Practical advice, I wish someone would have told me if I were 18 years old, entering college today.
1. Study computer science and machine learning
Machine learning is the future. We have a huge influx of data. The future is gonna need a lot of “data scientists” who will seek to interpret these pools of data, to derive some meaning.
Study computer science. Worst case scenario, you can graduate and get a job making good money at a tech company.
Don’t go to art school or photography school if you’re going to go into debt. Only go if you have a 100% free ride.
Rather, build your passion on the side. If your passion is photography, the chance of you making it a living is very slim. Hedge your bets.
Get a good paying job in technology or computer science after you graduate college. Then you can use that information and knowledge to help your photography, website design, and entrepreneurship.
Also, get an internship as soon as possible. It don’t matter if it is paid or not. Make sure the brand of the company is good.
Better to get a non paid internship at a legit company, than a well paid internship at a small startup company.
When you get an internship, you have a 1000% better chance of getting a career job after you graduate.
2. Tools
Don’t blow your money on technology and tools.
Buy a used 11 MacBook Air. Best bang for the buck laptop.
For a phone and camera, buy a iPhone SE ($400 unlocked). Or buy a used iPhone 6s.
Don’t buy any new technology. Shit will depreciate so quickly.
3. Don’t buy expensive clothes
It is cheaper to thrift clothes. And looks cooler.
Please please please, don’t follow these fucking “lifestyle” bloggers and instagrammers. You will end up wasting so much time and energy trying to be cool by buying shit you don’t need.
To be cool: make good photos. Get strong by going to the gym. Show your coolness by showing off your body, your muscles, your parkour skills, your yoga skills, your writing, poetry, dance skills, or photo skills. Show your skills, not your stuff.
In short, don’t use Instagram.
4. Make your own blog
For your high school graduation present, ask your parents to buy you a website. Get them to pay the $10 a month cost on their credit card.
- Go to Bluehost.com
- Buy your own website domain (firstnamelastname.com) or (firstnamelastnamephoto.com)
- Install WordPress.org
- Blog whenever you feel like it. Don’t upload photos to social media.
Keep a blog for 4 years while in college. Upload photos of your friends. Write poetry. Write random blog stuff. Disable statistics and comments. When you graduate college at age 21, you will have a lot of work to show off as a portfolio. And a nice collection of personal memories.
5. Debt is the devil
Don’t get a credit card in college. Seriously. You don’t need it. Just get a debit card.
Avoid debt like the devil.
Start building your empire now.
At age 18, build your empire now. When you graduate at 21, you’ll be fucking light years ahead of the competition.
BE STRONG,
ERIC
PHOTOGRAPHY ENTREPRENEURSHIP 101 by ERIC KIM
If you want to make a living (or a killing) from photography, download:
KEYS TO SUCCESS
- How to Thrive in Uncertain Times
- CANNIBALIZE YOURSELF.
- DO AND GROW RICH
- Does Fear of Punishment Hold You Back?
- HOW TO GET MORE FOLLOWERS
- How to Innovate
- How to Build Your Own Empire
- YOU ARE ENTITLED TO HARD WORK.
- PICK YOURSELF.
- OWN YOUR PLATFORM
- 10 KEYS TO SUCCESS
Table of Contents
Learn how to make a living from your passion:
- Preface. BRAVE NEW WORLD OF PHOTOGRAPHY
- Chapter 1. How to Create Value
- Chapter 2. ZEN CAPITALISM
- Chapter 3. Scarcity
- Chapter 4. How to Brand Yourself
- Chapter 5. How to Build a True Following
- Chapter 6. The Blueprint to Success in Photography
- Chapter 7. HOW TO BE BOLD
- Chapter 8. How to Sell Out
- Chapter 9. GO AGAINST THE GRAIN
- Chapter 10. EXTREME ABUNDANCE
- Chapter 11. Photography Experience Economy
- Chapter 12. Why You Should Make Money for Your Photography
- Chapter 13. How to Become a Famous Photographer
Photography Business 101
How to Make Money with Photography
- How to Charge More Money in Your Photography
- Why You Should Not Pursue Photography as Career
- Can Photography Make You Rich?
- How I Earn $200,000+ a Year From Photography
- How to earn $10,000 a month as a photographer
- Why you must be an expensive photographer
Photography Marketing 101
- Why You Should Do Photography Work For Free
- How I Became an Internet Famous Photographer
- Photography Blogging Ideas
- Why You Should Promote Your Own Name
- How to Build a Following
- How to Stand Out as a Photographer.
- HOW TO GO VIRAL AS A PHOTOGRAPHER.
- How to Master Marketing
- How to Sell Yourself
How to Hustle.
- Entrepreneurial Advice to My 18 Year Old Self
- How to Become Insanely Productive.
- 5 Lessons From Hesiod on Hustling
Entrepreneurial Principles
- It is Better to Beg For Forgiveness Than Ask For Permission
- The Free Way to Become Rich
- JUST DO IT.
- 7 Steps: How to Make a Living From Your Passion
- How to Do What You Love for a Living
- How to Create an MVP (Minimum Viable Product)
- How to Fail Big
- How to Invest in Yourself
- How to Be Bold in Photography and Life
- Mission: Cover Your Rent and Food
- 1,000 True Fans
- The “10x Principle”: The Only Difference Between “Success” and “Failure”
- Make More Value Not Money
- We Live in a Photo Utopia
How to be a Full-time Photographer
- How to Make a Living From Photography
- The 3 Principles of Making Money With Photography
- Advice for Aspiring Full-Time Photographers
- Don’t Go Into Debt For Your Photography
- How to Brand Yourself as a Photographer
- Trust: The Most Important Thing You Need to Succeed as a Photographer
Photography Blogging
- How to become rich from photography blogging
- How to Make a Living with Blogging
- 50 Blogging Tips For Beginners
- How to Start Your Own Photography Blog
- A Photographer’s Guide to SEO, Blogging, and Social Media
How to Teach Photography
- How to Become a Photography Teacher
- How to Teach a Street Photography Class
- Why I Teach Street Photography Workshops
Social Media
- Why I Deleted My Instagram
- The Social Media Blackbook for Photographers
- Why Do You Need More Likes or Followers?
- Instagram is Going to Be the Next Facebook
- Don’t Trust “Free” Photography Social Networks
How to Save Money
Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Photography Entrepreneurship
Ultimate Beginner's Guide to Mastering Photography
WHY APP?
JOIN ARS: The Anti-Social Media for Photographers
