Often we don’t have to reinvent the wheel to learn something new – we can just ask experts in the field who can draw on their experience to enlighten us. Below, we’ve shared insights insiders from various industries have shared with us.

Joyce Tong | Photographer & Medical Student

Everyone loves seeing the final photos and watching behind the scenes clips of shoots, but I think most people don’t fully realize how much time and effort has to be put in before a shoot to create those images. For example, I brainstorm concepts, build mood boards, and discuss options with clients long before even scheduling a shoot. I also research and select locations weeks in advance, and if I’m able to, I like to do a walkthrough in person to look at the light and think about how to use the surroundings to create the optimal images for my client. Before a shoot can happen, I also have to consider wardrobe, posing, and how to flow through outfit and location changes to get the most out of everyone’s time. While every photographer’s workflow is different, I think that the amount of thought and care that goes into each shoot is nearly universal across the industry. Read more>>

Judy Jamieson-Goff | Owner and Manager of June’s Dancewear

In retail, you have to pay for everything up front and there are no returns. Many people think that we are on consignment, where the companies give us merchandise and we return what does not sale. Unfortunately, that is not the case. In Dance Retail, we have minimums we have to meet. And sometimes the everyday customer will get better offers than we do. Though we do get items for wholesale prices, we have to buy in bulk, meet a certain dollar amount, pay for shipping, etc. And sometimes the wholesale price is not always 50% off. As a brick and mortar store, we have overhead cost of opening the store; electricity, phone / internet, taxes, employee salaries, etc. Plus, we do advertising to try to reach dance studios and the public. So, while we buy wholesale, it can be a struggle for small businesses to make any headway, money wise. Read more>>

Tim Crispin | Musician & Instructor

Not as much of what you see and hear on stage is as planned as we make it appear! I have performed on stage in front of thousands of people with other musicians I just met moments before. I’ve played songs on stage I’ve never heard before the moment we played them in front of a crowd. The fundamentals of music never change. Once you understand music theory and study the nuances of various genres, you’re able to make fairly accurate educated guesses as to what is about to happen in the music. There are only 12 notes in music, and each genre has very common ways of combining those tones with the signature rhythms of the style. Plus, the more mistakes you make in front of an audience over the years, the more comfortable you become living with your mistakes, and learning to play through them. Read more>>