We caught up with the brilliant and insightful David Crawford a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

David, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear how you think where to draw the line in terms of asking friends and family to support your business – what’s okay and what’s over the line?

When it comes to family and friends, the most important thing to put into perspective is that you’re not as likely to get the support you thought. Just because they’re your family and friends does not automatically equate to support for your business, projects, or self-improvement. Some people may not be as excited about what you’re doing simply because it reminds them of things they’re not doing. Don’t assume that you already have a core support system based off of that. However, when it comes to asking for support, I feel that why not ask? What does it hurt? You’ll likely hear more no’s than yes’ through the process, but that’s not a bad thing. You’re providing a service that many other people are offering, and you have to let someone decide whether or not they like what you’re offering. What I would be cautious of is spamming people about it.

I’ve had a number of friends who started businesses and while I think it’s great, it wasn’t a business that I was interested in. I support their efforts to jump in and start a business. However, the content or products offered aren’t of interest to me so I may not follow or interact with their business. What I might do instead is utilize word of mouth to help inform someone I know looking for what they offer. I think that’s one of the best methods to help support other businesses that you believe in. What bothers me is when people don’t distinguish a personal versus business social media page and work to keep those mostly separate. I don’t mind seeing someone’s business ventures and products occasionally on their personal social media accounts, but it does get annoying when that’s all they’re posting. I would much rather have the option to follow their business account and interact in that way.

David, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I have explored photography since I was in high school. Back then film was all the rage. Ok, it was the only thing available, but it was a lot of fun to take photos and learn the printing process. I can still smell the chemicals from Mr. Gardners’ classroom. I enjoyed taking photos, but it was never something I pursued as a career. Just like graphic design, it wasn’t something I ever considered. I went to college at Western Washington University on a music scholarship, I bumped into faculty from the recreation department. As an avid hiker and camper, I was hooked. I eventually changed majors gaining a Bachelor’s and Masters in the field of recreation where I spent 15 years working as an adventure guide doing all sorts of recreation activities abroad and in the U.S., from working in youth sports to campus recreation.

During Covid, I was working as the Director of Recreation at Saint Martin’s University. In the early stages of the pandemic, the facility was shut down and I was sent home with lots of uncertainty and time on my hands. I decided to use that time to explore graphic design and photography. I have a friend from SMU that is a motorcycle racer who invited me out to the race track. At the time it was one of the few things you could do, be outside, and be away from people. I bought my first camera in about 15 years and started on the journey that led me to where I am today.

I started CRAW Media as a business focused on sports photography. Over time that has evolved into offering a range of services from photography, videography, graphic design, website development, social media management, and content creation. Over the past few years, I’ve been fortunate to cover some large events in Washington State like Monster Energy Supercross, MotoAmerica, USA Women’s Hockey tour, and the DIII Northwest Conference Swimming Championships. In addition, I’ve been able to work with some great organizations like the Portland Winterhawks minor hockey team, Ginger Avenger Racing, The Cider Barrel, Saint Martin’s University Athletics, Southern New Hampshire University Athletics, Puyallup Flat Track, MotoVixens, and Rocky Top Arena.

I love working in this field because it’s always evolving. There’s something for everyone, and there’s something I can provide, in my way, to help other businesses. The story-telling process is probably one of my favorite parts of this process, and I’m grateful and excited to have any opportunity to showcase my skills, knowledge, and talent to help others grow. I’ve learned a lot over the years, and the process of building anything comes with its challenges, but a willingness to learn and try new things never gets old. I’m thankful to have a curiosity that keeps me open to trying new things.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I think what has helped me build my reputation is a willingness to ask and a willingness to be humble. Being open and respectful to people goes a long way. In doing so allows you to build a relationship with people that will help open doors you didn’t know were possible down the road. While you might take amazing photos, if you’re rude people won’t want to work with you. Skillsets only go so far, in my opinion, so you might as well be humble and kind. I’m grateful for every opportunity I’m given to do this work and explore my goals. When a business, organization, or event gives me an opportunity I work hard to make sure I’m not wasting that opportunity..

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect is the creative process. Everyone is different. While you may have influences in your style, the fun part is coming up with your style. How you see the world and the small differences you see through your lens opens up new possibilities. For instance, going to a hockey game is so much fun. As a photographer, it’s a blast. There’s so much to capture. Sometimes I have an assignment for the game, but most of the time I’m left to do my own thing. Depending on the game, there may be 6-8 photographers. This creates some challenges because there’s only so much space around the rink, and it’s pretty fun to be ice-level. However, some of my favorite shots of hockey are when I roamed around in the crowd or used a lens I might not normally use to capture a different perspective. That’s where the fun comes in for me. What else in the story can you find? The story-telling process is something I’ve found and cling to as my process. The best part is that every experience is a new story to be told.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.crawmedia.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crawmedia/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/crawmedia
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-crawford-84a20913b/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/CrawMedia