Last Monday, Brian and I flew to Colorado to meet with four other small, powerful businesses.  These aren’t just any businesses, but some of the top leading businesses in the wedding/portrait photography industry.  David Jay and Todd from ShowIt, Rachel LaCour and Andrew Niesen of ShootQ, Bob and Dawn Davis Photography (Oprah’s photographers), and Lawrence and Julie of Tofurious (viral marketing/SEO masters).  It was an amazing group!

We were invited by Jeff Jochum, the CMO of SmugMug to participate in a CxO Fight Club, basically, an intense Think Tank.  Jeff’s been an advisor to Brian and I for the last few years.  His wisdom has helped our business grow in endless ways.  He has a history of taking several companies worth $1-$3million and helping them grow to $40 plus million.  Needless to say, when Jeff has advice for us…we listen.

His plan was to bring us together, dismantle our businesses, challenge our businesses on so many freaking levels, and then push us to prepare our businesses for a Venture Capital presentation.  None of us are really sure that we are going to look for Venture Capital/Angel funding, but we went through the motions last week for the sake of finding clarity about our business goals.  There is something about having to articulate your business goals, strategies, marketing plans…All of it…with absolute clarity.  Oh my Lord, it was intense.  We had 14 hour days, sometimes going over things at midnight, and our brains were pushed beyond measure.

At the end of the week, we had a face off.  All five businesses presented to the panel of judges, including a former Venture Capitalist.  Talk about stress, pressure, and being challenged beyond your comfort level.  Think Shark Tank.

By the third morning, I got so angry with Jeff.  I felt like he was pushing me beyond my capacity.  I was on the brink of tears and had a few words with him.  It was as if he mentally rolled up his sleeves because I was at the point of breakthrough and just didn’t know it.  But he knew it.  I had to remind myself that this is what I was paying for.  I wasn’t paying to be encouraged and built up for four days.  I already knew Jeff believed in us.  I was paying to be challenged, questioned, critiqued, analyzed on every level and come out stronger on the other end.

I’m happy to say that all that happened.  Brian and I can’t believe how much we grew in four days.  The growth that happened in the Think Tank would have taken four years if left to our own devices.  The week was exhausting but in all the right ways.

And one of the best parts, we walked away with four other businesses to join our Panel of Advisors.  I know we talk about this a lot, but it is so important to surround yourself with a support group of some kind.  Whether you meet in person, via phone, or on the SOARORITY forum, you must set your mind to making it happen.  The photography industry can feel lonely.  We are all so focused on fine tuning our craft and building our business.  Who has time to connect and find support?    Yet, the value of knowing your not alone, the empowerment it gives…it may be the most important part to surviving.  They say that in the first year, nine out of ten businesses fail.  I wonder how many of those nine had support to cheer them on.

I know many of you are starting out and don’t know where to find that type of support.  Chopping Block has been working hard on the SOARORITY forum so that it provides a place of safety and support for you.  Here is one example of how hard they’ve been working…We were actually ready to go live with a Ning site last Thursday, but we all pulled the plug because we discovered there were specific features Ning couldn’t provide.  They were features that are essential to you being able to find support from one another.  So Chopping Block went back to square one and are rebuilding SOARORITY on a VBulletin site, as fast as they can.  Supports starts with communities like this.  In fact, I met David (DJ) on his Open Source Forum years ago.  You never know how connections online will form into life long supportive friendships.

Jeff, thank you for such an amazing week.  You not only believe in us, but you push us, say the tough things we need to hear, and then keep on believing in us.  You know we love you so much.

To my fellow Fight Club members, DJ, Todd, Rachel, Andrew, Bob, Dawn, Lawrence and Julie…Brian and I feel so blessed to have you in our lives.  So very blessed.  The support we all found in each other last week was priceless.  I can’t wait to see where we all go from here.

xoxo,

Me Ra

p.s.  Brian and I won the CxO Fight Club presentations!  🙂  We were so surprised.  Talk about intense competition…if you could have only seen how awesome the other four presentations were.  And if only the $2million we asked for was real!   🙂

p.s.s  Follow the SOAR! Recipients this week on the SOAR! Blog, as they share their first Business Coaching exercise with you!  It’s an exercise that you may want to try for yourself and your business!

p.s.s.  Only six more days till we leave for the jungles of Thailand!  With our heads full from last week, we get a space of time to process, restructure and get ready for an amazing 2010!  Counting the days!