First, can I just say how much fun we had getting your cards?  Every day of the holiday season was like Christmas as we made a mad dash for the mailbox to see what was inside! :0)  We received so many wonderful cards and each and every one was special because they made us think of you.  Thanks for including us on your mailing list and for participating in our 1st Annual Holiday Card Contest!  We plastered our kitchen cabinets with your cards and that in and of itself became quite the art installation. :0)

Now, you may be wondering who won the contest…man it was hard to choose!  You guys are so creative/beautiful/funny/just plain awesome!  We did finally choose a winner, but there were a few that really stood out that just have to be mentioned too.  Our honorable mentions are:

Phil and Mindy – Phindy Studios. We heart them – and if for no other reason than the ridiculously over-the-top excitement for hot chocolate that Phil exhibits here. ;0)

Craig and Jennifer – Mr. and Mrs. Weddings and Events. This gorgeous vintage style design had us drooling…

Evan and Amanda – Evan Baines Photography. There’s no faster way to my heart than through a beautiful pop-up and Robert Sabuda is my FAVORITE!  Bonus points to you guys for choosing his wonderful cards.

Amber and Tyler. From the moment they first met with us to discuss photographing their wedding, we have completely adored these guys!  And a card from Saudi Arabia??  Come on!  That’s sweet.

The Baxters – Ohana Photographers. Sean and I have just about decided that no contest on our blog would be complete without the Baxters because after all, they bring it every time! :0)  April, the eldest daughter of the Baxter clan did the amazing drawing of their family for the front of the card.  She is crazy talented!  As if that wouldn’t be enough, they then went on to quote Elf and cemented their place as the most awesome family – ever.

And now – the winner is…..(drumroll please!)….

Bobbi and Mike – Bobbi+Mike. These guys took dedication to funny to a whole new level!  Each little photo is hilarious and the whole thing is just so well executed!  They were so committed that my grandmother came in for Christmas and felt really bad for them because she thought they really look like this. ;0)  Gah – it makes me laugh all over again every time I see it!  You really must click on the link to see the close ups of these images!  Great job you guys!  We loved it and your iTunes gift card is in the mail!

So you’ve seen the photos involved in the making of our card, but we didn’t want to show the actual card before Christmas in case it would ruin the surprise if you hadn’t received it yet in the mail.  (side note: if you didn’t get one and would like to, please send us your updated address for next year.  We had old addresses for a handful that were returned and we’d love to keep up with you!)  Here is our card from 2010.  We went with an old Saturday Evening Post theme and we’re super excited about it because as far as we’re concerned, we’ll never have to come up with a creative card idea ever again.  This is the first edition of the Happy Holidays Post –  get ready to collect the series! ;0)

Thanks again to everyone who took the time to mail us your beautiful cards and participated in the 2010 Holiday Card Contest!  Can’t wait for next year!

When Mel and I very first got started in the wedding photography business, help from others who had come before us was absolutely key in our ability to grow so quickly and establish ourselves. From software & equipment recommendations to suggestions to read certain books–every little bit was an important piece to us.  We’ve always tried to give back in the same way by helping others as well, and this is one of the foundational reasons that it has been so important to us to try and create and foster a great photographic community in Nashville.

In my opinion, the most effective thing you can do to help your business that doesn’t involve direct help/mentoring from someone else is reading good business books. In fact, there is a principle called the “Hawthorne effect.”  Basically, the principle states that paying attention to a particular behavior causes you to improve your performance in that area.  SO… think about this: On average, Americans read less than one book per year.  If you only read 30 to 60 minutes a day, you can finish roughly one book a week—around 50 books per year.  Imagine the HUGE competitive advantage you would have simply by changing that one habit?

That brings me to this:  Many of you reading this right now are photographers or other wedding vendors from around the world.  Mel and I just bought a stack of some of our favorite business books (by Seth Godin, Malcom Gladwell, Robert Kiyosaki, John Maxwell, etc. etc.) and  we would like to help you build your business this year by mailing one to you — we also would like to indirectly help other people in your area at the same time.  So here’s the idea:

If you have a blog, chances are that in addition to your clients you probably have other photographers/vendors/business owners in your area who read it.  Think of something, anything, that has helped you in your business.  It doesn’t matter how small or how large it is—if it has helped you, then there is someone else out there that it can help as well.  Write up a short post sharing that helpful piece of info, and somewhere in your post, copy and paste the following HTML code:

<a href=”http://www.mclellanstyle.com”>Nashville wedding photographers</a>, Sean & Mel McLellan of McLellan Style are giving away business books to help you improve your business. Want one of them?—and want to help other people build their businesses at the same time? Visit their <a href=”https://mclellanblog.com/?p=3309″>business books</a> blog post!

After that, just email the link to your post (along with your mailing address) to sean@mclellanstyle.com).  We’ll keep shipping them until we run out!  We hope to help you out by sending some great business books your way—but you’ll also help your sphere of influence, that we couldn’t have reached ourselves, by sharing helpful tips on your own blog!

Ready?  Go!