She Told Me ALL About Myself ••••
The Palo Alto studio was the largest space I ever operated. 7,200 square feet, It was an easy walk to Stanford University. The main shooting area measured over 2,100 square feet, providing ample room for large productions, multiple sets and complex lighting setups. Because of its size I regularly hosted meetings there for the professional photography groups.
At one of those meetings, while people were milling about and chatting as they waited for the evening’s speakers to begin, I met a female photographer who enlightened me with her awareness about the owner of the studio. According to her, he came from a wealthy family that had fully supported him and his career. She claimed he had leveraged intimate relationships with female Art Directors to secure many of his jobs, and that these connections explained his professional success.
She explained her frustrations in that she lacked those same advantages and suggested that this was the reason she had been unable to advance her career to the level she felt she deserved.
I was genuinely astonished by the depth and certainty of her assertions, especially given the fact that we had never met before. But I was soon called away, since I was one of the featured speakers that evening.
I have often wondered what she thought when she later saw me standing at the podium, addressing the room. I’ll never know. I never saw her again, even after I deliberately looked for her once the talk had ended.
That brief encounter, however, left me with a lasting lesson. It taught me not to judge people based on what others say about them, but instead to form opinions only through direct experience and personal interaction. Over time, this mindset proved invaluable, Especially when I began working with public figures. I learned how frequently people are judged by rumor rather than experience.
And for the record, none of what she told me was true. I almost wish it had been. But it wasn’t.
