We Lead Global Takeaways

We Lead Global Talk
What they took away

The following is taken from the We Lead Global blog after John’s talk on Self Image.

WQ4 Take-away - We let something change

John Murray's story of transformations caught in photos captured all of our attention. 

My take-away statement for the evening (maybe your afternoon or morning) was this statement:

Something has to happen for us to look different

From John' stories those somethings include changes in our self-awareness and self-perception: impostor syndrome, fear, the narrations in our head, what we think other people see, the false assumption that we look like the person in the mirror. 

These set assumptions, conscious and unconscious, can be interrupted. And when their spell is interrupted, there is a more authentic self that shows.  It is "the you between the notes". 

Who is the protagonist?

One of my personal reflections was who takes the action? Who makes it happen?

Clearly, if I am leading, I can open awareness or evoke some change. But, the change is in the subject. The subject is their own protagonist of change - in changing self-confidence as they would be for changing anything. 

I admit, sometimes I feel too responsible for the change. Instead, the leading is about artful bringing the change to be.  So, What do I have to be to affect the change?  What do I have to be to see the evidence in the face of the other person?

Interrupting

John told us wonderful stories that point to our options.  I'll call them stories of interrupting as in changing attention, laughter, absurdity, caring-full bluntness. 

They have the effect of communicating "stop that thing you are doing that is a pose". The persona that fills that space between stopping the pose and re-posing is the more authentic person. 

Notice it.  Let something happen for us to look different. 

MORE HEADSHOTS!!

More Sessions!!

Due to the crazy level of demand for bookings, we have added additional sessions to the May & June diary.

To book, click the image above.

We Are Open!!

After 4 Months and 10 days closed due to COVID Restrictions...

We Are Open!!

Let the panic buying Headshots, so that you look wonderful on the remainder of your Zoom & Teams calls commence.

Good News & Bad News though.

Good: 50% off any headshots booked before May 15th 2021 using code MAY10 here

Bad news: You are already too late in this Penneys line to book for May. We are entirely booked out and June is getting tighter than the jeans i bought before Lockdown that are telling me to go for a run.

#JMHeadshots #embraceyourface #substanceoversuperficial  #headshots #personalbrand  #personalbrandingphotography

Booking Availablity

BOOKING AVAILABILITY

We said it before, we say it again!!!

Post lockdown, Headshot Photographers are the new Toilet Paper and Pasta!

The panic buy is on.

Due to incredibly high demand on our MAY 10th Reopening 50% Discounted bookings.

May is entirely booked out!

June we have limited number of spots available.

To get your 50% Headshot Session use code MAY10 before May 15th on www.johnmurrayheadshots.com/book

We are really looking forward to having you all back into the studio.

We do still have availability for talks and conferencing over the month. For details email the studio team on: john@johnmurrayheadshots.com

#JMHeadshots #EmbraceYourFace #substanceoversuperficial #squishythings #headshots #personalbrandingphotography

The COVID wine drinking made you poor discount

The Covid lockdown & Drinking wine professionally made you poor Discount

So for the past 4 months in Ireland, not one of us have gone on a walk through Penneys for socks and come out with a ton of Tshirts, Shorts and Flipflops, just incase they let us travel this summer.

4 Months of walking around looking like you went to the supermarket on top of the car with hair that on a good day makes you look like an 19th Century poet, and when you don’t envisage yourself opening the front door you look like something from a Caveman exhibit in a museum.

4 Months of walking around the house in shorts, drinking wine from the bottle, or from your favourite Mug when you are on that work call, just so nobody knows.

…and 4 Months too of looking at other peoples cool headshots on ZOOM while you your unwashed mush behind the only decent photo of you on Facebook that was taken when you were just a tiny bit hammered at your brothers wedding.

NO MORE!!! From May 10th. We can all unfurl from the Lockdown Hibernation. Wash ourselves and hit the Hair Dressers, Barbers, Nail and beauty salons.

Headshot Photographers and Hair Dressers are like the new toilet roll. Panic buying has commenced, but the wine, cheese puffs and the odd sneaky gin was expensive and some of you lot are on the PUP payment and can’t afford to undo the 4 months of abuse.

So…. considering we are back. Until the end of week 1. We are giving a 50% discount on all sessions in the studio.

All you need to do is click here. Book your session and use the code MAY10 as the discount code.

and put the wine down. Red hungover eyes in headshots…. not a wild look.

COVID Holidays

After 4 Months “OFF” due to COVID restrictions.
I am taking a week of holidays.

Here is why!

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After 4 essentially months off work. I'm taking a week off.

Here is why!

I know I can't be the only one who has suffered what seems like COVID jet lag. The fatigue of having days with nothing to do, nowhere to go and the just general sense of "I have a pain in my arse with this now."

Honestly, at times the past 4 months have been more exhausting, and a bigger pain in the face than any weeks work ever has.

So why wouldn't I take the week off. Spend it on a psychological reset. If I go back to the studio on the 10th May like I have been for the past few months, I will wander around aimlessly attempting to find second gear.

The alternative. Take a week off. Off, off! Do things that lift and relax me, complain about the weather being crap on my week off as every other Irish person does and go back fresh & ready on the 10th.

You haven't been off because of COVID restrictions. You have just been swimming against the tide.

Take a breather!

#JMHeadshots #EmbraceYourFace #mindfulness #substanceoversuperficial #wellbeingatwork

Why You Shouldn't Have Professional Linkedin Headshots... & Why You Should.

Why You Shouldn't Have Professional Linkedin Headshots... & Why You Should.

2020 was the year of realising your Linkedin and Zoom Headshot was horrific.

So much so there was a viral post…. I can’t find for the life of me, telling people not to have a Linkedin Headshot in favour of a selfie or something less 1980s real estate agent on a park bench looking like you sniff peoples seats.

So here it is. Why to, why not to and what should be in the image.

Corporate to Calm Podcast

Corporate to Calm Podcast Interview

Click here for the Podbean Podcast.

Click here for the Podbean Podcast.

John’s interview with Linda from Corporate to Calm Podcast.

Talking about everything from Imposter Syndrome to Positive Self Image and Acceptance.

COVID Bookings Update

COVID Bookings Update February-March 2021

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This is me looking very serious with some extremely messy Tethertools Cables coming from the camera. This must be serious!

Due To COVID Level 5 Restrictions. Only work directly linked to Media & Press Releases can be shot. Regular bookings are available now for April 1st 2021 & after pending Govt. updates.

Online talks, conferencing & Linkedin Latte calls carry on as usual


For media & press release bookings please
contact us here.

The Business & Neuroscience of Photography

The Business & Neuroscience of Photography on #ItsTimeToShine

Click the image to follow through to the Linkedin Live video.

Click the image to follow through to the Linkedin Live video.

I was delighted to be asked by Stewart Samkage to come online and talk to his African audience on Linkedin Live.

We spoke about Self Image, Self Acceptance, Neuroscience and the business of Photography. #ItsTimeToShine

InsideOut Podcast

InsideOut Podcast

I was delighted to be asked by Mindset Coach Ciara McCullough to have a chat with her on her new Podcast InsideOut.

With lockdown in full swing and an emergency builder in the house fixing a plumbing leak, I had to do the interview over zoom, from the car with some unusual consequences.

Global Leaders Thrive

Global Leaders Thrive Program

On March 24th I am delighted to be speaking for Global Leaders Thrive Program alongside Kingsley Aikins, Caroline O’Connor and Carrie Benedet offering an insight as to how Irish culture has influenced how and what I do.

The Program runs over 8 weeks, in 8 countries and has 24 world class speakers sharing how their cultures have shaped everything from Culture and Education to the work force in their countries.

Tickets and group bookings available on Global Leaders Thrive

Use the booking code to get $100 off the 8 week program price. GLTPJM17

How To Get Your Shit Together

The power of your network is an awesome thing.

A couple of years ago through superstar social media star Samantha Kelly, I met the team from Design Wizard and was invited to the 3XE event in Croke Park.

As seems to be a trend in my life, I seem to accumulate people. I don’t know if it is the Lynx deodorant I wear or pity they take on me, I just seem to be acquire tonnes of friends. Not a shit complaint in fairness.

Briona is one of those friends.

So she reached out to me, when I say reached out, I mean text me, reached out is such a 2020 corporate word, like Ping, Ping me. I digress!! Anyway. She sent me a text, letting me know she needed new headshots, that she had written some books and was launching a new website called How Not To Be A Hater and was kind enough to suggest my story would be interesting enough to share on her blog How To Get Your Shit Together.

You can read it by clicking either of the images, or anywhere it says How To Get Your Shit Together.

Christmas Opening Hours

Christmas Opening Hours 2020

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A very honest look at the Christmas Opening Hours for 2020

Win one of five FREE Headshot Sessions worth €400

Win one of five Free Headshot Sessions worth €400 & Job Search Coaching Sessions with Confident.ie

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I say probably 100 times a week, “Do for the good of the village, everybody benefits” and it is something I try to live by.

Covid has left the place a mess with so many losing their jobs and finding themselves in a sea of job hunters struggling to stand out.

Which is where we come in.

So we want to give 5 people the chance to stand out on the job hunt. Not just with world class headshots, but with 2 Free Job Search Coaching sessions with Stephen McDonnell from Confident.ie

Simply share this post tagging the person who deserves the free session on your social media with the #JMHeadshots for a chance to be in with a chance.

Winners will be notified on Dec 1st.

Win A Tripod!!

Win A Feisol TT-15 Tripod!

Simply tag @Feisol_europe & @JohnMurrayHeadshots on instagram with the #EmbraceYourFace when sharing a photograph of you truly happy to win.

Love The Leader Within Interview

Love The Leader Within Interview

On November 4th John will be interviewed by Jelcher de Ruijter as part of the Prometheus Project talking about his journey and loving the leader within.

You can register for the FREE event here or by clicking the image above.

The Networking Summit

The Networking Summit

John gets a mention. That is all. So we decided to share.

So it has come to this!!

SO! It Has Come To This!

I remember seeing this Kevin Costner interview on the Graham Norton show a few years ago, and in it he talks about helping someone to the point they become helpless and refuse to help themselves.


Well, I have one of those stories too. Not a friend, just somebody I felt sorry for, as did a good portion of the Irish Linkedin audience.. So here it is. Me calling that person out with the hope they sort their shit out!

World meet the unretouched Philip O’Malley

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Actually that has John & posture and confidence hacks written all over it. The one below is what rocked into the studio.

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So, Philip posted a video on Linkedin. Linked here through the Joe.ie article and very quickly the video gained traction.

In it he talks about being from a small town in Sligo, not being able to find work which was causing him pain and effecting his mental health. All entirely understandable. So it seemed to grip the Linkedin community.

People rushed to offer him help, somebody in a store in sligo gave him a new suit, and my phone started to hop around the room with everyone from the guy who works in my local off licence, to people from Linkedin teams I have worked with telling me I should do my psychology headshots thing on him. They were too late. I had already got him booked in!!

So, the date was in the diary, we had organised to get him into Linkedin for some mock interviews, some help beefing up his Linkedin profile and a tour of the building, then he was to come over to the studio where I was going to work with him to show whatever awesomeness was going on inside…. all great in concept until the day of the visit.

You may want to start cringing now!!

When he arrived to Wilton place, home to a park an apartment block and 3 Linkedin buildings at the time. He spent his time calling the contact in Linkedin, aggressively stating he couldn’t find Linkedin, which was 3 of the buildings he was standing outside of, but look. We all make mistakes.

When he was brought inside, he was registering into the building and handed his visitors lanyard by the head of security, to whom he said “So I suppose you’re the receptionist” with epic levels of condescension.

After a very quick tour of the office, regally shaking peoples hands as if he was doing them a favour he demanded to leave, over 90 minutes early to go over to my studio, and a taxi was to be ordered and paid for by Linkedin for him, he barked!… not part of the deal, its a 7 minute walk, but lets roll with it.

In the studio, I work with people of all confidence levels, some happy having their headshots taken, some terrified and uncomfortable. On this day, I was working with a lady who was quite uncomfortable but we were getting her there, then my phone started. Calls over, and over, and over from the same number. Surely something was wrong. So I made my apologies and answered. Nothing wrong. It was Philip, 90 minutes early and outside the studio angry he didn’t know which bell to press, and that I wouldn’t answer the phone.

Needless to say, I knew this was not going to be a fun shoot.

I let him in, sent him into the back room of the studio so I could finish the 10 or so minutes left with the client and tried to return to some semblance of normality, that was until he came straight back out of the room, stuck his mucky shoes onto my couch and proceeded to tell me he had “Done his research on me” in a tone as if he was a detective solving a murder.

”You shot Darren Killeen!!”

Darren!

Darren!

Darren. Exhibit A. Above.

”I did, do you know Darren?” I asked, hoping this would calm the situation.

”Yeah, we have history, myself and Darren dated, well not so much dated, but we had fun, you know yourself”

Insert John turning his back and both John and female client rolling eyes at the same time. She didn’t know who Darren was.

So, to skip the boring bits, finished all the while apologising to client. She wished me luck, I shot headshots for Philip, ( he was hard work, not because of his appearance, because he was rude) got him out of the studio, he can get his own taxi thanks and sent him the images with his drool scabs removed. Life was back to normal and everything was great.

Side note. Philip was offered a number of Jobs from the post, but refused them all because… they were beneath him. He is still unemployed

UNTIL!

Let’s call this chapter Philip finds a hobby.

Oh how Philip loves Twitter. From John Collins to TV Critic, Philip loves a night in by the fire, or TV on the laptop setting up Twitter accounts before darting back and forward on them abusing not only others, but himself for good measure. He must at this stage have 3, maybe 400 accounts if not more.

So he spends his time tagging me in his posts on Twitter, and I block his accounts, which he follows from his other accounts, all set up together and all followed by… the many Philip accounts he has, so he sets up more accounts to abuse people and tags me and the circle goes on. I have reported him to Twitter hundreds of times but they don’t answer and don’t ban him. He isn’t Gemma O’Doherty.

So here we are. Where the straw broke the camels back. After a tirade last night of abuse, where I was the #HiredHelp and my images were 1980s polaroid in quality and had he had good images he would be in Government for Fine Gael “riding high sucking from the #Taxpayerpurse”

Click to scroll through the images below!

Well, Philip. Here you go. I have told the world what you are really like just like I said I would. I look forward to hearing from your legal team for the defamation of sharing your images as per your tweets. Which isn’t defamation, it’s just me showing people your images, which are my intellectual property, and my images, so i can do what I like with them, but there you have it.

So this is my Kevin Costner moment. Maybe you will do what his friend did and sort out your life.

Also that time you posted naked photographs of yourself from your councillors toilet… nobody thought that was cool!

Happy Thursday.