May 26, 2025 • 35 mins
Ron Harvey welcomes Michael Woodland, owner of Essential Headshots, to explore how his military background shaped his leadership approach and entrepreneurial journey in professional photography.
• Military discipline and structure provided valuable foundation for business ownership
• Michael's father instilled the drive to be the best: "If your job is to tie shoes, be the best shoe tier out there"
• Reinvestment in self-education was crucial for developing photography expertise after military retirement
• Social capital and authentic relationships form the foundation of business success
• The military taught direct communication, which needed adjustment for civilian business interactions
• Active listening is Michael's "secret weapon" for connecting with clients and understanding their needs
• Trust is established through consistent delivery of quality, integrity, discipline, and respect
• Leaders must recognize their weaknesses while leveraging others' strengths for organizational success
• Authenticity matters more than following trends—leaders should "stick to what they know" while adapting
Contact Michael Woodland at 803-237-2536 or find Essential Headshots on social media as @esntlheadshots and at www.esntlheadshots.com
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Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to Unpacked Podcast with your host
leadership consultant, ronHarvey of GlobalCore Strategies
and Consulting.
Ron believes that leadership isthe fundamental driver towards
making a difference.
So now to find out more of whatit means to unpack leadership,
here's your host, ron Harvey.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Good morning.
This is Ron Harvey, the vicepresident and the Operating
Officer for GlobalCoreStrategies and Consulting.
We own a leadership firm,professional Leadership
Development, in Columbia, southCarolina.
If you're following the showand you've been following it you
know that's what we're basedout of.
We love what we do and ourentire business is about helping
leaders be better connected tothe people that actually run
(00:40):
their business and help them besuccessful and take care of
their clients and theircustomers and build the
relationships so they can besuccessful.
Our job is to make sure theleader is just as good as their
team is, and that's what wespend all of our time helping
you grow, helping you understand, helping you communicate, deal
with conflict, hire right.
You know, if you have totransition from people, how do
you transition in an effective,respectful way?
So we spend all of our timehelping you be really, really
(01:11):
good.
If you're in a leadership role,you can find us on LinkedIn and
you can always go to ourwebsite.
At the end of the day, we careabout making sure that you're
really effective as a leader.
But what I pause?
Every single Monday we releasean episode and it's called
Unpacked, with Ron Harvey, andthis episode, really, I invite
guests from around the world,all backgrounds, to talk about
the thing that we do, which isleadership, which we truly
believe as an organization, thatleaders do make or break
organizations break communitiesor schools or whatever you may
(01:34):
want to find it.
So I always love leaders comingon and having this conversation
.
I will tell you, every guestcomes on without any questions
in advance and we just have areal conversation with you.
So I'm super excited to haveMichael join us today.
I mean, he's nearby and closeby and does phenomenal work, but
I won't steal any thunder fromhim and I'll let him at this
time.
Come on on, mike, and welcometo the show, michael.
(01:54):
Love for you to introduceyourself to our audience and
then we'll dive into theconversation once you're done.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
All right.
Well, first of all, let me saythank you for having me on your
show and to everybody else.
My name is michael woodland.
I'm with essential headshotsand that's what we specialize in
headshot photography.
So a lot of times you see mewalking around the city.
When I walk up to introducemyself to people, if I'm feeling
silly or I just want to havefun with the conversation I
started off with like, hey, I'mcolumbia's best headshot
(02:21):
photographer, or I'm the bestheadshot photographer in the
midlands, you know, and it'sjust something to get the
conversation going, you know, tobreak the ice a little bit yes,
yes, I really appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
Man, thank you for being on and I bet you um, and
you're in columbia, you're doingthings and you're a business
owner and you're working hard.
You know work ethic and reallypleasant to work with and talk
to.
Every time I've met you it'sbeen a great conversation and
you got on a blue shirt.
So I really like you know,because I'm all blue, global
core blue, so I like the fact wedidn't even plan this y'all.
He got on a blue shirt, so hekind of wheeled me over already,
you know, normally, uh, when Iwalk around town I always wear a
(02:55):
white button-up shirt.
Speaker 3 (02:56):
So all my friends they always talk about, like
every time they see me, thewhite shirt is always like super
bright, extra crisp, and todayI was just like.
You know, it's kind of coldoutside, let me just wear blue,
that's what I'm talking about.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
I like it.
We all do a good start already.
I mean people say I can wearblue shirts more than any other
color.
So that's my company.
You know I wear blue, I loveblue, I'm the company logo and
all this stuff is blue.
So good to have you on, man.
I appreciate it.
As we go through the podcast.
You know you're running abusiness and you're doing
(03:30):
headshots.
You know we talk a lot aboutleadership.
We talk about business.
We really will end up whereverthe show allows us to go at.
But you've been in business andyou're here in Columbia when
you think about, like, how yougot to become an entrepreneur,
what were the things that madeyou decide, hey, I want to do
this and this is why I'm doingit.
What made you get into being abusiness entrepreneur?
Speaker 3 (03:51):
Well, for, me, it was just a challenge, something I
wanted to do, and I didn'trealize how much fun I was going
to have with photography untilI actually started doing it.
Because you know my whole life,right after high school, like a
year after high school, I wentinto the military.
I retired in 2017.
And because I bought a housewhen I was here in Columbia,
(04:14):
stationed at Fort Jackson, as adrill sergeant, I still had the
house, so I moved back here andthe endeavor it was like
overwhelming for me because whenI first got out, I was teaching
firearm safety because I wasinfantry and, you know, expert
in firearms and everything and Iwas traveling around the
(04:35):
country doing competition,shooting a sport called USPSA
yes, and what an organizationcalled USPSA.
And I had picked up a couplesponsors because I was pretty
good at it and one of mysponsors wanted me to do a
product review on some coffee.
I did a product review on thecoffee.
They fell in love with it, sothey asked me to take some
(04:56):
pictures and I was like, tooeasy.
I got all these cameras for theYouTube channel and that's when
I realized I didn't know how totake a picture.
From that moment I wentstraight to Midlands Tech and I
was like hey, when's your nextphotography class?
This was in October of 21,.
October, november of 21.
They said the class started inJanuary of 22.
(05:19):
So the class at Midlands Techwas from January to March and in
the class I didn't have no ideawhat type of photography I
wanted to do.
I just know, I just need toknow how to do photography, and
but it's a long story about howI got into it.
So I ended up starting abusiness April 1st of 22.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
Awesome Congratulations.
I love that you've had a careerbefore you got here and you got
out and things just showed upin front of you and you realized
that you needed to know how todo it.
If you're going to do it, youwant to learn how to do it right
.
How important is it for you, ifyou're going to be in business
or you're going to be a leader,to learn your craft as leaders
and you're a CEO, so I'll leaninto that piece of it.
(06:03):
How important is it for you tobe really good and go get the
training or the education?
How important was that to youand why did you?
What made you think that way?
Speaker 3 (06:15):
I think I was always cursed with wanting to be the
best you know, and then, ofcourse, anybody in the military.
You already know you can't belazy and the people that are
lazy are going to get tossed offto do the stuff nobody else
wants to do.
But the best is always going toshowcase what they've done.
And I think that was justsomething that was instilled
into me when I was young,because my dad always told me
(06:38):
hey, I don't care what youdecide to do in life, be the
best at it.
So if your job is to tie shoes,you better be the best at it.
So if your job is to tie shoes,you better be the best.
Two shot shoe tire out there.
You go carve potatoes youbetter be the best carver out
there, you know.
So that was always somethingthat that stood with me, because
you know, from that generationof my parents, it was always
(06:58):
hard work and that's what me andmy brother always seen was like
our parents doing hard work,especially like different people
in the community that wastrying to foster, you know,
whatever avenue they was doingfor positivity, and it was just
something that that stuck withme.
So for me I'm not too proud tosay I don't know how to do
something, but let me go figureit out.
(07:21):
And, um, even like when I tookthat photography class and
getting into headshots, I knew,okay, in order for this to
succeed for me, I have to do goabove and beyond.
But I have to demonstrate thatI am the best and that's just
time and repetition.
(07:42):
But you have to reinvest inyourself to even get to that.
You know that.
That focus point to beconsidered, that because even
when you look at sports athletesMichael Jordan, kobe Bryant how
much time did they have toreinvest into themselves to be
the best in the sport?
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
I love that you're dropping.
You know a thing that you knowyou do the headshots and you're
working really hard to be thebest at it.
You know.
So you have a high standard foryourself and always on this
podcast try to hear.
What is the question?
Based on what you're saying,what do I unpack for our
audience to really grow andgleam?
You know whether we use aphotographer, whether we're
(08:27):
using food.
You talked about investingyourself in time.
How important is it to havethat discipline, to invest in
yourself and invest the time tobe able to build up the skillset
.
What would you tell people thatare listening that are thinking
like how do I get here?
Because there's no shortcut,like really, there's really no
shortcut to get there.
There's this thing calledinvest in time.
How important is it?
(08:47):
What would you share withpeople that are listening about
how important that was andcontinue to be important to you?
Speaker 3 (08:53):
Well, it's the light.
I'm running to the light, right.
So that's the important factorto me is running to the light.
But the goal is you have to toset a goal and the goal.
You can't do it all in oneswoop, so you got to do a little
bit at a time and every littlebit that you do is going to make
(09:13):
that light a little bit closer.
Getting closer to that light,um, education and just different
perspectives.
So what's that old saying if youknow it all right, you're not a
student of the game anymore.
Wow, right.
So you, you have to read thebooks, you have to listen to
people, like if you ever noticed, like when I first met you, you
(09:37):
notice how I just sat there andI was just like listening to
you, and then everybody'slooking at me, all crazy, and I
was like, no, this dude, he hasthe, the golden ticket.
I want that golden ticket, youknow, because of you already
done the bumps and bruises ofeverything.
So you've met your goal, butyou're still pushing that limit
to go further.
So I want to get there and inorder for that to happen, I do
(10:00):
know I have to listen to peoplewho succeeded.
I have to try new things.
I have to take myself out of mycomfort zone even though it's
uncomfortable.
But I'm not scared of failureeither, you know.
But education is the.
I want to say as far as meetingmy goal limit, that probably 80
(10:23):
of it, the rest of it isinteraction with other people
and getting the education andtrying new things to perfect my
craft.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
Yeah, I love it, I love it, you.
You you mentioned meetingpeople and I call that, you know
, I call it social capital.
You know, if you've been aroundme long enough, you're in rooms
, you you know.
The one thing I really pushreally hard on there, michael,
is social capital, which I meanrelationships.
How important is it for leadersto have really healthy,
authentic relationships thatbenefit everybody that they're
(10:56):
in a relationship with?
How important has it played arole in your life having healthy
, productive relationships?
Speaker 3 (11:02):
Very important.
Very important Because youcan't do it by yourself, you
can't do nothing by.
Everything is off the thewording or the support of others
.
Um, just like, if you go to arestaurant out of town, right,
you're going to ask people, hey,what do you think about this
restaurant?
So word of mouth is alwaysgoing to be your number one
(11:23):
factor with all that.
But, um, just meeting peopleand getting them to trust
because that's the portion ofwhen you meet people is the
trust factor because, yeah, likewhen I first met you.
I was like, yeah, I dophotography.
And he was like, okay, I know alot of photographers, but I was
like, well, give me six monthsand I'm gonna show you something
(11:45):
different.
I didn't know where to go.
I was stumped right there, youknow, but but only because of I
knew I was doing somethingdifferent.
A lot of photographers in thearea you know, but now it's like
when people say my name or theyrecommend my company to people,
I'm already trusted andvalidated through a lot of
people, you know.
(12:11):
So I try to make the processseamless, as easy as anything.
Anybody can come in and get out.
But the thing is is when youtalk to somebody who came to me
already, that trust factor isalready put into place.
Speaker 2 (12:20):
Yes, yes, yes, I love it.
You know trust is a huge partof it, breaks or breaks just
about anything.
As you're listening to us,trust is huge for here.
Something else that you didwhen we met the first time and I
can remember the time we met atMiller's Tech and I was invited
in to just share, I mean, Ilove giving back to people
because it's a journey and ifyou're a couple of steps ahead
for everyone, that's listening.
(12:40):
Your goal is to help somebodyelse, like regardless of how
successful you are, so I lovegiving back and reaching out and
coming to those programs.
The one thing I reallyappreciated about when you
approached me is you receivefeedback.
How important is it for leadersto be able to receive feedback,
even if the person doesn'tdeliver it well or they're
negative when they do it?
How do you turn a negativecomment or something that
(13:00):
doesn't feel good and receive itwell so you can grow?
How do you get feedback?
Speaker 3 (13:12):
and make it effective .
Um well, let me, let me look atit from the standpoint of like.
When we were talking yes, right, and that night when you was
talking, you actually saidrelationships are the most
important factor of yourbusiness, because you can't step
into a room and then with thatnegative connotation going
against you that can ruin yourbusiness.
Technically, what you said isthe same thing my grandmother
(13:32):
said to me when I was youngerSit back, listen and then you
make your moves, you make yourapproach.
I was like, okay, that was veryimportant to me, moving forward
and the important factor ofeverything, like I said, it
(13:53):
always goes back to respect andactive listening.
Yes, same thing we did in themilitary, you know, because the
thing is in order for me tosolve your problem, I have to
listen to you to make it work.
Speaker 2 (14:09):
Yeah, yeah, I love it .
For leaders, leaders listeningis a key skill force when you
think about it, as you look atwhat you're doing in your
business and you're doingheadshots.
Help us understand, as anaudience, the value of the work
that you're doing to give peopleprofessional headshots, to help
(14:30):
them show up the way that theywant to show up to lead the
people they want to lead,because images are super
important.
Can you connect the headshotsto leadership?
Speaker 3 (14:39):
Yes, the connection is in order to be a leader, you
want to be relatable, you wantto go ahead and give off a
genuine you know, realistictrait characteristic with that
picture right.
And the only way I can do thatis through conversation and the
interaction I have with you.
So if you come in like I tellpeople I'm not going to do the
(15:02):
military shot for you becausethat's not going to work in
business, yeah, we don't evenfollow the military.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
But those of you that don't have a military
background, you don't smile onany photos.
You probably never get promotedif they catch you smiling on
the smile in the military.
But those of you that don'thave a military background, you
don't smile on any photos.
You probably never get promotedif they catch you smiling on a
photo of the military.
Everything is like very stoic.
Speaker 3 (15:19):
Yeah, it's like you're stone-faced the whole
time I had to wear a hat.
Speaker 2 (15:22):
Smile when I came out of uniform.
Speaker 3 (15:25):
But I tell everybody that because some people come in
and like, I like the seriouslooks and I was like, okay, so
what do you do for work?
Oh, if you want clients to cometo you, you need to be a little
bit more approachable.
Right, a smile is the easiestway to get somebody to approach
you.
You know so and of course, youknow the whole coaching of it is
(15:46):
one aspect.
But for me, coming out of themilitary and then reading all
these psychology books and howto do this and how to coach this
and how to train that, it'sdifferent.
Because you know, in themilitary, you know we're
straight, hey, a, b, c, go.
You know.
But now I gotta be like, oh,okay, look, um, let's try this,
yeah.
(16:06):
And then I gotta say somethinglike silly to get a reaction out
of.
Then, once the fun starts, it'seasy after that.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
Yeah, wow.
So so what's the major likewhen you kicked off, you
introduce yourself and you talkabout so, for those you know
listening, you're talking to aformer drill sergeant.
I was never a drill sergeant,but everybody has a story of
their drill sergeant.
Just talk to anybody in themilitary.
They've.
They've never seen a drillsergeant smile.
They've never seen him be silly.
And if you got caught smilingby the drill, sorry, there was a
(16:34):
problem.
So how did you make the shift?
Because there's this thing thatyou live up to, because it's
your job and it's your role andit's important.
But how did you make the shiftfrom being this correct and
direct?
Speaker 3 (16:52):
Everything's a matter of fact to, to shift into.
I need to be more approachable.
What was that shift for you?
It was always easy for mebecause I was silly.
When I was a kid, I was a classclown and I was just naturally
silly, but I like to have fun.
When I went to the military, Iknew how to turn it off and on,
because once you get in troubleso much for being silly you know
when to be serious with it.
That's how it worked for me.
(17:12):
So I just took that same youknow characteristic that I
learned from my younger years,applied it to the military and
then, you know, like I said, Icould turn my facial expressions
off and on.
I could get serious in the mindof a dom.
You know, and that's just fromthe military in general.
Of course, it took a long timefor me to reverse that when I
(17:33):
got out of the military, becauseI was so in tune to being like
hey, being so direct, and havechanged the way I talk and
everything else.
But it was just, once again, itwas a time factor, but I had to
reconnect.
So when I first started mybusiness, it was hard for me
because I'm still thinking themilitary way.
(17:56):
But once I got around peopleand I understand like whoa, why
are they talking to each otherlike that?
No, hold on, I'm not in themilitary, no more.
Yeah, so, hey, let's go tolunch a few moments that we can
talk and just talk about this.
Military is like hey, come tomy office nine o'clock, don't be
late.
901.
You late, you know so, butthat's, that's how I actually
(18:22):
ended up.
You know doing it.
It's just I literally had tostudy everybody around me as far
as business goes, and I'mlooking at how people are
interacting.
So I have to reprogram myselfbecause you've done something
for over 20 years.
It's now a factor of your life.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
I love it, Leaders reprogramming based on the need
and what environment you findyourself in.
Michael's been real polite.
He's been nice.
He said 901, you're late.
No, let's be real, Michael 901,.
Speaker 3 (18:57):
You're late.
No, let's be real.
Michael 9-1, you get the tablesthrown at you.
Speaker 2 (19:01):
If you show up at 9 o'clock, you're late, it's 15
minutes early.
The military has a whole othermindset.
I'm thankful for it.
I served 21 years and trulymade me grow up and mature and
learn a lot.
You also had to ship there's arequirement years and truly made
me, you know, grow up andmature and learn a lot, you know
.
But you also had to shift.
You know.
So there's a requirement forwhen you're in uniform how that
looks, you know.
So nine o'clock you are alreadylate.
(19:21):
You know you hurry up and wait,get there 15 minutes early, and
if you're early you're neverlate.
So the military taught you that.
Then you have to learn how tofigure to make that shift so you
don't lose the audience thatyou're trying to make.
So what is it about us asleaders?
As you grow and you mature andyou go from organization or
department to department oryou're dealing with five
generations in the workforcewhat do you need to bring, as a
leader, to the table to make theconnection with the people
(19:43):
you're responsible for orresponsible to?
And it's never a one singleapproach, ever.
So if you think that how youshow up is the way that you're
going to always show up and theyjust better adjust to you.
That command and controlmentality across the is over and
we got to figure out a way toconnect with these people that
we're responsible for.
So, if you're listening, justask the people around you what
(20:03):
they need from you and the bestway to be a good leader for them
.
I shift a little bit as you, asyou think about mentoring and
your growth and you're inbusiness.
Mentoring and your growth andyou're in business how important
has mentoring been for you?
You know, as an entrepreneur oreven in your days of just
grooming yourself and growing asa leader, how important, what
role did mentoring play?
Speaker 3 (20:23):
oh man, that was the biggest factor when I started my
business because, you know,mentoring in the military is
totally different, because theprevious leaders, who were
privates, now are the leaders.
They are telling you what to doto make your career advance.
Business is totally differentbecause, when I talk to you,
(20:48):
your vision of photography isdifferent from my vision of
photography because I I'm doingit a little bit more.
You know, hands on, but how youlook at it, you're going to
talk about it from yourleadership perspective and how
it could possibly help you.
Different people in the city,like the mayor I love talking to
(21:11):
him because every time I talkto him it's a fresh perspective
and obviously I know he doesn'tget behind the camera, start
pushing the button, but the wayhe talks and he like takes a
chunk out of his leadershipstyle and gives it to you.
(21:32):
So it's just like.
Anything else is, when somebodytalks to you, you're gonna put
whatever resonates with you inyour kit bag.
The rest of it you might justsit it and come back to it later
.
Yeah, you know so, likewhenever, like I'm gonna keep it
real.
When I was younger, I used totalk to the winos when I was a
(21:53):
kid.
Yeah, my brother used to alwaysget on me about that and my
brother's younger than me, likewhy are you always talking to
the winos?
And I was like yo man, likethey could have been a genius
and it's just.
Whatever turn in their lifemade it.
So I talked to anybody, Ilistened to anybody, but I just
have this, this thing wherepeople talk to me, I take
(22:15):
whatever they say and I keepwhatever resonates with me.
The rest of it are you put iton the back burner or I just
come back and visit it later yes, yes, I love that, because
everyone has a story, everybodyhas something that that's a
value as you listen.
Speaker 2 (22:29):
so, leaders, everybody in your team has
something to say and you'll beamazed how much you can learn if
you just listen.
Yes, what was for you as aleader?
Speaker 3 (22:42):
and it can you know what's the biggest challenge
you've ever faced as a leaderand how?
Speaker 2 (22:46):
did you overcome it?
Ooh, military or photography,either, or I'm okay, I mean now,
being that you're in businessand you're making that
transition already.
I would probably say what wouldbe helpful for the audience is
your current life, as you lookat where you are now, who you
are now and the people thatlisten to us.
What's been the biggestchallenge you faced in the last
three years that you had toovercome, and how did you do it?
Speaker 3 (23:06):
Selling myself to the public that was very difficult
for me because that was verydifficult for me, because the
shift for me was somebody alwaystold me okay, you need to make
this happen.
Yes, put the plan together, getin front of people, okay, this
is what we're going to do, allright.
(23:27):
And then we execute, make itwork.
Selling myself, now I have toconvince you like, hey, this is
what I do and why you shouldcome to me.
So it was like a double-edgedsword, because if I say the
wrong thing or if I talk to younervously, I don't look you in
the eye.
I just lost a potential client.
(23:49):
So that was the hardest thingfor me you know.
Speaker 2 (23:59):
So that was the hardest thing for me, but, um,
and I think, what do you?
What do you manage to do?
I mean, thank you to be atransparent, because that's what
the show is really about,because sometimes people will
see people that have abackground of being successful
or, on out appearance, with allthe social media, people think
everything's true and it's not,but sometimes we make it look
easier than it was.
How did you manage to overcomethat and are you still working
on it?
Speaker 3 (24:17):
Yeah, I'm still working on it.
The only thing I can really sayis how I overcame it was just
talking to people, but Ilistened more than I talked, and
that's probably one of mysecrets that I have.
I'll say something, but I'lljust get enough to get the
(24:37):
conversation going.
Now I'm listening to you, I'mlistening for keywords, I'm
watching your body language andthen as soon as I realize like,
oh, this is what you really,okay, that's too easy.
Now I know how to talk to youand make it a little bit easier
for me, know how to talk to youand make it a little bit easier
for me, but the whole act oflistening, that's probably 98%
(24:59):
of it for me.
Speaker 2 (25:02):
Well, it's not a secret anymore because you can
put it on this podcast and we'regoing to broadcast your secret.
Speaker 3 (25:06):
Hey, that's it.
I just got to come up with anew one.
I just got to come up with anew one now.
Hey, we're going to let thatcat out of the bag he's going to
get you started.
Speaker 2 (25:17):
He's going to be quiet.
He's taking notes.
Speaker 3 (25:20):
So I do a hand-in-arm signal when I talk to people.
Speaker 2 (25:24):
So now you got it public.
Now, michael, I'm going to bequiet and listen to you now.
So when you think about youknow you're in business, you're
an entrepreneur I want to leaninto, as people are listening
and people watch from all over.
If someone can help you buildyour business to what you want
it to be, what would be theideal thing you would need from
(25:47):
the community, or from peoplethat are watching and listening,
for you to really grow yourbusiness?
What is it that will turn thecorner for you to really elevate
it at the level that you dreamof it being?
Speaker 3 (26:01):
Well, capital will always be the number one
resource you need to makeeverything happen the way you
need it to happen, but obviouslyyou're going to have to have
more people come through thedoor to spend more money and
it's just getting getting thatrecognition of who you are, what
(26:23):
you do and why you do it.
And then, of course, I'vealways said for what I do, there
is no business.
That should not be able to usea form of photography in some
type of way.
Speaker 2 (26:37):
Yes.
Yes so to toot your horn here.
I know you're pretty humble andthat's great, but I also tell
leaders that humble is gooduntil it makes you invisible.
So you kind of toot your hornhere and got it from the
military to teach us that too,as well.
Be very humble and leteverybody else say it You're in
business.
I would love for you to tell uswhat makes your business
(26:58):
different.
I want you to highlightyourself.
What are the things that makeit we should do business with
your organization, versus if Iwas running a business and you
and I were in the same industry,what are you bringing to the
table that says, hey, these arethe top three reasons why we
would be a great partner for youto ensure you get the best
headshots possible.
Speaker 3 (27:19):
OK, yeah, well, I know I bring loyalty to the
table, so I look at myself aspart like the bartender, like
how everybody spilled theirbeans to the bartender.
Speaker 2 (27:33):
Yes, they tell everything.
Speaker 3 (27:34):
So a lot of people spill their beans with me in
there, meaning when they end thesession with me.
I never disclose what I talkabout with anybody.
Integrity, I'm going to tellyou exactly what you're going to
get, how you're going to get it.
I don't hide behind a bush oranything like that Discipline.
(27:56):
I follow a strict format andthat format is in place to
protect you and me both.
Format is in place to protectyou and me both.
You know, because if you comein and you start trying to take
over, I lost control.
Now it's not going to be whatit should be.
You know, um, selfless service,you know so.
(28:17):
I'm always I put the clientbefore me because in order for
you to get what you need, Iunderstand, understand, I have
to bend.
So I don't have a problem withthat Honor.
I'm going to respect everybodythat comes through the door,
regardless of what your viewsare or how you look at me,
because if you came to me, therewas a reason you came to me, so
(28:39):
I'm not going to entertain anynonsense.
You know anything like that and, as personal courage, I wake up
every day telling myself I'mgoing to be the best today.
So, of course, when you come in, that's what you're going to
get.
You're always going to get mybest whenever we do any type of
interactions with each other.
Speaker 2 (29:00):
Yeah, I know you said three, but that was like six,
yeah, I appreciate it.
Thank you for sharing you know,because, as people are looking
forward, everybody has choices,whether your business or my
business, people have choices.
And how do you put your bestfoot?
If you're listening, peoplehave a choice.
If you're their leader, you canget promoted.
But don't mean people followyou Right.
What is it that you're bringingthat will encourage and people
(29:23):
want you to be their leader?
Or people want you to be a goodbusiness partner, or people
want to bring you in to do thework that they do leadership
development, or bring Michael infor headshots.
What is it that you do thatattracts people to us?
And I will tell you that'ssuper important for all of us to
answer every single day, andthe world is changing fast.
So, if you're listening fromthe lens of an entrepreneur, or
(29:43):
if you're listening from being aleader in corporate America, or
if you're listening from fromrunning a spiritual organization
or a nonprofit, what is it thatyou show up as a leader that
people literally say they wantyou to be their leader, and what
is that about?
And I think that's important forall of you that are listening
to our show today, as Michael istalking about him as an
entrepreneur.
You know how does he get peoplein the door.
(30:04):
So he gave you six things thathe's guaranteed to deliver every
single time.
I want to shift a little bitfor you as you think about
leadership, and there's a bigvacuum right now where we're
making sure that leadership issolid.
What do you think the mostcurrent challenges that leaders
are having in today's society?
What's the biggest challengesyou see that people are having
(30:26):
when it comes to leadership?
Speaker 3 (30:30):
Everybody's well, not everybody.
What I've noticed in this area,some people are trying too hard
to blend in instead of stickingto what they know and what
works for them.
Everybody's trying to do thelatest and greatest.
Instead of whatever formulaworks for you, stick with that.
(30:54):
Add one or two things to see ifit works.
If it doesn't cut sling load,Go to something else.
Speaker 2 (31:02):
Yeah, love it, love it.
Stick to you.
There's only one you.
So you know, be authentic andbe true to yourself, right?
Is there anything that thatthat you want to share?
You know we'll get ready to uhto, to wrap it up for everyone
that's listening Um, so we'llcome to to talking about your
business and how people reachyou, and you know what's the
best way to get in touch and dobusiness with you.
(31:22):
Is there anything that?
Speaker 3 (31:30):
that what's the best way to get in touch and do
business with you?
Is there anything that you wantto share around leadership that
I haven't asked already?
Well, I would say the one thingthat a leader is, even though
you're in the forefront, likeyou're amongst everybody.
But just because you're the onein front doesn't mean you know
everything that's going on.
So I don't know if I alluded tothis earlier or not.
Understand your weaknesses as aleader, but pull off of
(31:54):
somebody else's positive.
That will eventually make youlook good as a leader, but it's
a win-win for everybody and theorganization as a whole.
Speaker 2 (32:04):
Yes, yes, I've never met the person that know it all,
and if I do, I'm probably goingto find some other people to
hang around.
Yeah, exactly.
You know everything means Idon't know anything, and I'm not
going to feel good about that.
That's true.
I need to have some value.
So I don't want to be aroundeverybody that's super smart,
and I want to be around somepeople that know some stuff, but
(32:24):
I don't want them to knoweverything.
I need to be able to add somevalue to that relationship as
well.
So, michael, I want to be ableto make sure people know how to
reach you.
So what's the best way forpeople, regardless of where
they're finding this podcast allover?
What's the best way for peopleto reach you?
Speaker 3 (32:51):
The best way you can reach me is give me a call at
803-237-2536 or um.
I'm on social media facebook,instagram and linkedin.
Under I mean at esntl headshotsall together.
So esntl is the abbreviationfor essential, so anytime you
hear me say this, essentialheadshots.
But go to that social media,handle ESNTL headshots
(33:15):
altogether, or just visit me onthe website wwwesntlheadshotscom
.
Speaker 2 (33:24):
Awesome, awesome, love it, thank you.
Thank you so much.
And for everyone that'slistening, you know you're.
You're specifically focusing onpeople that do headshots.
That's, that's your sweet spot.
Speaker 3 (33:34):
Yes, that's my niche yeah.
Speaker 2 (33:35):
That's what he's doing, so so if you're looking
for videographers and all thatstuff, he is strictly in the
space of headshots and everyyear, if you're a speaker or if
you're out and you're trying toput stuff on, everybody's asking
for headshots.
I get more every time I getinvited.
The first thing they ask for isa bio and a headshot.
So, yes, yeah, you can use itand you can use it on all of
your boards.
So if you need headshots, Iwill tell you that.
(33:57):
Please reach out to Mike.
He's giving his information ofhow to reach him.
Thank you for tuning in with usand hanging in, as we we always
guarantee that we're going tokeep it really, really sweet.
We're going to help youunderstand leadership.
Again.
Ron Harvey, unpacked with RonHarvey podcast released every
single Monday.
Have leaders from around theworld love to have you as a
guest, but would also love tohave you as someone that's
(34:18):
listening and supporting thepodcast.
You can always find us on ourwebsite at wwwgcsconsulting and
you can always find me onLinkedIn.
Easy to find me.
Those are the two platforms.
Our website or LinkedIn is theprimary sources of communication
for us.
Love to talk to you, love foryou to leverage our services,
everything, leadership, helpingyou be great and until next time
(34:39):
, michael and I are going tosign off and wish you a
phenomenal week.
Thank you all for joining usand looking forward to you
joining us on another episode ofUnpacked with Ron Harvey.
Speaker 1 (34:51):
Well, we hope you enjoyed this edition of Unpacked
Podcast with leadershipconsultant Ron Harvey.
Remember to join us everyMonday as Ron unpacks sound
advice, providing real answersfor real leadership challenges.
Until next time, remember toadd value and make a difference
where you are, for the peopleyou serve, because people always
(35:12):
matter.
Welcome to Unpacked Podcast with your host
leadership consultant, ronHarvey of GlobalCore Strategies
and Consulting.
Ron believes that leadership isthe fundamental driver towards
making a difference.
So now to find out more of whatit means to unpack leadership,
here's your host, ron Harvey.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Good morning.
This is Ron Harvey, the vicepresident and the Operating
Officer for GlobalCoreStrategies and Consulting.
We own a leadership firm,professional Leadership
Development, in Columbia, southCarolina.
If you're following the showand you've been following it you
know that's what we're basedout of.
We love what we do and ourentire business is about helping
leaders be better connected tothe people that actually run
(00:40):
their business and help them besuccessful and take care of
their clients and theircustomers and build the
relationships so they can besuccessful.
Our job is to make sure theleader is just as good as their
team is, and that's what wespend all of our time helping
you grow, helping you understand, helping you communicate, deal
with conflict, hire right.
You know, if you have totransition from people, how do
you transition in an effective,respectful way?
So we spend all of our timehelping you be really, really
(01:11):
good.
If you're in a leadership role,you can find us on LinkedIn and
you can always go to ourwebsite.
At the end of the day, we careabout making sure that you're
really effective as a leader.
But what I pause?
Every single Monday we releasean episode and it's called
Unpacked, with Ron Harvey, andthis episode, really, I invite
guests from around the world,all backgrounds, to talk about
the thing that we do, which isleadership, which we truly
believe as an organization, thatleaders do make or break
organizations break communitiesor schools or whatever you may
(01:34):
want to find it.
So I always love leaders comingon and having this conversation
.
I will tell you, every guestcomes on without any questions
in advance and we just have areal conversation with you.
So I'm super excited to haveMichael join us today.
I mean, he's nearby and closeby and does phenomenal work, but
I won't steal any thunder fromhim and I'll let him at this
time.
Come on on, mike, and welcometo the show, michael.
(01:54):
Love for you to introduceyourself to our audience and
then we'll dive into theconversation once you're done.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
All right.
Well, first of all, let me saythank you for having me on your
show and to everybody else.
My name is michael woodland.
I'm with essential headshotsand that's what we specialize in
headshot photography.
So a lot of times you see mewalking around the city.
When I walk up to introducemyself to people, if I'm feeling
silly or I just want to havefun with the conversation I
started off with like, hey, I'mcolumbia's best headshot
(02:21):
photographer, or I'm the bestheadshot photographer in the
midlands, you know, and it'sjust something to get the
conversation going, you know, tobreak the ice a little bit yes,
yes, I really appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
Man, thank you for being on and I bet you um, and
you're in columbia, you're doingthings and you're a business
owner and you're working hard.
You know work ethic and reallypleasant to work with and talk
to.
Every time I've met you it'sbeen a great conversation and
you got on a blue shirt.
So I really like you know,because I'm all blue, global
core blue, so I like the fact wedidn't even plan this y'all.
He got on a blue shirt, so hekind of wheeled me over already,
you know, normally, uh, when Iwalk around town I always wear a
(02:55):
white button-up shirt.
Speaker 3 (02:56):
So all my friends they always talk about, like
every time they see me, thewhite shirt is always like super
bright, extra crisp, and todayI was just like.
You know, it's kind of coldoutside, let me just wear blue,
that's what I'm talking about.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
I like it.
We all do a good start already.
I mean people say I can wearblue shirts more than any other
color.
So that's my company.
You know I wear blue, I loveblue, I'm the company logo and
all this stuff is blue.
So good to have you on, man.
I appreciate it.
As we go through the podcast.
You know you're running abusiness and you're doing
(03:30):
headshots.
You know we talk a lot aboutleadership.
We talk about business.
We really will end up whereverthe show allows us to go at.
But you've been in business andyou're here in Columbia when
you think about, like, how yougot to become an entrepreneur,
what were the things that madeyou decide, hey, I want to do
this and this is why I'm doingit.
What made you get into being abusiness entrepreneur?
Speaker 3 (03:51):
Well, for, me, it was just a challenge, something I
wanted to do, and I didn'trealize how much fun I was going
to have with photography untilI actually started doing it.
Because you know my whole life,right after high school, like a
year after high school, I wentinto the military.
I retired in 2017.
And because I bought a housewhen I was here in Columbia,
(04:14):
stationed at Fort Jackson, as adrill sergeant, I still had the
house, so I moved back here andthe endeavor it was like
overwhelming for me because whenI first got out, I was teaching
firearm safety because I wasinfantry and, you know, expert
in firearms and everything and Iwas traveling around the
(04:35):
country doing competition,shooting a sport called USPSA
yes, and what an organizationcalled USPSA.
And I had picked up a couplesponsors because I was pretty
good at it and one of mysponsors wanted me to do a
product review on some coffee.
I did a product review on thecoffee.
They fell in love with it, sothey asked me to take some
(04:56):
pictures and I was like, tooeasy.
I got all these cameras for theYouTube channel and that's when
I realized I didn't know how totake a picture.
From that moment I wentstraight to Midlands Tech and I
was like hey, when's your nextphotography class?
This was in October of 21,.
October, november of 21.
They said the class started inJanuary of 22.
(05:19):
So the class at Midlands Techwas from January to March and in
the class I didn't have no ideawhat type of photography I
wanted to do.
I just know, I just need toknow how to do photography, and
but it's a long story about howI got into it.
So I ended up starting abusiness April 1st of 22.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
Awesome Congratulations.
I love that you've had a careerbefore you got here and you got
out and things just showed upin front of you and you realized
that you needed to know how todo it.
If you're going to do it, youwant to learn how to do it right
.
How important is it for you, ifyou're going to be in business
or you're going to be a leader,to learn your craft as leaders
and you're a CEO, so I'll leaninto that piece of it.
(06:03):
How important is it for you tobe really good and go get the
training or the education?
How important was that to youand why did you?
What made you think that way?
Speaker 3 (06:15):
I think I was always cursed with wanting to be the
best you know, and then, ofcourse, anybody in the military.
You already know you can't belazy and the people that are
lazy are going to get tossed offto do the stuff nobody else
wants to do.
But the best is always going toshowcase what they've done.
And I think that was justsomething that was instilled
into me when I was young,because my dad always told me
(06:38):
hey, I don't care what youdecide to do in life, be the
best at it.
So if your job is to tie shoes,you better be the best at it.
So if your job is to tie shoes,you better be the best.
Two shot shoe tire out there.
You go carve potatoes youbetter be the best carver out
there, you know.
So that was always somethingthat that stood with me, because
you know, from that generationof my parents, it was always
(06:58):
hard work and that's what me andmy brother always seen was like
our parents doing hard work,especially like different people
in the community that wastrying to foster, you know,
whatever avenue they was doingfor positivity, and it was just
something that that stuck withme.
So for me I'm not too proud tosay I don't know how to do
something, but let me go figureit out.
(07:21):
And, um, even like when I tookthat photography class and
getting into headshots, I knew,okay, in order for this to
succeed for me, I have to do goabove and beyond.
But I have to demonstrate thatI am the best and that's just
time and repetition.
(07:42):
But you have to reinvest inyourself to even get to that.
You know that.
That focus point to beconsidered, that because even
when you look at sports athletesMichael Jordan, kobe Bryant how
much time did they have toreinvest into themselves to be
the best in the sport?
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
I love that you're dropping.
You know a thing that you knowyou do the headshots and you're
working really hard to be thebest at it.
You know.
So you have a high standard foryourself and always on this
podcast try to hear.
What is the question?
Based on what you're saying,what do I unpack for our
audience to really grow andgleam?
You know whether we use aphotographer, whether we're
(08:27):
using food.
You talked about investingyourself in time.
How important is it to havethat discipline, to invest in
yourself and invest the time tobe able to build up the skillset
.
What would you tell people thatare listening that are thinking
like how do I get here?
Because there's no shortcut,like really, there's really no
shortcut to get there.
There's this thing calledinvest in time.
How important is it?
(08:47):
What would you share withpeople that are listening about
how important that was andcontinue to be important to you?
Speaker 3 (08:53):
Well, it's the light.
I'm running to the light, right.
So that's the important factorto me is running to the light.
But the goal is you have to toset a goal and the goal.
You can't do it all in oneswoop, so you got to do a little
bit at a time and every littlebit that you do is going to make
(09:13):
that light a little bit closer.
Getting closer to that light,um, education and just different
perspectives.
So what's that old saying if youknow it all right, you're not a
student of the game anymore.
Wow, right.
So you, you have to read thebooks, you have to listen to
people, like if you ever noticed, like when I first met you, you
(09:37):
notice how I just sat there andI was just like listening to
you, and then everybody'slooking at me, all crazy, and I
was like, no, this dude, he hasthe, the golden ticket.
I want that golden ticket, youknow, because of you already
done the bumps and bruises ofeverything.
So you've met your goal, butyou're still pushing that limit
to go further.
So I want to get there and inorder for that to happen, I do
(10:00):
know I have to listen to peoplewho succeeded.
I have to try new things.
I have to take myself out of mycomfort zone even though it's
uncomfortable.
But I'm not scared of failureeither, you know.
But education is the.
I want to say as far as meetingmy goal limit, that probably 80
(10:23):
of it, the rest of it isinteraction with other people
and getting the education andtrying new things to perfect my
craft.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
Yeah, I love it, I love it, you.
You you mentioned meetingpeople and I call that, you know
, I call it social capital.
You know, if you've been aroundme long enough, you're in rooms
, you you know.
The one thing I really pushreally hard on there, michael,
is social capital, which I meanrelationships.
How important is it for leadersto have really healthy,
authentic relationships thatbenefit everybody that they're
(10:56):
in a relationship with?
How important has it played arole in your life having healthy
, productive relationships?
Speaker 3 (11:02):
Very important.
Very important Because youcan't do it by yourself, you
can't do nothing by.
Everything is off the thewording or the support of others
.
Um, just like, if you go to arestaurant out of town, right,
you're going to ask people, hey,what do you think about this
restaurant?
So word of mouth is alwaysgoing to be your number one
(11:23):
factor with all that.
But, um, just meeting peopleand getting them to trust
because that's the portion ofwhen you meet people is the
trust factor because, yeah, likewhen I first met you.
I was like, yeah, I dophotography.
And he was like, okay, I know alot of photographers, but I was
like, well, give me six monthsand I'm gonna show you something
(11:45):
different.
I didn't know where to go.
I was stumped right there, youknow, but but only because of I
knew I was doing somethingdifferent.
A lot of photographers in thearea you know, but now it's like
when people say my name or theyrecommend my company to people,
I'm already trusted andvalidated through a lot of
people, you know.
(12:11):
So I try to make the processseamless, as easy as anything.
Anybody can come in and get out.
But the thing is is when youtalk to somebody who came to me
already, that trust factor isalready put into place.
Speaker 2 (12:20):
Yes, yes, yes, I love it.
You know trust is a huge partof it, breaks or breaks just
about anything.
As you're listening to us,trust is huge for here.
Something else that you didwhen we met the first time and I
can remember the time we met atMiller's Tech and I was invited
in to just share, I mean, Ilove giving back to people
because it's a journey and ifyou're a couple of steps ahead
for everyone, that's listening.
(12:40):
Your goal is to help somebodyelse, like regardless of how
successful you are, so I lovegiving back and reaching out and
coming to those programs.
The one thing I reallyappreciated about when you
approached me is you receivefeedback.
How important is it for leadersto be able to receive feedback,
even if the person doesn'tdeliver it well or they're
negative when they do it?
How do you turn a negativecomment or something that
(13:00):
doesn't feel good and receive itwell so you can grow?
How do you get feedback?
Speaker 3 (13:12):
and make it effective .
Um well, let me, let me look atit from the standpoint of like.
When we were talking yes, right, and that night when you was
talking, you actually saidrelationships are the most
important factor of yourbusiness, because you can't step
into a room and then with thatnegative connotation going
against you that can ruin yourbusiness.
Technically, what you said isthe same thing my grandmother
(13:32):
said to me when I was youngerSit back, listen and then you
make your moves, you make yourapproach.
I was like, okay, that was veryimportant to me, moving forward
and the important factor ofeverything, like I said, it
(13:53):
always goes back to respect andactive listening.
Yes, same thing we did in themilitary, you know, because the
thing is in order for me tosolve your problem, I have to
listen to you to make it work.
Speaker 2 (14:09):
Yeah, yeah, I love it .
For leaders, leaders listeningis a key skill force when you
think about it, as you look atwhat you're doing in your
business and you're doingheadshots.
Help us understand, as anaudience, the value of the work
that you're doing to give peopleprofessional headshots, to help
(14:30):
them show up the way that theywant to show up to lead the
people they want to lead,because images are super
important.
Can you connect the headshotsto leadership?
Speaker 3 (14:39):
Yes, the connection is in order to be a leader, you
want to be relatable, you wantto go ahead and give off a
genuine you know, realistictrait characteristic with that
picture right.
And the only way I can do thatis through conversation and the
interaction I have with you.
So if you come in like I tellpeople I'm not going to do the
(15:02):
military shot for you becausethat's not going to work in
business, yeah, we don't evenfollow the military.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
But those of you that don't have a military
background, you don't smile onany photos.
You probably never get promotedif they catch you smiling on
the smile in the military.
But those of you that don'thave a military background, you
don't smile on any photos.
You probably never get promotedif they catch you smiling on a
photo of the military.
Everything is like very stoic.
Speaker 3 (15:19):
Yeah, it's like you're stone-faced the whole
time I had to wear a hat.
Speaker 2 (15:22):
Smile when I came out of uniform.
Speaker 3 (15:25):
But I tell everybody that because some people come in
and like, I like the seriouslooks and I was like, okay, so
what do you do for work?
Oh, if you want clients to cometo you, you need to be a little
bit more approachable.
Right, a smile is the easiestway to get somebody to approach
you.
You know so and of course, youknow the whole coaching of it is
(15:46):
one aspect.
But for me, coming out of themilitary and then reading all
these psychology books and howto do this and how to coach this
and how to train that, it'sdifferent.
Because you know, in themilitary, you know we're
straight, hey, a, b, c, go.
You know.
But now I gotta be like, oh,okay, look, um, let's try this,
yeah.
(16:06):
And then I gotta say somethinglike silly to get a reaction out
of.
Then, once the fun starts, it'seasy after that.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
Yeah, wow.
So so what's the major likewhen you kicked off, you
introduce yourself and you talkabout so, for those you know
listening, you're talking to aformer drill sergeant.
I was never a drill sergeant,but everybody has a story of
their drill sergeant.
Just talk to anybody in themilitary.
They've.
They've never seen a drillsergeant smile.
They've never seen him be silly.
And if you got caught smilingby the drill, sorry, there was a
(16:34):
problem.
So how did you make the shift?
Because there's this thing thatyou live up to, because it's
your job and it's your role andit's important.
But how did you make the shiftfrom being this correct and
direct?
Speaker 3 (16:52):
Everything's a matter of fact to, to shift into.
I need to be more approachable.
What was that shift for you?
It was always easy for mebecause I was silly.
When I was a kid, I was a classclown and I was just naturally
silly, but I like to have fun.
When I went to the military, Iknew how to turn it off and on,
because once you get in troubleso much for being silly you know
when to be serious with it.
That's how it worked for me.
(17:12):
So I just took that same youknow characteristic that I
learned from my younger years,applied it to the military and
then, you know, like I said, Icould turn my facial expressions
off and on.
I could get serious in the mindof a dom.
You know, and that's just fromthe military in general.
Of course, it took a long timefor me to reverse that when I
(17:33):
got out of the military, becauseI was so in tune to being like
hey, being so direct, and havechanged the way I talk and
everything else.
But it was just, once again, itwas a time factor, but I had to
reconnect.
So when I first started mybusiness, it was hard for me
because I'm still thinking themilitary way.
(17:56):
But once I got around peopleand I understand like whoa, why
are they talking to each otherlike that?
No, hold on, I'm not in themilitary, no more.
Yeah, so, hey, let's go tolunch a few moments that we can
talk and just talk about this.
Military is like hey, come tomy office nine o'clock, don't be
late.
901.
You late, you know so, butthat's, that's how I actually
(18:22):
ended up.
You know doing it.
It's just I literally had tostudy everybody around me as far
as business goes, and I'mlooking at how people are
interacting.
So I have to reprogram myselfbecause you've done something
for over 20 years.
It's now a factor of your life.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
I love it, Leaders reprogramming based on the need
and what environment you findyourself in.
Michael's been real polite.
He's been nice.
He said 901, you're late.
No, let's be real, Michael 901,.
Speaker 3 (18:57):
You're late.
No, let's be real.
Michael 9-1, you get the tablesthrown at you.
Speaker 2 (19:01):
If you show up at 9 o'clock, you're late, it's 15
minutes early.
The military has a whole othermindset.
I'm thankful for it.
I served 21 years and trulymade me grow up and mature and
learn a lot.
You also had to ship there's arequirement years and truly made
me, you know, grow up andmature and learn a lot, you know
.
But you also had to shift.
You know.
So there's a requirement forwhen you're in uniform how that
looks, you know.
So nine o'clock you are alreadylate.
(19:21):
You know you hurry up and wait,get there 15 minutes early, and
if you're early you're neverlate.
So the military taught you that.
Then you have to learn how tofigure to make that shift so you
don't lose the audience thatyou're trying to make.
So what is it about us asleaders?
As you grow and you mature andyou go from organization or
department to department oryou're dealing with five
generations in the workforcewhat do you need to bring, as a
leader, to the table to make theconnection with the people
(19:43):
you're responsible for orresponsible to?
And it's never a one singleapproach, ever.
So if you think that how youshow up is the way that you're
going to always show up and theyjust better adjust to you.
That command and controlmentality across the is over and
we got to figure out a way toconnect with these people that
we're responsible for.
So, if you're listening, justask the people around you what
(20:03):
they need from you and the bestway to be a good leader for them
.
I shift a little bit as you, asyou think about mentoring and
your growth and you're inbusiness.
Mentoring and your growth andyou're in business how important
has mentoring been for you?
You know, as an entrepreneur oreven in your days of just
grooming yourself and growing asa leader, how important, what
role did mentoring play?
Speaker 3 (20:23):
oh man, that was the biggest factor when I started my
business because, you know,mentoring in the military is
totally different, because theprevious leaders, who were
privates, now are the leaders.
They are telling you what to doto make your career advance.
Business is totally differentbecause, when I talk to you,
(20:48):
your vision of photography isdifferent from my vision of
photography because I I'm doingit a little bit more.
You know, hands on, but how youlook at it, you're going to
talk about it from yourleadership perspective and how
it could possibly help you.
Different people in the city,like the mayor I love talking to
(21:11):
him because every time I talkto him it's a fresh perspective
and obviously I know he doesn'tget behind the camera, start
pushing the button, but the wayhe talks and he like takes a
chunk out of his leadershipstyle and gives it to you.
(21:32):
So it's just like.
Anything else is, when somebodytalks to you, you're gonna put
whatever resonates with you inyour kit bag.
The rest of it you might justsit it and come back to it later
.
Yeah, you know so, likewhenever, like I'm gonna keep it
real.
When I was younger, I used totalk to the winos when I was a
(21:53):
kid.
Yeah, my brother used to alwaysget on me about that and my
brother's younger than me, likewhy are you always talking to
the winos?
And I was like yo man, likethey could have been a genius
and it's just.
Whatever turn in their lifemade it.
So I talked to anybody, Ilistened to anybody, but I just
have this, this thing wherepeople talk to me, I take
(22:15):
whatever they say and I keepwhatever resonates with me.
The rest of it are you put iton the back burner or I just
come back and visit it later yes, yes, I love that, because
everyone has a story, everybodyhas something that that's a
value as you listen.
Speaker 2 (22:29):
so, leaders, everybody in your team has
something to say and you'll beamazed how much you can learn if
you just listen.
Yes, what was for you as aleader?
Speaker 3 (22:42):
and it can you know what's the biggest challenge
you've ever faced as a leaderand how?
Speaker 2 (22:46):
did you overcome it?
Ooh, military or photography,either, or I'm okay, I mean now,
being that you're in businessand you're making that
transition already.
I would probably say what wouldbe helpful for the audience is
your current life, as you lookat where you are now, who you
are now and the people thatlisten to us.
What's been the biggestchallenge you faced in the last
three years that you had toovercome, and how did you do it?
Speaker 3 (23:06):
Selling myself to the public that was very difficult
for me because that was verydifficult for me, because the
shift for me was somebody alwaystold me okay, you need to make
this happen.
Yes, put the plan together, getin front of people, okay, this
is what we're going to do, allright.
(23:27):
And then we execute, make itwork.
Selling myself, now I have toconvince you like, hey, this is
what I do and why you shouldcome to me.
So it was like a double-edgedsword, because if I say the
wrong thing or if I talk to younervously, I don't look you in
the eye.
I just lost a potential client.
(23:49):
So that was the hardest thingfor me you know.
Speaker 2 (23:59):
So that was the hardest thing for me, but, um,
and I think, what do you?
What do you manage to do?
I mean, thank you to be atransparent, because that's what
the show is really about,because sometimes people will
see people that have abackground of being successful
or, on out appearance, with allthe social media, people think
everything's true and it's not,but sometimes we make it look
easier than it was.
How did you manage to overcomethat and are you still working
on it?
Speaker 3 (24:17):
Yeah, I'm still working on it.
The only thing I can really sayis how I overcame it was just
talking to people, but Ilistened more than I talked, and
that's probably one of mysecrets that I have.
I'll say something, but I'lljust get enough to get the
(24:37):
conversation going.
Now I'm listening to you, I'mlistening for keywords, I'm
watching your body language andthen as soon as I realize like,
oh, this is what you really,okay, that's too easy.
Now I know how to talk to youand make it a little bit easier
for me, know how to talk to youand make it a little bit easier
for me, but the whole act oflistening, that's probably 98%
(24:59):
of it for me.
Speaker 2 (25:02):
Well, it's not a secret anymore because you can
put it on this podcast and we'regoing to broadcast your secret.
Speaker 3 (25:06):
Hey, that's it.
I just got to come up with anew one.
I just got to come up with anew one now.
Hey, we're going to let thatcat out of the bag he's going to
get you started.
Speaker 2 (25:17):
He's going to be quiet.
He's taking notes.
Speaker 3 (25:20):
So I do a hand-in-arm signal when I talk to people.
Speaker 2 (25:24):
So now you got it public.
Now, michael, I'm going to bequiet and listen to you now.
So when you think about youknow you're in business, you're
an entrepreneur I want to leaninto, as people are listening
and people watch from all over.
If someone can help you buildyour business to what you want
it to be, what would be theideal thing you would need from
(25:47):
the community, or from peoplethat are watching and listening,
for you to really grow yourbusiness?
What is it that will turn thecorner for you to really elevate
it at the level that you dreamof it being?
Speaker 3 (26:01):
Well, capital will always be the number one
resource you need to makeeverything happen the way you
need it to happen, but obviouslyyou're going to have to have
more people come through thedoor to spend more money and
it's just getting getting thatrecognition of who you are, what
(26:23):
you do and why you do it.
And then, of course, I'vealways said for what I do, there
is no business.
That should not be able to usea form of photography in some
type of way.
Speaker 2 (26:37):
Yes.
Yes so to toot your horn here.
I know you're pretty humble andthat's great, but I also tell
leaders that humble is gooduntil it makes you invisible.
So you kind of toot your hornhere and got it from the
military to teach us that too,as well.
Be very humble and leteverybody else say it You're in
business.
I would love for you to tell uswhat makes your business
(26:58):
different.
I want you to highlightyourself.
What are the things that makeit we should do business with
your organization, versus if Iwas running a business and you
and I were in the same industry,what are you bringing to the
table that says, hey, these arethe top three reasons why we
would be a great partner for youto ensure you get the best
headshots possible.
Speaker 3 (27:19):
OK, yeah, well, I know I bring loyalty to the
table, so I look at myself aspart like the bartender, like
how everybody spilled theirbeans to the bartender.
Speaker 2 (27:33):
Yes, they tell everything.
Speaker 3 (27:34):
So a lot of people spill their beans with me in
there, meaning when they end thesession with me.
I never disclose what I talkabout with anybody.
Integrity, I'm going to tellyou exactly what you're going to
get, how you're going to get it.
I don't hide behind a bush oranything like that Discipline.
(27:56):
I follow a strict format andthat format is in place to
protect you and me both.
Format is in place to protectyou and me both.
You know, because if you comein and you start trying to take
over, I lost control.
Now it's not going to be whatit should be.
You know, um, selfless service,you know so.
(28:17):
I'm always I put the clientbefore me because in order for
you to get what you need, Iunderstand, understand, I have
to bend.
So I don't have a problem withthat Honor.
I'm going to respect everybodythat comes through the door,
regardless of what your viewsare or how you look at me,
because if you came to me, therewas a reason you came to me, so
(28:39):
I'm not going to entertain anynonsense.
You know anything like that and, as personal courage, I wake up
every day telling myself I'mgoing to be the best today.
So, of course, when you come in, that's what you're going to
get.
You're always going to get mybest whenever we do any type of
interactions with each other.
Speaker 2 (29:00):
Yeah, I know you said three, but that was like six,
yeah, I appreciate it.
Thank you for sharing you know,because, as people are looking
forward, everybody has choices,whether your business or my
business, people have choices.
And how do you put your bestfoot?
If you're listening, peoplehave a choice.
If you're their leader, you canget promoted.
But don't mean people followyou Right.
What is it that you're bringingthat will encourage and people
(29:23):
want you to be their leader?
Or people want you to be a goodbusiness partner, or people
want to bring you in to do thework that they do leadership
development, or bring Michael infor headshots.
What is it that you do thatattracts people to us?
And I will tell you that'ssuper important for all of us to
answer every single day, andthe world is changing fast.
So, if you're listening fromthe lens of an entrepreneur, or
(29:43):
if you're listening from being aleader in corporate America, or
if you're listening from fromrunning a spiritual organization
or a nonprofit, what is it thatyou show up as a leader that
people literally say they wantyou to be their leader, and what
is that about?
And I think that's important forall of you that are listening
to our show today, as Michael istalking about him as an
entrepreneur.
You know how does he get peoplein the door.
(30:04):
So he gave you six things thathe's guaranteed to deliver every
single time.
I want to shift a little bitfor you as you think about
leadership, and there's a bigvacuum right now where we're
making sure that leadership issolid.
What do you think the mostcurrent challenges that leaders
are having in today's society?
What's the biggest challengesyou see that people are having
(30:26):
when it comes to leadership?
Speaker 3 (30:30):
Everybody's well, not everybody.
What I've noticed in this area,some people are trying too hard
to blend in instead of stickingto what they know and what
works for them.
Everybody's trying to do thelatest and greatest.
Instead of whatever formulaworks for you, stick with that.
(30:54):
Add one or two things to see ifit works.
If it doesn't cut sling load,Go to something else.
Speaker 2 (31:02):
Yeah, love it, love it.
Stick to you.
There's only one you.
So you know, be authentic andbe true to yourself, right?
Is there anything that thatthat you want to share?
You know we'll get ready to uhto, to wrap it up for everyone
that's listening Um, so we'llcome to to talking about your
business and how people reachyou, and you know what's the
best way to get in touch and dobusiness with you.
(31:22):
Is there anything that?
Speaker 3 (31:30):
that what's the best way to get in touch and do
business with you?
Is there anything that you wantto share around leadership that
I haven't asked already?
Well, I would say the one thingthat a leader is, even though
you're in the forefront, likeyou're amongst everybody.
But just because you're the onein front doesn't mean you know
everything that's going on.
So I don't know if I alluded tothis earlier or not.
Understand your weaknesses as aleader, but pull off of
(31:54):
somebody else's positive.
That will eventually make youlook good as a leader, but it's
a win-win for everybody and theorganization as a whole.
Speaker 2 (32:04):
Yes, yes, I've never met the person that know it all,
and if I do, I'm probably goingto find some other people to
hang around.
Yeah, exactly.
You know everything means Idon't know anything, and I'm not
going to feel good about that.
That's true.
I need to have some value.
So I don't want to be aroundeverybody that's super smart,
and I want to be around somepeople that know some stuff, but
(32:24):
I don't want them to knoweverything.
I need to be able to add somevalue to that relationship as
well.
So, michael, I want to be ableto make sure people know how to
reach you.
So what's the best way forpeople, regardless of where
they're finding this podcast allover?
What's the best way for peopleto reach you?
Speaker 3 (32:51):
The best way you can reach me is give me a call at
803-237-2536 or um.
I'm on social media facebook,instagram and linkedin.
Under I mean at esntl headshotsall together.
So esntl is the abbreviationfor essential, so anytime you
hear me say this, essentialheadshots.
But go to that social media,handle ESNTL headshots
(33:15):
altogether, or just visit me onthe website wwwesntlheadshotscom
.
Speaker 2 (33:24):
Awesome, awesome, love it, thank you.
Thank you so much.
And for everyone that'slistening, you know you're.
You're specifically focusing onpeople that do headshots.
That's, that's your sweet spot.
Speaker 3 (33:34):
Yes, that's my niche yeah.
Speaker 2 (33:35):
That's what he's doing, so so if you're looking
for videographers and all thatstuff, he is strictly in the
space of headshots and everyyear, if you're a speaker or if
you're out and you're trying toput stuff on, everybody's asking
for headshots.
I get more every time I getinvited.
The first thing they ask for isa bio and a headshot.
So, yes, yeah, you can use itand you can use it on all of
your boards.
So if you need headshots, Iwill tell you that.
(33:57):
Please reach out to Mike.
He's giving his information ofhow to reach him.
Thank you for tuning in with usand hanging in, as we we always
guarantee that we're going tokeep it really, really sweet.
We're going to help youunderstand leadership.
Again.
Ron Harvey, unpacked with RonHarvey podcast released every
single Monday.
Have leaders from around theworld love to have you as a
guest, but would also love tohave you as someone that's
(34:18):
listening and supporting thepodcast.
You can always find us on ourwebsite at wwwgcsconsulting and
you can always find me onLinkedIn.
Easy to find me.
Those are the two platforms.
Our website or LinkedIn is theprimary sources of communication
for us.
Love to talk to you, love foryou to leverage our services,
everything, leadership, helpingyou be great and until next time
(34:39):
, michael and I are going tosign off and wish you a
phenomenal week.
Thank you all for joining usand looking forward to you
joining us on another episode ofUnpacked with Ron Harvey.
Speaker 1 (34:51):
Well, we hope you enjoyed this edition of Unpacked
Podcast with leadershipconsultant Ron Harvey.
Remember to join us everyMonday as Ron unpacks sound
advice, providing real answersfor real leadership challenges.
Until next time, remember toadd value and make a difference
where you are, for the peopleyou serve, because people always
(35:12):
matter.
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