227: "Super Extrovert" Pivot Strategies with Photographer Phillip Van Nostrand

When Michael and I were throwing together our very agile wedding at City Hall in New York City back in November 2018, with just a few weeks notice I asked two friends for a photographer recommendation. Both separately replied with the same person, today’s guest, which was all the serendipity I needed to say yes!

That photographer is Phillip Van Nostrand, an instant friend and exactly the kind of guy you’d want on board for big events.  When Phil told me how he was networking during the pandemic, and earning more revenue than ever despite so many events cancelled, I knew I needed to have him on the show. A self-described super extrovert, he’s provides a much-needed balance to my introverted curmudgeon :)

We’ll also dive into his recent Medium article, How to Live an Epic Freelance Life (in the time of Covid-19), where he describes what he’s been up to for the past five weeks to help my (photo) business and how he put over $15,000 into his bank account during this time.

Check out full show notes from this episode with links to resources mentioned at http://pivotmethod.com/227

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More about Phillip Van Nostrand

Phillip Van Nostrand is based out of New York City. With a strong background in weddings, commercial, and lifestyle projects, he is an expert in capturing bright, cinematic lifestyle imagery. He has photographed in 40+ countries for clients that include Airbnb, Jose Cuervo, Ok Cupid, Louboutin, The New School, Venmo, Condé Nast, and more.

Topics Covered

  • Phil’s FOMO at the start of the pandemic seeing all the zoom sessions happening without him

  • He made 143 phone calls during the first six weeks of the pandemic!

  • Sent 11 proposals, and put over $15,000 into his bank account during this time

  • How he started his favorite hobby: a podcast club (that has since gone virtual)

  • Caveday: a co-working container created to facilitate Deep Work 

  • Michael and my agile wedding planning . . . so agile we didn’t confirm with Phil until the day prior! 

  • His first FaceTime shoots, physically distant shoots at Central Park

  • Preparing to take his first trip in two weeks

  • The new role emerging for events: Zoom Coordinator

  • His book-in-progress on how to lead an epic freelance life

Resources Mentioned

Check out other episodes of the Pivot Podcast here. Be sure to subscribe wherever you listen, and if you enjoy the show I would be very grateful for a rating and/or review! Sign-up for my weekly(ish) #PivotList newsletter to receive curated round-ups of what I’m reading, watching, listening to, and new tools I’m geeking out on.