5 Inspiring Videos Every Business Owner Should Watch

Over the years I have gotten to know many photographers that can take great photos but who suffer staying motivated in their business. Many of us try to do it on our own with no one to really believe in us. Our family and friends watch us from the sidelines waiting for us to throw in the towel. I have found that watching a daily motivational video is a great way for me to stay focused and inspired. Here are 5 of my current favorites I believe every entrepreneur should watch.

Now just to be clear these videos are not about how to light, or camera techniques. Instead these videos are meant to inspire (breathe life into), uplift and open your mind as a business owner trying to do it on your own. I wanted to start it off with one of my favorite speakers Gary Vaynerchuk. This video does contain some foul language so please keep that in mind while watching it. But the message is spectacular and definitely worth the time to watch it. Gary's message is that we need to all find what we love to do and then how to monetize it.

"You need to care about everything and it starts with yourself. Look yourself in the mirror and ask yourself, 'What do I want to do every day for the rest of my life?' Do that. I promise that you can monetize that. If you want Alf, do an Alf blog. If you want Smurfs, Smurf it up. Whatever you need to do, do it."

Another favorite quote of his. "I always say that legacy is greater than currency. Has everybody completely grasped that your great, great, great, grand children are going to watch and see everything you've even done? I think about that every single day. I want my grand kids to be proud of me."

"Do What You Love. No Excuses!" - Gary Vaynerchuk

This next talk is fairly new and was delivered just a few weeks ago by musician Amanda Palmer while on a TED stage in Long Beach, California. Here story of connecting with her fans and asking for their help is something I believe we as photographers can easily relate to. Definitely worth checking out.

"The Art of Asking" - Amanda Palmer

In the talk by Drew Dudley he reminds us just how extraordinarily powerful we are as human beings and in relationships with one another. In this short talk he tells the "Lollipop Story" and reminds us that we all need to be creating, acknowledging and saying thank you to others for these powerful moments that happen in our life.

"Leading With Lollipops" - Drew Dudley

No list of inspiring videos would be complete without including the amazing commencement speech given by Steve Jobs at Stanford University. My two favorite quotes from the talk are. "Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith. I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle." And the second is, "Your time is limited so don't waste it living someone else's life."

"How To Live Before You Die" - Steve Jobs

Lastly, I know that as business owners we have our shares of ups and downs. We need to remember though that as long as we don't give up, we didn't fail. This inspirational story captured in this video of Olympian Derek Redmond is a great visual reminder of not giving up even when we are down.

"Powerful True Story From The Olympics" - Derek Redmond

I love motivational videos and try to watch them as often as possible. Just as we exercise for our bodies I believe that we need to feed our mind good positive messages often. Do you have some favorite inspirational videos I should watch. If so, let me know in the comments below with a link. Lastly, don't forget to inspire others by sharing this article.