Self-Restoration Project

"Less elbow grease, more elbow injuries."

It’s been awhile. And yeah, I know—that’s stupid. Growing your brand requires visibility, “you gotta earn the people’s trust”—at least that’s what I’ve heard. And believe me, I’ve heard it enough times that it’s something I probably should’ve had figured out by now.

We’re talking about online presence over here, y’all, and it’s not a whenever-I-feel-like-it kind of thing. If you’re reading this, then you probably already have it all figured out… (I believe in you!!!)

from a recent editorial project

That being said, it’s time for Doyle Daniels to do this thang with intentionality. After all, it’s persistence and consistency we’re really looking for. Persistesistency—we’ll call it—builds momentum, persistesistency builds trust. And both vanish quickly when you’re juggling too many “this things” and “that things,” throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks and what doesn’t.

After all, I’m just a working photographer trying to work a little more.

“So here we are—I’m back, baby.”

And I’m not gonna lie: the shift in my thinking, while it should’ve been obvious, needed a shove. My mentor, Steve Carty, has only reminded me of this…oh, every single chance he gets. Still, it took an elbow injury to slow me down long enough to actually hear it, give it a good old think-through, if you know what I mean. So yeah, over the next six months, I’ll be moving slower, more intentionally—less sprint, more cautious cha-cha. But I’m not short on ideas. Not going backwards. Just forward…maybe a little askew.

from a recent editorial project

I won’t blame you if you don’t buy in right away. Honestly, I wouldn’t either. I let this thing sit, got some rust on it. The old girl probably needs a new battery and some air in the tires. But she still runs, and I’m ready to see how far she’ll go. So consider this Substack—and me—undergoing a restoration project.

As an old Japanese proverb says:

“Fall down seven times, stand up eight.” -Rocky also says something similar

I’m pretty sure whoever coined that wasn’t lugging camera bodies and lighting gear around, but the point still stands.

On the bright side, I’ve also been giving my website a bit of a facelift. With the help of good friend and fellow photographer Nick Johnson, it’s feeling more and more like something I want to send people to. If you’ve got a moment, go kick the tires there too: doyledaniels.com.

So yeah, that’s where I’m at—back, a little banged up, out of fighting shape (a work in progress), but present. Persistesistency, that’s the new game!

Thanks for sticking around. And if this little reintroduction resonated with you do me a favor: hit subscribe, share it with a friend, or drop me a reply. Tell me what you’re working on—or what injury/whatever taught you to slow down and do the obvious thing. Id love to hear from you.

—Doyle out