I have been crazy busy, which is why there has be no recent update... In fact I just looked over my last post and it was from the day of his surgery. No updates since then! Wow I'm so behind!
So as I had reported his surgery went well, when I got to see him shortly after he looked about 1000 times better right after the surgery then he did the first time. He was however complaining of pain a lot more and said it seemed worse. I personally think he just doesn't remember it that bad cause the first day or so he was so in and out of it he probably just doesn't remember.
In the last post I had talked about how I had gotten a call from a bride wanting to meet with me to discuss doing her wedding photography. I had mentioned how it seemed like God was sending us encouragement and how I'd been getting discouraged about the lack of business I'd been able to drum up thus far this year. So I scheduled the meeting with this bride to go over my portfolio and her special day for the day after Casey's surgery. I met with the lovely bride and her groom and by the time I left I had booked my first wedding of 2013! I was SO excited! But my business stuff doesn't end there! Oh no no no.
Casey seemed to recover much quicker this time, by Sat morning his bleeding had slowed down a lot already and they were talking about possibly removing the chest tubes on Sun. Mon morning he called me and told me they were about to release him so to get the kids ready and come pick him up. This was much sooner then last time! He said after they did the chest x-ray the Dr said it looked really good and he was very happy with how it looked. Last time he had said that there was something he wasn't to thrilled about but he thought it would resolve on its on. Clearly it didn't because we ended up back there.
So all this is going on and Casey is trying to heal, its been CRAZY hot out but our house isn't really big enough for him to get some good walking in unless he goes outside. A few days before we found out the news that Casey would need to have the 2nd surgery we had decided to go to the Great Mall here in Olathe and walk around there. It would be a good way to get out of the house as we are all feeling cabin fever as well as get Casey his walking in. I had decided to take some of my post cards and business cards and maybe try to do a bit of networking at some of the places there. I got shot down at the first 2 places I tried but the 3rd place turned out better then I could have hoped. Its a candy shop, you know kinda like how Mr Bulky's used to be? Where you can go in and get all these different candies and put them in a bag and pay per oz. When I said I was going to go in there Casey was like "Ok why?" I said "I don't know, maybe they do the custom wrappers or something like that, can't hurt to ask right?" So I go in and Yes they do custom wrappers, they also do candy buffets at special events. They can order the candy of choice in your color and set it up and display it nicely etc. So I start talking about networking with them and maybe we can give out each other's info to clients we come in contact with. She LOVED that idea, so I gave her some of my stuff on weddings and such and some cards and take some of her info and cards. I am starting a packet of vendors I get to know and recommend so I can give them to the brides to kinda help them out with their planning.
The next day I think it was we find out about the 2nd surgery, then the day before his surgery is the day we go to the church to talk to pastor. On the way to the car I get that call from that bride and we schedule to meet. On the way home I get a call from the lady with the Candy store. She tells me she wants to host a Brides Night out event, where 2012 brides can come and just kinda relax and have a fun evening free of charge all the bridal shows that are all the rage right now cost to get into. We discuss having a few (very few) vendors on hand to offer prizes and have SMALL displays. This whole event is still being planned but we have finally gotten the date secured as well as a few vendors. All of us vendors are small time vendors, not vendors that have a TON of money for advertising and such. We are excited about doing this, maybe connecting with some brides and getting some more business. This has been something that has kept me busy for the last 2 weeks.
So all this is going on, Casey is doing better and is home. We are back to the point of he can't lift anything for 2 weeks so he can't help with the kids really other then to keep an eye on them and let me know if I need to drop everything I'm doing in another room and come running. Among all this going on Willa has what was supposed to be her 9mo well baby check up (at 10mo old). I get the kids packed into the car and I am driving to Tonganoxie where the kids Dr is which is a 45min drive. I get a phone call, its from a wonderful lady with a coupon company that right before all this started I had talked to about MAYBE advertising with them. That was quickly scratched when we found out Casey did in fact have a tumor and needed surgery. I had told her we weren't going to be able to do it this year and she had understood. So she calls me out of the blue on Thurs and says that she has some other idea's for us for advertising with them. After I tell her Casey had to have surgery yet a 2nd time and there is NO money period she comes up with a solution. She told me she would have to present it to the owner and get the final approval but it might work. She said they are wanting to host a give away on their site for things, if I would offer up 5 photo sessions to give to people who win them they would allow me to run an ad with them free of charge! We agree on 5 senior sessions because the end of summer is coming up quick and that would be a great way to boost my business. The way this company works is you pay for a "zone" each "zone" has 10,000 houses in it, they mail out a packet of coupons every month. So I would have a coupon in their packet going to 10,000 homes in the zone of my choice. So I sign the agreement and send it on to them, I get an e-mail today stating that the owner HAS approved this deal! Are you serious???? I can't believe this! They will be doing this for me for free and all I have to give is 5 senior sessions. Psh so easy! Plus it gives me MORE exposure (pun intended), Oh yeah did I mention that we live right down the street from a high school? So guess which "zone" I choose to run the ad in? LOL Hopefully it works out! I would LOVE to be able to continue to run specials with them a few times a year. :)
So all this is going on and I have something else about ready to roll out too in order to drum up more clients. I can't say what yet because it would spoil it. But I've been a busy little bee lately! I see potential for things to get VERY busy around here!
OH and not to forget that while Casey was in the hospital I had gotten a lead from Thumbtack, thumbtack will allow you to put in what type of job you need done and it will send the lead to their vendors. So say this gal needs a wedding photographer, they put in a request on Thumbtack and they will send the lead to photographers in the area. To submit a quote you have to pay the lead fee which varies depending on the persons budget for the job. So I got a lead for a wedding photographer, this lead cost more then most because this couple has a higher budget. If you submit a quote and don't hear back from the client for 7 days they will give you a refund if you request it. So I do a lot of submitting quotes and then asking for refunds because I never hear back. This one however I DID hear back! I've been talking to her over the last week both in e-mail and over the phone and Monday I have a meeting with her! So while we have not yet secured the wedding its a very promising thing that we are getting to meet with this bride! She is excited to meet with us, after probably 30 or so leads that have never panned out I might have finally gotten one that does! Not only that but thumbtack is how the other bride had found me too! She had just called me directly instead of asking for quotes from multiple photographers.
I'm so very excited that thumbtack is starting to work out for us! Not bad for a free website!
So another long post but to summarize, Casey is doing very well.... He is getting up and around more and more. Today he complained of pain a little more then the last few days but he has been trying to do things like help clean the house (I haven't been feeling to good myself the last couple of days) so I think that might have to do with it. We have seen God providing so much over these last few weeks and not just for this very trying time in our lives but also for the future with the promise of at least 1 wedding booked for my photography. We have truly been blessed and continue to praise God!
No comments:
Post a Comment