It's January and snowstorm #Colbie just dumped a ton of snow in the north-eastern seaboard. My first inclination is to slide back into the bedsheets and stay there till April. But I have photography businesses to run and that means the hustle is on, 24-7.

But does it need to be always on? Is it not conceivable that the photography businesses could continue to grow even without my presence. Oh, sure, I will still be the visionary behind the images, but as you all know being a photographer is different – vastly different – than being in business as a photographer.

I can feel this frustration in the industry today. How do we create a sustainable and thriving photography business and remain sane? Right? Right. We are all in this together. Thankfully, we don't have to look too far for answers.

You could sign up with a business coach. And, business books are aplenty. Yet, I only read a select few every year that are immediately helpful.

In my opinion, Mike Michalowicz' books – The Toilet-Paper Entrepreneur, The Pumpkin Plan and Profit First, are three books that are within reach of my workstation. They are full of anecdotes and analogies that drive home themes and topics that are easy to understand and better yet, easier still to put into practice.

When I found out that the Connecticut chapter of the ASMP had invited Mike Michalowicz to speak on February 5th, at Yale University, I swung into action to see if I could speak with him about the book and his upcoming presentation. Special thanks to Jane Shauck and Mike's assistant, Kristina Bolduc, for making this interview happen.

If you enjoyed that short conversation, feel free to subscribe to Mike's incredible YouTube channel, where you can experience his wit and wisdom in short bites.

If you are going to be in the New Haven, Connecticut area, make plans to register for this presentation by Mike Michalowicz who will go into much greater detail about using The Pumpkin Plan for your photography business. I expect to be there in the audience taking notes. Join me!

Jeff Jochum is a strategic business coach based in Denver, Colorado. But that's just where he lives. He has clients just about anywhere you can throw a dart. His clients are a good mix of photographers like you and me, and small business owners who are aching to stand apart in a crowded marketplace. Indeed, I am one of his students.

One of the things I have learned from Jeff is about “specialism.” Notice I didn't say he taught me to be a specialist. There is a difference and you can find out what that difference is in this short conversation I had with Jeff just a few days ago.

If you live in Connecticut or nearby, it will be well worth your time to come and meet Jeff Jochum. He will be hosted by the CTPPA on October 22nd, where he will present “Take A Giant Step Into Specialism.”

For more details, please check out this page. The event runs from 5 pm to 10 pm. Knowing how passionate Jeff is about helping photographers, I expect this to be one of the best CTPPA presentations of the year. Come to take notes and challenge Jeff's theories. He actually welcomes it!

UPDATE: Yesterday's presentation by Jeff Jochum was a huge success. Thank you all for coming. Do you you have questions about his video coaching program, that he only indirectly referred to when he spoke about “specialism.” Ask them here. I might be able to nudge Jeff to answer them for you.