYS have our big fancy cameras with us. And of course, if you see any goals on this list that you can help us accomplish, please let us know! (Oh and by the way, these are in no particular order. They’re organized alphabetically within each category.)
BUSINESS GOALS:
1. Attend a photography workshop
2. Attend WPPI (COMPLETED 2/2012)
3. Be the studio spotlight at a PUG meeting (COMPLETED 4/2012)
4. Blog everyday for one month
5. Choose a cause and donate a portion of our proceeds to it for 6 months (COMPLETED 6/8/12)
6. Create a new product for other photographers
7. Create custom packaging that reflects our brand
8. Do a portrait session giveaway in another state
9. Do a wedding coverage giveaway (COMPLETED 8/18/10)
10. Donate a photo session to a charitable cause (COMPLETED 1/29/12)
11. Get a full set of new sample albums (full wedding, parent album, guest book (COMPLETED 8/30/2011)
12. Get canvas prints made (COMPLETED 4/12/11)
13. Get new business cards (COMPLETED 9/8/10)
14. Get new custom folders for consultations
15. Have a wedding featured in the Arizona Wedding Chronicle
16. Have a wedding published in a bridal magazine (COMPLETED 7/2011)
17. Have a wedding published on a wedding blog (COMPLETED 7/20/10)
18. Have another pro photographer take photos of us (COMPLETED 1/16/12)
19. Have dinner with different past clients once a month for four months (COMPLETE 11/17/12)
20. Have lunch/dinner with another wedding vendor once a month for 3 months
21. Launch our new website (COMPLETED 4/13/11)
22. Make a promo video (5/21/2012)
23. Make the switch to Mac
24. Order custom pens
25. Reach 500 fans on our Facebook Page (COMPLETED 1/20/2011)
26. Revise our branding to be more “Us” focused (COMPLETED 4/13/11)
27. Set up a studio space for clients consultations (COMPLETED 4/16/11)
28. Shoot a wedding in another state (COMPLETED 4/2/2010)
29. Switch to thumb drives for image delivery to our wedding clients (COMPLETED 11/19/12)
GOALS FOR RYAN & DENISE:
30. Babysit Makena (COMPLETED 2011)
31. Be in the audience for the taping of a late night show
32. Buy a house (COMPLETED 5/24/2010)
33. Decorate our house for Christmas (COMPLETED 12/28/2010)
34. Get plugged into a small group bible study
35. Get travel luggage for our photo equiptment (COMPLETED 9/1/2010)
36. Go back to New York
37. Go on a cruise
38. Go on a vacation (WITHOUT working) (COMPLETED 7/8/2011)
39. Go to a concert or comedy show (COMPLETED 5/2/2010)
40. Have “date night” once a week for two months
41. Host a family holiday at our house (COMPLETED 12/25/2011)
42. Make an album for Makena (COMPLETED 12/25/2010)
43. Paint our house
44. Read 3 books that benefit our business over the course of 6 months (COMPLETED 2011)
45. See 10 new movies on the AFI list
46. Take a day trip up north to play in the snow
47. Take a trip with another couple (COMPLETED 10/8/2010)
48. Take Molly for a walk once a week for 2 months
49. Use our Passports one more time before they expire (COMPLETED 7/7/2011)
50. Visit friends in San Francisco (COMPLETED 9/27/2010)
51. Visit the Guggenheim
52. Watch the sun rise and set on the beach on the same day
RYAN’S PERSONAL GOALS:
53. BBQ at least once a week for a month
54. Buy a Hugo Boss suit
55. Buy an original piece of art
56. Comment on at least one blog per day for one year
57. Do a major home improvement project
58. Do P90X or equivalent
59. Do something on Denise’s list that I don’t want to do
60. Dress up for Halloween
61. Read the bible once a day for 30 days in a row
62. Eat Sushi once a week for four weeks in a row with Mom
63. Fix driver’s side window in the Lexus
64. Get a tattoo
65. Get my wisdom teeth pulled
66. Get some kind of cardio equipment for the house (bike, treadmill, or elliptical machine)
67. Go hiking with friends
68. Go Kayaking
69. Go rock climbing
70. Go skiing
71. Go to a Cardinals game with my Dad
72. Go to a vineyard
73. Go to Sea World with Christy
74. Go to the gym 4 days a week for one month
75. Hang out with Greg once a week for one month
76. Invent something
77. Learn how to dance
78. Learn how to make home made ice cream from Grandma Rita
79. Learn how to play a new instrument
80. Lick a dolphin, the Space Needle, and part of the titanic (not at the same time)
81. Make 12 free throws in a row
82. Make a different dinner for Denise every night for 5 days (in a row)
83. Make home made popcorn (COMPLETED 4/26/2012)
84. Make Limoncello from scratch
85. No fast food for one month (COMPLETED 5/19/2011)
86. Participate in a charity photoshoot
87. Play an outdoor game with Denise at least once a week for one month
88. Read a marriage book with Denise
89. Ride in a hot air balloon (COMPLETED 4/24/2011)
90. Run a half marathon
91. Run at least one mile with Dan
92. Run or walk for a charity or cause
93. Smoke a great cigar that I haven’t had before
94. Stay at a nice hotel in Arizona
95. Take a class at the gym
96. Take Denise on a one mile run
97. Take Denise on a surprise vacation
98. Take Molly to a dog park
99. Teach Molly a new trick besides sit and lay down
100. Turn 30 (and be happy about it) (COMPLETED 7/7/10)
101. Wash car once a month for six months
DENISE’S PERSONAL GOALS:
53. Be involved in some kind of stage production (acting or singing)
54. Buy a pair of Manolo Blaniks
55. Call my Mom or Dad once a week for 6 months (COMPLETED 5/15/10)
56. Comment on someone else’s blog post once a day for a two months
57. Complete my associates degree
58. Do volunteer work using photography
59. Donate blood
60. Eat an entire meal with Chopsticks (COMPLETED 3/19/2010)
61. Expand my “fabulous” (not practical) shoe collection so I can wear a different pair for 7 days in a row
62. Find a mentor
63. Find a type of seafood I like to eat
65. Get laser eye surgery
66. Give Ryan a surprise gift once a month for 6 months
67. Go horseback riding on the beach
68. Go horseback riding with my mom & sister
69. Go on a road trip (with multiple locations)
70. Go skydiving
71. Go to a drive in movie
72. Go to a film festival
73. Go to a Suns Game (and have lower level tickets) (COMPLETED 10/29/10)
74. Go two weeks without Caffeine (COMPLETED 8/15/10)
75. Host a fabulous New Year’s Eve party with all our friends
76. Learn the basics of Dreamweaver
77. Learn the basics of Illustrator
78. Learn to play guitar
79. Mail birthday cards to all of our family members for one year
80. Make a new friend (a for real one, not just an acquaintance)
81. Mentor someone
82. Organize “girls night” once a month for four months (COMPLETED 10/2012)
83. Participate in an Arizona shootout
84. Plan an amazing day for Ryan’s 30th birthday (COMPLETED 7/7/10)
85. Post something “personal” on the blog every other week for 6 months
86. Make photography my full time job
87. Read 5 novels in the course of a year (COMPLETED July 2011)
88. Read the bible once a day for 30 days in a row
89. See a musical at Gammage (COMPLETED 4/2011)
90. See every movie nominated for Best Picture before the Oscars (COMPLETED 2/20/11)
91. Send a handwritten thank you note once a week for 2 months
92. Send out Christmas cards (COMPLETED 12/24/12)
93. Start serving in a ministry
94. Take a cooking class
95. Take a sign language class
96. Take one of my old 6th grade girls out to lunch/dinner and reconnect (COMPLETED 12/16/2011)
97. Treat Julie to a surprise special day out
98. Try one new restaurant a month for 6 months
99. Try Yoga
100. Visit the Walk of Fame in LA
101. Write a thank you letter to 5 people who have made a difference in my life
Tags:
101 in 1001
February 22, 2010
Feb 22
This is great! I’ve never heard of the 101 in 1001 plan. I’ve got some major plans developing in my head right now, but didn’t really have a starting point. I’m definitely giving this idea a try!
Thanks for sharing :-)
Also – in reference to using photography to serve others (and traveling) – check out IGVP- International Guild of Visual Peacemakers: http://www.visualpeacemakers.org A good friend of Devin’s (Jim Mullins, maybe you know him from Grace?) helped launch it. Pretty cool stuff.
Justin and I can help! He can help with Macs… One of my former clients runs an office supply business that’s great on pricing… I have six tattoos, so I know my way around a tattoo shop and how to find a good artist… And I know a lot about good books and cooking classes!
And we would totally go to San Francisco with you- You’d kill two birds with one stone! I lived there, I know my way around, you could ditch us to visit other people. :-P
I love this idea. Just a few comments… We would be more than willing to be a past client you have dinner with. Bryant and I were actually talking about inviting you two to dinner. :)
Also, I had laser eye surgery three years ago. LOVE IT! I have a really good surgeon if you want a referral. :)
Scott and I can help with Ryan’s #77! We are always looking to share our love of social dance and we know the best places to go for low-stress and fun learning experiences. We’d love to go with you some time!