I meet quite often over a coffee with a pal of mine, Gary Beechey. He's a professional photographer and has been at the top of his game, photographing the rich and famous for a very long time. Like the rest of us boomers, he is feeling the heat from the youngsters coming up behind him, chompin' at the bit, vying for his contacts.
We talked the other day about the need to be current, or at least the need to be perceived to be current. He told me he just bought a very expensive camera and lens. He didn't really need it to do his job but the new gadgets in his arsenal help with the image he's selling. I told him I too invest heavily in my business. I don't have cameras to buy but my on-line presence and my marketing budget is very high. That's the way he and I have been able to stay on top of our game and keep the young wolves from the door. It's called staying current. We're both experienced and knowledgeable in our fields but that isn't enough. It's never been enough nor will it ever be.
As we age in a youngish economy, we're acutely aware of the competition we're up against. This doesn't mean we have to out-twitter or spend more time on Facebook than our young competitors. But we can't let up. That's no different than in years past. We've been looking over our shoulders since we started.
Maybe that's whats kept us both at the top of our game all these years