March 30, 2021

How’s Your Favorite Therapist?

Like most of you, we’ve been isolated from friends and family for over a year. We chose to hunker down and ride out the storm.
Through this entire nightmare, it’s time I paid tribute to our therapists, Dr. Lucy and Dr. Belle. I lost Molly the Wonder Dog in February of 2019. Like everyone who loses a dog, I was devastated. Nine months later, we decided it was time to get back into the dog world – only this time it was two fur-balls joining the family.

For the first three months, just about every day, I questioned our decision. Most of the time, Sheila and I would look at each other and say, “What made us think at our age we could handle two puppies?” Then we’d laugh and refocus on training.

When the pandemic hit in full force, the four of us really did become a family. Our days kicked off with getting the girls out, typically our morning walk around the neighborhood, and on and off through the day, it was puppy playtime. They’ve filled our life with chuckles and an occasional scream – but big smiles every day.

Over and again, I’ve thought about how lucky we are to have them with us, and the love for these two knuckleheads just keeps growing. I thought our experience was pretty unique until I called our vet to get them in for their annual checkups and shots. I was told that through the pandemic, “Everybody got a pet!” As a result, they’re five months behind on available appointments.

That brings me right to my point – our pets help fulfill our lives. While there are no words to describe how much we’ve missed friends and getting together, our “therapists” have kept us focused on laughing and smiling every day.

And in terms of your business as a photographer, brides, babies and pets represent the top three hierarchy of why people hire a professional photographer. With the pandemic and the number of canceled weddings, I’m betting pets have moved into one of the two top spots. So, do you know what you’re doing with pets?

Sheila and I got our second vaccine shot two weeks, and there’s finally a path towards normalcy that’s more than just a wish. But over the last year, it was Lucy and Belle who helped us stay focused on our hearts and, in fact, each other.

Dogs are not our whole lives, but they make our lives whole!
Roger Caras

So, appreciate the pets in your life, but at the same time, think about your services and products. Are pets part of your story?

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This article was written by

Skip Cohen

http://www.SkipCohenUniversity.com/

Skip Cohen is an industry executive recognized for his diversity. He has served as past president of Hasselblad USA, Rangefinder/WPPI and in 2009 founded his own educational consulting company. In 2013 he launched Skip Cohen University dedicated to helping artists build a stronger business. He's a regular speaker at a variety of conventions and writes for several different magazines, as well as having two business classes at Lynda.com. Click above to visit the SCU blog.