In a bit of role reversal, Andy is in the guest seat this week to discuss his latest project, Beyond the Lens, a unique, interactive workshop series that takes the MasterClass concept to the next level! Interviewed by his good friend and project collaborator, Iain Thackrah, the two discuss why they started the project, what the classes will entail and how Kobe Bryant’s Mamba Mentality played a prominent role in developing the workshop’s curriculum.
This workshop is about more than photography; It is about taking risks as you strive for success and how to follow your own dreams. Andy will share his most valued learnings from throughout his Hall of Fame career, from his biggest highs and wins to his lows and how he overcame challenges to anecdotes from working with so many icons in the world of sports and business.
Created for those who are feeling stuck or uninspired and those just starting out in the world, no matter your creative outlet or profession, everyone will be able to find inspiration and key takeaways as they look to build their business. The twelve week series will feature sessions on brand, business and the art of balancing life and work, as well as guest speakers and experts offering their wisdom and advice through a mixture of live sessions and pre-recorded content.
Beyond the Lens will launch in June 2023, but registration is open today at www.beyondthelens.live. Early bird pricing (the lowest price EVER) is now available!
On the difference between Beyond the Lens and MasterClass workshops: “All the best of the best are doing master classes across the board [in] arts and in business and sports and industry. However, as we know, MasterClasses are recorded, offering…a grouping of lessons…people that come across your screen and teach you things but there’s no interaction. There’s no one-on-one, there’s no live component. So, you and I have come up with the great idea of how to take a MasterClass to another level, and have it be a live interaction between myself…and the public who might want to learn some things.”
On who should sign up for the workshop series: “I think we have something really exciting, I think we have a program that will interest people, on many levels. You don’t have to be a photographer, you can be. You don’t have to love sports, you can love sports. But this isn’t a “how-to-become-a-sports-photographer-like-me” class. If that’s what people are looking for, there’s lots of places you can go, lots of really reputable, how-to workshops. That’s not what this is. I will be talking about many examples, from my long career, working with people dealing with all kinds of personalities…I am not going to be talking about f-stops and shutter speeds and things like that. That’s not what this is about.”
How Kobe Bryant’s Mamba Mentality influenced the workshop’s curriculum: “Many of the tenets of what we’re going to be talking about in the workshop really come from the foundation that I learned from Kobe…[He] had four pillars of the Mamba Mentality, which we’re going to draw on throughout the workshop…The Mamba Mentality, people think about Kobe, Mamba Mentality, this is how he played on the court. No, that’s part of it. But when we did our book together, the Mamba Mentality, he subtitled the book How I Play. And I’ve talked about this before, but I just love talking about the fact that when I saw the title, on the mocked up cover, I texted him. I said, “You’ve been retired now for two years. We’re about to release a book that you’re seeing on the cover How I Play. You don’t play anymore.’ And he said, ‘Don’t you get it? Exactly. How I play, how I lead my life, how I am going to do the rest of the things I want to do.’ And that just kind of hit me right between the eyes like, ‘Oh, of course. How I play, how I live.’ So the four pillars of the Mamba Mentality are kind of the bedrock cornerstones of what we’re trying to do in the workshop.”
Other topics discussed in this episode:
- (11:35) The moment COVID-19 shut down Andy’s photography company for five months and forced him to pivot his business and adjust his areas of focus.
- (14:55) Why it is important for creative people to learn and hone their business skills.
- (23:00) Andy breaks down the four pillars of the Mamba Mentality and explains how it helped shape the curriculum for Beyond the Lens.
- (31:50) Subjects covered in the twelve part workshop, including longevity, integrity, professionalism, consistency, trust and branding.
- (35:05) The workshop will also give people a behind the scenes look at Andy’s sports photography career which spans four decades.
- (40:50) How Beyond the Lens will appeal to people across the board and offer invaluable business and life lessons.
- (47:43) Key details about Beyond the Lens workshop series
