9/09/15
61: How to Create a Career in Art Part 12/15 – Why A Business Degree Is Important In Art
It’s about creating the lifestyle you want to live and building a business around it.
Creating a high profile career in fashion and lifestyle photography is gratifying, but what it took from me to get there is the real gift.
During the last ten years of creating this career, I’ve learned a few things that might be useful to the up-and-comers. In this collection of episodes, I break down the process that I used to make a living with my art. These tips go beyond my world of photography and transcend into any creative venture.
The lessons can be useful if you’re into illustration, fashion design, fashion blogging, music, performing arts, writing or any other creative hustle. Think of it like the DNA of a creative professional. Think of it like the building blocks of inspiration.
This is the twelfth installment of my 15 part series on how to make a career in art.
As much as the craft is important, the business is important as well.
[smart_track_player url=”https://soundcloud.com/nickonken/get-a-business-degree” title=”How to Create a Career in Art – Why A Business Degree Is Important In Art” image=”https://nionlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/61_BusinessDegree_NIONradio_02.jpg” color=”#de4b9b” ]
Some things we learn in this podcast:
- Why money isn’t an end all [2:05]
- How long it takes to get to what is the beginning of your career [2:20]
- Why you don’t have to go back to school to get a business degree [2:45]
- How you have to build a business around your art to live a full-time creative lifestyle [3:45]
- How having a mentor can help you learn the ropes of the business side [4:00]
- Why you should hire a consultant [4:30]
- Why you have to have a marketing plan that goes with your budget [5:40]
- Take advantage of the resources that are out there [6:50]
- Why you should read books about art and business and marketing [7:55]
- The value of networking and building relationships [8:50]
- Why it’s important to think about the lifestyle you want and build a business around that [9:25]
- Why you have to have a why to drive your business [10:30]
- The importance of having the drive and getting inspired [14:10]
- Why you have to be motivated to devour information [14:45]
Links mentioned:
- Listen to the previous episodes of ShopTalk Radio mentioned:
- Check out all of Lewis Howes resources
- Listen to The School of Greatness Podcast
- Buy The School of Greatness Book
- Learn from amazing online classes on Creative Live
- Here’s the list of books recommended in this episode:
- Never Eat Alone Keith Ferrazzi
- 4 Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss
- The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
- Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
- Start with Why by Simon Sinek
- Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki
- The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
- Turning Pro by Steven Pressfield
- The Brand Called You by Peter Montoya
- Essentialism by Greg McKeown
- Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon
- The Promise of a Pencil by Adam Braun
- Jab Jab right hook by Gary Vaynerchuk
- How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
- The Art of Start by Guy Kawasaki
- Music Credit: Being Noticed by Lodent
LET'S CONSPIRE & CREATE
CULTIVATING YOUR VISUAL UNIQUENESS AND STREAMLINING YOUR BRAND'S EVOLUTION
It’s about creating the lifestyle you want to live and building a business around it.
Creating a high profile career in fashion and lifestyle photography is gratifying, but what it took from me to get there is the real gift.
During the last ten years of creating this career, I’ve learned a few things that might be useful to the up-and-comers. In this collection of episodes, I break down the process that I used to make a living with my art. These tips go beyond my world of photography and transcend into any creative venture.
The lessons can be useful if you’re into illustration, fashion design, fashion blogging, music, performing arts, writing or any other creative hustle. Think of it like the DNA of a creative professional. Think of it like the building blocks of inspiration.
This is the twelfth installment of my 15 part series on how to make a career in art.
As much as the craft is important, the business is important as well.
[smart_track_player url=”https://soundcloud.com/nickonken/get-a-business-degree” title=”How to Create a Career in Art – Why A Business Degree Is Important In Art” image=”https://nionlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/61_BusinessDegree_NIONradio_02.jpg” color=”#de4b9b” ]
Some things we learn in this podcast:
- Why money isn’t an end all [2:05]
- How long it takes to get to what is the beginning of your career [2:20]
- Why you don’t have to go back to school to get a business degree [2:45]
- How you have to build a business around your art to live a full-time creative lifestyle [3:45]
- How having a mentor can help you learn the ropes of the business side [4:00]
- Why you should hire a consultant [4:30]
- Why you have to have a marketing plan that goes with your budget [5:40]
- Take advantage of the resources that are out there [6:50]
- Why you should read books about art and business and marketing [7:55]
- The value of networking and building relationships [8:50]
- Why it’s important to think about the lifestyle you want and build a business around that [9:25]
- Why you have to have a why to drive your business [10:30]
- The importance of having the drive and getting inspired [14:10]
- Why you have to be motivated to devour information [14:45]
Links mentioned:
- Listen to the previous episodes of ShopTalk Radio mentioned:
- Check out all of Lewis Howes resources
- Listen to The School of Greatness Podcast
- Buy The School of Greatness Book
- Learn from amazing online classes on Creative Live
- Here’s the list of books recommended in this episode:
- Never Eat Alone Keith Ferrazzi
- 4 Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss
- The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
- Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
- Start with Why by Simon Sinek
- Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki
- The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
- Turning Pro by Steven Pressfield
- The Brand Called You by Peter Montoya
- Essentialism by Greg McKeown
- Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon
- The Promise of a Pencil by Adam Braun
- Jab Jab right hook by Gary Vaynerchuk
- How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
- The Art of Start by Guy Kawasaki
- Music Credit: Being Noticed by Lodent
9/09/15
61: How to Create a Career in Art Part 12/15 – Why A Business Degree Is Important In Art
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masterfully aligning perception and reality through personal branding
masterfully aligning perception and reality through personal branding
It’s about creating the lifestyle you want to live and building a business around it.
Creating a high profile career in fashion and lifestyle photography is gratifying, but what it took from me to get there is the real gift.
During the last ten years of creating this career, I’ve learned a few things that might be useful to the up-and-comers. In this collection of episodes, I break down the process that I used to make a living with my art. These tips go beyond my world of photography and transcend into any creative venture.
The lessons can be useful if you’re into illustration, fashion design, fashion blogging, music, performing arts, writing or any other creative hustle. Think of it like the DNA of a creative professional. Think of it like the building blocks of inspiration.
This is the twelfth installment of my 15 part series on how to make a career in art.
As much as the craft is important, the business is important as well.
[smart_track_player url=”https://soundcloud.com/nickonken/get-a-business-degree” title=”How to Create a Career in Art – Why A Business Degree Is Important In Art” image=”https://nionlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/61_BusinessDegree_NIONradio_02.jpg” color=”#de4b9b” ]
Some things we learn in this podcast:
- Why money isn’t an end all [2:05]
- How long it takes to get to what is the beginning of your career [2:20]
- Why you don’t have to go back to school to get a business degree [2:45]
- How you have to build a business around your art to live a full-time creative lifestyle [3:45]
- How having a mentor can help you learn the ropes of the business side [4:00]
- Why you should hire a consultant [4:30]
- Why you have to have a marketing plan that goes with your budget [5:40]
- Take advantage of the resources that are out there [6:50]
- Why you should read books about art and business and marketing [7:55]
- The value of networking and building relationships [8:50]
- Why it’s important to think about the lifestyle you want and build a business around that [9:25]
- Why you have to have a why to drive your business [10:30]
- The importance of having the drive and getting inspired [14:10]
- Why you have to be motivated to devour information [14:45]
Links mentioned:
- Listen to the previous episodes of ShopTalk Radio mentioned:
- Check out all of Lewis Howes resources
- Listen to The School of Greatness Podcast
- Buy The School of Greatness Book
- Learn from amazing online classes on Creative Live
- Here’s the list of books recommended in this episode:
- Never Eat Alone Keith Ferrazzi
- 4 Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss
- The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
- Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
- Start with Why by Simon Sinek
- Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki
- The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
- Turning Pro by Steven Pressfield
- The Brand Called You by Peter Montoya
- Essentialism by Greg McKeown
- Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon
- The Promise of a Pencil by Adam Braun
- Jab Jab right hook by Gary Vaynerchuk
- How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
- The Art of Start by Guy Kawasaki
- Music Credit: Being Noticed by Lodent
9/09/15
61: How to Create a Career in Art Part 12/15 – Why A Business Degree Is Important In Art
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Emanate is a creative-direction-led photography experience for entrepreneurs, speakers, and thought leaders in a moment of expansion. This isn’t about better photos. It’s about aligning how you’re seen with who you’ve become. For seasons of rebrand, visibility, and next-level leadership.
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If your message keeps shifting, your brand feels inconsistent, or your presence doesn’t match your capability yet. This is where you build the foundation before you scale.
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For founders, creatives, and leaders who want a trusted long-term partner. This isn’t coaching or traditional consulting.
It’s an ongoing creative partnership focused on bringing your personal brand identity to life.
Your brand. Your website. Your visuals.
All shaped as a direct extension of who you are. The work also includes a bespoke process of identifying and aligning the right experts when needed, so nothing gets built out of sync with your core.
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Nicky Clinch teaches people to dissolve their identity. So when I suggested professional photography and styling, she resisted. “Isn’t this the opposite of what I teach?” Her work is about loosening attachment to identity. Mine is about making identity visible. The paradox was real. But here’s what she discovered: you can have an identity without […]
TL;DR – What You’ll Learn in This Post Why Brand Photography Matters More for Coaches As a coach, you are the product. People are not buying information.They are buying clarity, trust, and emotional safety. Your imagery sets the tone before a single word is spoken. If your photos feel stiff, overproduced, or generic, it creates […]
TL;DR – What You’ll Learn in This Post Imagination does not create reality. Presence does. Ideas live in the mind.Vision lives in the future.But reality responds only to what is here. Nothing moves forward without presence. Not clarity.Not alignment.Not creation. Presence is not something you add.It is what remains when you stop reaching. The Gap […]
Some people do not need to perform. They simply arrive. Peter Crone is one of them. His work is quiet.Precise.Deep. So the challenge was never how to make him look impressive.It was how to let his essence lead. This case study is about what happens when imagery stops trying and starts listening. The Challenge Peter’s […]
Most celebrities spend their careers being turned into something they’re not. Magazines need a character. Brands need a fantasy. Directors need a performance. After decades of that, you forget who you actually are. Evangeline Lilly retired from acting and faced a question most people avoid: who am I when I’m not performing? The answer required […]
If you’re searching for a photographer in London who can actually capture your essence, not just your image, you’re asking the right question. Because when it comes to personal brand photography, geography matters.But frequency matters more. You don’t need just a photographer.You need a visual translator. Someone who can turn your energy, story, and identity […]
Visual identity isn’t about how you look. It’s about how you make someone feel when they first encounter you. Before anyone reads your words, they feel your presence.Before trust, there is tone.Before authority, there is resonance. This is where Elevated Realism™ lives.Not in polish.Not in perfection.In presence. The Problem With Most Brand Imagery Most visual […]
There’s something pulling at you. Not a plan. Not a strategy. Not even a clear destination. Just this persistent tug that won’t let go. You’ve probably tried to rationalize it away. To wait for more clarity. To map out the full journey before taking a step. But here’s what I’ve learned after years of building […]
What happens when your inner transformation meets visual expression? When Caoimhe Harrison came to me, she wasn’t just looking for new photos. She was mid-evolution. Her coaching practice had deepened. Her energy had shifted. And the version of her that existed online no longer matched the woman she was becoming. She didn’t need a rebrand. […]
(For the Financial Brains Who Don’t Get It Yet) Let’s talk numbers. Just not the ones you’re used to. If you’re financially minded, you’ve probably asked this question before:“How does photography actually pay me back?” It’s fair. You’re not looking for vibes.You want leverage. Personal brand photography often gets dismissed as “nice to have” because […]
Most photographers compete on price. The best ones don’t compete at all. If you’ve ever looked at photographer pricing and wondered why some charge $500 while others charge $5,000 for what looks like the same service, you’re asking the right question. The answer isn’t about skill. It’s about authority. Two photographers can have identical technical […]
A Free Download for Aligned, Effortless Shoots Most photoshoots fail before the camera ever comes out. Not because of lighting.Not because of gear.Not because of posing. They fail because of misalignment. People show up hoping the camera will figure out what they haven’t clarified yet.And the result is predictable. Good photos.Wrong signal. This checklist exists […]
About the Blogger
I was born in a low middle class conservative religious family in the suburbs of Seattle. Art was and always has been my passion, and more than that a way of life. Starting as a graphic designer, I taught myself photography, built a commercial/editorial business shooting for the worlds biggest brands like Nike, Coca-Cola, Adidas and more. I've also had the opportunity to photograph the world's biggest celebrities like Justin Bieber, Usher, Jessica Alba and more. I've curated a lifestyle around creativity and have learned a lot along the way which I get to share here.
I was born in a low middle class conservative religious family in the suburbs of Seattle. Art was and always has been my passion, and more than that a way of life. Starting as a graphic designer, I taught myself photography, built a commercial/editorial business shooting for the worlds biggest brands like Nike, Coca-Cola, Adidas and more. I've also had the opportunity to photograph the world's biggest celebrities like Justin Bieber, Usher, Jessica Alba and more. I've curated a lifestyle around creativity and have learned a lot along the way which I get to share here.
