Jeff Jochum is a strategic business coach based in Denver, Colorado. But that's just where he lives. He has clients just about anywhere you can throw a dart. His clients are a good mix of photographers like you and me, and small business owners who are aching to stand apart in a crowded marketplace. Indeed, I am one of his students.

One of the things I have learned from Jeff is about “specialism.” Notice I didn't say he taught me to be a specialist. There is a difference and you can find out what that difference is in this short conversation I had with Jeff just a few days ago.

If you live in Connecticut or nearby, it will be well worth your time to come and meet Jeff Jochum. He will be hosted by the CTPPA on October 22nd, where he will present “Take A Giant Step Into Specialism.”

For more details, please check out this page. The event runs from 5 pm to 10 pm. Knowing how passionate Jeff is about helping photographers, I expect this to be one of the best CTPPA presentations of the year. Come to take notes and challenge Jeff's theories. He actually welcomes it!

UPDATE: Yesterday's presentation by Jeff Jochum was a huge success. Thank you all for coming. Do you you have questions about his video coaching program, that he only indirectly referred to when he spoke about “specialism.” Ask them here. I might be able to nudge Jeff to answer them for you.

Dani Fine Photography is a Northampton, Massachusetts studio that caters to both wedding and portrait clients. Dani Klein-Williams, principal photographer, will be presenting at Inspire Photo Retreats in February.

Like the other interviews in this series (check out 1 – Doug Levy, 2 – Jane Ammon and 3 – The Scobey's), we scheduled a quick Skype chat about her presentation at Inspire – “Let's Get Down to Business… Why Sales are Sexy”

Here are a few examples of Dani's work:

Find out more about Dani Klein-Williams here.

For more information about the Inspire Photo Retreats conference please visit the site. I urge you to register early and secure your hotel room.

If you are still on the fence, please take a look at all the speakers who will be coming to Portland. I believe speakers like Dani and others have one mission: to inspire you to do your best work in the new year. Everybody needs that kind of motivation. If you agree, I expect to see you at Inspire Photo Retreats in 2015!

I have a confession. When I was told about The Scobey's, I have to admit I didn't know about their awards, their images or that they had at one time lived very close to me in Connecticut. Now, as Atlanta-based wedding photographers, they are winning hearts and minds for their soft, immersive approach to capturing meaningful moments in a couple's life.

Now, as busy photographers, I have to also admit that it was very difficult to pin them down for an interview. I was eager to speak with them as I found out that they were speaking at Inspire Photo Retreats in February, 2015.

So here we were talking to each other like old pals and I had not even met them before! That's just how they made me immediately feel about them. I trust their presentation is going to be one I will not miss at Inspire Photo Retreats.

Here are some of The Scobey's award-winning images:

For more information about the conference please visit the site. If last year was any indication, registrations will fill up and the conference will be sold out. So, I urge you to register early.

If you are still on the fence, please take a look at all the speakers who will be coming to Portland. I believe speakers like Jane and others have one mission: to inspire you to do your best work in the near year. Everybody needs that kind of motivation year-in-and-year-out. If you agree, I expect to see you at Inspire Photo Retreats in 2015!

I hope all of you have checked out the first episode, where I interviewed New England photographers, Doug Levy. Starting this month and running through October, I'll be posting short interviews I've conducted in partnership with Inspire Photo Retreats. The interviews will be of each of the presenters and some sponsors, to get a better idea of who they are and why they feel attending Inspire Photo Retreats is important to them.

Ok, so for this episode, I spoke with Jane Ammon, a child photographer who serves clients in central New Jersey and part of Pennsylvania. She will be presenting at Inspire Photo Retreats, from February 9-11th, 2015, in Portland, Maine.

When we spoke, I asked Jane about one aspect of her future presentation; why it was important for her to submit a proposal and finally what drew her to Inspire Photo Retreats.

Here are some of Jane Ammon's wonderful portraits of children:

For more information about the conference please visit the site. If last year was any indication, registrations will fill up and the conference will be sold out. So, I urge you to register early.

If you are still on the fence, please take a look at all the speakers who will be coming to Portland. I believe speakers like Jane and others have one mission: to inspire you to do your best work in the near year. Everybody needs that kind of motivation year-in-and-year-out. If you agree, I expect to see you at Inspire Photo Retreats in 2015!

He is a wedding photographer and educator based in Derry, Northern Ireland who has just launched a series of video courses for photographers called ENGAGE.

Donal Doherty has a vision. And that vision is to help as many photographers as he can with all that he knows about running a successful photography business.

Talk to the man and he is terribly humble about it. He shuffles through a slew of recent awards quickly, not making a very big deal about them. His focus is on what he can do, based on all that he learned in the PR world, to help photographers who struggle to run just “ok” businesses to running great ones. While he does offer mentoring sessions and he speaks often at industry events and writes a popular column for a UK based photography magazine, his busy wedding photography schedule keeps him from going all-in. That is, until he decided to invest a good deal of his own time to create ENGAGE.

If you are starting a photography business, branding one or need help with social media marketing, I recommend you check out Donal's newest offering.

Donal also launched an ebook called, “Engage: Social Media Marketing for Photographers.” Go to the website and sign up to receive your first chapter for free.

Still intrigued? I was. So, I sat down with Donal to chat about this new launch and why photographers like you should pay attention.

Check out some of his award-winning work here:

For about $150 a year … yes, a year … you receive nearly 30 videos that are between 10 and 15 minutes in length that explain the many facets of growing a business with a plan, branding it properly and then marketing it via social media.

Every two weeks, starting today through February 2nd, Donal will release each of The Business Plan Course videos to you. The Branding Course and The Social Media Course will follow.

Donal's intent isn't to just load you up with a whole bunch of content. There is enough of that already in the market. The reason each of the videos is released gradually is to give you a chance to watch the video and then implement what he has taught you to see results. I think this is what makes Engage so different. The emphasis is as much on the process as the results, which you will need to adjust because everyone's approach to business is different.

How will you fully engage with your photography business this year?