We recently connected with Dan Palumbo and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Dan, thanks for joining us today. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.

Whenever I witness a random act of kindness while I’m out & about, I present whoever acted on a whim with what I’ve dubbed a “Free Fifteen.” I hand that person a business card of mine and tell them it’s redeemable for one free, fifteen-minute photography session. The look on their faces is always worth it; everyone is always incredibly appreciative whenever I tell them what they’ve earned for going above and beyond. I try to limit myself to only handing out up to four of these per month, but thankfully I’ve been witnessing so much good in my community as of late that it’s becoming difficult not to pass out a few extras here and there.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I first picked up a camera back in 2013 when I was pursuing my B.A. in Journalism at SUNY Purchase, and immediately took a liking to snapping photos. I’d be remiss if I didn’t thank Bob Sabo, my photojournalism professor at the time, for igniting this passion of mine. I looked forward to attending his class on weekly basis, and immediately put as much effort into learning as I could. Fast forward ten years, and I’ve established my LLC and operate my business, Future Days Photography, as my full-time career. The journey leading to this point has been incredibly rewarding; I’ve built my confidence as a photographer, seen my work slowly but surely improve throughout the years, and met some truly wonderful clients along the way. I mainly capture elopements, family sessions and couples, and wake up every day excited that I made this leap and am granted the opportunity to do what I love by creating beautiful images for people on a regular basis.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Prior to starting my business and diving into photography on a full-time basis, I previously worked in a number of 9-5 office jobs that never left me feeling fulfilled. I’ve always been afraid of failure and not succeeding, but it turns out that making the jump toward becoming a small business owner was the best decision I’ve ever made career-wise. Sure, it was scary as anything to take this leap, to say the least, but now that I’m doing what I love every single day, I simply cannot see myself doing anything else with my life. It’s such a wonderful feeling to wake up every day being satisfied with this decision I’ve made for myself.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

I know it’s been said one million times in the past, but treating others with kindness truly does go a long, long way. It costs you nothing at all to take that extra effort toward building a connection with your clients, not only in an attempt to make them feel more comfortable during photo sessions, but to build long-term professional relationships as well. My business relies heavily on word of mouth as a driving force for bookings, so having clients relay the experience they had with me in a positive manner to their family & friends is incredibly rewarding.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.futuredaysphotography.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/futuredaysphotography/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FutureDaysPhotography