Chelette's history is only part of her appeal, but what a story it is: a fairy tale powered not by luck or supernatural intervention but by her own will, ingenuity and timing. After leaving her native Germany to come to the United States, Chelette found herself a divorced mother, evicted from her condo and broke. Her niche photography company, BeateWorks, was floundering because she couldn't secure the funding to save it. But with characteristic pluck and strength, Chelette did the only thing that made sense to her: she knew her business model was solid and that she needed capital to make it successful, so she went straight to the top and wrote to then-President George Bush asking for help.
Instead of just a form letter, Chelette eventually received a loan backed by the Small Business Administration--a decade of bad luck and timing ended in a flash, and the good news didn't stop there. She was approached by Corbis (a Bill Gates owned stock photography company) and decided to sell her now wildly successful business to reap the benefits of her struggles and hard work. Almost overnight, Chelette had become a multi-millionaire, securing for herself and her daughter a much easier life than they'd been living.
Photosecrets
With the sale of her business, Chelette could afford to take some time off to relax, but after five minutes with the woman it's easy to see that was never really an option. Always thinking, always planning, this accomplished photographer turned mogul decided to share her expertise and the From Flash to Cash system was born. Timing really is everything in business, and Beate is an expert of knowing what's needed and when to provide it: from the birth of the idea to the first dollar of revenue generated from her system only twenty one days passed. She says, "Create the idea, then the products; if the idea sticks, then you know you have demand." Her Blog Photosecrets is the number one ranked blog for pages per visitor according to a popular photo blog rank site.
And demand there is! Every day a growing number of people are signing up for Chelette's system, and her business acumen coupled wth the street credibility she earned from her deal with Corbis means that they are gettting every penny of their money's worth. That's a bone of contention of Chelette, as well: if after one year you can prove that the program didn't make your investment back, she'll refund your money...and give you an extra hundred bucks. The tips, tricks, and shortcuts contained in the four audio CD system are so helpful, though, Chelette is sure that whether you're an amateur looking to segue into the business or a professional photographer in need of innovation her From Flash to Cash system will get you what you want.
"I do five things...and no more than three errands...a day."
"If you're not supporting yourself as a photographer and you want to, you need the system," Beate says with conviction. Meant to put you in front of your business, this program includes the aforementioned audio CDs as well as three interviews and a personal coaching session with Chelette. There are bonus CDs with topics ranging from new media to model negotiations, and depending on the level of subscription you choose there are options for more phone interviews, face time, and "connection tickets" for Beate-backed introductions to industry veterans. But you have to start somewhere, and Chelette's system asks the most important question of all: "What does the first step look like?" It looks like taking the plunge and getting into Chelette's system, and here's the full assessment of what you get:
- A Home Study Guide for the system
- Ready to use model and property releases
- Listings of photography associations
- Portfolio and web design sites
- Attorneys and special photography events.
There are several levels of the Photo Secrets team, and while one on one coaching isn't an option in the initial Silver Membership, you still get a monthly audio CD and tip sheet with new information: "This month the audio is about Fine Art, next month I'll talk to Brittain Stone from US Weekly," Beate says. If you've read this far, though, you know she can't stop there. "What I do for the subscribers is to facilitate approximately every other month an 'Ask Me Anything Call.'" When you consider that the advice from one call can net you an assignment, and that one assignment can pay for the entire initial investment, the From Flash to Cash system seems less like a business and more like philanthropy. This woman has literally done it all in the photography world and has the knowledge to pass on, and she even recruits other high end experts in the field to make sure you get all the information she's capable of delivering.
Ego-RHYTHM
Aside from her business prowess and perhaps because of her history, Chelette has developed several unique ideas to propel the mind forward into a successful way of thinking. One, called KARL, helps in every day life:
- Know where you are emotionally.
- Accept it for what it is
- Relax if you can't change it
- Live and be present in the moment
Ego-RHYTHM as a system of thought is a touch more complicated. Its apparent that the roots of her ideas are somehwere in female empowerment lore but Beate says it best: "Men have thousands of years of case studies of how to be successful, what a provider looks like. Ours is a case by case basis. Give yourself permission to exist in your own personal rhythm." Chelette has written an entire book on the subject entitled "Women Who Want it All"--keep a look out for her "upcoming best seller.
Warm, direct, funny and engaging, Beate Chelette is a force of nature, even when compared to other women of her business caliber. She has accomplished feats, both personal and professional, that uniquely qualify her to help you tackle yours; when asked how she does it she laughingly replies, " I do five things...and no more than three errands...a day." She connects intimately to the lives of the people she speaks to, and after the few hours we spent with her, we left feeling strong, empowered, emboldened. When her wisdom and practicality can do that to someone completely outside her field, imagine what she can do for your photography business; as she says, "Transformative is a really good word for it."
Beate Chelette is a motivational author, speaker, business consultant and entrepeneur. Find out more at www.beatechelette.com.
MacTribe readers can download a free chapter of Beate's book and download their Want-It-All List for immediate implementation here: www.beatechelette.com/gift.html
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