Category
Sales
Back in 2007, I attended a photography seminar in Toronto.
Like many photographers at the time, I was focused on improving my images. I wanted to create better work, attract better clients, and build a stronger business.
One of the speakers that day was Yervant, the legendary Australian wedding photographer who is widely considered one of the top wedding photographers in the world.
During his presentation, he mentioned an upcoming workshop in Venice, Italy.
Something about it stayed with me.
At the time, traveling to Italy for a photography workshop felt like a major commitment. There was the cost, the travel, the time away from work, and the uncertainty of whether it would make any real difference.
But I couldn't stop thinking about it.
A few months later, I booked the trip.
Looking back now, it was one of the best business decisions I ever made.
When I arrived in Venice, I found myself surrounded by talented photographers from around the world. Every day was filled with learning, shooting, critiques, discussions, and conversations about photography and business.
What surprised me most wasn't the photography.
It was the mindset.
I realized that many successful photographers weren't necessarily more talented than everyone else.
They simply thought differently.
They approached pricing differently.
They approached sales differently.
They approached client relationships differently.
They treated photography like a real business.
That lesson alone was worth the trip.
The workshop also exposed me to a completely different level of client experience. I learned how top photographers guided people through decisions, presented products with confidence, and created an experience clients were excited to invest in.
Until then, I had been focused primarily on taking great photographs.
After Venice, I started focusing on creating a great client experience.
That shift changed everything.
One of the highlights of the trip was visiting GraphiStudio, located a couple of hours outside Venice.
At the time, GraphiStudio was the largest custom wedding album manufacturer in the world.
Walking through the facility was eye-opening.
For years, I had sold wedding albums without truly understanding what happened behind the scenes. Seeing the production process, the materials, the craftsmanship, and the attention to detail completely changed the way I viewed the products I was offering clients.
I stopped seeing albums as add-ons.
I started seeing them as heirlooms.
That perspective influenced how I presented products, how I priced them, and how I helped clients make decisions for years afterward.
When I returned home to Toronto, I wasn't the same photographer.
I had new ideas.
New confidence.
New relationships.
And a completely different understanding of what was possible.
Many of the photographers I met during that trip became long-term friends and colleagues. We kept sharing ideas, discussing business, and helping each other grow.
The impact of that single trip lasted for years.
It's easy to look at conferences, workshops, education, and professional development as expenses.
I used to think that way too.
Today, I see them differently.
They're investments.
The return on that trip to Italy wasn't immediate.
I couldn't measure it after a week.
I couldn't measure it after a month.
But the lessons I learned helped me build a photography business that served clients around the world, photographed incredible weddings, and created opportunities I never would have imagined when I first walked into that seminar in Toronto.
Years later, while building Proproval, I found myself thinking about that trip again.
The biggest breakthroughs in business often happen when you spend time around people operating at a higher level, using better systems, and holding themselves to a higher standard.
The same is true for service businesses today.
They do not just need more leads.
They need better systems for responding quickly, sending a clear quote or estimate, presenting options professionally, following up consistently, tracking approvals, and improving client communication so people can make confident decisions.
A proposal can support that process, but the real shift usually starts earlier, with clarity, trust, and client experience.
The funny thing is that none of this would have happened if I hadn't listened when Yervant mentioned a workshop in Venice.
Sometimes the opportunities that change your life don't arrive with flashing lights.
Sometimes they are simply an idea that refuses to leave your mind.
And sometimes, the best thing you can do is buy the plane ticket.
Mark Anthony