So I was reading a book today that my good friend Jeff Jochum recommended called The Tipping Point and the author Malcolm Gladwell had a very interesting point. He talked about how after studying his circle of friends closely to figure out how they all became connected, he realized that it wasn't a circle of friends after all. It was a pyramid. At the top of the pyramid was his friend Jacob who was responsible for an overwhelming majority of relationships that he had in his life. He realized that not only was his social circle not a circle, but it was also not even "his". It was more of a club that his friend Jacob invited him into.

It's interesting to think that our world is brought together by actually a very small number of what Malcolm calls "connectors". Connectors are like skeleton keys that can open practically any door they wish. If you need a door opened, your first stop should be the house of a connector you've become friends with. If you don't know a connector in your industry, I recommend making a conscious effort to meet one very soon. Workshops, Conventions, and Industry parties/gatherings are all great places to meet connectors. People who are successful in what they do are either connectors themselves, or they are very good at staying close to other connectors. I love how Pictage, my lab/entire back office, is so involved in helping their clients connect with industry leaders and connectors. If you did not attend the Pictage Partner Conference this year, make sure you go next year. There was quite a collection of industry connectors in attendance.

Here is some technical info on the image above which I took at a recent fashion editorial shoot: Lens: 200mm 2.0 AF-S VR shot wide open
Camera: Nikon D2x set to Aperture Priority
Image quality: JPEG Fine - Optimal Quality
Focus mode: Dynamic Continuous
White Balance: Shade
Photoshop Enhancement: Changed to black and white using Kevin Kubota's "BW GM warm 1 + snappy" action in his Artistic Pak 1. I then used curves to brighten her face a bit.

Remember to set regular hours to work and even more regular hours to spend with your family! If your family life is healthy, your business life will succeed naturally.