Sur La Table’s Post

Did you know that you can become a venue stylist at any age? Research shows that over-50s entrepreneurs are more likely to succeed than younger generations. Why? Experience, knowledge and an established network make all the difference. Thinking about setting up a business later in life? There are many reasons to take the leap: ✨ Ready to leave the 9-5 but still want fulfilling work? ✨ Need more flexibility for family commitments? ✨ Facing redundancy or looking for a purposeful retirement? Venue styling could be exactly what you are looking for. It’s flexible and creative! You can choose your niche: weddings and parties on weekends, dry hire during the week, or home-based designing and planning. You can get creative with your DIY, sewing or crafting skills, often with little investment. Curious? Download our free PDF to see if venue styling is your next big move! #careerchange #midlifecareer #newbeginnings https://lnkd.in/eHBW57Qg

Day 1: Embracing New Challenges As I embark on this week of career self-reflection, I'd like to start by sharing a recent experience that highlights my versatility and willingness to step out of my comfort zone. While many know me as a photographer and producer, my skill set extends to art direction, prop buying, and styling for various projects across corporate, commercial, and film industries. Recently, I took on an unexpected role as a food stylist for a valued client – a function I don't typically perform. This experience reinforced a key lesson: attention to detail is crucial, regardless of the specific role. In brand content, the goal is often pristine perfection, while film and TV projects often require a more lived-in aesthetic. Adapting to these nuances is part of the job. Initially, I felt nervous about taking on this unfamiliar role. However, by being transparent about my experience level and embracing the challenge, I not only completed the job successfully but also expanded my skill set. The team appreciated my willingness to step up, and I gained valuable experience. This project exemplifies my adaptability and eagerness to learn – traits I've found invaluable throughout my career. As I continue this week of reflection, I look forward to sharing more experiences that have shaped my professional journey. #CareerReflection #ProfessionalGrowth #Adaptability

Everything was more amazing than my wildest dreams, and its the result of this critical skill that I learned in theatre. Empower the talent you hired to use the talent you hired them for. For some, wedding planning is a slog. For me it was a joy, beginning to never the end (I’m getting pictures from my photographer and still talking to my vendors who now feel like friends for life). I read reviews, I dug through Instagram, I researched incessantly to plan a “pequena y perfecta” intimate wedding in the place my husband and I love most - Mallorca, Spain. What I did after all this research was the most joyful, freeing thing that made the whole process an experience of a lifetime. I let go. I shared our vision. I told each person what I appreciated that they uniquely brought to the table. And then I sat back, and was enveloped in magic. The direction I gave them? Do your thing. I am not a photographer like Graham Warrellow Photography, chef like Seal Private Dining, makeup artist like Izzy Gunkel, floral designer like Flowerscence, marketing and event manager like Brenda García Campins of Son Brull Hotel & Spa, Spanish guitarist like Jesus Gomez or event coordinator like Michaela Bowyer. I am certainly not a pastor like my wonderful father Rev. Larry George. For me to micro manage any one of these great talents would have been a disservice to all of us. I believe there is a lesson in this experience that I will hold dear moving forward. Share your vision, let people know why they are the ones taking your vision forward, and then trust, and get out of the way. Take your space by enabling others to take theirs. Something even better than you can dream by yourself could be on the other side. #leadership #vision #talentmanagement #takeyourspace

What does a five star review mean to you? ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ From your hospitality customers it means that you’ve not only met their expectations but exceeded them. Satisfying, right? But what about YOUR expectations of five star service. What would that mean to you if, for instance, you had commissioned some photography of your hospitality business? 🤔 Obviously you would want to be delighted with the images, but how do you ensure that? If you collaborate with me, I'll bring loads of creative ideas, lots of technical knowhow and bags of professional equipment! 🎒🎒🎒 What I won’t bring is a need to be anywhere else. I won’t need to rush off to another job, so we can take our time to make sure everything is just so.   So, whether your place is a one-bedroom holiday cottage or a multi bed hotel, my time is yours until you are 100% happy with the results.  ✔️ If you think that a collaboration like this would work for you, then let’s talk. Head over to my LinkedIn profile and book a call. I’d love to hear about what I can do for your business. 📞 What’s your idea of five star treatment? Click on and FOLLOW MY HASHTAG #HospitalityandLeisurePhotographer for regular posts. #MarketingDigital #HospitalityIndustry #Hospitality

Gallery staff roles should be more specialized to increase productivity and effectiveness. Each aspect of the gallery's operations can receive dedicated attention by hiring or reallocating responsibilities for specific tasks such as marketing, sales, and artist relations. This approach allows for a more focused strategy in communicating with collectors, managing sales processes, and nurturing artist relationships, ultimately leading to a smoother-running gallery. Need personalized help with the challenge of managing your art gallery? Why not schedule a call to chat? See the link on my profile to learn more about my advisory services. #galleryfuel #artgallery #artbusiness #artdealing #gallerylife #gallerybusiness #artworld #runningagallery #gallerist #artdealer #gallerydirectors  #artgallerymanagement #gallerymanagement #artmarket #contemporaryartgallery #womenartdealers #artdealerassociation #artindustry #gallerysector  #fineartgallery #artconsultants #artbusinessconsulting

It’s 2024 - What do we think about tattoos in the workplace? Ah the age old stigma around tattoos - Well you might be interested to learn some of these pretty cool facts! #1 - Virgin Atlantic recently came out with an awesome campaign with many of their flight attendants showing off their ink in uniform. You could even spot this yourself on your next flight with them! ✈️ - I’ll be on a flight from Cape Town to London next week & am always on the lookout for visible tattoos on the staff 😄 #2- Nowadays, some job search websites like Indeed Jobs even have a “Tattoo Friendly” filter! 🤯 #3 - Other big companies that have relaxed visible tattoo restrictions due to increase in % of population choosing to get tattooed include UPS & even The Walt Disney Company 🪄 🤓- A recent study even suggests customer sentiment was largely the same regardless of the workers having tattoos or not. I mean, do we really not have more important things to worry about at the moment? 🌎

I often get asked about my time at VICE in interviews. Correction: People like to talk to me about their feelings about VICE in interviews. I'm on the Zoom and while this would be an excellent opportunity to talk about my relevant experience, quickly, I go from interviewee to an interlocutor about the "old days" of VICE and media and the news and if the kids want a world where "Dos and Don'ts" exists again. (As a dad now, ehhh i don't think so.) Despite Big Media grappling for fresh ideas (they're re-inventing cable, for one), it still holds enough of a cache that whenever it's back in the headlines, we can get emotional—or, at least, dip into nostalgia and gossip. And VICE is back in the news announcing they're bringing back the mag. Despite all their recent troubles—fwiw my crossover working for the company is small potatoes, comparatively—it seems like culture isn't quite ready to move on without VICE. At least, not without a print subscription in tow. Still, VICE has been a part of my interests and life since I snuck into the old office on North 11th St. and handed a copy of my resume to the front desk. It's where, after school at American Apparel which stocked free copies of the mag, I found out the reason why a teacher had been let go earlier was sponsored by Miller High Life. The concept: Two hipsters hook up and, after cracking open a couple cold ones, engage in a post-coital interview. Branded content as a fireable offense. But don't quote me on that. These stories tend to go over well enough on the Zooms that I sometimes get cheery about my prospects: Me, a storyteller *and* a worthwhile job candidate.   In these interviews, when we're talking about VICE, we're talking about the past mostly, the parts of it that are shared between strangers. All interviews are discussions of the past as prelude to a supposed future as coworkers. I mean, who are we if not our jobs, our LinkedIn rap sheets? VICE has placed its bet and I'm ready, too. The readiness is all. The rest is an invitation to interview me about the promise of the next big thing.

What does a five star review mean to you? ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ From your hospitality customers it means that you’ve not only met their expectations but exceeded them. Satisfying, right? But what about YOUR expectations of five star service. What would that mean to you if, for instance, you had commissioned some photography of your hospitality business? 🤔 Obviously you would want to be delighted with the images, but how do you ensure that? If you collaborate with me, I'll bring loads of creative ideas, lots of technical knowhow and bags of professional equipment! 🎒🎒🎒 What I won’t bring is a need to be anywhere else. I won’t need to rush off to another job, so we can take our time to make sure everything is just so. So, whether your place is a one-bedroom holiday cottage or a multi bed hotel, my time is yours until you are 100% happy with the results. ✔️ If you think that your spaces would benefit from professional photography, then let’s chat. Head over to my LinkedIn company profile and click the MESSAGE button. I’d love to hear how I can help your business. 📞 Click on and FOLLOW OUR HASHTAG #HospitalityandLeisurePhotography for regular posts. #MarketingDigital #HospitalityIndustry #Hotels

So I asked to work with a stylist for more exposure and experience. However, they couldn't offer me a rate per day I felt made sense to me. I knew he had some work coming in but it was more editorials which doesn't pay. He said, at some point, big jobs will come in but for now he could only offer £20 per day. I had a decision to make. Bearing in mind I was assisting other stylists too (Another tip - assist more than one stylist at the same time) So, I accepted the £20 per day. But on the condition that when those big jobs come I will be paid extra. Few months down the line, those big jobs came. Back to back to back. I got paid well at the time for a few days work. (Check post) 👇🏾 Note* I still worked hard, was polite, never complained, and showed up on time each day. Learned, observed and literally assisted him whenever he needed me. Despite only getting £20 per day. That Is literally the definition of delayed gratification. The Takeaway for Aspiring Stylists: - Assist as many stylists as you can, they all work differently. - Be strategic in your endeavours. Can't work for free forever. - Your soft skills are just as important, if not more important than your hard skills. Styledbytyson.com Peace 💋🤘🏽

Why I Love Event Photography After graduating in 2020, I spent the next 3 years working remotely, behind my fuckin’ desk. While the experience and the colleagues I worked with were dope, I found myself missing the face to face connections that truly fuel my creativity. Then came a series of unexpected turns. After a year in an art director role, I was laid off. I pivoted, joined another company, and found myself in the same position a year later due to budget cuts. Tbh these setbacks were prob a blessing in disguise. It pushed me to fully embrace entrepreneurship and dive deep into what I now realize is my true passion…photographing live events. Transitioning from a corporate setting to capturing live moments was like breakin’ out of those shackles fr. It’s the complete opposite of being confined to a desk. Now im out here, building genuine relationships and trust with my clients, which is something I could never fully achieve behind a screen. Live event photography offers an experience that’s real af. It’s like being part of a high stakes game where every moment counts. I get to meet new people, travel, enjoy incredible food, and immerse myself in diverse worlds. I observe, understand behaviors, and capture moments that can’t be recreated..a challenge that keeps me sharp and adaptable. What I love most is the thrill of the unpredictable. Every event presents new objectives, new people, and new scenarios to navigate. It’s a constant challenge, and that’s what makes it exciting. At the end of the day, I’ve found a career that allows me to have real, live interactions, explore new places, and experience things I never imagined…And best of all, I’m my own boss. I set the rules, I earn my keep, and no one can take that away from me. Not anymore. #eventphotographer #eventphotography #entrepreneur #smallbusinessowner #onelovecreativellc #kenhamelphoto