Workshop Reviews from Attendees

Our company has been a Collages.net customer for years. We went just thinking we were going to show our support, but we left realizing that this meeting was not just about Collages.net. The information we went over about business finances, profitability, business leadership, and employee management was great. As a large company in the Tampa Bay area, photographing nearly 100 events per year, I didn’t think we would really learn much. I was wrong. Kevin’s ideas and shared experiences gave us some great takeaways for our own company. Thanks Collages.net for being more than just our online proofing company. Its business relationships like this that made us who we are today.

This workshop exceeded my expectations. Having spent fifteen years in the corporate structure of a large Austin-based computer manufacturer, I thought this might be a sales job by the CEO. I am delighted to report that I was wrong. Kevin spent time covering a broad range of topics including giving background on himself, the company, the financials for a healthy studio business, and the importance of not resting on yesterday’s success. In addition to what he spoke about, comments and feedback from the other photographers in the breakout sessions was priceless. Prior to this I have been shooting beauty and fashion, so for me now focusing on weddings, this was like a shot of adrenaline. For me and my seven pages of notes & $50 print credit, this was amazing value for $19 and it was well worth the drive from Austin. Thanks Kevin and staff, especially thanks to Jeff Jones for recommending I go! Jeff is an amazing ambassador for Collages.net - give that chap a raise or a bonus!

I have attended many seminars and workshops over the past twenty years and this was the first to have a creative group breakout session. As a group, we were able to brainstorm ideas to share what is working and what's not and to help each other, while learning from the business side of what Kevin has to share. I would say that 95% of all photographers start from the ground up, and Kevin can relate with starting Collages.net right out of his own home. In fact it's the only seminar that I've been to that I actually came out ahead $31. We paid $19 and received a $50 credit (and winning $100 print credit from one of the many raffle prizes was also a bonus). If you're able to go, do it. You will not be disappointed.

I was not sure what to expect before attending the workshop, but it exceeded my expectations. I was one of the first photographers to arrive and was able to spend some time looking at sample products. I was impressed with all of the beautiful products on display. I started to imagine all of the different uses I would have for each of the products. I was also able to spend some time chatting with Kevin and the other Collages.net employees. Everyone was very friendly and helpful. I walked away with five pages of notes on how to improve my business. This was much more than a marketing workshop on how to utilize Collages.net products. Kevin was able to give me a bunch of tips on how to improve my business. Talking to other photographers was also very helpful. I encourage anyone who is considering this workshop to sign up. I hope to see Kevin back in Houston in the future with more helpful ideas. Thanks to the Collages.net staff!

What a great workshop! Of all the business conferences, classes, photography workshops and non-photography related workshops I’ve ever attended, I would say this may have been the best one I’ve ever attended! This workshop was more than worth the $19 and three hours that it cost to attend. We had an opportunity to not only learn, but also share our ideas which brought forth more ideas that will yield great results. Lots of people can teach photography as an art but in this workshop, Kevin, along with the other attendees, gave me a new perspective on photography as a business! Thanks for coming to Houston! I hope you’ll come back to do it again!

The workshop was a great help and provided encouragement for me. I learned many great ideas for developing my photography business. I almost didn’t go, thinking it was probably for “well-established” photographers unlike me, but with not much business know-how. I was impressed with how respectful, helpful, and encouraging Kevin and his employees were to us. I sensed that Collages.net is personally interested in helping us to succeed! We learned many practical ideas to gain business that we are planning to implement. We have attended two other big photography seminars that helped us to improve our skills as photographers, but we really needed some practical ideas on the business end that we received from this Collages.net workshop. Thank you to Kevin and your staff!

My fiancée Freda and I attended the Tampa Finding Your Blue Ocean workshop. We drove three hours from West Palm Beach to Tampa and would do it again. Kevin, with his Irish humor and down to earth business sense, was a jewel. The information he shared will go a long way toward making our company more successful this year. He wanted all of us to come away with at least one new idea and we came away with at least two or three that will be implemented immediately. Chris Santi’s insights into what is going on in other studios was most helpful. The small group was terrific for networking and getting to really engage with other photographers experiencing similar issues. I encourage all photographers to attend these seminars whenever possible. It is well worth the effort.

Hearing Kevin Casey speak about ways to reinvent your studio and your business approach is such a refreshing outlook on tough economic times. By asking you to take an honest look at your studio, Kevin encourages you to let go of what’s holding you back and take on what propels you forward. Thanks so much to Collages.net and Kevin Casey for enabling photographers to get back to what they love most, capturing images!

I thought the Blue Ocean workshop in Chicago was great! It was a nice environment to learn and brainstorm with fellow photographers. I appreciated the solid business advice without the heavy-handed sales pitch. Kevin seemed to be honestly interested in our businesses and did whatever he could to help. I especially appreciated hearing the PPA survey results and the recommendations on what cost of sales, general costs, and profits should be. And of course, it’s always great to meet my product consultant and see the products in person that I haven’t purchased. It was well worth the time, especially since I got paid for it!

In this isolating profession, attending the workshop was worth it just to connect with other photographers. How often do you get the ear of a company founder and CEO? And, he actually listens! The financial bench mark information was enlightening. With this economy, it is a motivational shot in the arm you need! One photographer won a year of premium websites and I won $50 in album design services and another $50 credit for Collages.net services.

I had a great time at last night’s workshop. I really feel that the business ideas that were shared by Kevin and other attendees were fresh and easy to implement into my business. This workshop was more like a business idea sharing workshop and it is something that all photographers should check out. For $19, you cannot beat it! You will get your money back for sure. My many thanks to Kevin and Eileen!

I ditto Otto’s comments on last night’s Blue Ocean workshop. I am not currently a Collages.net user, but found the workshop informative from a business perspective. It was very helpful to hear thoughts and ideas from fellow photographers about what they are doing in their studios to generate new business whether they use Collages.net or not. Thank you Kevin and Eileen for a productive evening well spent!

I almost didn’t come because I was held up working with a client, but I’m so glad I did. I loved the fact that it was a small group where we all felt comfortable asking questions. It was great being able to share ideas with the other photographers and having the opportunity to talk one on one with both Kevin and Chris. I certainly walked away with several ideas that I am going to put in to action immediately.

Thanks very much to Kevin and Eileen for organizing this workshop. It really got me thinking about how to change the way I’ve been looking at my business, what to do next, what not to keep doing. Also, as Jennifer said, it’s an isolating environment we work in and just sitting down with people with the same ideals, struggles, and hopes is really refreshing. I’m anxious for the next one!

Kevin’s workshop at CPPA was outstanding. I bought the Blue Ocean book and wish I read it years ago. The information is universally applicable. As with many other business workshops, the breakout sessions were the most valuable because of the focused interchange with other photographers. It was a great session and a bargain.

As President of the Chicagoland Professional Photographers Association I must say that Kevin’s program opened the eyes of a number of our members. We were a little apprehensive that we were going to get an extended infomercial, but Kevin’s Blue Ocean workshop made us not only think outside the box, but to know that the walls of the box were made to be broken!

I really enjoyed Kevin’s positive outlook and suggestions. Thanks for taking the time out to share your story along with helping us create our own “think tanks.” We came home with lots of great ideas and a new perspective.

I loved the breakout sessions, which I found were very productive. It was the best $19 I’ve ever spent on a workshop! It was definitely worth the drive from Austin to Houston. Kevin, thanks for coming out to Texas! I hope to see you here again for a follow up.

It was a very stimulating workshop! Being a tactile person, what I liked best (besides the networking) was being able to see your products in person. Thanks again for the invite and I'm looking forward to continuing on with our productive relationship.

The workshop was beyond what I expected. Kevin was very informative and interactive. I have all positive feedback to provide. The location and timing were both great, too.

The Blue Ocean workshop was definitely a worthwhile experience. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Kevin and Chris and I feel I got a lot out of it. Kevin did a great job!

I have spent the whole day working on some of the things we talked about last night. I feel totally inspired and excited to take some risks! Thanks Kevin, it was great to meet you!

We would have loved to hear more from Kevin! He had great energy and we are glad we came.

It was our pleasure attending the workshop in Boston last night. Kevin was great and increased our interest in Collages.net once again.