Download the podcast from iTunes, or play it below:

You find out a lot of things when you only have the use of one arm.

Take plane travel. Some things are good, like getting to board early (with the executive platinum crew and the Octo-mom toting a crew of toddlers). It’s like traveling first-class at an economy price.

But some things are not so good. Like getting denied the request to sit in the roomier exit row, specifically because I only have the use of one arm and couldn’t open the door (they ignored my request/joke that my other arm is now REALLY strong).

Oh, and some other things too, like brushing your teeth, opening a cereal box, tying shoes or buttoning buttons.

> It means you have to rely on others more.
> You have to be more humble.
> You need to ask people for assistance.

And what I’ve learned is that these situations bring about a heightened sense of customer service, and really give employees a chance to shine — or to fail miserably.

In this week’s podcast, I take you through five quick scenarios, and point out how the key employee interaction succeeded or failed (you can guess which ones went well or not):
1) On an American Airlines flight
2) At a Banana Republic retail store
3) Online shopping
4) Dining at a restaurant
5) Having lunch in a city park

In the end, I give you the one simple thing — you can teach your employees, build into a website, or start to do in your own life or personal business — that will make the difference between a good customer service experience and a bad one.

Listen now:

Follow Jim on Twitter: Twitter.com/HopkinsonReport

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Download the podcast from iTunes, or play it below:

Loyal listeners of The Hopkinson Report know a few things about me:

- I never miss a week (once in the last 118 episodes)
- I love technology, being online and all things social media
- I love mountain biking (I compared the ‘flow’ of biking to a business in Episode 113)

So when I was away for the first part of my vacation while mountain biking some epic trails in Seattle, the capable Brandon Werner filled in. But then the unexpected struck when I came back to the east coast to go biking in the rocky trails of the Pocono mountains.

Photo: Happier, 2-armed times near Seattle just days before my crash

Do you believe in social media karma? No less than SEVENTY-FOUR different people wished me happy birthday on Thursday August 19th. It was great. Everyone was so happy, and people wished me the greatest day of the year!

Well, as fate would have it, my upper arm (distal humerus) would face a 3-foot high karma boulder head-on. And lose. Badly.

The next week turned into a whirlwind of hospitals, travel, surgery, second opinions, friends, family, pain, insurance red tape, and frustration before finally making it back to NYC.

My friends said that I would somehow find a way to link my broken arm to social media.

In truth? I went the opposite way.

What did NOT matter in that week, was twitter, foursquare, facebook, marketing, viral videos, podcasts, and blog posts.

What DID matter, was family, friends, coworkers, communication and old school doctors screwing a piece of metal into me to put me back together.

I will say this:
- Text updates were great for quick communication
- Facebook is a great way to post gross photos
- E-mail is a good way to tell a story once to many people (helpful with one arm)
- The iPad is a great way to kill 3 painful hours on a train

However, all this is nothing without a real world network.

So I ask you… How is YOUR real life network?

Is it healthy?

Or is it fractured?

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While I think that I bring lots of energy and passion to my podcast, and am usually pretty articulate, I’ve never pretended that I have a great “radio voice.” Well, that distinction is made even clearer when you listen to my guest Matt Walters, a professional voiceover actor.

This podcast is truly a “must listen.”

Download the podcast from iTunes, or play it below:

Everyone likes to quote the opening movie line with the gravel-voiced actor belting out “In a world…” but in reality, the people behind the success of movie trailers, commercial reads, and cartoon voices don’t get the recognition that they deserve.

This week I speak with Matt Walters, and he gives some great tips for getting into the business, how he got his start, and some hysterical examples of how my tagline could be read.

Topics we discuss:
- The interesting (and somewhat deceptive) way Matt got his start by defying stereotypes and pulling a “Karate Kid” move
- The process of getting an agent and breaking into the business
- Techniques for getting ready and warming up
- What happens when you get a nasal cold
- The different way a voiceover actor watches TV

Check out Matt’s voiceover reel:

We then talk about the godfather of voiceover, Don LaFontaine. Reading his wikipedia page, and watching a video tribute to him, you realize how amazing this guy was. Can you believe he’s done more than 5,000 movie trailers and hundreds of thousands of TV ads and promotions?

We also talk about whether it’s better to have a big part in a small movie, or in his case, a small part in a big movie. Matt played Owen Wilson’s work friend in Marley and Me (also starring Jennifer Aniston).

Additionally, he achieved the rite of passage for every New York-based actor, landing a role on Law and Order.

Lastly, he played a mop-topped Paul McCartney for a Comedy Central promotion for Beatles Rock Band.

See Matt’s appearances:

But we weren’t done there. Matt was kind enough to indulge me and say “You’re listening to the Hopkinson Report podcast” in the following accents:
- British
- Irish
- Boston
- New York

It was quite entertaining. So if you’re looking for advice about getting into the business, looking to improve your podcasting skills and pick up a few tricks, check out the podcast.

Learn more about Matt Walters on his website.

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If your product or service isn’t doing the one thing it needs to, it’s time to get off the bus.

Download the podcast from iTunes, or play it below:

Quick story…

that leads to a metaphor about your business. Let’s get right to it.

My Dad came down to NYC from Boston for a visit. We did a father-son road trip, spent some quality time together, and all was good. On Monday morning, we embarked to get him on the bus back to Boston.

For those unfamiliar with the Northeast, a plane ticket will run probably $200 RT, and you have to deal with cabs and security. The train is also over $100, and might save you 20 minutes of time. And driving is a headache with traffic. So the Boston-NYC bus route is very competitive – and thus economical – with promotional fares as low as $1 and usually around $15-$20 each way.

There are 3-4 main competitors:
- Fung-Wah bus (I’ve found people that have NOT ever taken the Fung-Wah bus, LOVE to tell others to take the Fung-Wah bus)
- Greyhound/PeterPan (The veterans that are feeling the pinch, leaving from the decrepit Port Authority and trying to upgrade their fleet of old buses quickly)
- BoltBus (An upstart with new buses and Wifi)
- Megabus (A double-decker version of BoltBus)

Let me say that all four companies have their issues, but today my Dad happened to be on Megabus.

So we arrive to the chaos of New York City for boarding, just south of Penn Station, on a crazy Monday morning. The typical distractions (people getting to work, cabs honking, people yelling, tourists, food vendors) litter the area.

First we see the bus, labeled for Philadelphia. We don’t want that. Good start.

We then see the bus labeled Boston. The time is 9:40am, and he has a ticket for the 10:15. There is a line that we wait in for 15 minutes, and then we shuffle forward for boarding. As a veteran rider, the following thought actually went through my head: “Wow, they’re boarding 20 minutes early, so that there is time for everyone to get on board, so they can leave on time.” Of course, that was just wishful thinking.

As we get a few people from the door, the attendant yells out:

“This is for people with 8:45am tickets only! 8:45 only!”

Huh? Why is this bus running more than an hour behind, and what are all these other people doing?

Then he utters the phrase that launches the sidewalk into chaos.

“Everyone for the 10:15 bus, slide against the far wall and get in a line over there.”

Pandemonium.
- People who were in line for the ‘fake’ 10:15 bus now try to get in the new line.
- People who were in the other Boston line, shuffle to be in the right position.
- People waiting for other buses such as Philly and DC are fighting for position like an NBA power forward to figure out where they are going.
- At that moment another bus pulls up. Then more people arrive.
Chaos.

I looked around at the utter failure of what was going on. Yes, the bus company has lots of things to worry about… insurance, hiring good drivers, keeping fares low, traffic regulations, gas prices, and more.

But I guarantee you that on every single trip during every single hour of every single day, every single person dealing with that company has one and only one concern:

“AM I IN THE RIGHT LINE FOR THE RIGHT BUS?”

I know, because I’ve been there. And here’s the worst of it:
1) Not getting this right has HUGE consequences. Going 4 hours south to Philly is a LOT different than going 4 hours north to Boston.
2) It is an incredibly EASY problem to overcome. This is not cleaning up an oil spill.

If you are a business owner trying to make sales and deliver a good product…
If you are a marketer trying to inform people about your product…
If you are a designer creating a website…

Here’s a good place to start:

Am I doing the 1 THING that I need to do in order to succeed?

Here were my thoughts for Megabus to remedy this:
1) Listen to customers
Take a survey, send a “secret traveler” on a trip to get their experience, ask people in line.

2) Training
I would tell my employees that they should err incredibly on the side of OVER-communicating. I would go as far as to say that they should give instructions (“This is the line for the 10:15 bus to Boston”) every 5 minutes from the time the line has 10 people in it until the bus leaves. Put it this way… 5% of the people might get angry that the guy keeps saying the same thing over and over, but 95% of the people will be reassured that they are in the right location.

3) Signage
Again, this is a company that has buses leaving multiple times per hour, every single day. This problem must happen over and over and over again. In every city. How about investing a one-time cost of $100 and printing out a few signs on a stick that have the time and place? Is that so hard?

Now let’s take those lessons and apply them to YOUR business.
- Are you listening to your customers?
- Do your employees know what it feels like to be a customer?
- Are directions in your business or on your website clear?

In the podcast, I go on to talk about companies and products that do a good job (Google, Flip cameras, and… Crocs?) and a poor job (weather forecasts, my Dad’s luggage). Please download/listen to hear more.

Download the podcast from iTunes, or play it below:

Photo below: It doesn’t have to always be bad… here’s a photo I took of the Megabus in Boston at dawn.

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We made it everyone! 100 episodes! I’ll cover 10 lessons learned, the big party, and give some shoutouts.

Download the podcast from iTunes, or play it below:

Wow, 100 episodes – pretty amazing. I’ve been at this for more than 2 years, week in, week out, whether I was tired or sick or excited, I carved out a little time to try and share some thoughts with you.

Listen, I’m an oldest child, I’m a Leo, and obviously I like to hear myself talk. But I try to be aware of that and not get TOO full of myself. I realize this isn’t 21 seasons of the Simpsons or some of the other social media guys with millions of followers. It’s not the frontpage of the NY Times, the cover of Wired, and it’s not even a video podcast. Even 2010, some people don’t even know what a podcast IS.

Still, it’s a fun accomplishment, and more importantly, I think it is symbolic of the time we live in. It might well be the defining characteristic of the last 10 years.
A shift in media where:
- You didn’t need a TV studio or Hollywood budget to reach people with video, you used a flipcam and YouTube
- You didn’t need to be a newspaper journalist, a magazine writer, or an author with an agent to express your thoughts, you could start a blog
- And as we’ve seen, you don’t need a radio tower if you want to rant about anything from marketing trends to the iPhone

You could create a podcast, and if you had some good ideas and strung them all together, you could build a little community for yourself.

10 Lessons Learned

1. Strive for perfection
When I first started out, I wanted everything perfect. In fact, I probably waited an extra 3 months preparing, making sure every topic, icon, and piece of the website was working. What I’ve learned now is that it’s ok to let things go a little and publish, even if it’s at 90%. How important is it for me to stay up another 25 minutes on a Monday night removing every single “um” and “ah” from the show? Does that improve the show 5%? 20%? Do people notice? So do I still strive for perfection every week? Absolutely. That has to be the ultimate goal. I just don’t beat myself up if I don’t always hit it.

2. Networking and relationships
This became a common theme. The more hours you spend at your desk, the more hours you spend online, the more hours you spend cuddling with your iPhone, the more important it is to truly connect with people IN REAL LIFE. The relationships come back around to you many times over.

3. Running and energy
People often ask, how do I keep this going? Tuesday April 13 was a rare day, but I was up at 7am and went to the gym, went to a entrepreneurial breakfast event, worked for several hours, had lunch with a college friend, worked another 5 hours, went home and edited the podcast from 7-10pm, took a break and ate dinner, then worked on a side project from 10pm-3am. Crazy? Yes. But as long as you know when to roll with your energy, and when to let your body recover, you should do ok. I credit a lot of the energy I get to working out a 2-3 days per week, and running 2-3 days per week. Makes all the difference in the world. (see my podcast #89 on running).

4. Consistency
Anyone can start a blog, a podcast, a project, or a relationship. It’s being consistent once the initial fun part wears off. It’s not easy, but that’s when you can tell someone’s true dedication. (That being said, I’ll be honest in that it crossed my mind that #100 would be a good place to STOP for a little break).

5. Passion
Face it, if you’re not doing something you’re passionate about, you might as well go home. This could not be a boring podcast about something I was marginally interested in. It had to be high energy and only about topics that got me fired up.

6. Free at one thing, paid at another
This was harder to explain than I thought, but the analogy is across other areas. Musicians might not make money through music sales, but rather through concerts or touring. Authors might not get rich selling books, but can be paid doing speaking. And while I’m not getting paid specifically to podcast, I do it because I feel it’s a long-term commitment (personal branding, meeting new people, adding value to my day job, etc).

7. Speak your mind
Isn’t it great that blogs and podcasts and twitter let you vent? Be careful what you say, but don’t be afraid to say it.

8. Leave your mark
When you look back at your current job in 5 years, is there something you’ll be able to point to that will have stood the test of time? That you can be proud of?

9. Celebrate success
Getting to 100 episodes is less of a monumental accomplishment, and more about picking a date to kick off summer, pause and reflect, and spend time with friends. Take a moment to celebrate the little (and big) things in life.

10. Say thank you and give back
At this point in the post and podcast, if you want to jump off, fine. But Gary Vee talks about going above and beyond with customer service. So I’m taking the time to honestly say thank you to the people that have been along for the ride. That’s why I personally emailed each and every person that came to my 100th episode party the very next morning. So check out the people below, and I’ll comment what special thing they brought to the show, or a funny story, who knows Jim best, what’s to come for 100+.

[Full disclosure: I received forms of compensation from some of the parties listed below]

Wired – Thanks to Wired for giving me the opportunity to do this, specifically Evan Hansen and Annaliza Savage. They’ve given me the freedom to conduct the show as I’ve seen fit.

Rhonda Zapatka (left) – My friend Rhonda was one our party sponsors, and works at TrickleUp.org. Trickle Up helps ultra-poor people living in remote parts of India, West Africa and Central America to start or expand their own small businesses to improve their quality of life. Each year, Trickle Up helps start or expand 10,000 businesses around the world, over 90% of which are women-run. They are hosting two events in Manhattan: a gala affair at Cipriani Wall Street on Tuesday, April 20th, 2010 and a Young Professionals Council event on May 5, 2010. More info at TrickleUp.org.

John Murch – My friend Johnny was our second sponsor, and runs a cool site called ublanket.com. Ublanket is a way to take old shirts, put them together online, and “upcycle” them – take one item and make it into something new. Renew, Reuse, and Rethread those meaningful shirts into a useful product.

Jia and Federico – Sponsor #3 was Roomorama, an online marketplace for short term rentals. Use the service the next time you’re looking for a room for a few days while traveling, or if you have a spare room and are looking for an easy way to earn some cash. I profiled them on episode 26.

Diana Levine (center) – Diana was gracious enough to be on hand to document the event. If you appreciate her photos and want to give a shoutout, go to dianalevine.com, or better yet, help support her walk for Parkinsons. She was on episode 95 and 96. Also thanks to good friends (l-r) Helen Todd, Brendan McManus, and Chris McCann (far right).

Dave Delaney (Griffin Technology) – Dave was kind enough to donate several items from Griffin, including the Griffin Simplifi and Griffin Power Block Reserve. See GriffinTechnology.com

Mark Venezia and Jana Eggers (Spreadshirt) – Mark is VP of Marketing and you might remember CEO Jana from episode 78. You can see the 100th Episode episode shirt at condenast.spreadshirt.com (look at the first two items, then the back of the shirt). Use Spreadshirt coupon code WIRED100, and receive free shipping (first 100 orders only).

Adam Wallace and Brian Simpson (Roger Smith Hotel) – Adam and Brian are two of the coolest people you’ll meet, and allowed me to host the party on their amazing rooftop. Read more about the Roger Smith Hotel and their take on social media in episode 79.

Thanks to Naomi Less (the intro voice on the podcast), Bobby Shanes (episode 6), David FitzGerald (episode 7), Sarah Prevette (episode 59 and 99), Saul Colt (episode 41), Adam Carolla, and Bill Simmons (I call them podcast pioneers in episode 47).

Elizabeth King – You’ll remember her as the Outsmarting the SAT author from episode 77.

Brandon Werner – Brandon was proud to be intern 1.0, calling himself the buggy one that the early adopters got, before future interns Anuja, Juliann, Susi, and Kevin were upgraded. Brandon designed this blog, my business card, tshirt, and even a poster! His musings on design and geekdom can be found at Guns And Robots.com and The Modern Day Pirates.com.

At this point, there are just so many more people to thank, but you’ll have to listen to the podcast, so I’ll just do the ‘thank you to everyone I missed.’

What’s up for Episode 101 and beyond?

- More social media
- More geolocation
- More iPad and gadgets
- More interviews
- And interestingly enough, I’m writing a book and hope to take you through how I did it, from the design, to the website, and getting it for sale on the iPad

Most importantly, thank YOU, the reader and listener.

Jim

More »

Recorded in person at Studio Blue in Manhattan, New York
March 6, 2010
Jim Hopkinson, Wired’s Marketing Guy
Diana Levine, photographer

Click here to view the summary page of this interview with photos and links.

Or listen to the podcast while you read:

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

Hi, this is Jim Hopkinson, Wired’s Marketing Guy, bringing you the marketing trends that matter. Welcome!

Today is Part 2 of my interview with photographer, Diana Levine – smile! [Camera clicking]

Jim Hopkinson: Hey, everybody, this is Jim; welcome back. I am here again with Diana Levine. We talked about photography last time, we talked about how she got her start as a photographer working for magazines, going freelance and all the cool celebrities she works with, and this is Part 2 of the podcast. And, we’re going to talk about the equipment she uses, how the internet and Facebook and new media has influenced her profession, and then some tips and tricks for photographers.

So, welcome, Diana.

Diana Levine: Thanks for having me, again.

JH: So, let’s go right to the equipment. How much of being a great photographer is the equipment? Do you need the best equipment to be a great photographer?

DL: I would say no; the biggest part of being a photographer is, especially when it comes to shooting people is connecting with your subjects. Obviously great equipment is amazing, and as a professional you have to have it, it’s something you need to have, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that you need it to take an amazing photo. I actually love it that cameras are so accessible now, and I’m excited to see actually what the next generations are going to come out with.

JH: How many cameras do you own now?

DL: Oh, God [LAUGHTER], I need to think about it.

JH: A dozen?

DL: Probably, yeah. [...] digital.

JH: And what’s the progression you’ve made? I think we were talking earlier you had a 110 camera when you were younger [LAUGHTER] and then you eventually; how old were you when you got your first SLR camera?

DL: Digital SLR camera?

JH: Or regular SLR?

DL: OK. Well, yeah, my first camera was probably a little 110 camera, and then I got a little point and shoot 35mm camera as I grew up. My grandfather was a photographer, so I always had access to his. And, he passed away when I was in high school and actually got a lot of his equipment. So, the first SLR that I had was a Minolta Maxxum 9000 from my grandfather.

JH: I remember that. That was like a robot camera. Was that one of the first ones that had auto focus, correct?

DL: I’m not 100 per cent sure.

JH: A built-in, like, “Zzzzzzzzzzzz,” Like you could…

DL: Yeah, it was awesome. So, that was my first SLR; I have a lot of his other equipment. And then the first SLR that I bought, I think it was the original Canon Digital Rebel. And, now those are very popular, you can probably pick one up for 500 bucks, or whatever. But, I remember at the time when I bought it, it wasn’t a pretty big deal that I was buying a digital SLR; and it was really exciting.

JH: You just blew my mind because, did that just come out around 1986, or so – the Minolta Maxxum?

DL: I don’t remember exactly, because I got it when my grandfather passed away, so I wasn’t there when he bought it, exactly. [LAUGHTER]

JH: Because I used to work in a photo department in a department store, and we’d get to play with all the cameras all day when it wasn’t busy, and I remember that Minolta Maxxum coming out. And there was a whole ad campaign behind it and it was very advanced for the time – which was pretty awesome. So, anyway, so what should people be looking for in a modern digital camera?

DL: There are so many different options. There are definitely different models that are popular at the time, and any specific information that I give you right now might be out of date in a week, it might be out of date in a month. A big camera right is the Canon 5D Mark II which is what I shoot with, and I think it was one of the first models that came out with video, as well as stills; and that has really totally changed the game. But in terms of what you’re looking for in a digital SLR, you want a decent amount of megapixels, you want, the sensor size is important. So, like I said, if you’re going into it professionally, that’s one thing; if you’re just looking to take great pictures, you can take great pictures with lots of different cameras. The biggest thing is what you do with it.

JH: Now I think that I’m maybe the typical consumer right now where I’ve got a small point and shoot, it does great pictures, it’s like a Sony T-500, I think it’s called. It takes HD video, it’s got wide angle and the megapixel count, the megapixels is totally fine for what I’m using it for, but I’m thinking about making that leap to getting a full DSLR. What kind of camera do you take around, do you carry a point and shoot, as well; what kind of one do you use for that?

DL I usually have at least two cameras with me. I have my SLRs and then I do always have a point and shoot with me, and I love point and shoots. I’m not afraid to say it, I love point and shoots. Generally, I get a lot of emails from people saying, “Oh, I want to start taking better photos, I want to get an SLR,” and generally what I recommend to them is something like a Canon Digital Rebel which is like a starter SLR. It’s not too expensive, but it is an SLR and you’re going to get great quality out of it; and that’s generally what I recommend for people.

JH: What are things that you’re going to get when you move up from the point and shoot to a DSLR? Is it a lot of like the depth of field, like what; cause I know when I see pictures, and, I’m like, “Wow, that’s a great picture.” And, sometimes you can tell, I can’t pinpoint what it is, but you can tell that it’s the difference between just a regular point and shoot and a DSLR.

DL: Yeah, you’re going to get a better depth of field, you’re going to get a larger image, you’re going to get a better quality image, and the most important thing to me is you’re going to have control over it. You’re going to have control over your exposure; you’re going to have control over everything. Most of the point and shoots are fairly automated, although there are cameras that are coming out that are kind of both – they’re kind of a point and shoot, they’re small, they’re portable, but they also have control. And those are actually really fun, too.

JH: The dilemma I’ve had is that I’ve got the point and shoot, you can throw it in your pocket; that’s obviously what they’re for. But, is it going to be a hassle? I think, if you’re investing money in this thing in a better camera, am I going to bring it with me? They always say the best camera you have is the one that you bring with you. So, am I going to lug this thing around, am I really going to use it? What have you found with people, is there a lot of people that say, “I’m spending all this money on a good camera” and then they never use it?

DL: Totally. And that’s actually the question I ask myself everyday, which camera should I bring? Most girls ask what shoes they’re going to wear today – I ask which camera am I going to bring. Definitely, that’s something to think about. If you’re a person that you know yourself and you’re probably going to take a camera with you if you can fit it in your pocket. You know you’re a real active person, then get the point and shoot. If you’re OK with schlepping something a little bigger around, obviously that’s a better quality camera.

JH: But I think the first question that people are going to ask when they’re going from a point and shoot up to DSLR is what brand to use. Now, with all due respect to Sony and Pentax and several other brands that are out there, for the most part the pros will use either Canon or Nikon, and sometimes fiercely defend one brand over the other. What’s you opinion between those two brands?

DL: That’s a good question, and a lot of people ask me that. And sometimes people are kind of competitive about it, but like, “Are you a Canon girl, are you a Nikon girl?” I would probably say I’m both. When it comes to digital SLRs I do shoot Canon, but I do have a full set of Nikon lenses, so I use Nikon lenses on my Canons every now and then, and I have a Nikon adaptor for that. And, I have Nikon film cameras. So, I definitely would say I’m both, although when it comes to digital, I would say I’m a Canon girl. I love my Nikon lenses, I have an incredible 500mm lens from my grandfather; I love that thing. And, putting that on a Canon digital body is amazing. So, a lot of people will email me and say, “Oh, should I get a Canon or Nikon?” And, I would say digital, I do lean more towards Canon.

JH: And I think what people have told me is it doesn’t really matter. Like at that level, if you are just starting up and kind of making the jump, if you’re not a pro yet, whatever camera you get, they’re so sophisticated now they’re going to take great pictures.

DL: Definitely, yeah.

JH: And so, personally, I’ve just been asking around and more people have said Canon than Nikon, and just for the sake of research, I said, you know what, “I’m going to go with Canon and eliminate Nikon, and just to cut my research down. And again, I’m not Gadget Lab, I’m not a pro, but I love doing research and I started asking people because I’m thinking about making this jump. And here are the model numbers I’ve come up with just based on my research, and checking out some websites, and kind of asking yourself, and some of the Wired photographers:

- A lot of people, like two or three people of friends that I’ve asked, actually have the Canon XSI; and that runs about $500-600 and it’s a great DSLR, but does not shoot video.

- So, if you are going to shoot video, the kind of the next step up is the Canon T1I which runs about $750, give or take, and that has video.

- The next one up there which kind of gets into the prosumer level where, if you can afford it, it’s a really great camera is the Canon 7D which runs about $1900, and then,

- The next step above that is what Diana uses is the 5D which also has video and it’s about $3300, is that about right?

So, that’s what I’m leaning towards and if I can find the money; I’m hesitant to make that jump if I can save enough money and get the 7D – that’s a really, really good camera, right?

DL: Definitely.

JH: You’re going to be able to do everything with that. If I want to get into it and take a class, that’s what you should do, but, I’m also thinking, you know what, you’re starting out, just get one that you can play with and then you can upgrade.

Another question I had in Seinfeld languages, “What’s the deal with lenses?” So, of course, it’s [Seinfeld voice] “What’s the deal with lenses?” I wonder if you can make the analogy, when I was buying stereo equipment in the past, people talk, “Which receiver should I get, should I get this receiver or that?”, and people would say, “You know what, the receiver’s important, but the speakers are what’s really going to affect the sound of it.” Is it the same thing with cameras? You know, people are focusing on the body of the camera, how important are the lenses, as well?

DL: Lenses are incredibly important. Like I said, some girls buy fancy shoes and purses; I buy fancy lenses. The better quality of the lens is going to definitely affect your image. And actually I used to get made fun of because the first digital SLR I bought was a Canon Digital Rebel which wasn’t the highest quality digital camera but I bought top of the line lenses. So, I would have these really expensive, really high quality lenses on a less high quality body and people would, like, “What are you doing with that lens on that body?” I think I was pretty smart about it because the lenses are going to stay forever; the bodies are going to change. How many different kinds of digital SLR bodies have we gone through in the last [several] years, but I’m still using the same lens to this day. So, certainly in terms of investing, lenses are definitely something that are good to invest in because they’re not going to change. I’m still using lenses that were being used in the 70s, and good quality glass is good.

JH: So, real quick, someone is getting a new camera, what kind of lens range should they get? I know a lot of them come with lenses, what kind of range do you recommend?

DL: I think a lot of the digital SLRs do come as a kit and I think they come with an 18-55 kind of normal lens. If you’re looking into getting an additional lens or something different, it depends on a few things. It depends on how much you want to spend, it depends on what you’re shooting, what you like to shoot. If you want to shoot some really wide angle stuff, you want to do mostly close-ups, if you want to do portraits, it’s totally different. So, I would say it depends on…

JH: Like if you’re doing sports you’d probably want a different lens.

DL: If you’re doing sports you’re going to want a very fast lens. You going to want something fast; and also with sports you’re going to want a body that can take a lot of pictures in a quick amount of time.

JH: And for zoom, I think I heard someone say, “If you want to get closer, you should walk closer.” You could buy lenses that go up to 120 or 210 or 500mm, do you need extra skill once you’re trying to zoom in on things like that, with light and keeping the camera steady?

DL: Definitely, you do need to keep the camera steadier the farther you’re shooting. I do like shooting zoom a lot, so the only thing you really need is space.

JH: Alright. So, one of the things I had to decide on when I was looking at these different models is do they use video or not? Now, they’re doing 1080p, full motion video; is there a new relationship with the photographer in video other than, of course, your relationship with the cinematographer that you have [LAUGHTER], but talk about how having video based in a DSLR has changed the game.

DL: Certainly the relationship between being a photographer and a videographer, I’ve started operating for music videos and commercials, and that’s definitely opened up my world in terms of thinking, viewing, and working. And, I think that probably in the future it’s going to be important for photographers to be able to do videos, as well; as it’s becoming all in the same body, I think it’s going to be a skill set that is almost required. And that’s definitely up for debate, it’s not going to be true in all cases, but I think in a lot of instances, a lot of photographers are starting to do video because they have access to it now in the same camera.

JH: And, at least for you it’s one less thing to bring, maybe you’re bringing three cameras, anyway, but if you are getting a DSLR with video, you don’t have to bring that video camera. And, it’s probably a little different, and I noticed it because you told me that your boyfriend does video production using the Canon 5D which was amazing. And so when I was watching the clip about that Super Sweet 16, I noticed something like he’s not there holding this giant video camera, it’s not something on his shoulder or with this huge wide lens. So, at times people might not know that if you’re taking their picture or taking a video of them, right?

DL: Exactly. As of a few years ago maybe it was unheard of to be using an SLR on a video shoot, but lately they’ve been taking over. You know my boyfriend has shot pretty big projects on either this Canon 7D or the Canon 5D Mark II. I’m trying to think of some examples; we shot some MTV commercials for Justin Beiber, Beiber Fever, [LAUGHTER] and we shot those I think on the 7Ds. A lot of times we’ll shoot the video as the Red camera as the main camera, and then we’ll use a 7D or a 5D for either the B camera or B roll or for shots that we just don’t have time to get the red up and running, and we’ll use the digital SLR as the secondary camera. And for that we’ve done video for Fabolous and Jay-Z which was directed by Parris. We’ve done a Cresset Michelle video, we’ve done […] videos, we’ve done 50 Cent work.

JH: So, these are videos people are watching on MTV that are being shot with a DSLR?

DL: Yeah.

JH: That’s amazing. And does your boyfriend have a Red camera?

DL: We don’t own a Red camera, generally we rent those cameras, but we do have the 5D, we have a whole rig set up for it. When you show up it’s not a little camera, there’s a matte box, there’s a whole rig around it; so it looks a little bit better than just the camera body which kind of helps people. But, it is very new to show up to a music video or a commercial and be shooting on what looks like a still camera. And I think people are starting to get used to it. In the beginning people didn’t even know what it was and now people are starting to really get used to it.

JH: For people, who don’t know, Wired did a really in-depth article about the Red camera which is; can you explain a little bit better than I can? I know it’s like a very, very high end digital camera, like really pro level and they talked about major motion pictures using; they used to spend hundreds of thousands to rent these incredible super high quality movie-level cameras. But now, they’ve been able to cut budget and use this Red camera which is $15,000 to $100,000, which still is a lot; it’s nothing for James Cameron, but independent movie studios can use these $15,000 cameras, it’s not a big part of their budget.

Alright, let’s do a lightning round of all the other little things that come with the camera, because you think you’re walking out of the camera store, “Oh, I’ve got the camera, I’m done” – there’s a lot of other little things. OK, memory card, what do you recommend on that?

DL: What I use, I use Compact Flash Extreme cards, but we also rent a lot of equipment sometimes and we’ll use different cards.

JH: OK, what about a flash. I know some of the DSLRs have that little pop-up flash, is that enough or do people need to buy an additional flash?

DL: It totally depends on what kind you’re looking for. I don’t even have a pop-up flash on my camera, but, I think it’s the 580X Canon flash.

JH: What kind of bag do you use to lug all these cameras around?

DL: My apartment is filled with bags, [LAUGHTER] so, like I said, some people pick out purses, I pick out which bag I’m going to use today. I have different bags for cameras, for lights, for stands. I know for my lighting equipment I think I use Tenba bags; in terms of my camera bag I think I use Lowepro – I have a backpack, I have a roll on, I have a sling.

JH: What about a strap? Is there a certain strap that holds it a certain way?

DL: For the bag?

JH: For the camera?

DL: For the camera, I don’t really have a recommendation for that.

JH: What about lights? Is there a certain lighting that once you start getting into an upper level you need to use?

DL: Lights really depend on what the shoot is and what kind of gear you’re going for.

JH: What about one of those like Frisbee, hula hoop things with the white kind of cloth thing that you hold up?

DL: The reflector?

JH: OK, reflector. Do people need one of those?

DL: Yeah, reflector’s a great tool, actually, because you don’t need light so that you can reflect the sunlight. That’s really a cheap and effective…

JH: Of course you need an assistant to hold this up or something like that.

DL: Yeah, but you can grab your friend.

JH: What about a tripod; how often do you use a tripod when you’re shooting?

DL: I don’t generally shoot tripod when I’m doing still work. We do have a Gitzo tripod; I actually have lots of tripods at home. Generally, we use that for video work and if there is a situation where the photos need to stay the same in terms of framing, then we will use a tripod, but generally don’t.

JH: What would you say is the most valuable thing in your bag, like the one thing that people wouldn’t think of that, you like, “Oh, I gotta make sure I have that, I’d be lost without it.”

DL: I always have granola bars or some kind of food in my bag.

JH: I’m the same way, because if I’m not fed, I’m not going to have any energy and everything is going to go down from there.

DL: And, cranky.

JH: OK, we’ll end the speed round for now. Now, tell us just like the darkroom like your grandfather had, now what’s most important is the ability to use Photoshop and now with video, to be able to use things like Final Cut Pro, how has that changed? It’s not only learning all the things about taking the picture, how much of it is important to do afterwards?

DL: I think it’s vital to the entire program knowing Photoshop. I started as magazine designer so I know End Design and all the design programs well, but, I think it’s a vital skill set. If you can shoot, that’s great, but you need to be able to provide the product in the end.

JH: How much time is spent, say a big thing like Kim Kardashian, how many hours did you spend shooting her?

DL: With Kim Kardashian, I think the shoot was three hours.

JH: And then how much time did you spend in Photoshop afterwards?

DL: It depends on each shoot, there are some shoots that I do that will have a professional retoucher, and that’s lovely, because I just provide the raw files and I go home and call it a day. If I’m editing, generally I would say if it’s a daylong shoot, I’ll end up spending a full day editing at home. Editing is a huge part of it, especially because I started as a designer/photo editor that’s kind of ingrained in me. I think it’s definitely vital.

JH: What’s the most common thing that you do? I’m assuming you’re not taking out red eye [LAUGHTER] because you’re the one preventing that in the first place, but, is it filling in shadows, or?

DL: It depends on what you need. Definitely filling in shadows is contrast and a lot of it is skin. Generally, I’m shooting people, so a lot of it is touching skin. Retouching is a whole other ballgame, whole other discussion.

JH: Cool. Let’s switch tracks here. Let’s talk internet, new media, Facebook. Let’s talk about marketing your company. How has the internet and new media helped you grow your business and how has that changed things for you?

DL: Social networking and new media has been incredible. I don’t even really know how I would have gone about being a photographer before the internet. Certainly the way that I do it, I have Facebook, I have Twitter, I have a blog and anytime I work on a project I try to post behind the scenes a photo, I try to post behind the scenes video, and I post the final product. And I think just keeping people in the loop of what I am working on helps market myself even if I’m not necessarily marketing myself in the traditional way.

JH: And I think the cool thing is, social media always comes down to being genuine online, not being fake, being yourself, and you partake in that; and that you document a lot of your life in both online and offline. Tell us about that.

DL: I do definitely document my life online and offline. I do keep it pretty separate. I don’t do too much personal stuff when it comes to social networking, but I do keep a very obsessively detailed scrapbook/photo book which is all of my photos from my family and my friends, and behind the scenes and photo shoots, and actual photos.

JH: Tell us the process how you upload that and turn it into a book.

DL: So what I do is I’m very obsessively detail oriented when it comes to archiving my photos, especially when it comes to backing up. So I take the pictures, they’re on my computer, I edit them, I sort them and then, you know I was a magazine designer so I use the same programs and the same design skill set to design these books. And I generally keep them all to 300 pages, so I do it as the day…

JH: Just a little page book that you throw together on the side. OK.

DL: [LAUGHTER] Exactly. I basically keep them going; I keep them updated as the days go on. I don’t do it all at one time. I do a shoot then update the book. I go home and visit with family then I update the book. And then I use Adobe End Design to design it and I generally use Lulu.com to print the book. It’s great software, I’ve used Lulu for years. I’ve used it for all sorts of different things and books. They’re good quality, they’re not that expensive for the product that you get, and I’ve been a big fan of Lulu for a long time. I love keeping these books because I hope that in many years I can look back and really relive the experiences that I’m having. As a freelancer every day is different, you’re meeting all these different people and it’s nice […] to look back on that and reflect on everything.

JH: It’s so amazing how social media has changed everything. Just think about all the places not only are two billion photos being uploaded to Facebook every month, but just think of all the places where you need a photo:

- You need it on your Facebook page
- You need one on your Linkedin profile that might be more business
- Maybe you have a blog, you have you’re an About page you want to do that
- You have meetup groups that you’re in
- You have dating sites that you might be on, and
- You almost need a different photo for each one of those things.

Any tips on how people should approach the different photos online?

DL: Definitely. That’s always a question mark how personal are photos should you put on Facebook. And I remember when I was at that Boston magazine I was looking for interns and I remember for every applicant I was considering, I would go on their Facebook page and see what they were up to on Facebook. And definitely the first impression you have of someone is their profile picture, their default photo. And it definitely will tell you a lot about a person; so, I would say when it comes to your Facebook picture, your blog picture, you should target it towards what you want people to see you as, it is your representation of yourself. So, if it’s a picture of you getting drunk and wild at a party that’s how people are going to see you. If it’s something calmer that how they’re going to see you.

JH: Well, we’re going to do a little experiment here and take a few pictures of me, it’s not often that I get a chance to have a professional photographer take my picture. So, we’re going to do a couple scenes, maybe I’ll update my podcast landing page, my photo there, and we’ll put that on The Hopkinson Report and do some tips for that. Any annoying trends or clichés you’ve been noticing? I was talking with my intern about all the different poses people do. There’s kind of the Squishy Face, what did he call it?

DL: The MySpace pose?

JH: Yeah, or the kissy duck face was one of them where you’ve always got the 23-year-old girls all squished together with like a pouty face, or; I got two personal ones: one of my rules is no squatting. Like you have a group together, you’ve got eight people and people will like kind of like squat down a little and then you get the picture back and they never, ever need to squat. It’s so rare, it’s like, “Why don’t you move three inches to the left because you always look stupid when you’re squatting.” So if you’re out there – no squatting rule; any thoughts on that?

DL: I think the most popular […] is the old MySpace flipping the point and shoot around and shooting yourself picture. That’s always good, that’s a classic.

JH: Did you say that’s good or bad?

DL: I can go either way. [LAUGHTER]

JH: OK, here’s why, because that’s one on my favorites. I patented that back in the late 80s, I call it the “Hoppy One-hander.” To the point where, and I know if I ranted about this before, that is a brand name for me now, cause I’d be in Seattle and I don’t know if it’s the length of my arms and here is how I would say that. Number one – you almost always put it in your left hand, because that means the shutter depressing, what’s the word for that?

DL: The shutter.

JH: The shutter, OK. So that’s going to be right closest to your finger. The second thing is that you have to put yourself on the far left of the picture. Then you put your arm out, you angle it in, and again, maybe my arm is a perfect focal length, but I take fantastic one-handed pictures.

DL: I’ve seen a couple of these pictures and you’re right.

JH: And so, I found out that, you know I lived in Seattle for a couple of years and after I left, my friend says they call it that. They like, “OK, like get together for the picture. No, no, no, I’ll take it. No, no, no, get in, just do a Hoppy shot. Just do a Jim shot.” And that’s known because of my one-handed photography picture.

DL: It’s a glorious, glorious thing.

JH: Now what about if you shot Julia Allison and I’ve interviewed her, she’s on the cover of Wired Magazine. She uses the same pose in every stage photo, which is one hand on her hip and like kind of turned to the side and kind of thrust out. Is that a good look for people or is just for her? What are the thoughts behind that?

DL: She always looks gorgeous. If you have a pose that works for you – do it. Why not?

JH: Is there such a thing? Can you look at people, you know, the whole cliché is like, “Oh, make sure you get my good side.” Do people really have a good side?

DL: Yeah, definitely; no face is symmetrical. And the fun thing to do if you’re bored is that open up Photoshop and take a picture of yourself; crop it in half, and then duplicate it and reverse it so you can see what you would look like if you were exactly symmetrical. And, most cases it does not look like you. So, no one is symmetrical, so there’s definitely good sides and bad sides.

JH: So, you must be constantly looking at what is a person’s best angle. So, let me self-deprecating for a second. I’m not going to say I’ve a huge forehead, but James Cameron has just announced that Avatar 2 in 3D is going to be shown on my head. So, if I have a big forehead how would you shoot that?

DL: It really depends on the person, but certainly with every shoot that I do, I look at the person, I see which is the best angle, and how they’re going to look best. Some people can be photographed from below and they look awesome, they look really powerful. And some people that’s just not a good way to go, it’s better to shoot from above, so angle is a really big part of it. What focal lens you’re on is going to be definitely important.

JH: What about, say they have a really big nose, how would you shoot that? Is it straight on so you don’t see the angle?

DL: Again, it totally depends on the person so I can’t exactly say though, I would say a big part would be shooting more on a zoom lens as opposed to wide angle, because if you’re shooting on a wide angle it’s going to accentuate anything – it’s going to make anything look bigger.

JH: Do people look better in a profile or straight on?

DL: Again, all this depends on the person, but…

JH : Everything depends, color or black and white? Do people always look better in black and white?

DL: [LAUGHTER] It depends again.

JH: Do they look thinner in black and white?

DL: I would say people look great in black and white, especially if people are self conscious about their skin tone or if some people think; a lot of people will tell me, “I’m worried that I’m too red.” And, obviously black and white takes care of that; especially black and white helps if you have any skin problems and sometimes that will help that.

JH: What about the way to stand in a photo?

DL: How you stand is how you represent yourself. So it depends, do you want seem like a business person, do you want to seem relaxed, do you want to seem like an athlete? So it totally depends on how you want to represent yourself.

JH: What about smiling, what does it tell you, should your photo just be serious, should it be smiling, should you tell them, like, “You’ve got a great smile,” do you want to emphasize that, how does that work?

DL: I like nice people. [LAUGHTER] So, I always like a good smile. It definitely depends on the person. For example, when I’m shooting Billy Corgan, he’s probably not going to want to have a goofy smile on, but if you want to seem, if you want to appear friendly, a good smile can never hurt.

JH: What about what to wear? So, let’s say I’m doing this, you know millions of people have millions of blogs now, that you go to that About page, it’s so important, are there certain things like should you wear
kind of coat, should you wear stripes, do loud colors not work well, do loud patterns not work well? What’s kind of the rule of thumb there?

DL: Again, if fashion is your thing, if you’re a stylist you’re going to have to show your style through your clothes. But, I’m always a fan of simple, dark clothes so you can really focus on someone’s face, and focus on who they are; but, if who you are is fashion, clothing, then I say go for it and be as loud as you want to be.

JH: Alright, here’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to set up a little mini-studio here, and I’m going to pretty basic, a neutral colored shirt – white or blue, nice sports coat, take a couple of professional looking photos, something I can put up on Linkedin, or something. Then we’re going to hit the streets of New York and try to get something very New Yorker and busy and taxi cabs and buildings flying by, and we’ll put up the results up on thehopkinsonreport.com.

Diana, it’s been a pleasure having you here. Throw at us some information about where people can learn more about you.

DL: Sure, thank you so much for having me; this is a lot of fun. My website is dianalevine.com; my Twitter is twitter.com/dianalevine – not too creative. And my blog is dianalevine.tumblr.com. So those are all the ways to find me. My email and contact is on the website.

JH: And you said your boyfriend is a videographer?

DL: My boyfriend is a cinematographer.

JH: Cinematographer.

DL: He’s a DP – director of photography and his name is Matt Workman; and his website is just mattworkman.com.

JH: And what about any other projects that you’re working on?

DL: That’s me professionally. Personally, another passion of mine is raising awareness and funds for Parkinson’s Research. My mom who is the best person in the world – I might be biased, but she has Parkinson’s, so we’re definitely active members of the Michael J. Fox Foundation, Team Fox, and the Unity Walk for Parkinson’s. And my mom, my sister and I will be walking in the Annual Parkinson’s Walk on April 24th, so if anyone wants to donate to our team, you can go to dianalevine.com/parkinsonswalk or you can donate to michaeljfox.com anytime.

JH: OK, and lastly, let’s say you’re an aspiring photographer out there and you’d be like, “Oh it would be so great to learn from Diana” and actually, now you have your chance.

DL: Ah, talenthouse.com is a great website and they’re hosting a creative invite to be my assistant on a photo shoot. So, that’s been really fun because we’re getting all these responses from people; so, if you go to talenthouse.com you can look for my creative invite and you can apply to be my assistant and I’m going to pick someone I think, in April. So it will be real interesting to see who applies; we’re really looking for like an aspiring photographers and people who are looking to get some experience and learn […] and it will be interesting to see who we end up with.

JH: Well, Diana, it’s been really great having you on. Everyone check out dianalevine.com for her great work and check out thehopkinsonreport.com to see how our photos came out. And, thanks for coming on.

DL: Thanks so much for having me, This has been a pleasure.

JH: This has been the Hopkinson Report podcast. I’d like to thank my guest Diana Levine. You can check her out at dianalevine.com. You can also check out the first part of the interview on thehopkinsonreport.com or on iTunes.

Thanks for listening.

More »

Download the podcast from iTunes, or play it below:

Topics Covered:

- The importance of equipment for budding photographers and how the accessibility of equipment is changing entry into the business.

- What to look for in a digital camera
- Jim and Diana consider the great debate of Nikon vs. Canon

- The essential accouterments of a camera purchase (granola bars?)
- Diana explains why a camera lens is such an important feature of a camera and a worthwhile, long-term investment
- The lens you buy can be essential, but consider the reasons you are using it: sports, distance

- Diana shares some of her essential gear:
- Sandisk memory cards (Note: she accidentally said ‘Compact Flash Extreme Cards’ in the interview)
- 580 EX Canon Flash
- Bags, more than you will ever know
- Reflector and a friend you can easily boss around to hold said reflector.

- The importance of video in a photographer’s world. With a DSLR camera, video can be used as a video camera also.
- DSLR can be used quickly and easily, when there is no time to set up a fancy digital camera like a Red.

- The role of social networking and new media for photographers marketing themselves

- Jim shares some of his favorite and most detested online picture clichés, including the pointless squat, the kissy-duck face, and the much maligned ‘MySpace Shot”

- Diana offers some advice for taking the most flattering possible picture of yourself for your online photos.

Other topics include Jim’s rant about his superior one-handed photo taking skills (as in the photo below).

Jim theory: Why should you NEVER squat in a photo? As you can see here, in almost all cases, two things will happen:
1) You’ll get the photo back and realize you didn’t need to squat (plenty of room for the 2 women to stand and still be seen)
2) You’ll look like a dork

At the end of our interview, Diana was kind enough to show her expertise in several different photo situations. The picture below were taken

1) In a casual setting indoors, showing where I record my podcast

2) In super-bright sunlight outside (I call this look the “Author Book Jacket” pose) in a park near my apartment

3) In the hallway of my apartment (because it had a plain white wall as a backdrop) with an external flash. It’s amazing how extremely professional this came out given the surroundings. But hey, that’s why she’s a pro.

More »

Recorded in person at Studio Blue in Manhattan, New York
March 6, 2010
Jim Hopkinson, Wired’s Marketing Guy
Diana Levine, photographer

Click here to view the summary page of this interview with photos and links.

Or listen to the podcast while you read:

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

Hi, this is Jim Hopkinson, Wired’s Marketing Guy, bringing you the marketing trends that matter.

Welcome!

Today I’ll be speaking with New York City-based photographer, Diana Levine, talking all things photography. Stay tuned.

Jim Hopkinson: Hey, everybody, this is Jim; welcome to the Hopkinson Report. I am with here with Diana Levine in New York City. I met Diana at an event during Social Media Week. It turns out we have some things in common. We’re both Boston-based, originally, so welcome, Diana.

Diana Levine: Thank you so much for having me.

JH: So, give us a little of your background, taking us through your upbringing in Boston to being a freelance photographer.

DL: Well, there’s the short story and the long story. The short story is I started in magazines as a designer/photo editor/staff photographer and I left my job a few years ago to become a freelancer fulltime. The long story is I grew up in Boston. The first exposure I had to photography was through my grandfather who was a photographer; and, I just grew up seeing his passion. He had a color darkroom in his basement – a black and white darkroom, and we used to watch his slideshows from everything he shot, and this was before the internet. So, this is real slideshows with slides.

JH: Gather round, kids, [LAUGHTER], we’re having, it’s the Christmas slideshow.

DL: He was just so passionate about it, and I definitely; maybe it’s genetic, maybe it’s contagious. And I just grew up obsessed with taking pictures. Even when I was younger, I had my little 1/10 camera and I would give photo shoots to my friends, even in elementary school. And, I think the most excited I ever got when I was growing up was going to this local pharmacy where we got our photos developed, and getting my little 110 camera photos back. So, I grew up absolutely obsessed with taking pictures. And, so, when I came to going to school, I knew I wanted to do something with people. And so I went to school and got my degree. Actually, I got my degree in three things – in photography, psychology, and Mandarin Chinese.

JH: Now, I can see the psychology. You have someone, you’re taking a picture, and you want to get in their mind. You know, how are you feeling about this; but where did the Mandarin come in?

DL: When I was in high school, my friend was from Taiwan [...] and I learned Chinese kind of naturally in high school so when I went to college, I figured I’d go for it, and I studied Mandarin Chinese.

JH: Do you get to use it at all?

DL: I do, I do. It’s a very useful language to know.

JH: Alright, alright; sounds good. So, after you graduated from that you came to New York for a little bit more education?

DL: Yeah, so, actually, I went to Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts.

JH: In Woosta?

DL: In Woosta. [LAUGHTER] And, I also went to Tisch School of the Arts in the photography program at NYU. And, Clark really shaped my photography in a lot of ways; I had an amazing professor – Stephen DiRado. And then NYU/Tisch really enabled me to understand the business side of photography and I had some really incredible professors there, like Mark Jenkins and Paul Owen.

While I was in school I actually interned for Conde Nast at Jane Magazine in the photography department, which was so much fun, definitely a dream come true. And, immediately after I graduated, I started working at Boston Magazine in Boston as the designer and staff photographer, and a little photo editing. And, I learned so much when I was there; and definitely my experience in art departments definitely shaped how I shoot now as a photographer. And, I left my job there and I became a freelance photographer fulltime in New York City, and I’ve been doing that ever since.

JH: OK. So, you’re working at a major magazine and you decide to go freelance. That’s a pretty big jump for someone to make. What made you make that decision, and what are some of the benefits you’ve had from it?

DL: It was definitely a scary decision, but, it’s so much fun. I think you definitely have to have a certain personality in order to live a freelance life. There are a lot of risks, it’s not the same day to day, but that’s the part that I love. Every day I meet someone new; every day I’m doing a different project and it keeps life very exciting. And, it’s definitely risky and you never know where your next paycheck is coming from, but I think I’ve been lucky so far.

JH: So how do you handle that, you have to be out there putting your name out there all the time. What kinds of things do you do to make your name as a freelancer?

DL: I think that’s actually the part that I was most scared about going into the freelance life is how to market myself, how do I put myself out there. Because, I think that’s not something I naturally would have tended to do, but it is definitely necessary. In terms of how I got my name out there, I started in magazines and that’s where I got a lot of my connections. You shoot one thing; and my main source I would say is word of mouth, like I don’t really do much marketing, per se. I mean, certainly, social networking helps – Facebook, Twitter, blogging is awesome. But, I don’t really do too much more than that in terms of marketing. The best thing is just word of mouth; you do one shoot – someone’s happy with it, they tell someone else, they contact you and, so far, it’s really the best.

JH: Now you’re at a point now where you seem very successful, you shot everyone from 50 Cent to Snoop to Kim Kardashian, and the list goes on and on. Are you at the point now where you’re still pursuing clients or do you have enough that they’re coming to you that you’re beating them away?

DL [LAUGHTER] You know, work is pretty good right now; I don’t really actively pursue clients. I pretty much roll with how it comes, and people approach me and I shoot things.

JH: I’m sure that it’s a lot of hard work, what would you say to someone that is going freelance, because so many people think, “Oh, I’m a good photographer; I can make it on their own.” Or kind of like if they’re a chef, “Oh, I’m a really good cook; I’m going to become a chef.” But, it’s a lot different really being a professional chef or a professional photographer.

DL: You have to have a love not only for the art and for photography, but you have to really be able to   handle the business side of it. It’s not just the hobby, it’s definitely a business. You have to be able to handle the risk; you have to be able to handle the sacrifices. There are definitely a lot of sacrifices when it comes to being an entrepreneur and owning your own business. You can’t go to every party that you want to go to, you have to miss family events sometimes, there are definitely big sacrifices – you’re working 24/7, you never leave the office. If I have my iPhone with me, I’m at work.

JH: So, what’s the difference between an amateur that says, “Hey, I take pretty good pictures,” because right now with millions of digital cameras being sold and they’re getting better and better that the pro-level cameras are now in the hands for not that much money of the average person. So, if someone’s like, “Oh, I could just take those pictures myself;” what do you say to say here’s the benefit of going with someone that’s a professional?

DL: That’s a really interesting question. Actually, I think some photographers it drives them nuts that everyone can get a DSLR and everyone can be a photographer. Actually, I love it. I love that everyone can get a camera. I think that everyone should have a camera. I think that everyone should be a photographer. The only thing think it changes is that you have to be even better; you have to really make yourself different. You have to be special enough that someone’s going to hire you as opposed to getting their friend to do it with their camera. In addition I would say a big part of using a professional photographer is, in the instance that you’re shooting a celebrity, there is no room for error, there is no room for having your camera break down or your lights break down. So a big part of being a professional is knowing how to handle certain situations, knowing how to roll with the punches. You were supposed to have 20 minutes and now you have one minute, and you have to be able to get that shot right now; so, I think a big difference.

JH: And if it’s a special event, obviously, if it’s like a wedding or a big party that you’re having and you have your friend, “Oh, my friend’s got a good camera, he’s going to do it”, and then, “Oh, sorry, fluorescent lights, I didn’t realize it wouldn’t work, I didn’t bring my flash.” Now you don’t have anything to document that.

DL: Yeah, totally.  And, I think a huge part of it is back-up equipment and just knowing how to deal with different situations; knowing how to roll with the punches. And in photography things change very fast, things change very last minute and you have to be able to adapt.

JH: “We’re losing the light, we’re losing the light.” [LAUGHTER] That’s one thing I know from watching those documentaries on shooting the Sports Illustrated, or a beach model, or something on a beach. It’s like, “Howie, We’re losing the light, we’re losing the light” is always the crisis, right?

DL: Right.

JH: OK. So, speaking of celebrities, I’m going to rattle off some of the names that you’ve worked with:

• Kim Kardashian
• Alicia Keyes
• Vampire Weekend
• Billy Corgan
• New Kids on the Block
• Iman
• Raphael Saadiq
• 50 Cent
• New Boys
• The Clipse
• Omarion
• Paris Hilton
• JoJo
• DJ AM
• Harry Connick, Jr.
• Ashley Simpson and Pete Wentz
• Steve Aoki
• Snoop Dog
• Fabolous
• Rick Ross
• The Dream
• Nina Sky
• Floyd Mayweather
• Less Than Jake
• Buster Rhymes
• KRS One, and
• Los Del Rio.

Those are some pretty big names. Who was the first celebrity that you would say you shot, and how did   you get that gig?

DL: The first celebrity I shot, [LAUGHTER] let me take a look at the list.

JH: Is that the proper term, like, shot?

DL: Yeah.

JH: OK. Because, preparing for the podcast I was talking to my intern, I said, “Oh yes, she shot Snoop Dog. She shot 50 Cent.” He’s like, “She shot 50 Cent? Which one?” He was shot like nine times.

DL: That wasn’t me. [LAUGHTER] I would say the first celebrity I worked with was KRS One. This was back in college. My boyfriend is a cinematographer and he shoots music videos, commercials. And in college we both flew out to L.A. to shoot a music video for KRS One and it was directed by Todd Angkasuwan. And, it was a really fun shoot; I shot the press photos for it. So, I would say he was the first big musician.

JH: We just brought him up on Wikipedia, he’s a legend. Like, he’s been around for a long time and I guessed it, I’m like, “Wasn’t he on the Sublime album?” You might know him from REM, the song ‘Radio Song,’ he’s got kind of a rap thing in there, but a huge biography if you check it out. It’s amazing all the stuff that he’s worked on.

DL: He really is incredible; he’s definitely part of history. I think they call him the founder of hip hop, the father of hip hop; and, at one point we worked with him again, maybe a year ago. He actually let me look through all these original prints from his life and it was incredible seeing the raw photos from his experience in hip hop and his experience in his life. So, he was probably the first big person that we worked with, and it was a great person to start with cause he’s so just incredible.

JH: Now, give me some other scoops, the celebrities that you’ve worked with. So, like Kim Kardashian, what was it like working with her?

DL: She was awesome. She’s incredible; she’s so sweet, so hard working. I shot her iPhone application and her Smartphone application. And, it was so much fun. And, the funny thing is I actually don’t have TV, I don’t have cable, so sometimes [...]

JH: Like, who are you, again?

DL: [LAUGHTER] So, I’ve never seen her show, sorry. I didn’t have any preconceived notions about her and she’s just incredible. She’s absolutely gorgeous, she’s like a doll in real life, and just so easy to work with; so responsive and a just a sweet, sweet heart.

JH: What about Alicia Keyes?

DL: She’s incredible. Alicia Keyes was one of those days that I had to pinch myself. And, one of those days that I never thought any of this would happen. You know, growing up, if you told me I was going to end up photographing Alicia Keyes, I would have told you that you’re nuts. And, it’s really fun shooting people that I’ve been a fan of for a long time. And, I’ve been listening to Alicia since high school. Not only is she incredibly talented, incredibly beautiful and a humanitarian, she’s just an amazing role model and her energy, her attitude is amazing. She’s just always laughing and just kind. It’s very invigorating; it’s very contagious when someone you’re working with has such an awesome attitude.

It’s the same with Kim Kardashian. It’s like when you’re shooting someone that has a good attitude; that has a great personality it makes a shoot so much more fun, so much easier; really easy to get that personality on film.

JH: And what about someone like New Kids on the Block? They’ve probably been stars, since, fawned over all the way since they were kids; like, “Oh, My God, it’s the New Kids on the Block.” Like, were they obnoxious in person, how are they?

DL: No, the Kids on the [...].

JH: You’re going to tell me that they’re amazing too, right?

DL: They were amazing [LAUGHTER]. I tend to like most people, so maybe it isn’t the juiciest piece of information, but they are so funny. And, honestly, they’re older now, but they are still kids and the craziest thing about the New Kids on the Block is their fans are so intense, they have a huge fan base and girls go crazy for them.

JH: How old are those girls now?

DL: Probably the 30s. [LAUGHTER] These are no high schoolers. They’re adult women, but I’m sure they have fans of all ages, but they are so loyal and so loving. And, the funniest thing was when the photos that I shot of New Kids on the Block went live, I didn’t even know the photos had gone live, but within seconds my Twitter account was overrun with messages from New Kids on the Block fans, because they had found out that I had shot them, and I mean literally within seconds I had hundreds of messages.

JL: Wow. What were some of the questions like?

DL: Oh, they were just the nicest people.

JH: Can you get me a piece of his shirt, or something; is there an extra cup with somebody’s drinked coffee out of it that I can have?

DL: [LAUGHTER] No, they were just so supportive and so sweet, and people were like, “I love the photos, Donny’s my favorite; no, Joey’s the best; no, Danny’s my favorite;” like, “What was it like, what were they like?” And I tried to write back to all of them. I hope I wrote back to most of them – but, just the sweetest people.

JH: Now, what about someone that might be a little bit more edgier like Billy Corgan? I think I once saw or heard an interview with him that said, “How do you approach your singing?” And he goes, “It’s very simple, I sing very, very low and then I sing very, very loud.” And, if you think of his songs like, “Bullet with Butterfly Wings,” a lot of the Smashing Pumpkin songs, it is that. It’s like, quiet, then it gets really angry. Is that what he was like in person?

DL: I hate to say another just nice thing, [LAUGHTER], but, he was really nice. I, actually, was expecting him to be really intense, and he’s another person, obviously, I’ve been listening to since I was very young. And so, I definitely was expecting him to be really intense and dark, but he was actually really calm and like actually has a really sweet, calm personality to him.

JH: Why don’t you just tell me like all the people that you hated that were really difficult to work with.

DL: [LAUGHTER]

JH: Anyone there?

DL: I’ll keep those a secret.

JH: What about just looks wise. I’ve heard people say and I kind of agree, when you meet a celebrity in person, they’re either far more beautiful or attractive than you thought they’d be, or far worse than you’d thought they’d be. I’ll give the example so you won’t get in trouble. I’ve met Stephanie March who is married to Bobby Flay and she’s in Law and Order, and she was at; the person that does the intro, “Welcome to the Hopkinson Report” is my friend, Naomi, who I was in a band with back in the day, and they actually went to school together, and we’re at a gig and we’re in a bar, and there’s like a hundred people there, and every guy, and every person was like, “Oh my God, look at that girl over there, she’s unbelievable.” And, I was like, “Oh, my God, I can’t believe that person’s there.” And, it turns out, “But, wait a minute, she’s here to see Naomi, she’s here to see the band?” And, we got to know her and hang out with her, and you could just see like she was just flawless, it’s like that is clearly a movie star, or a TV star.

Give me some examples of people that were far more attractive in person versus someone you might have had a preconceived notion for them.

DL: Totally. I’m actually, probably the worst person to ask this because if you ask any of my friends, I think that everyone’s beautiful, and not that I’m cheesy, but, [LAGUHTER] I’m one of those people that I think everyone, I think the guy in the corner, I think that my mom is the most beautiful person in the world. I tend to think just everyone is beautiful, so, I’m probably the worst person to ask.

JH: Anyone taller?

DL: But, I will give you some juicy bits. Celebrities you’re used to seeing them in a retouched state. You’re used to seeing them lit well, with amazing lighting, amazing makeup, amazing styling. So, when you see a celebrity or an actor, or a musician in a magazine, that isn’t exactly what they look like. So, I definitely will tell you that there’s plenty of people that I’ve shot that they don’t have perfect skin, and they don’t have perfect bodies, which is something that I feel very passionate about talking about because I think growing up, especially women look at magazines and they compare themselves to celebrities that they think look perfect. But, I still think they’re gorgeous when I meet them in real life, but they are real people, they have real skin, they’re humans. But, definitely, I was surprised, Billy Corgan’s really tall.

JH: Really?

DL: Yeah, I was surprised. I had to stand on something to shot him – he’s huge. So that was a surprise, and I’m trying to think who else was a surprise. Kim Kardashian, I was shocked – she looks like retouched in real life. She is just perfect. She was the only one that I really was just wowed by. But, everyone else I’ve photographed; I love unique-looking people, so I kind of think everyone’s beautiful. [LAUGHTER]

JH: Who is someone that you wish you are looking forward to working with but haven’t worked with yet?

DL: Oh, God, I have a few answers.

JH: Go away.

DL: Growing up I would have loved to have shot Michael Jackson; that was definitely my dream. So sadly, that will never happen. So, a few years ago, my answer would have been Michael Jackson. Now, I think the most fun to shoot would be Dianna Ross, because I’m named after her.

JH: I like that. Give me your full name.

DL: My name is Dianna Rose Levine and so Dianna Rose, Dianna Ross. So, I think it would be amazing to work with her. And I also grew up listening to her music. And, also her album cover for the album, Blue, is like one of my favorite album covers ever. It’s the perfect example of how a totally simple photo can be perfect and can be better than a whole huge setup. So, I love her music, I love her album, and named after her, so that would be fun. So, if you ask the little girl in me, I would love to shoot like the Spice Girls. [LAUGHTER]

JH: Alright, let’s keep going with the celeb thing, because I’m sure my listeners are as intrigued as I am about that. Let’s talk about some other projects. You just did the Sweet 16, what was that about on MTV?

DL: Yeah, that was a very interesting experience. My boyfriend, Matt Workman, and I were hired to shoot the introductory video to Justin Combs Sweet 16 party for the MTV Show, “My Super Sweet 16.”

JH: Justin Combs being the son of Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, Diddy, P. Diddy, whatever he is.

DL: P. Diddy.

JH: Diddy, OK.

DL: So, we went to Diddy’s mansion house in New Jersey and we were filming the introduction video; it’s supposed to be kind of like a music video where people are going to watch it when they’re at the party, and then he’s going to arrive. And, it’s being directed by Parris for Goreela and it was a really interesting experience – 1) because we didn’t know we were going to be on TV, and actually that day I was shooting for Bumble and Bumble the whole day, which is an amazing hair company. And I had already been on a shoot the whole day so I was tired and sweaty. So, we got to his house and we were ready to shoot it and there’s model releases on the table, so it turns out that we had to be on the show, which was funny because maybe I would have dressed a little differently [LAUGHTER] or thrown on some makeup if I knew I was going to be on national TV.

JH: Your bling quotient was too low?

DL: I had no bling on. [LAUGHTER] So, it was a really fun experience, so we were on the My Super Sweet 16 episode with Justin Combs. And, it was really fun. It was my first experience with reality TV and it was awesome – it was really fun.

JH: What was the house like? Was it like an MTV crib’s house? Was there like a swimming pool in the lobby?

DL: It was large, it was definitely large, and gorgeous, and it was an incredible time.

JH: Was it all white? He’s famous for his white parties in the Hamptons during the summer, right?

DL: I’m trying to remember, I guess the walls were white.

JH: Any live tigers like roaming the halls or anything?

DL: I wish, I wish. I didn’t see any.

JH: Did you have to go over a moat to get there?

DL: I wish I had seen some tigers and moats. [LAUGHTER]

JH: Tell me about the Day in the Life project that you work on.

DL: I shoot a project called a Day in the Life for AOL and it’s an incredible experience. We basically document a day in the life of really popular artists, musicians. We’ve done Ludacris, I’ve done Omarion, the New Boys, The Clipse, New Kids on the Block, and basically we follow them around for an entire day. We’ll go to radio shows, we’ll go to TV appearances – the Today Show, BET. With Ludacris we did the Jimmy Fallon Show; interviews, magazines, lunch, driving around. So, it really gives a really intimate look at what life [...]

JH: How cool is that? So, you hang out with Ludacris; you’re having breakfast with Ludacris? Does he just kind of rap his breakfast while he’s brushing his teeth; he’s making up rhymes and things like that?

DL: He’s really smart, really intelligent, really just a calm really nice person. And, we’ve worked with him a lot in other music videos and those kinds of things.

JH: You get to go to the Jimmy Fallon Show, did you say?

DL: Yeah, that was really fun.

JH: And see the background there?

DL: Yeah, totally.

JH: And are you shooting him while he’s on the show?

DL: Sometimes. It depends on where we have clearance for, and I’m also shooting stills and video. So, in the end product is a whole photo gallery and a video with documentary. And, in some cases I get to shoot the performance. And, in the Jimmy Fallon, we weren’t able to shoot it, but I did go see it and it was really fun.

JH: And how was AOL using this?

DL: They use it as a really interactive whole gallery and set for the artist. So it will be, there’s a writer, there’ll be a huge article, it’ll be the gallery, it’ll be the video, and these go viral, especially the video and the photos will go everywhere. If people are a fan of an artist, it’s an awesome experience for them because they really get to see what the artist is like, not just on stage, not just on TV, but driving from place to place and what they like to eat, and that’s definitely good if you’re a fan of the artist.

JH: Do you know if AOL, if it’s sponsored, is there like a corporate sponsorship behind it?

DL: Not that I know of.

JH: Probably just driving content. So, I know when you’re taking photos a lot of it is being relaxed, so on both sides of the coin, when you’re working with celebrities, they’re probably used to it, how do you keep from being nervous and then, when you’re shooting regular individuals, how do you kind of use your rapport to get them to be relaxed?

DL: I think that’s actually one of the biggest parts about being a successful photographer is being able to make people feel comfortable. And, definitely some celebrities and people who are used to having their photo taken, they’re just natural at it. They just go for it and I’m really there to document what they’re doing. And then there are some people who really need a little bit more direction. I think a big part of a photo shoot is figuring out what it’s going to take to make the person you’re photographing feel comfortable, feel safe, feel free to trying new things and not worry that something’s going to look bad; and so definitely a big part of being a photographer is connecting with your subject, making sure they’re comfortable and they feel safe. And, I wouldn’t even say that there’s a big difference between celebrities and someone who isn’t necessarily famous in terms of whether they’re comfortable. Certainly, a lot of celebrities are more used to it, but there’s people who aren’t celebrities who love being on camera, and then there are celebrities who are less comfortable with it, so there isn’t necessarily a divide there.

JH: What’s the first thing you do? You walk up, hey, there’s Ludacris, you’re going to with him all day, what’s kind of the first thing you do?

DL: In the Ludacris situation.

JH: Loved your last album, man, it was off da hook. [LAUGHTER]

DL: I don’t really necessarily see them as any different than anyone else, so that definitely helps. Like I said, I don’t have TV so maybe sometimes that’s actually a good thing.

JH: Well, Diana, this has been really interesting so far. We’re at the 25 minute mark, so here’s what I want to suggest. Let’s turn this into a two-part one, and in the second part, we’re going to talk about:

• all the equipment that you use
• the influence of the internet in new media and Facebook on photos, and
• tips on taking a good photo.

Maybe you have, so many people have blogs and they’ve got Facebook pictures we’ll talk about what makes a good photo; and maybe we’ll make do a test on myself. We’ll take some pictures for my Facebook photo, maybe my new about page on the Hopkinson Report, and is that cool, do you want to stick around for that?

DL: Definitely, sounds great.

JH: This has been the Hopkinson Report podcast. That’s right, it’s a cliffhanger. Hope you liked Part 1 of my interview with Diana Levine, a professional photographer based in New York City. Make sure you go to TheHopkinsonReport.com, or better yet, go to iTunes and subscribe to make sure you get Part 2.

Thanks for listening.

More »

What’s it like to be a professional photographer rubbing shoulders with celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Billy Corgan, and Ludacris? Pro photographer Diana Levine will tell you.

Click here if you’d like to read the full transcript of this interview.

Download the podcast from iTunes, or play it below:

Ever since I worked in the photo section of the Caldor department store in high school, I’ve been interested in photography. I’ve owned many many cameras, from old school 110, Disc, and 35mm SLRs like my Minolta X-370, to some of the first digital cameras on the market in the late 90s, up through my newest point-and-shoot and desire to upgrade to a DSLR.

So when I had the chance to sit down and speak with pro photographer Diana Levine, I jumped at the chance. I had so many questions on so many topics. I wanted to know what it was like to freelance. What was her favorite equipment. What was it like to work with celebs. And with 2 billion photos a month being uploaded to Facebook, and more and more pictures needed various profiles on the web, how was social media affecting her business.

[Above: Diana shooting Alicia Keys]

We talked for so long I’ve made this a 2 part episode, and then we hit the streets of New York and set up an impromptu studio to see her in action.

In Part 1 we cover the following topics:

Background

- How did Diana get her start?
- Who was her main influence as a child?
- Which Conde Nast magazine did she intern at?
- What was the main thing she learned at Boston Magazine?

Freelance life
- How did she get over her fear of making the leap to freelance?
- What would she tell people wanting to strike out on their own?
- Is it a good or bad thing that cameras are so good and so inexpensive now that everyone thinks they can be a good photographer?
- What are the things that distinguish a true pro from an amateur?

Celebrities

-  What’s it like working with celebrities:
* Kim Kardashian
* New Kids on the Block
* Billy Corgan
* 50 Cent
* Ludacris
* Alicia Keys
* Vampire Weekend
* DJ AM
* Iman
* Fabolous
* JoJo
* Los Del Rio
* Harry Connick, Jr
(and more)

Other Celeb Questions:

- Tell us about your first celebrity shoot with KRS-One
- What’s the real scoop with Kim Kardashian
- Which singer made Diana have to pinch herself to make sure it was real?
- Which band’s fans sent her hundreds of tweets after she photographed them?
- A revelation about Billy Corgan that really shocked me.
- Which celebrity would be the one she’d like to photograph most (but can’t)
- How do you create a comfortable atmosphere when working with celebrities
- Which celebrity is she named after (Answer at right)

Celebrity projects
- MTV’s Super Sweet 16: What was Sean Combs’ house like?

- AOL’s Day in the Life project, what was it like spending an entire day with Ludacris or New Kids on the Block?

Part II will contain:
- Equipment she uses
- The affect of social media on the photo industry
- Tips and tricks for taking great photos

Check out Diana Levine’s work: Website | Blog | Twitter

Click here if you’d like to read the full transcript of this interview.

More »

It’s the dead of winter here, so to brighten things up we’re going to talk to the co-founder of Sunshine Suites, a unique office space for entrepreneurs.

Download the podcast from iTunes, or play it below:

I’ve got a great interview today, a person that I was connected to through Gary Vaynerchuk on Twitter.

His name is Cheni Yerushalmi, he’s the co-founder of a business called Sunshine Suites, and you should download the podcast just to hear me mispronounce his name (I think I was a little better by the time I signed off).

For most people across the country, we’re trapped in bland cubicles like worker bees for 8 hours a day, with many of us aspiring to be entrepreneurs so we can launch the proverbial startup from our garage.

But I think this company has found a great middle ground, giving ambitious new companies a unique place to work and grow their business.

In the interview we cover topics such as:

- Getting started
Like many business ventures, the idea for Sunshine Suites was born out of frustration. Cheni and his best friend/co-founder couldn’t understand why it was so difficult for small businesses to get cool, low-cost office space in Manhattan. So they did something about it.

- Adding perks
While a stylish, comfortable workspace is a great upgrade from a small apartment or drafty garage, I was impressed to hear of all the other perks that they offer. These include pooled resources for healthcare, gym memberships, & car rentals, scheduled networking events with other entrepreneurs, softball leagues, a bicycle workout room, parties, and a 30-person ski house in Vermont for corporate get-aways.

- The best of all worlds
Why a shared office environment with other entrepreneurs is a far better option than a traditional corporate office, working on your own from home, or camping out in the local coffee shop.

- Protecting your vision
Why Cheni thinks it’s very difficult for anyone else to steal your “dream idea”

- The new evolution of work
I put out my new theory of the way jobs have evolved over time and get Cheni’s perspective.
* First, people wanted security. They had one job for 40 years, then retired.
* Next, they kept their same professions (say, accounting), and went to 3-4 different accounting companies
* Next, it was ok to change industries. People went from accountant to financial planner to cupcake store owner
* Now: As seen in books from Tim Ferriss (The Four-hour Workweek) and Gary Vaynerchuk (Crush it), it’s more about lifestyle design, following your life’s passion and using new media to work where you want, when you want, doing what you want

- The new trend toward freelancing
A combination of the economy forcing companies to stay lean and cut back, increased telecommuting, and people trying to find a better work/life balance has led to a rise in freelancing. Find out how this has had an effect on Cheni’s business.

- Sunshine Suite “graduates,” small companies that have gone on to big things:
IGA Worldwide
Trulia
Ableton Live
Vita Coco

- Spreading the word
How Sunshine Suites gets the word out through their marketing

Thanks to Cheni for a great interview and to Gary Vee for connecting us.

Helpful links:
Sunshine Suites Website
Follow on Twitter: Cheni | HopkinsonReport | Gary Vaynerchuk

Announcements:
- I will be at SXSW Interactive March 12-17 and will be doing interviews with cool people I meet
- Wired is hosting a happy hour at SXSW on Monday 3/15 (more details to come)
- I am planning a 100th episode party on April 10
- You can now stream my most recent podcast episode each week on Stitcher Radio. Connect from your iPhone, Blackberry, Android, or Palm Pre without syncing to iTunes.

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