We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Paul Berg a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Paul, thanks for joining us today. One of the most important things small businesses can do, in our view, is to serve underserved communities that are ignored by giant corporations who often are just creating mass-market, one-size-fits-all solutions. Talk to us about how you serve an underserved community.
I provide my “free” photography skills for young hard-working female entrepreneurs in Kansas City and St. Louis to assist them in their businesses. I have seen enough photographers take advantage of young women, that I picked up my camera after a 30-year hiatus and took photos for free. I have over 55 magazine covers and have published in over 100 magazines this year and never once did a young woman have to pay for a photographer fee. These photos help these young female entrepreneurs in their social media and marketing of their businesses.
Paul, 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 spent 29-years in the U.S. military serving our country and spent four years in combat in Afghanistan and Iraq since 2001. I am now a full-time university professor in education with an emphasis in research on women with combat stress. I also flew CH47 helicopters for the past 30-years around the world. I teach for a living now, but I am also a full-time photographer helping young women in their entrepreneur enterprises. I conduct free photoshoots to help young female business owners because I saw too many of them getting taken advantage of by predatory photographers.
There is nothing more fulfilling than showing photos of a young woman living in a trailer in rural Missouri, who is now on a cover in a fashion magazine from Paris, France; to give them hope and inspiration that they can be whatever they choose to be in their life.
From my combat experience, I have seen the best and worst of the human endeavor and I choose to provide hope and courage to people through my photography. I do not have clients, but I choose the people I photograph because their story of the struggle of humanity is the story through photographs that need to be told.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
I started photography in 1986 and worked in San Francisco and New York in 1989 and was on my way to jump into the field of photography. In 1990, the war broke out which would become Operation Desert Storm, and I enlisted in the Army to support my country. What I thought would be 2-years and out; ended up being a 28-year military career. I never forgot my love for photography, so now I transition in my life and my career, I have had a “return to photography” and I am now able to take the photos that I want, when I want and with whom I want. I always tell people to never forget their passions in life because life has a way for them to return back.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
My unique reputation is because I follow my passion and do things my way. I do not follow the crowd and walk my own path. By doing what I feel is my path and ignoring the peer pressure, a person finds their individual path. Your reputation is your style and your personality and the courage to walk your path. Most people do not have the courage to make their own path but only by doing that, will a person find their freedom.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://dr-paul-berg.kavyar.site/
- Instagram: @ptcberg
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-paul-berg-9175ba19b/
Image Credits
all photos taken by Paul Berg