1. Tell us about you.
I’m a wedding and fine-art photographer based out of Beverly Hills, CA. My formal education is in Economics and Marketing but I worked as a professional classical guitarist for 10 years and a high school business teacher for 4 years.

2. What is your program going to be about?

Photography, much like a musical instrument or a sport, is a craft that must be effectively practiced. Simply putting in the years and pushing the shutter button thousands of times is not an effective way to master your craft. This program is designed to teach you proven groundbreaking practicing techniques that will change the way you prepare for a job, and transform you into a fine-tuned photographer.

3. Tell us about the workshop you are doing the following day.

During this workshop, I will show you how to break down any location into characteristics that will enable you to quickly locate the best spot to shoot. From open fields and mansions to busy streets and tight spots. Your new understanding of how to precisely read any location and its quality of light will be your best ally when the pressure is on. Add some key fine-tuning posing tips and you will be producing the best work of your life!
4. How did you get started in photography?

While I was a high school teacher, I received a grant to start a student run business. My students thought digital photography would be a fun business to run so that’s what we did. I fell in love with photography so much and so fast, that at the end of that year, I quit my job as a teacher to become a full-time wedding photographer. Risky, but so worth it!

5. What is the most important thing you do in your business?

The most important thing I do for my business is maintain relationships with coordinators and hotel catering managers.

6. How many different countries have you traveled to, to photography weddings? What were your favorites?

 

I’ve  traveled all over Europe.  Spain and Ireland are my favorites.

7. Are there a lot of hoops to jump thru to haul your equipment to another country?

Not really, the only piece of equipment that gives me trouble are my video light acid batteries.
8. What other passions do you have besides photography?

I love flying remote control helicopters. Big ones, so big, they could carry a pretty good payload inside.

9. How do you keep balance between work and life?

My wife makes me stop working at 6:00 pm and I can resume only when she goes to sleep at 10:30 pm.

10. Do you have a favorite quote or saying?

“Success comes before work only in the dictionary”.

Thank you Roberto!  We can’t wait for you to visit us!  If you are not a member and would like to come see Roberto’s program,

please join us for only $49.

1. Tell us about yourself…

I am who I am. I’m from Ohio (go bucks!) I lead the organization Thirst Relief International, I believe in living a life full of faith and on the edge and not acting like we can control more than we can. I believe in trying to live simply, debt free, free to choose and go and do and respond to still small voices from my Lord.

 

2. What is Thirst Relief?

Thirst Relief is a powerhouse small non-profit. We are like a tug boat, small but powerful!!! We take clean water solutions to real people in real need in developing nations for only $5 per person. $5 actually provides 25 years or more of clean water for one person.

 

3. How did the idea for Thirst Relief come about?

I was awake one night in the middle of the night at about 4:30 with my 1.5 year old. He is now 9. He was peaceful and calm but didn’t want to sleep. As I walked with him I felt Jesus wanted to speak to me so I said “Lord do you want to speak?” What followed was the most crystal clear words I’ve ever heard and yet it wasn’t audible. I heard “Thirst, take water to the nations.”  It didn’t take long to discover there was a water crisis on the planet and the longer we waited to do something about it the more people would die. So here we are, almost 200,000 people now have clean water and more every day.

 

 4. Who do you help?

We provide $5 solutions by making insanely cool filters called Bio-Sand Filters and also by drilling wells.

 

 

 

 5. How can we help?

You can believe that your contribution no matter how big or small actually makes a difference. My talk will actually give some amazing insights and tools on using your business to change the world! You can also donate your birthday, check out that this cool kid did: http://www.thirstrelief.org/momentum/team/71 or do whatever you want!!! Just do something and stop waiting. When we act now lives are saved now!

Thirst Relief Short from Anton Lorimer on Vimeo.

 

 

 

 

6. What has been your greatest reward from your experiences?Knowing that moms and dads go to sleep at night not holding a dying baby as they cry through the death. My sacrifice is NOTHING compared to the reward of knowing that I helped change someone’s life forever.

 7. How has God changed your perspective from when you started?

 In the beginning it was fresh, exciting, new and full of newness. Now it’s harder, tough economy, requires more sacrifice, perseverance and yet the joy prevails. So I guess what I’m saying is that in the beginning the newness carried you, now it’s the real deal that carries us. Our vision is a reality and it requires a lot of hard work and diligence to keep it going, but it’s so worth it. God has changed me through it by realizing that literally everything that lasts and is good requires diligence, perseverance and faithfulness, it’s not going to be easy.

 8. What goals are you trying to reach this year?

We are really trying to stabilize our monthly budget so we can project our monthly grants as far in advance as possible. We’ve also been given a $25,000 matching challenge to use for our administrative expenses. We raise all admin separately from the general budget so that 100% of public donations go for just clean water! But it requires good workers and much effort to keep the operation running so we are excited to have partners come on board that see the value of the matching challenge and give towards it. We only get it if we can match it.

 9. Can you tell us a favorite story from your travels?

I have quite a few but one that sticks out in my mind was when we were traveling down the Amazon River and we were in a very remote region that was days away from any type of town. We visited a family that had 12 grandkids running around healthy and happy and their grandfather told us about how happy they were because the kids no longer were sick or dying from the water, because they had a bio sand filter.

 I have to say though that the last time I was in Tanzania I had the opportunity to speak at a church and when they introduced me as the founder of Thirst Relief it was amazing. The people just kept going on and on like you’d expect in an African village with the cool sounding cheers and noises they make with their tongues! I felt so honored and knew they were genuinely happy. Another amazing one was watching a little girl dance while I played an old rickety guitar and realizing that she had survived AIDS because her orphanage had clean water filters provided by Thirst Relief! Often it’s not AIDS that kills, it’s a water borne illness that can’t be fought off because of AIDS. Clean water is a key ingredient for those battling to overcome AIDS. I guess that was 3 so I’ll stop.

10. Any words of wisdom you can share with us?

The worst thing you can do is nothing because you think it’s too small. I’ve been very tempted to thing “What difference does it make? Really, what we are doing is just a drop in the bucket.” and then I start to think “What if I was one of the nearly 200,000 we’ve taken water to? What if it was my kids? What if someone could help but didn’t because they didn’t think they could make a difference?” So my only wise words are “If not now. When?” Do something, anything. $5 is life for someone in need and we can save their life! Go to www.thirstrelief.org and make a recurring donation of $15 or more and print your receipt out, bring it to my talk and I’ll have a special gift for you, a 3 hour instructional dvd that rocks! It was shot on location in Tanzania with me and Mike Colon as the main instructors. It’s amazing and it’s yours free if you sign up and bring your receipt (or show me on your phone)

You can also follow our journey at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jim-Davis-Hicks/155222301215813

 

Register for this event here…only $49