Anyway, that is not the purpose of this post. I want to talk about how ridiculously annoying it is to try to work with Groupon. Yeah, that big huge company with the commercials that a lot of people found offensive during the Superbowl. Well, through one means or another, I decided to try this special coupon phenomenon out. Groupon, being the probably most well known of the companies in that type of business was an obvious first look. So, I applied my business to be on their deals. I got declined. Why? I have no idea. They didn’t say. They just said that we were not approved. I might mention it took them like 3 months to even respond to me about getting denied and it was after I attempted to contact them four or five times through email, phone, etc. Talk about really bad customer service.

Fortunately, I did figure out what I think is the reason. Something simple, something logical, but they didn’t ask, didn’t request, nor let me know what to add or change on our website. Personally, I believe our work speaks for itself. But, I digress. So, that was my first annoyance with them. After all, the company built its success on the back of small businesses, and now it’s like, they just don’t care.

I understand having “High standards,” of course, and being busy, but come on. We have very high standards for ourselves, that is one of the things that pushes us ahead of our competition on the quality of our photographs, but also the experience that you have with us. However, if you’re going to turn someone away, at least have the decency to let them know why. Hell, credit card company’s do that.

Ok, ok, I know it may sound like it was partially my fault on that, and maybe, just maybe it was. But, now, this is the part that really irks me now more than anything. They mailed me a flyer asking me to sign up for their program, “Groupon Now!” and I was like, Oh ok. Sure, I will do that, it sounds like it could be good. (Even though Beget.com already has something similar to it and probably better.) So, I signed myself up and of course, it required some approval thing, which then took quite awhile to get a response. Not as bad as the previous attempt at least.

Anyway, so today I get an email from them saying I have not been approved. I am like, Really? wtf for? They say we don’t have enough reviews across a slew of online search type places, yelp, google, yahoo, and a bunch of other stuff that as far as I can tell is pretty useless unless you have people go there specifically and encourage them to give you a review. We have SOME reviews, and they are all FIVE star rating as of now. More BS is that we don’t have more reviews on most of the sites listed because people don’t have accounts on those sites and aren’t going to go open an account specifically to give us a review!

We have reviews, granted, only about ten or so, but they are on more localized places, other than Google, where we have 4 five star ratings. We have one on Foursquare as well, which Groupon, obviously doesn’t check. We also have quite a few reviews on this great site called “ithinklocal” and those are also all five star ratings. They focus on local businesses only, so that to me is where the reviews are really important. Our reviews are real reviews, all from different clients, except maybe one where they posted on two sources for us.

Now I agree, I would love to get more reviews. Who wouldn’t, right? But in truth, even the people who have said they found us on Google, it wasn’t the reviews that got them to check us out, it was our photographs that are shown on Google search when you find us.

I mean, come on, I could pay people to go write me reviews and open new accounts and flood the review places with great reviews for us. Would that make it so I give the appearance of super quality? Or does our work, when you LOOK at it, since we are a see for yourself type of company, really show the quality of our work.

But apparently, it only matters if you get a review, and the review must be on these certain sites or it is worthless.  Really, Groupon? Maybe that’s why you are losing money like crazy. Instead of supporting the small business types that helped make you who you are, you keep on working with those corporations, like Sears, who offer bogus deals that sound better than they are, and ignore the real professionals.

The funny thing is, I have already worked with Groupons competition and they have been great to work with. Two in particular, Tippr.com and Beget.com have been excellent. They actually review our work, not make us jump through hoops to try to get their attention.

That’s okay though, my success won’t be hindered by Groupon’s blindness. I think their competition’s success will most likely benefit from it though. So, Groupon, here’s my review for you, one star rating! Not that it matters, since, you know, I didn’t put it on Google.

I still don’t know. I sometimes weep, not too hard, but still the tears are there, and fight what can feel like for my life to battle an invisible enemy. One that has been with me for many years, poking and prodding me and eventually stripping away the things I love, pushing them outward so far that they are gone. It is a struggle. One that I have known about for years, and one that I know I will have to probably always actively engage if I am to ever win and be at peace with myself. It is not easy seeing what you know you don’t like about others in yourself and at the same time feeling confident enough within that you are good enough for the wonderful things in life.

Yeah, it is a constant fight. I am sure everyone has something that they can relate to in regards to this. Maybe that is life. Maybe it is what it’s all about. The constant inner struggles to be better, to do better, to show yourself and the world that you can do what you set your mind to do and that you’re not all the horrible things you see yourself as. Or, perhaps it’s just me. Maybe. It’s hard to say when my “vision” gets tilted from that of reality. A reality that says you can do this, but you shouldn’t do that, and if you do that then you are less than those that did not. Where does this mindset come from? It isn’t logical. Why should it matter one way or another, unless interrupting the rights of others to live happily. In most cases that is not the case, though.

What is it that causes these reactions? What is it inside myself that makes me feel like I have a place in the universe that allows for me to even care? I am determined to figure it out, though it may be too late by the time I do. At least I can take an honest look at myself, straight faced in the mirror, and know what I do like about myself and what I need to continue to work on. View myself open-minded and see what is not what I thought it was and work, tirelessly, to change it to what I believe I should be more like. I try to follow the better example than I am today, which will hopefully, eventually, help me achieve the goal of who I think I should be.

It seems that the road is never ending, as in life, we can always be better than we were the day before. I will get there…I have to get there…if I ever want to be completely happy.

I went shopping today, oooOooOoOo. I got a couple of pairs of new shoes, one for everyday wear and some to wear to the business meetings. Although I like Steve Jobs perspective on what to wear to business meetings, “Jeans, black turtle neck,” I figure I may need to dress up a little more to be taken seriously. Maybe not, but I’d rather not risk it! So yeah, I got myself some new spiffy shoes and a couple of watches too. One is, as the first pair of shoes, for everyday use. The other is a diamond watch to also go with my “fancy” shoes when I am doing business. Or just for a nice night out on the town, really.

Next thing I am going to do is redo my entire wardrobe. I figure it will go well with everything else I am currently doing. Also getting more shoots for the photography business, so it’s just getting better everyday. I am confident we’re going to do well as we start to go into the busier season. We’re completely booked for the rest of April and starting to fill up in May, so that’s a plus. We have some nice gigs too.

I also went for a nice swim today. It felt good. I haven’t been able to get to the gym the last couple of days, so it was about time. I am trying to fit it in, but as I’m getting busier it seems to be more difficult. Go figure. I still have to work on some stuff for the business, making a video and gathering some photos we like for a marketing plan we’re doing. I’ll have it done in a few days and we’ll be off doing some more shoots, hopefully! I am excited, I feel good about what we’re doing.
We’ll just have to see how it goes I guess! Keep on smiling!  It helps, even if your day wasn’t as good as mine!

Regardless, I’ve been up to good things. A lot of photography is keeping me busy, as well as meetings for the business, which is very good and has led to new clients! Woooo.  I’ve also been working out on a regular basis again, which has been enjoyable. I have been able to get outside quite a bit now that the weather is nice!

I’ve also been swimming quite a bit, which to my surprise, has been quite fun. It shouldn’t surprise me too much I guess, since I grew up on Lake Michigan, but I hadn’t really gone swimming in quite awhile. I think that almost drowning a few times made it a little less fun, go figure. Now, however, I like to jump in and see how many laps I can do. It’s pretty crazy, actually.

I started off doing only 20 minutes and I had to take a few breaks in between the laps, but the very next day I doubled the amount of the time in the pool and took almost no breaks at all. I was like, Okay, that’s strange, but I won’t complain. I am feeling good, looking good and walking proud. I am not only using the pool at the gym though. I am using other equipment as well. I went so dang hard on the elliptical I was sweating more than I think I ever have in my life. It was pretty crazy. I blame the eucaliptis steam room that I have been using. It is supposed to open up your pores, which I’d say works pretty damn well. It feels like the steam is covering your body in  almost covering your whole body in Noxzema or something. It’s interesting, but does actually feel nice and refreshing.

I had a nice thorough massage the other day as well. It was a deep tissue massage and felt so good. I almost fell asleep, but it actually hurt at times too from the women pushing down so hard to massage my deep tissues. I rescheduled to go back again though. I’ll get into the habit of those pretty easy I think, I better be careful. hah.

I just wanted to say, keep it real, keep your chins up and stay happy out there! I know I am!

A Lizard in New Mexico

While Geo-caching in New Mexico, I was able to snap this photo. We were in the middle of no where, searching for a geo-cache that had fallen from where it was supposed to be. My good friend Ashley had to use two sticks found on the ground to pry the object out of the area the cache fell into in order to get the cache out. It was fun, and the day was long. The lizard was moving fast because the dogs were trying to eat it, so I wasn’t able to get quite the photo I was hoping for. All in all, it was a good memory I thought I’d share.

I’m doing all right now, though. Granted, I’m technically unemployed, yet again, this time it’s manageable. The reason for this latest batch is not from the poor economy, but because the contract for the job I had ended. It ended…but it was extended before that by about 8 months, so I really can’t complain. Thankfully I was doing okay by then, so it just sucks to be on the job searching path once again.
Has this allowed me to work on one of my biggest passions? Yes, but not the one you may be thinking of if you know me. I love to write, and that’s why I have been blogging for years now, but I am a very artistic person in general. I’ve been focused on working with Photography for the last few months now, and am really enjoying it.

I most certainly do love to write still, and often find myself on the verge of it, but there’s a lot going on now, other than just photography, so I have noticed, as it happens so often with many potential authors, that life has a way of pulling you elsewhere.  However, I don’t consider that all bad. I felt pretty naive, and so living life is opening up doors and ideas that I may not have otherwise thought of when it does come to my writing. See, a little good comes from everything, it just depends on how you look at it.

Alas, the blog is back up and running, so here is a place where friends and strangers can unite and follow my daily life. (again) Enjoy!