Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jeff Cable. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Jeff, thanks for joining us today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

I started as a marketing executive at tech companies, but while traveling the world for that work, I started getting the photography bug. One thing lead to another, and after photographing my first Olympics in 2008 it went crazy. The next thing I knew my photography business had grown so big that I could no longer do both.

Jeff, 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 had someone ask me to photograph a private event for their family and they loved the images. Their friends started calling me asking me to do the same for them. It was an extremely hard decision to leave my full-time job in technology and make the jump to photography and running my own business. No health benefits, a questionable income, but it has been the best thing ever.

I am most proud of building my business into a world wide brand and have become one of the most influential photographers in the world. Crazy but true.

Can you share one of your favorite marketing or sales stories?

After coming back from my first Olympic Games (not as a fully credentialed photographer), I set a goal to photograph the Olympic Games. I reached out to every publication I could think of and got nowhere. I even offered to shoot the next Olympic Games for free. I pitched the US Olympic Team and got nowhere. But I had some friends and clients who knew the right contacts to open a door with the team. Going for no income in exchange for a credential (when it costs a fortune to go) was a huge risk, but it ended up paying off, as this is what sets me apart from so many other photographers.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

People think that being a good (or great) photographer is enough to be a successful business owner and yet this is so far from the truth. Running a business is so much more about marketing, customer interaction and so much more.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jeffcable.com
• Instagram: @jeffcablephotography
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeffcablephoto
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffcable/
• Twitter: jcable12
• Youtube: @JeffCable
• Other: https://blog.jeffcable.com

Image Credits

Copyright Jeff Cable Photography