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Why You Must Ignore Nay-Sayers to Succeed in Entrepreneurship, Business, and Life

ERIC KIM NECK STRAP x RICOH GR II // Kyoto, 2017

Dear friend,

In order to succeed in life, you must learn to ignore nay-sayers.

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PDF: Nay sayers


What is a nay-sayer?

First of all, what is a “nay-sayer”? A nay-sayer is someone who always says “nay” or “no” to your ideas or dreams, without giving you any constructive ideas how you can actually realize your dreams.

Exploring the psychology of nay sayers

Honestly if you have friends, family, or colleagues who are nay-sayers, they probably aren’t being sinister. Rather, they might just be risk-averse individuals who are afraid of seeing you take a risk. They might be nay sayers because they’re risk-assess in their own lives (they prefer to take the safe option), and they don’t have the same appetite of risk as you do.

Or they may be envious that you’re taking an interesting risk in your life, and they want to secretly see you fail, because if you succeed, they will feel bad about themselves.

Another idea: nay sayers have poisoned minds, and they lack self-confidence, because they’ve been told their entire lives that they lack talent and ability. Perhaps their parents were also nay-sayers.

Break the chain

Identify the nay-sayers in your life, and slowly start to distance yourself from them. Nay sayers are dangerous, because they start to subtly infect your psychology, and prevent you from pursuing your dreams in life.

But also be wise. Don’t label everyone as a nay-sayer. There might be some of your friends and family who might give you cogent, rational, and useful advice. But always take the ideas, opinions, and feedback from others with a grain of salt.

If you have a truly innovative idea in life, of course everything is going to think you’re crazy. For example, imagine the early days of Airbnb and Uber— wouldn’t you have been seen as crazy to rent a room to a stranger, or ride in the car of a stranger?


Yay sayers

Rather, spend more time with yay or yes sayers. People who offer practical and constructive ideas to help you achieve your dreams.

In improv comedy, there is a concept called “yes and…”. The basic concept is that these improvisation artists will figure out how your even “bad” idea can be made into a good idea. The basic idea is that every bad idea might have even an ounce of a good idea— you just must figure out how to best effectively leverage that idea, transform that idea, or choose the best nugget of gold from that idea.

I don’t think there are really “bad” or “good” ideas. Rather, it is about execution, timing, hustle, drive, and a little bit of luck.


Help others realize their dreams

So friend, if you’re trying to become a photography entrepreneur, start your own business, or take a nontraditional or nonconformist route in life, cut the nay sayers from your life.

And for yourself, learn to be a yay or yes sayer. Figure out how you can empower your friends, family, and help them realize their dreams. Don’t tell them why their ideas will fail, rather offer potential solutions which will increase the likelihood of their dreams being realized.

BE BOLD,
ERIC


Photography Entrepreneurship 101

The Modern Photographer: Tips, Strategies, and Tactics to Thrive as a Visual Artist in the Digital Age

THE MODERN PHOTOGRAPHER by HAPTICPRESS

Marketing, Branding, Entrepreneurship Principles For Success

MODERN PHOTOGRAPHER is your new philosophical and practical primer to succeed as a modern photographer in today’s digital world.

  • MODERN PHOTOGRAPHER KINDLE EDITION ON AMAZON
  • SEE ALL PRODUCTS ON AMAZON

Entrepreneurship Theory

  • Entrepreneurship 101: Growth and Innovation Over Self-Preservation

How to Monetize Your Photography

EURO CAMERA MONEY by ANNETTE KIM

  • Photography Entrepreneurship 101: INFLUENCE
  • Should I Monetize My Passion for Photography?
  • 10 Practical Photography Monetization Strategies: Pricing, Google SEO, & Entrepreneurship
  • How to Make Money From Street Photography

Why Become a Photography Entrepeneur?

ERIC KIM x HENRI NECK STRAP  by HAPTIC INDUSTRIES // Portrait by Benjamin Thompson

Take control of your own photographic destiny:

  1. Photography Startup Manual
  2. PHOTOGRAPHY ENTREPRENEURSHIP MANUAL
  3. On Risk Taking and Entrepreneurship

THE MODERN PHOTOGRAPHER

  • CREATIVE CAPITALISM
  • How to Monetize Your Photography
  • 5 Practical Photography Career Tips and Advice
  • 10x Thinking
  • How to Hustle as a Photographer
  • How to Become Your Own Master Marketer
  • The ‘T’ Technique of Success
  • Go Ahead and Sell Out
  • What is Your Unique Voice?
  • Why You Must Self-Promote Yourself
  • What is Your Unique Angle as a Photographer?
  • Photography Content Marketing 101
  • Why You Must Become Your Own Publisher
  • The Art of Cross-Pollination in Photography

Photography Entrepreneurship Articles

Google advance up arrow

  • Why You Shouldn’t Trust Your Pictures to Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Flickr
  • How to Make Money From Your Photography
  • Photography SEO and Blogging: How to Become Number One on Google
  • Intrinsic vs Extrinsic Motivation
  •  Now is the Best Time to Be a Photographer
  • PRODUCERISM
  • What Is The Value of a Picture?
  • Your Photographic Labor is Not Free

PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOPS 101

CAMERA MONEY GBP by ANNETTE KIM

  • Chapter 1. How to Make a Photography Blog
  • Chapter 2. How to Price Yourself
  • Chapter 3. How to Find Your Market
  • Chapter 4. Why Teach Workshops?
  • Chapter 5. How to Build Trust
  • Chapter 6. How to Market Yourself
  • Chapter 7: Why Should Someone Attend Your Workshop?

KEYS TO SUCCESS

  • Why You Must Be a “Personality” in Order to Succeed
  • THRIVE OR DIE.
  • Impatience is a Virtue
  • Create Your Own Category
  • HOW TO DREAM BIG.
  • Will Not or Cannot?
  • Why Not?
  • How to Think BIG
  • How to Stay Ahead of the Curve
  • How to Invest in Yourself
  • The Two Camera Rule
  • MEANINGFUL DIFFERENTIATION
  • Advice For College Students
  • 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

  • Practical Photography Business Advice

How to Make Money with Photography

CAMERA MONEY USD by ANNETTE KIM
CAMERA MONEY USD by ANNETTE KIM
  • 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 Have More Followers?
  • 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

SELLOUT ERIC KIM

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

  • How Cindy Saved Us $150,000+
  • The Free Way to Become Rich

START HERE >

HENRI SHOULDER STRAP

Film Leica MP x Henri Shoulder Strap (CREMA BROWN)

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Street Photography Starter Kit

street photography starter kit by ERIC KIM

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HENRI WRIST STRAP PRO

Henri wrist strap pro

For the pros >

Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Photography Entrepreneurship

My brand-new Udemy Course, "Ultimate Beginner's Guide to Photography Entrepreneurship" now live!

Seize your destiny >


Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Mastering Photography

eric kim ultimate beginners guide to mastering photography udemy

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ERIC KIM WORKSHOPS

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Unleash your creative potential:

2021:

  • April 10-11th, 2021: BOSTON / Discover Your Unique Voice in Photography Workshop [Register Intent Here]
  • May 1-2nd, 2021: CHICAGO / Street Photography Composition Masterclass [Register Intent Here]
  • May 22-22nd, 2021: NEW YORK CITY / STREET PHOTOGRAPHY MASTERCLASS by ERIC KIM [Register Intent Here]

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