inFOCUS by APPO

inFOCUS APPO’S MAGAZINE FOR PHOTO ORGANIZERS

SPRING 2016

2016 APPO NATIONAL

CONFERENCE EDITION

Hello | SPRING 2016

Welcome!

I can’t believe I am writing a note with the goal to encourage you to save the dates, March 29 - April 1, 2017.

These are the dates for our annual educational Conference and though it seems far away, the truth is, it will be here before you know it. This is a milestone year for us as we celebrate our 5th National Conference!

Our goal is to have over 50% of our members attend this milestone event, in Cleveland, Ohio, home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Registration will open July 1st and now is the time to start planning and budgeting to ensure you don’t miss the opportunity to learn, connect and grow. We’ve already spent hours planning an amazing agenda. We have Intensive trainers in place and this year we’ll be demonstrating a photo organizing project from start to finish from the main stage!

Inside this edition of inFOCUS, we are reflecting on APPOCon2016. Now is a great time to commit to attending as you read through attendees experiences at this years event. If you are questioning the value of attending, please enjoy the articles in this spring edition. You’ll hear from new member Haleh Shoa who was a member for a few days before deciding to attend, and Philip Griffith, one of our Charter Members, who hasn’t missed a conference yet.

In addition to reflections from other attendees, we are excited to introduce you to one of our newest partners, White Wall. They share excellent design tips for creating a wall gallery for yourself or your clients.

We also want to give a big shout out to our favorite photographer, Nick Kelsh whose photos grace our pages.

Last of all, I am most excited about the introduction of an initiative we announced at Conference, the new APPO Partner Endorsement Seal. We spent months developing a rigorous set of standards, in conjunction with our Advisory Board and we’re excited to announce Kodak Alaris and E-Z Photo Scan as the first recipients.

Make yourself a cup of tea, put your feet up and enjoy the spring edition of inFOCUS.

inFOCUS

APPO’S MAGAZINE FOR PHOTO ORGANIZERS

Lisa Kurtz PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Janet Blunt CREATIVE DIRECTOR CONTRIBUTORS Philip Griffith, Lisa Kurtz, Shelley Murray, Cathi Nelson, Jan Oescshmidt, Bonnie Shay, Haleh Shoa, Kathy Stone.

Cathi Nelson

Cover photograph by Lisa Kurtz

Lisa Kurtz

FOR INQUIRIES, please visit www.appo.org or call (860) 904-5365 ext. 101

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FOUNDER DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Photograph by Lisa Kurtz

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Contents 24

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Issue 07 Spring 2016

FEATURES 06_#APPO CON 2016 A look back at this year’s conference in photos . Photos by Nick Kelsh and Lisa Kurtz 24_A Leap of Trust A new member shares her impressions of Conference.. By Haleh Shoa 32_ Finding Your People The Value of Connecting at Conference. By Lisa Kurtz

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38_Why I Keep Coming Back to Conference By Philip Griffith 28 _FOREVER Today A valued industry partner reflects on their Growth. By Shelley Murray

TIPS & TECHNIQUES 40_ Reflecting on the Intensives Counting the reasons why Intensives offer such a valuable learning experience.

By Bonnie Hillman Shay 46_ My Journey as a Conference Speaker By Kathy Stone 50_The “Wow” Factors Tips for creating beautiful walls with your clients’ photos. By Cathi Nelson & Jan-Ole Smith 54_A Standard of Excellence Product decisions are easier with our new Partner Endorsement Seal. By Cathi Nelson

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Photos by Nick Kelsh & Lisa Kurtz

#APPO-

CON2016

By all accounts, this year’s conference was a resounding

SUCCESS.

Here’s a behind-the-lens glimpse into some of the week’s

HIGHLIGHTS and EVENTS.

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A Leap of Trust

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BY HALEH SHOA

“I remember the day

It was a sunny Wednesday afternoon on January 27th. I was sitting on the couch, looking out onto the park adjacent to our living room, talking on the phone with my friend Katherine about my future. I had wanted to start my own business and she was guiding me to dig deep and visualize what that looked like. My vision was, and still is, to make people happy through something I create. After some ebbs and flows, our introspective conversation led me to photo books! Yes, creating photo books is what happiness looked like for me. I told Katherine that I have been making calendars and photo books for my family since 2008. Every time I presented my gift, I would sit with them and look at their faces as they thumbed through the pages. Katherine was a positive force behind my vision, and asked how I could make money doing what I love. As a successful advertising executive for the past couple of decades, the idea of making people happy through creating photo books seemed way too ethereal. My ego kicked in, the negative chatter in my head got louder, and I immediately said that there’s no way I could make money. I thought who would pay me to do their photo books and calendars? But then again, why not just Google it and see what I find, which is exactly what I did. And what I found was exactly what I had seen in my vision.

vividly...

Perusing the grand World Wide Web, it didn’t take long to come across a blog that featured three photo organizers talking about their successes. I was literally stunned. Not only did I find established businesses making a living dealing with personal photo collections, but I also found an organization that supports, guides and teaches these businesses: APPO. Was this real? My heart was racing. I took a deep breath, looked up to the universe to send a quiet whisper of gratitude because I didn’t want to get too excited. I came back to earth and then in large, bold letters on the APPO site I read “2016 Conference March 2 – 5th in Anaheim,” which is basically in my backyard. My vision suddenly became a reality and I had to take action.

APPO was my next call I didn’t expect anyone to pick up the phone since it was already late on the West Coast. Cathi Nelson, the founder of APPO, picked up the phone and with her calm, soothing voice, explained the benefits of attending the conference as a new member, including the Intensive Courses. I was hesitant, because I hadn’t had active income since last October. She took the time to learn more about me, and my background, to help me choose the best Intensive Courses. I realized from inFOCUS SPRING 2016 25

Features | 2016 NATIONAL CONFERENCE

talking to Cathi that I would spend more time learning about everything on my own, and let’s not forget time is money, than if I were to attend the conference. I decided to go with gusto. I signed up as an APPO member and for the 2016 Conference, including three Intensive Courses. The universe served me a gift on a silver platter, so I took a leap of trust.

At first glance, the conference was very well organized, which isn’t surprising given that we’re all organizers, or aspiring organizers. Every detail was accounted for, from dietary restrictions of all the meals to the temperature control of the rooms.

Lisa Montanaro led my first Intensive. She was a lawyer in her previous life and is now a successful business/productivity coach.

Lisa’s sessions are interactive and layered with lots of helpful tips on productivity that apply to any industry. Lucky for me, the room was filled with many successful business owners whose pointed questions allowed me access to all the “what if’s” that I hadn’t realized. I was writing so fast my hand hurt. Lisa is a wealth of knowledge and she presents with ease and grace.

My next workshop was with Sherra Humphreys and Rita Norton, who are independently successful photo organizers in their perspective markets, and also have joined forces to provide coaching and tools for the APPO members. Their presentation was personal and loaded with information. They shared their approach to pricing plans and conducted role-plays with the audience on how to deal with difficult clients. I learned a tremendous amount from Sherra and Rita. In fact, I have based my business model on their Intensive. The last intensive course was with Jane Pollack, who has been a successful artist in her past life and is now a life coach helping her clients achieve their passion. I had so much fun doing Jane’s intensive, which allowed the audience to dig deep to realize where our passions lie. I got so much from the three Intensive Courses. I wished that I could take all of them, but alas, there’s only so much time in a day.

During our breaks, my mission was to meet as many people as possible. My experience of the APPO community is that of an open, generous and non-competitive group. On our call, Cathi had mentioned how nice the APPO members are, but I didn’t expect for every single person to be as inviting and welcoming as they were. It didn’t take long for me to find friends and colleagues for life. So many offered me advice on what I need to do next, and with whom I need to connect to build the stepping-stones for a successful business. None of that would have happened if I hadn’t attended the conference to make those connections. We are in a business of connections, connecting to stories, connecting to the past, connecting to a new way of enjoying our history. The APPO provides all of us the opportunity to connect and learn from each other and the annual convention is a fun, educational forum of connection.

If you’ve joined our community, don’t even think twice about coming to the 2017 convention in Cleveland. Just Do it! You won’t regret it. Whether you’re a veteran, or a rookie like me, you and your business will be thankful for the leap of trust in joining the APPO community and meeting most of its members at the convention.

When passion and expertise align: magic emerges. Such is the story of Picturli; a boutique photo management firm provid design, genetic acumen for organization, and boundless passion for family history and mementos. Indeed like many of us, memories. Like many, hers has been a journey. After graduating with an International Economics degree from UCLA, she q the top advertising firm in the world. There she collaborated with elite creative and brand professionals to launch world-w the world, she found that her true love came from the more personal work of photojournalism with her family and friends overwhelming response of friends, family and clients, and a firm belief in “Carpe Diem”, prompted Haleh to follow her pas and best friend. The two can be found riding their bikes to their favorite yoga class, throwing garden parties for friends/fam

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ding unique services for individuals and families to enjoy and preserve their precious memories. As founder, HALEH SHOA taps her keen eye for , Haleh has come to recognize the profound gift found in life’s little moments and has oriented her career around helping us readily access these quickly realized that the financial world was not going to feed her creative side. Led by her love for the aesthetic, she found herself in the epicenter of wide ad campaigns for Apple, Nissan/Infiniti and Barbie, to name a few. While this work provided invaluable exposure to the top creative projects in s. Haleh has told countless stories of graduations, holidays, births, deaths; all through her photos, picture books, calendars and video montages. The ssion and dedicate her energy to developing Picturli as the premier photo management firm. Haleh Shoa lives in Los Angeles with Alan, her partner mily or just sharing a glass of wine reflecting on the day’s events.

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FOREVER TODAY A Valued Industry Partner Reflects on their Growth

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BY SHELLEY MURRAY

2016 NATIONAL CONFERENCE

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In 2014, Forever attended the APPO Conference for the first time in Dallas Texas, and since then we have been honored to participate as a Gold Sponsor at their event. I, personally, have enjoyed watching the organization grow and change over the last three years, and at Forever we have been doing much of the same.

This year, it was wonderful to stop for a moment and take in how both of our organizations have matured and developed since our initial meeting in the fall of 2013.

Each year at the APPO Conference, we have been very excited to showcase our latest additions to the Forever memory-keeping platform. In 2014, we launched our Award Winning Forever mobile app which marked a significant time in Forever’s history as it put us on the map as a major contender in the photo storage and memory keeping space. Then in 2015, we showcased our two new desktop products, Forever Artisan and Forever Historian. These products were previously licensed

by Creative Memories and had an enormous following of dedicated fans that we welcomed back home to our community. And this year, in 2016, we announced the grand opening of our North American Media Conversion Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The center provides walk-in or drop-off media conversion as well as the processing of all of our online and event driven shipments. We also rolled out our new Direct Ambassador Program that allows business owners to add Forever products to their offerings and earn a commission based on their sales. inFOCUS SPRING 2016 29

During my breakout session, I was able to show APPO members the full Forever Memory-Keeping solution with a focus on how a photo organizer could Collect, Curate and Celebrate a client’s lifetime of memories right in a Forever account. I presented ways that an organizer could earn a commission and residual income in each of the three areas of our solution: Collect, Curate and Celebrate. It was very exciting to see many of the organizers open their minds and visualize what Forever could do for their business.

Organizers were recognizing that they could utilize Forever for many facets of their current business, including scanning, organizing, sharing and printing. I think the most compelling piece of a Forever account, in their eyes, was the fact that they could manage their client’s memories right from the comfort of their own home office. This remote working environment is key to a photo organizer who is working with busy families. At Forever, we have seen several organizers increase their business offerings simply by helping their clients arrange their cell phone photos remotely with Forever. It has been a great experience watching the passion 30 inFOCUS SPRING 2016

and creativity of the APPO members as they develop ways to incorporate Forever into their businesses.

This year the booth was focused on three sections: Collect, Curate and Celebrate. Collect showcased our media conversion and the process of mailing media to Forever for scanning. APPO members received envelopes for 100 free scans to give us a try. In Curate, we gave live demos of Forever accounts and found that people were impressed with all that could be accomplished within our application.

Everything from creating an album based file structure to adding stories, tags and dates to their photos. Finally, in Celebrate we demonstrated Forever Artisan, our PC based digital scrapbooking software that allows users to be completely creative when creating their photo projects.

For those users that don’t have a PC, we also have a way to create projects on the web, right inside your Forever account.

Forever Projects allows you to create photo books, calendars and more right online in a quick and easy to use format.

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This is just the beginning for us. Our corporate team at Forever is busy working to make Forever a first class experience for everyone. And I am already thinking about the next conference in Cleveland in 2017. I enjoyed sharing in your passion and love for preserving memories, and I am looking forward to seeing old friends and making some new ones next year. Please join us in Cleveland and stop by to visit at the Forever Booth which, will be sure to have even more offerings for photo organizers.

In the meantime, check out our partner page on the APPO website and watch this Brief Forever Overview video to learn the core commitments that we make to Forever members. Feel free to contact me any time to learn more about how you can incorporate Forever into your business today.

SHELLEY MURRAY is an Executive Sales Director at Forever. She has been a passionate memory keeper for years and enjoys helping others preserve both their photos and stories in Forever. She has been APPO certified for 3 years and is happy to be leading Forever’s Ambassador Direct program. Her other responsibilities include speaking and training.

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APPO Ad - Mar2016.pdf

1

1/11/16

2:17 PM

Our passion is in the beauty of our families, in the joy and laughter of every celebration, and in the blurry edges of each precious moment.

Our passion is changing the way the world remembers.

Help us change the world.

Email retail@mylio.com today to receive your complimentary advanced subscription through our partnership with APPO. To learn more about Mylio, visit www.mylio.com

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FINDING YOUR PEOPLE The value of connecting at conference

BY LISA KURTZ

In a recent article by Sherra Humphreys, she talked about the value of ‘finding your person’ in business. As I attend Conference each year, one of the activities I enjoy most is watching our members connect and reconnect with their peers. With 4 conferences under our belt, I’ve watched dozens of business relationships (and friendships) grow and strengthen and I have come to believe that this activity is one of the most important benefits of attending conference.

Conference has become ‘ground zero’ for the formation of some great relationships in our community, and I wanted to give you an ‘inside look’ at a few attendees and how these connections have strengthened their business. inFOCUS SPRING 2016 33

Laura Woolsey & Bonnie Hillman Shay at Conference 2016 Here’s Laura’s story: “I was in business for many years before I discovered and ultimately decided to join APPO. Doing so has been an amazing transition from feeling isolated and overwhelmed, to feeling connected and calm in knowing that the answers and resources are out there in our network. By attending Conference two years in a row, I’ve been able to start many new friendships and business relationships — it has been the icing on the cake to belonging to such a great organization!

Two women in particular have become my “people” in the sense that we are now speaking regularly on the phone to keep our business wheels turning. I met both Bonnie Shay and Karen Herman at the 2015 APPO Conference and immediately knew they were both kindred spirits, but neither connection was really solidified until meeting a second time, maintaining email contact, and making a concerted effort at this year’s conference to set aside private time to chat and get to know each other and our businesses.

Bonnie and I both have a background in Information Technology, and therefore understand each other’s thought processes regarding technology and photos. Our similar personalities somehow balance each other out beautifully, enabling us to exchange ideas and refine our business processes using the “two heads are better than one” approach. Since meeting regularly with Bonnie on Skype, I have gained a new confidence in speaking to clients about my pricing, delivery expectations, and the overall process of photo organizing. All in just a few short weeks!

Karen has also become a great partner to me in recent weeks. She and I shared a ride with a few other awesome ladies from the airport to this year’s conference, and made efforts to meet privately once the conference was underway. We have very similar businesses and a mutual desire to provide clients with a high level of service, so it has been great talking with her on the phone and helping each other with the details of our projects. Karen and I have different passions within our business, so we have even considered outsourcing to each other for those less enjoyable tasks!

My business has already benefitted tremendously from these two strong connections that were planted and watered at two consecutive conferences. I now have a very strong sense of belonging, and having two very intelligent and strong business women as confidantes and resources has taken my confidence level to an all-new high. As somewhat of an introvert, APPO conferences can be a bit overwhelming for me. Making efforts to coordinate with these individuals before I arrived allowed me to feel like I was amongst friends during the event and come away feeling energized and very, very glad to have attended!”

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Here’s Jodi’s Story: “Beth Gibson Lilja and I met in July 2013. Both of us were Creative Memories Consultants and our annual conference was cancelled due to the company closing. We had already paid for travel expenses to get to Denver, so a fellow consultant and APPO member planned an “Alternative Showcase”. Beth and I were asked to speak to the group about APPO since we both were members already. That was the first time we met and we became fast friends. We have so many things in common personality wise that we just “got” each other. We made plans to then see each other in Dallas for the APPO Conference. At that point we started talking about how we could best support each other in our business. We kept in touch and shared ideas and frustrations throughout the year. We also set up a monthly “Skype” meeting where we would plan an hour to catch up. During the hour we would share what was happening in our life (that we didn’t put on Facebook), what we had been doing business wise and then at the end of the call, we would each give at least three action points of work to be done in the next month.

During the next month’s call, we check on those action points (we both keep notes) and then develop our next plan for the coming months. Beth and I are both Type A personalities, we both are “crazy busy” but don’t allow that to be an excuse – we chose the hand we have been dealt and we look at it as opportunities to succeed. We help to make each other better at what we do, even if it means scrapping our personal agenda and listening to the other viewpoints. Beth has a D.R.E.A.M. team that I am a part of. Many of the other gals are pursuing one spoke of the business wheel Beth and I are on; I have many spokes and Beth helps me stay on top of them.

When we have articles to write, presentations to make, or need another eye to look over our plan - we have each other’s back.

Beth and I try not to miss a Skype date because sometimes we just need someone to vent to! My suggestion to find someone you can collaborate with is to see who you are drawn to. Don’t necessarily look for the most successful or most outspoken person at a meeting, find someone you click with. The relationship you build will be that much better if you truly have a friendship as well as a working partnership. “

Beth & Jodi at their first APPO Conference, joining forces with Forever. inFOCUS SPRING 2016 35

Cathy, Shari & Marie met on the way to Downtown Disney while attending Conference this year.

Here’s Cathy’s Story: “Marie Booren and I, connected with Shari Sollender the first night of the conference while waiting for the shuttle to Downtown Disney. It was just the three of us standing there and she was off to the side. It turned out that Shari had joined APPO just the month before, and after a fun night at Disney, we ended up sitting together the rest of the conference. Asking her to join us that night was outside of my box but I’m so glad I did it. Since then, Shari, who has been making video montages, and I have talked often regarding organizing and scanning.

When we met, I was in the middle of the two largest projects I have ever had. Shari jumped into the business and was hired for a huge organizing project right after Conference. It has been fun for me to discuss with her best practices and procedures in our businesses. With me being from the Midwest, she has a can-do, East Coast spirit that I admire. We have mostly been texting (including pictures of our projects) with each other but have had a couple of long phone calls. I can see that this will be a lasting working relationship and I already consider her a friend. “

As you think ahead to Conference next year, imagine connecting with your ‘person’ and set a goal to be open to this opportunity. If you’ve been attending for a few years and feel frustrated that you haven’t ‘connected’ yet, don’t stress about it. Developing relationships in our community may take time, especially if you are an introvert or you prefer to take your time getting to know people. There is no right or wrong way to do business, as long as you are moving forward.

LISA KURTZ developed her passion for photos and storytelling at an early age after losing her mom, grandma, aunt and uncle over a short 3-year span. With a box of unidentified photos from her mother’s life and no maternal relatives to help her unlock her mom’s story, Lisa embarked on a lifelong quest to tell her own story to her family and future grandchildren. She eventually turned that passion into a career helping others to organize and share their family photos and stories. Lisa is the Director of Operations and Training at APPO. In this role, she develops, delivers and maintains the internal support and training programs for the APPO’s 600+ membership base.

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Features | 2016 NATIONAL CONFERENCE

Why I Keep Coming Back to Conference

BY PHILIP GRIFFITH

“Being in business as an entrepreneur is tough...

Getting together with others who are working through the same things as you can spark inspiration. Going to Conference is one of the best investments in my business I make each year. There is something about getting together with other people who are working in the same field that energizes and motivates you to continue. You develop relationships seeing your colleagues year after year at conference that brings depth to your conversations on social media throughout the rest of the year. Those friendships spark ideas that you might not have had otherwise. Or if you did, they wouldn’t have been fanned into flames if not for that person you met at Conference.

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Every year I go to the APPO Conference I learn something new. Sometimes it has to do with the work itself, other times with running a business. Often it is from the conversations with other PPOs, what they are doing or how they are working. This sharing of lessons learned is often the best thing I take away from the conference. I look forward to the latest industry stats and trends that I know will be presented by speakers, but also the stories from the trenches; those stories you hear from others about the impact their work had on a client, or how they finished work on a difficult job.

There is so much to learn, and you have more to share than you realize as you talk with people about your work since the last conference.

I have seen a definite return on investment from attending Conference, both in my own competence and the confidence I have with my clients. It has inspired me to reach out to ancillary professionals like Professional Organizers and Personal Historians, leading to more referrals and better clients. I think the biggest ROI is that if you want to grow your business, you have to invest in it. Conference is one way I invest in my business. I budget how much work I need to get there and have seen more work come in each year.

Whenever my wife Susan is able to attend, we employ a divide-and-conquer strategy, attending different sessions to gain even more.

I have been impressed that the APPO Conference has gotten better and better each year. The first conference was great. I met many people for the first time. Some of us who had shared backgrounds in direct sales had met before, but not as PPOs. Most of the speakers were from outside of APPO. Four years later I look forward to seeing people I’ve seen before, as well as meeting new people. There are still outside speakers, but so many are APPO members sharing their expertise and experience. I’m learning things about friends and colleagues that I would never have guessed about their backgrounds. Things they bring that are unique, and different perspectives that enrich us all. I wouldn’t get that if I wasn’t at Conference sitting next them at a meal or in a workshop. I love getting to meet people I’ve corresponded with, and introducing new people to others who are working in similar areas, whether geographical or expertise. I also enjoy spending time around the exhibitors talking with colleagues both about the vendors and catching up with their lives and businesses.

I think the biggest take-away for me this past conference was that my background in dance and the arts makes me unique as I approach photo organizing and storytelling. This came from both an intensive session and just talking with fellow attendees. It will affect how I market and present myself as well as the clients I work with. There were so many other things that were great insights or ‘aha’ moments, like hearing Cathi relate client stories from other PPOs, or the discussion on legal matters that brought up my need to

check laws in multiple states. Or the Working with Seniors workshop that gave me great insight for talking to an activities director in my town. Or looking for the five words to describe my business by looking at what my clients have already said about us. That was revealing and so encouraging. The hardest thing for me is coming home and distilling down the one or two things I want to do this year from all that I learned. Having another person to share that with and hold each other accountable is another benefit of going to Conference.

I would urge all APPO members to plan to attend Conference next year. You can tell your clients that you are going to the only conference on photo organizing in the world! That you will bring back skills and information that will help them. I love the fact that if I’m not sure of something or am stumped by a client situation, not only can I reach out to the larger APPO community, but going to Conference gives me more credibility and professionalism in the eyes of my clients. The fact that I’m attending an annual conference in my field says I’m invested in continuing education and training, and that I value what I do and the clients I serve.

Together we are stronger. I look forward to seeing you in Cleveland and hearing your stories!

PHILIP GRIFFITH, along with his wife Susan, have run PSG Photo Solutions for the past five years. He is a charter member of APPO and the first Certified PPO in Massachusetts. They recently moved from Massachusetts to Ohio, and serve clients in both states and beyond. Philip has worked as a professional ballet and modern dancer, co-founded an international arts organization, worked in elementary education, and is an adoptive father of two boys. It was making LifeBooks for his boys, and then helping other parents do the same for their children, that launched what would become PSG Photo Solutions. All of this has given him a knack for helping people connect and tell their stories. inFOCUS SPRING 2016 39

BY BONNIE HILLMAN SHAY

Reflecting on the Intensives

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REASONS INTENSIVES ARE INVALUABLE LEARNING EXPERIENCES

I have found the APPO Conference Intensives to be invaluable learning experiences for a variety of reasons.

One. “The smaller, more intimate group suits my more introverted personality, which allows me to make more in-depth connections with fellow organizers. The Intensives definitely provide a bonding experience with other APPO members.”

Two. “I like diving deeper in to a topic than the typical breakout session during Conference allows for.”

Three. “The topics have been well suited for where I was in my business and personal development.”

Four. “Starting earlier gives me time to adjust to conference mode, re-connect with colleagues and be that much better prepared for the actual conference when it starts.”

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MARKETING

3 THINGS

TO CONSIDER IF YOU THINK YOU CAN’T AFFORD IT

| Tips & Techniques

I would highly recommend attending the intensives if you have never done so. Things to consider if you don’t know if you can afford the additional expense: One. Get a roommate or roommates to help defray the room costs.

Two. Understand that investing in education for you and your business will actually save you money in the long run because you will have that much more knowledge, confidence and known resources to help you when you hit challenges or bumps in the road.

Three. Open up a separate bank account labeled “Professional Development” and put money away each month so that when Conference comes around, you’ll have the funds to pay for it.

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5

SUGGESTIONS FOR ENSURING SUCCESS

I have been to a number of conferences over the years, but I didn’t feel too “successful” at the first few conferences. I figured out that I need to have a plan in advance to have a successful conference.

One. Have a list of questions/topics that you want to ask/share with specific people at the conference.

Two. Have a list of people you know or would like to know so that you make time to talk one on one with them.

Three. Take some quiet/downtime over the course of the conference so you can stay energized and not get overwhelmed.

Four. Plan a ½ or whole day after Conference to process what you learned before you resume your normal client work and back to your normal life mode. Staying an extra day at the hotel is an awesome way to do that if you can.

Five. Identify the top 3 things you are going to implement or follow up on after Conference. You will have gathered a lot of information, and you want to set realistic goals on what you will put in to action.

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MARKETING |

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Tips & Techniques

TIPS FOR CREATING YOUR ELEVATOR PITCH

Different ways to create a good elevator pitch from Lisa Montanaro’s course: One. Try to develop an elevator speech without saying “I am a Photo Organizer”.

Focus more on what you do and how you make your clients feel than what your title is.

Two. Say what you do, who you do it for, and the benefits or results you provide.

Three. Say who you are, what makes you stand out, and why people and organizations want to work with you.

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2

TYPES OF TOOLS FOR EFFECTIVE MARKETING

14 ONLINE TOOLS

15 OFFLINE TOOLS

1. Website 2. Blog/Newsletter

1. Business card exchanging

3. Email Signatures

3. Flyers/door knob flyers

4. Social Media

4. Bulletin board posting

5. Testimonials

4. Word of mouth

6. LinkedIn Recommendations

5. Testimonials

7. YouTube

6. Direct mail

8. Article Marketing

7. Welcome wagon

9. List Services

8. Professional associations

10. Strategic Commenting on Blogs

9. Attending conferences/workshops

11. Blog Commenting Circles

10. Networking groups

12. Googles Alerts

11. Client referral program

13. Social Media Commenting Circles

12. Silent auctions/drawings/raffles

14. Affiliate Program

13. Speaking

2. Business card placement

14. Trade show/expos 15. Media: TV stations, radio, newspaper and publications.

Here’s a funny quote that Jane shared during her session that is worth sharing: “Think that you have two wolves on your shoulders.

One says “yes you can” and one says “no you can’t”.

Which one are you going to feed?”

LISA MONTANARO

BONNIE HILLMAN SHAY is a Professional Organizer and founder of Mariposa Creative Solutions.

Bonnie was born hard wired for this line of work: she has the organizing gene. Bonnie creates order out of disorder, in whatever shape that may take, and specializes in residential organizing, email management, and photo organizing. She feels blessed to have found her calling, which allows her to work her “magic” on a daily basis. Bonnie is a member of NAPO (The National Association of Professional Organizers) and a certified member of APPO (The Association of Personal Photo Organizers). She published “Take Charge of Your Email Inbox”, a step-by-step guide to “de-clutter” your inbox and maintain a streamlined inbox going forward. She loves helping her clients get unstuck and back to enjoying what they want to do in their lives.

44 inFOCUS SPRING 2016

MARKETING

4

| Tips & Techniques

TIPS TO USE AT YOUR NETWORKING EVENTS

One. Think of what you bring that is unique to the event/networking session.

Two. Introduce yourself to other people.

Three. Have a story to share about what you do.

Four. Have a question to ask people to initiate conversation.

JANE POLLOCK

“A few tidbits from our intensive speakers that

I’D LIKE TO SHARE.”

2

GOAL SETTING TIPS

One. A goal is a dream with a deadline.

Two. Set a goal and then put it on your calendar so that it actually gets done.

JANE POLLOCK

1 FINAL SHARE Though you may be a one-person operation, you can think big. Jane shared that she met someone who was a solo entrepreneur and they had put a sign that said “World Headquarters” on their home office door. Why not? It’s true! I’m going to do that too. See you next year at Conference AND the Intensives I hope! inFOCUS SPRING 2016 45

My Journey as a Conference Speaker

BY KATHY STONE

In one of my intensive sessions at APPO Con 2015, there was discussion about expanding the services you offer in your business. Lisa Montanaro was sharing how she had expanded her services over time, based on skills she possessed. I was particularly interested in the suggestion to add paid speaking engagements to one’s services. I was a corporate trainer for many years, and had provided training on many subjects to many people. I enjoy training, speaking, and writing educational materials, but I hadn’t been paid to speak in a conference setting for a very long time. I set a goal at Conference to find a paid speaking engagement, and to write and publish an article before the next conference.

46 inFOCUS SPRING 2016

SPEAKING AT CONFERENCE

| Tips & Techniques

Tips.

If you want to submit a proposal for the next conference, consider the photo organizing projects you have done so far.

Any of the following areas could be something you can share with your fellow photo organizers.

WHAT DID YOU DO THAT REQUIRED YOU TO LEARN THE MOST? DO YOU HAVE A UNIQUE WORKFLOW OR SYSTEM THAT WOULD BENEFIT OTHERS? DO YOU HAVE SKILLS IN AN AREA OF RUNNING A BUSINESS THAT YOU COULD SHARE WITH OTHERS?

Once you have a topic in mind, think about what you want to convey to the audience.

PRESENTATIONS THAT ARE BASED ON WANTING YOUR AUDIENCE TO BE ABLE TO DO SOMETHING BETTER AFTER YOUR SESSION ARE GENERALLY WELL RECEIVED. WRITE OUT A SENTENCE OR TWO ABOUT WHAT YOU WANT THE AUDIENCE TO DO AFTER YOUR SESSION.

Once you have an idea of what you want the audience to be able to do after your session, list the knowledge and skills that you need to convey, or the steps in the process you want them to learn.

You now have the information you need for your proposal, and the outline for your session.

EXPAND YOUR OUTLINE WITH YOUR INFORMATION. REMEMBER THAT PEOPLE LEARN BY HEARING AND ALSO BY SEEING, SO THE MORE VISUAL INFORMATION YOU CAN INCLUDE THE BETTER. THIS ALSO MAKES YOUR PRESENTATION MORE INTERESTING. INCORPORATE SOME STORIES IN YOUR PRESENTATION. THIS MAKES IT MORE INTERESTING, AND HELPS THE PARTICIPANTS UNDERSTAND YOUR MATERIAL.

I contacted Lisa Kurtz after Conference and told her I would be happy to write something about recovering flood damaged photos, and to prepare a webinar or presentation on the subject. Lisa contacted me and asked me to write an article for inFOCUS, which was published last year.

When the call for speakers at APPO Con 2016 came out, I saw the opportunity to achieve my goal. I was also aware that the need for information on saving water-damaged photos was frequently requested in the APPO group, and that was a unique experience I could share at Conference. I was a bit hesitant to submit my proposal, as I have such respect and admiration for my fellow photo organizers who have spoken at conferences, and wondered if I could do as well. I decided that a good goal involves some stretching, so I submitted my proposal and it was accepted! I had my first paid speaking engagement in many years.

inFOCUS SPRING 2016 47

48 inFOCUS SPRING 2016

SPEAKING AT CONFERENCE

| Tips & Techniques

Once I arrived at Conference, I was nervous about my presentation. I recalled that when I taught public speaking, I would tell speakers that nervousness is normal, and that it means you care.

I was worried that I didn’t have enough material to fill the allotted time, and that no one would come to my session. Once my session started, I found out that both those fears were unfounded.

The group was very engaged in the session. I really enjoyed interacting with the participants, answering their questions, listening to their experiences and sharing my experience. The reaction of the group was so positive, that I would love to speak again.

And I achieved a goal set at Conference the previous year.

I would strongly encourage anyone who has an area of expertise to consider presenting at Conference. We have much to learn from each other. Even if you have little or no experience at public speaking, take a chance with a friendly audience of your fellow photo organizers. It is an opportunity to grow your skills, and can become another service you offer. Work on those proposals now, and I can’t wait to attend your session at APPO Con 2017. See you in Cleveland!

KATHY STONE, a Certified Personal Photo Organizer, founded Calgary Photo Solutions, to help people preserve their photos and stories, by providing a range of photo organizing services.. Kathy has been helping people organize and enjoy their printed and digital photos for over 16 years. During severe flooding in Southern Alberta in 2013, Kathy saved thousands of photos for several families. She is a Certified Adult Educator, and has provided digital and print photo training to numerous groups and individuals, and spoken to individuals and organizations about the importance of photo preservation.

inFOCUS SPRING 2016 49

50 inFOCUS SPRING 2016

CREATING WALL DISPLAYS

| Tips & Techniques

WOW! FACTOR

THE

BY CATHI NELSON

I am always seeking quality companies that can provide unique products that will wow you and your clients. Our newest partner WhiteWall, a leading digital photo lab, is such a company. I first saw their displays at Photo Plus Expo in NYC and I was extremely impressed. They’re a German company specializing in wall art. Their photo wall displays are absolutely stunning and the quality is amazing. I have since learned they are trusted by over 237,000 customers, 21,500 professional photographers and 40 Lumas galleries around the world. Even better, they are now APPO partners.

As you work with your clients’ photo collections, you can suggest with confidence, a wall gallery of their images because WhiteWall offers you assistance. I’ll never forget a client who asked me to create a wall of framed photos in her home and the panic I felt since I am not an interior designer. If I had known Simone Nittel of WhiteWall, I would have called her and wowed my client. Simone is the consultant you can contact if you need help choosing the best product for you or your client. Her contact information is available on their partner page.

I recently had four pieces created as part of a wall gallery I am working on, and later this summer, we’ll be hosting an APPO meeting in their NYC showroom. You will appreciate the generous discount on your first order, exclusive to APPO members. Visit their partner page for more details because this special offer expires June 30th. Read on for some great tips for creating a great gallery wall from our friends at WhiteWall! inFOCUS SPRING 2016 51

Everyone has a collection of photos they love: family gatherings, group vacations, or spectacular sunsets and landscapes. These pictures deserve better than collecting digital dust on a hard drive or phone. Why not have them developed and create your own stunning gallery wall for all to see?

Whether you want your pictures framed, create circular shapes, or produce in exact custom sizes, Jan-Ole Schmidt has a few helpful tips on creating a personal gallery wall in your home and selecting the formats and materials that are right for you, and your photos.

TIP 1: THINK OUTSIDE THE DESIGN BOX

TIP 5: MAKE CONNECTIONS

Jan-Ole Schmidt: “By nature we think in terms of perfect symmetry. Exact sizes, even numbers of items, and identical shapes often prevent us from looking at specific walls or gallery spaces and seeing the true potential for utilizing that space. The secret is to let your imagination run wild and have some fun with the wall space you are interested in decorating with your photos.”

JOS: “It is especially atmospheric when a particular hue, its complementary color, or a certain material can be found in multiple furnishings and pictures throughout the room. Show attention to detail and let your pictures mirror the patterns and materials found in other furnishings. At WhiteWall, for example, we offer photo mattes in various colors and shades so you can always find the right color scheme for your pictures to match a room’s furnishings.”

TIP 2: THE PERFECT SPOT JOS: “It’s especially important to show off your photo in the right light. Putting your picture in a dark corner won’t be as visually pleasing. Or sometimes, large windows can create unwanted glare and reflections.”

TIP 3: HAVE A THEME JOS: “Like any good picture story there are certain photos that are integral to telling a complete story. It draws attention to what’s important, and your wall art will feel more expressive overall. Having a consistent theme throughout your display makes it feel harmonious. The photos you present say a lot about you. Don’t underestimate the importance of picking the right ones.”

TIP 4: EFFECT OF SIZE AND SHAPE JOS: “Larger photos at eye-level get noticed first and smaller pictures help provide additional details about the story you want to tell with your gallery wall. Choosing the optimal ‘eyelevel’ depends on whether you’ll mainly be viewing the pictures while standing or when seated. Moreover squares, rectangles, and ovals can all play nicely together and determining which photo gets certain treatment is completely up to you. The idea here is to not be afraid to mix it up.”

52 inFOCUS SPRING 2016

TIP 6: OPTIMAL ARRANGEMENT JOS: “To get a better idea of how your gallery wall will look, we suggest you take sheets of paper and cut them into the sizes and shapes you want your photos to be on your wall.

Tape sheets of paper together to create a template for the larger images and mark the face of each shape with a brief description of the photo you are thinking to use for that specific shape. Gently tack them to the wall using small pieces of putty and feel free to move them around until you like the overall pattern of shapes and sizes. As soon as your images arrived you can also get an impression of your hanging by laying the pictures out on the floor to get a feel for how they look together. You can easily move them around until you find the best arrangement for your wall. Once you like the layout, take a photo with your camera or phone and use it as a guide when it comes time to actually hang the art.”

TIP 7: THE RIGHT PRINT JOS: “If you’re a newcomer, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by the large selection of materials you can print your images on — acrylic glass, aluminum, canvas, traditional wood frames, or something entirely different. Now that you have decided on the overall layout of your gallery wall using your paper templates, you should look at each photo individually and consider what materials or finish would make each photo look

Jan-Ole Smith of White Wall its best. If you want your wall art to still look amazing years down the line, it’s worth it to invest in really high-quality prints.

Prints on different materials will have different auras about them, which can significantly affect the overall result. With the right choices, you can create your own personal work of art that will ideally continue to bring you joy for the rest of your life.”

TIP 8: THE RIGHT FRAME JOS: “Select a picture frame with a color or material that recurs in other furnishings. Consider how the frame becomes a part of the picture, ultimately influencing how the photo itself is perceived.”

About WhiteWall WhiteWall is a brand owned by Berlin-based Avenso GmbH, which has operated the photo lab as well as the WhiteWall. com online service since 2007. Photography hobbyists and professionals around the world rely on WhiteWall’s exceptional quality. With its LUMAS brand, Avenso GmbH has been democratising the art market for ten years through its hand-signed art editions by renowned artists from around the world. All of Avenso GmbH’s photographic works and products are exclusively produced in, and shipped from, the WhiteWall photo lab in Frechen, Germany, just outside of Cologne. inFOCUS SPRING 2016 53

Tips & Techniques |

APPO ENDORSEMENT SEAL

CATHI NELSON fell in love with photography in high school as the photo editor of her school yearbook.

She soon found herself working two jobs to save up to buy her first professional camera. From that day on, Cathi became the photo historian of her family and friends. When her adopted son was placed in her arms years later, Cathi developed a passion for creating life book photo albums that she used to tell his personal story and how he came to be part of their family. She soon found herself sharing this passion with others and built a profitable business teaching others to do the same. By 2007, Cathi noticed a change as consumers shifted to digital photography. Not only was she helping people with their printed photos, but their growing, digital collections as well. Recognizing that this problem was only going to accelerate, she founded the Association of Personal Photo Organizers - a community dedicated to serving the needs of its members through training, support, and collaboration with industry partners.

APPO has also played a key role in establishing a code of ethics that sets high standards for the rapidly growing photo-life industry. Today, Cathi remains firmly rooted in her vision to empower others to use visual storytelling as a means of preserving and sharing their personal life journeys.

54 inFOCUS SPRING 2016

A STANDARD OF EXCELLENCE

Product decisions are easier with our new Partner Endorsement Seal As the association leader in the growing field of photo organizing and photo life management, APPO is committed to identifying companies that offer superior customer service and quality products. We know your goal is to be an industry expert, which includes recommending products and services to your clients that meet your standards for excellence. It is a daunting task to sort through all the possibilities and takes a lot of time and energy. Well, your search for business solutions that you can trust is now easier than ever before. We are excited to announce the APPO Endorsement Seal, a new level of credibility that can only be earned by our partners if they meet the criteria developed by APPO and our Member Advisory Board.

BY CATHI NELSON

History of the Seal: The photo industry is changing rapidly, and each day companies offer new solutions to meet the growing need people have in organizing and sharing their family photos, videos and stories. As personal photo organizers, your job is to be a reliable source of information and guidance to help your clients sort through the myriad of changing options. It can be an overwhelming task, and we know from personal experience that even the best companies with great intentions can go out of business or change their product or business strategy. Since 2009, APPO has strived to identify and partner with companies that provide outstanding customer service and high quality products so you can focus on what you do best, helping your clients

sort, organize, preserve and share their precious memories. By creating a seal of endorsement, we have made it easier for you to determine the best product or service for your client quickly and easily.

Purpose of the Seal: To identify partners who have an established track record within our community, and have met the highest standards of quality and service, determined by our membership.

The Endorsement Seal will allow you to: •

Enhance your credibility as an expert in the field of photo organizing

•

Save you money with competitively priced solutions

•

Save you time by identifying and evaluating companies based on established criteria

•

Increase your confidence as an industry expert

•

Add additional streams of revenue to your bottom line

We don’t just recommend these solutions, we use them too!

Once we identify a company who is eligible for the APPO Endorsement seal, we will send a member wide survey with a weighted scoring system. To qualify, the partner must achieve a minimum score of 80%. When you receive a partner evaluation email, it is imperative that you complete these surveys if you have worked with that company so we can ensure an accurate assessment.

Once a partner is approved, we will notify them with a letter of congratulations and the APPO Endorsement Seal for use on their website and marketing materials.

We will actively promote the designation in our social media channels and add the seal to their partner page along with the score and general comments.

“Once we identify a company who is eligible for the APPO Endorsement seal, we will send a member wide survey with a weighted scoring system.

To qualify, the partner must achieve a minimum score of 80%.”

CRITERIA FOR EARNING OUR SEAL

Some of the questions we ask before endorsing a company

We spent a lot of time considering this question, and with the input of our Advisory Board, decided upon the following criteria. In order to be considered for the APPO endorsement seal, a partner needs to be in good standing within the APPO community for a minimum of 3 months. And their product or service has been utilized by a minimum of 30 members. In the future, the APPO Endorsement Seal will be available to companies who are not APPO partners, but who meet our criteria.

1. How would you rate this company for their overall customer service?

2. Does this company respond by phone or email within 24 hours?

3. How would you rate the overall quality of this company’s product or service?

4. How easy is it for you to navigate their website and ordering process?

5. Are you satisfied with the level of training this company provides, to help you understand how to use their product or service?

6. Does the product or service arrive within expected time frames?

7. Does the company have a good return or refund policy?

8. Is the product or service easy to use?

9. Is this product or service consumer friendly?

10. Does this product or service set you apart in the marketplace?

11. Does this product or service meet industry standards for digitizing, archiving or preserving photos and memories?

12. Does this company take an interest in your feedback and/or is this company present and engaged in our community? inFOCUS SPRING 2016 55

Unlock

the Power

High-Quality/High-Speed Picture Scanning Equipment & Accessories

APPO ENDORSEMENT SEAL

| Tips & Techniques

We are excited about this initiative and have been diligently working on this for quite sometime.

I have great news!

E-Z Photo Scan and Kodak Alaris are the first recipients of the APPO Endorsement Seal As we worked through this process, we knew there was a company that met all our criteria. In fact, our relationship with them has served as a benchmark for developing our criteria. I am thrilled to award our first APPO Partner Endorsement Seal to Kodak Alaris and E-Z Photo Scan. Rick Lippert and his team at E-Z Photo Scan are exemplarily leaders in supporting APPO members who offer scanning services to their clients. Over 125 APPO members have purchased the Kodak Alaris high-speed scanner, the PS50 or PS80 from E-Z Photo Scan. Purchasing a scanner is an investment, and there are many factors to consider when making your purchase decision. I encourage anyone seeking information on the right scanner to call the team at E-Z Photo Scan to discuss their options because I know the E-Z Photo Scan team will respond quickly, offer relevant business advice and not “upsell� anyone to purchase more than they need. They also provide outstanding customer service, education, training and support.

Congratulations to our friends and partners at E-Z Photo Scan and Kodak Alaris and we look forward to adding new companies and services to our list of Endorsed Companies. inFOCUS SPRING 2016 57

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