The Company Next Door
In this show I have the opportunity to sit down with hundreds of small business owners and help tell their story. We spend less time talking about profits and revenue and more time about how the business came to be, what got them started, why do they do what they do, and what keeps them going. This show is focused on small businesses in Utah but I may one day branch out to other states.
The Company Next Door
Doug Trace: Trace Photo Studio (South Jersey)
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Ete AhPing
Today Ete sits down with Doug Trace of Trace Photo Studio.
- About Doug
- Professional photographer
- Husband and father of 4
- South Jersey native
- An "ideas guy"
- An all-around highly creative person
- What helped him get to where he is today
- Seeing the business and its challenges (angry mothers!) from childhood (2:25)
- Taking a $20,000 pay cut to get into the industry and learn his craft (10:30)
- Learning how to interact with clients (12:40)
- Specific qualities and skills he learned from his parents (19:33)
- A very supportive wife (28:55)
- Believing that life will prepare him for the next step (39:44)
- Memorable learning experiences (mistakes) and hard things along the way
- A downside of working for someone else: wage ceilings (10:14)
- Working through family challenges (29:22)
- Burnout (31:27)
- Loving street photography "and then Covid happened" (37:00)
- Major Insights
- Learn to truly like your clients (12:56)
- People often just need to be heard. Stop trying to make a point. (17:07)
- Watch what's coming down the road: digital photography's impact on the industry (20:38)
- Nail down the process and product so you can focus on the people. (33:26)
- Use the unique resources and tools you have access to to differentiate yourself. You have everything you need. (43:38)
- Be honest with yourself and others about your abilities and strengths (45:33)
- You need to build a team of people who are "better than you" and not be intimidated by their abilities. (49:36)
- Success = "finding what you're passionate about and being happy with it." (1:00:26)
- "Take every single opportunity that comes in front of you, no matter how outlandish." (1:04:53)
- Miscellaneous Good Stuff
- One time long-haired metal-band rocker. (5:05)
- The truth comes out: "The youngest gets away with the most." (6:22)
- Forget the brides, Momzillas are the real threat. (15:15)
- "The scriptures are the Radiohead of the religious world." (1:06:50)
- "Youth is a time bomb that goes off when you're 40." (1:09:06)