Tuff decision...

Thanks for participating in my poll...seems I should get a part-time job...and focus more on the photography biz...

So I have been looking for part-time work, but I haven't found anything that makes sense...nothing.  I'm mean, I have an opportunity to keep working for the school board as a Truancy Officer (could you see me doing that???)...but it's still 5 days a week - 9am-2pm=$18,000 salary...I might as well work the extra 3 hours and make way more than that!

So, for right now, I'm staying put...especially b/c I might have to pick-up a car payment - Rana's car is old...and is temperamental...additionally, my dryer recently broke and I had to dish out a little bit of $ to replace it...

The plan is kind of crazy...but as long as I'm working full-time, I'm going to pay the minimal into my debt...stash some extra $ aside to repair the house...to prepare it for the market...also the extra funds will be a buffer when we move...yes...move.  Wifey wants really bad to relocate...I too, but could be content here if I could travel to the max.  Regardless, wife wants to move, so good husband obliges...and Oregon is awesome!  (But b/c I move doesn't mean I won't continue doing stuff in Jax...trust me, I'll still comeback to shoot your wedding!)  Anyway, that could be a year or so from now...selling a house right now isn't easy.

By the way, I have 0% interest on my Credit Card...so paying minimal won't kill me...plus, from saving that extra cash on the side...if at the end of the year, we have plenty left over, I'll knock out that debt!  

Ok..so I'm just babbling...so we have a loose plan for right now...but I do have a date in my mind that I would like to leave my job...but I won't share it yet...if I had 10 weddings booked within a 6 months period, I'm done!  So help me book some weddings!!!

Peace,

freewiser ezra

Sunset over Ashland, Oregon...taken in 12.07  w/ my D40 & one mean graudated Cokin Filter!

Change of events...

Ups & Downs...and Curve Balls.
Alright...two posts ago, I announced my last day at my 9-5 would be July 31st. Let me give you a little background info. See, if you work for the School Board as a teacher, and you don't have a degree in Education, you have to become certified as a teacher. If you're a Social Worker, doing Social Work, you have to become certified as a teacher too. It makes no sense. Teacher certification for a Business degreed individual makes sense - they need to show they can teach. Teacher certification for a Social Worker doing Social Work...doesnt' make sense.

So in order to keep my job, I had up to July 31st to pass the test. The test is on teaching theory. Anyway, I took it twice...and did not pass. I scheduled a 3rd time to take it (today) but had decided in my mind, that it wasn't worth the trouble to study (I don't even like my job, so why am I going to fight to keep it). Well, I took the test today and passed it...and I'm not excited. My fate was decided...now it's not...now I have a choice. Rana and I will discuss our many options...but one definite option is to sell our house...anyone interested?

Oh, by the way (from previous post), I finished all 431 foto edits yesterday (this morning)...

- freewiser ezra

Lots of obstacles!

Ok...so my last post I declared my soon dependency on photography...now starts the ups and downs...

The last two days have been super frustrating...even worthy of me crying.  After two weeks of working on my new website, it reverted back to week 1.  All my work was lost...I nearly fell apart. Instead I stayed up until 2:3oam and finished my website.

Today, I just finished 431 edits...it's taken like 4 days to edit them....I went to review the pictures...not one of the edits actually occurred.  See, the action I created, for some reason was sending the fotos to a file that never existed...

So what do I do...I stay up late again...so far 100 photos edited...

This is really discouraging and very disheartening...it definitely plants little seeds of doubt when you experience these obstacles over and over again.  It's as if someone doesn't want me to follow through with this.  But I won't quit...b/c the other alternative is by far worse....9-5...40 hours a week...rush hour traffic...and more tragic stories...no thank you!

Let me get back to editing...

-freewiser ezra

freewiser resurrects...

Ok...I've been gone for so long that I almost forgot the password.  I was thinking about shutting down freewisers, but on 2nd, 3rd, and 4th thought I decided to try to keep it rolling...

The purpose of the freewiser blog is to document our experiences as an entreprenuer.  

So here we go.  As most of you know, as I have made mention before, I'm a Social Worker...and I currently work for Duval County Public Schools...this is my main source of income...and my unhappiness!  So as of August 1st, my main source of income will be photography.  Yup, I decided to cut the cord...but not because I'm booking enough gigs...or because my wife got a raise at her job and we can now afford to live off of her income (because if you know me well enough, my wife stays at home raising the little ones...I'm the only source of income...).  It's not because I was frugal enough to save 6 months worth of living costs...God no...I wish.  It's because I can't stand my job anymore...I am miserable at work...and in my field (Social Work) you can't afford to feel that way...too many people are depending on you.  So instead of making myself more miserable...and eventually letting that misery affect my clients, co-workers, and my health (which has already taken it's toll) I'm calling it quits...I'm walking away!  

And this is why FREEWISER has resurrected...to document this journey...to document the economic uncertainties...to document the fear of losing it all...to document triumph and relief...

So join along...and please root for me!

- freewiser ezra

Runnin' Down The Repeat Offenders: Episode #2

In episode #2, Eric and I get set up for a great morning of music downtown at Hemming Plaza for the Friday Farmer's Market; Also, The Repeat Offenders enjoy a night at the Florida Yacht Club... on the tennis court and contemplate TV shows and premium cables channels. Performances of "I Shot the Sheriff" and "Slide".

Branding is not for cows...

ezra:

I've been reading two books at the same time about branding. If you haven't noticed in your own day to day life, branding is real important to businesses...it creates their identity. Think Gap or Wal-Mart...McDonald's or Native Sun...branding is crucial for these companies.

The second I decided to start my photography business, I knew I had to create a brand - this was even before I knew that every super successful photographer had a brand. A brand creates hope...or a lack of...hence, why it's even more important to create your own brand, b/c if you don't others will...and it won't be favorable...b/c we humans brand everything...it's something we do...it's how we make judgements...think about it.

Here's a few quotes that really stuck with me from the two books I'm reading...just wanted to share....

"Real marketers know that brand building is not about celebrating your own iconoclastic spirit..." - "Brand Warfare", written by David D'Alessandro

"Humility lets us absorb common sense and embrace the fact that what's in the customer's mind is far more important than what's in our mind..." - "Why can't Johnny Brand", Bill Schley

"Branding and positioning require decisive commitment to a single path, and that means risk. - "Why can't Johnny Brand", Bill Schley

The images I choose to you use on my blog are a part of my branding...hence, I'm careful in choosing what images go on the blog...you won't see me post a formal foto on my blog...that's not why people hire me...they want something a little bit more outside the box...I hope.

Juggling...

ezra:

A career change is not easy...you have to be a professional juggler. I've said this before...I'm a father of 2 children, a husband, a Social Worker, and a Photographer. Any given Monday - Friday looks like this: 7:30-4:30 @ work...5pm to 6pm is dinner and hang-out time with my kids...by 6pm I'm on the computer answering e-mails, making orders, editing pictures, burning discs, making slideshows, trying to stay current on Facebook & Twitter...and working-out in between uploads and downloads...oh, Fridays I have rehearsals to go to...I'm always looking at photos for new concepts...and currently I'm reading two books on branding at the same time. This is insane...and I haven't mentioned the weekends...and I won't.

But I have to do all of this...it's not healthy, but neither is remaining in a field of work that has nearly drained all the "happys" out of me. To me, this sacrifice is worth the reward. I have been in the Social Work field for nearly 9 years...and if you throw my internships in there, then it's been 10! I have worked in a domestic violence shelter, did in-home parenting, ran the programs at a Boys Girls Club, and am currently an Intake Specialists. In any given year, with my current job, I listen to 170-200 parents tell me about their latest problems. After 10 years, I have heard way too many problems...not 1 too many....like 1000 way too many! The latest trends has been mothers who have committed suicide...a recent incest...we always have the "cutters" or suicidal kids (they just keep getting younger)...the drug cases, domestic violence, divorce, murders...if it's bad, I've heard it...

So this is not any healthier. I always say God didn't create humans to listen to 200 problems in a year...no way. So my quest is to be a full-time photographer...but I have to transition...and that's the hard part. I have been to the Promise Land - just about every weekend I visit there, with my cameras and awesome people willing to stand in front of them...and I never want to leave...Photography, to me, is the opposite of Social Work (at the least the feelings it brings).

So that's why I'm pressing so hard in this photography business...I'm trying to learn as much as possible about every aspect of photography; especially the business part. In mid May, I'm making a trip to Chicago to meet with Fred Egan...I'm always talking to other photographers, and I'm reading a lot. This is the investment that has to be made.

If you are considering a career change, I warn you that it's not easy nor for the weak-hearted...but if you survive "crunch", then I expect the reward to be great...more on this in the future.