David Squires

Pick One Thing to Do This Summer

Me? I’m going to build my skills at producing video.

Published

12 years ago

July 4, 2012

David Squires

IF YOU WANT 100 LITTLE THINGS to do over the coming hot months, today we’re bringing you a list from Kate Peterson that will get you started.

But if you want one big thing that will add meaning to your summer, here’s my suggestion:

Find one skill that you think you would enjoy developing and that would have some use to your business. And then dive in.

Me? I’m going to build my skills at producing video.

A few years back, I learned iMovie and spent many rapt hours squeezing what I could out of that program. And then last year, I learned Final Cut Pro and, using that program’s much finer controls, bumped my skills a little higher.

Now I’d like to bring my video shooting and production skills to an even higher level.

Capturing better video. Green screen effects. Working with actors. Animated title openings. Lower thirds. Three-dimensional text. Making trailers. Advertisements. Maybe even a talk show. All of it.

That’s my goal this summer.

(Final Cut can be intimidating at first, so I’d advise doing a tutorial. I recommend Larry Jordan’s video series. The “Quick Start” session takes about four hours and costs only $39 to download. It’s worth the investment. And you’ll be surprised how quickly Final Cut turns from forbidding to friendly.)

You Wouldn’t Cut Your Own Hair. Why Run Your Own Retirement Sale?

After being in business for over a quarter of a century, Wayne Reid, owner of Wayne Jewelers in Wayne, Pennsylvania, decided it was time for a little “me time.” He says, “I’ve reached a point in my life where it’s time to slow down, enjoy a lot of things outside of the jewelry industry. It just seemed to be the right time.” He chose Wilkerson to handle his retirement sale because of their reputation and results. With financial goals exceeded, Reid says he made the right choice selecting Wilkerson to handle the sale. “They made every effort to push our jewelry to the forefront of the showcases,” he says, lauding Wilkerson for their finesse and expertise. Would he recommend them to other jewelers who want to make room for new merchandise, expand their business or like him, decide to call it a day? Absolutely he says, equating trying to do this kind of sale with cutting your own hair. “The results are going to happen but not as well as if you have a professional like Wilkerson do the job for you.”