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This is Chris Redgrave for Zions Bank Speaking on Business.
Can you imagine finding your passion at the age of 10 and then turning it into a successful business in mature adulthood? That's exactly what Mike Gulbraa has done with M&M Photo Tours.
After a forced career change, Mike was looking at options for a new job. He started thinking about what he loved, and photography immediately came to mind. His family didn't want to leave Utah, and he knew the photography industry is competitive, so he started looking for his niche. He found it in photography tours. After forming a corporation, he invited his friend and fellow photographer, Mike Montgomery, to join him and created M&M Photo Tours.
To distinguish themselves, M&M Photo Tours started looking for things the major players weren't doing. They discovered three main factors to set themselves apart. The first is to be the only photo tour that offers all-inclusive pricing. The second is to emphasize the idea of not just taking a photograph but to experience it. This means each trip includes cultural experiences, like hiring a chef to cook meals in Tuscany.
The third is to put a twist on their tours by hiring guest pros known worldwide for their photography. M&M Photo Tours invites pros from National Geographic, the Olympic Games, Nikon Legend and Canon Explorers of Light. They've also developed sponsorships with major photo companies.
Don't let yourself be intimidated by M&M Photo Tours because they're for everyone. On a trip two years ago, a woman convinced her non-photographer husband to come. By the end of the trip, one of his photos from a point and shoot camera took second place in a tour photo contest.
For Zions Bank, I'm Chris Redgrave, speaking on business.
M&M Photo Tours PO Box 951069 South Jordan, UT 84095 801-652-9316, 801-918-6311 www.mmphototours.com
