About Me

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Monroe, Ohio, United States
Began my photography career as most people do...the highschool yearbook. Upon graduation I attended the US Naval Photography School in Pensacola Fla. After getting a qualification in basic photography and then later attending their Portrait School,was assigned to a military operation. Experiences included USO photography for Bob Hope, Brooke Shields, Kathy Lee Crosby and Wayne Newton.Have also had the opportunity for travel assignments to places such as Beruit, Israel, Africa, Australia, Brazil, Italy, Spain and England. Upon exiting the Navy in 1984,opened up a Tanning Salon and Health Club in Oxford,Ohio and began photographing weddings, all as a vehicle to fund my way through college. I enjoy travel, sports photography, special event and Cincinnati Reds photography. I am frequently contracted as a sports photographer by parents, sports teams, and organizations,throughout the Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio areas, to provide the highest quality sports photography, both on an individual and team basis.

November 16, 2016

All In, All the Time; Servant Leadership in High School Athletics.



A Profile on Franklin Wildcat Coach and Athletic Director, Brian Bales.  By Vincent Rush


On a late January night in 2015, an unassuming figure, dressed in a black Nike warm up suit, sits alone with a clipboard diligently taking notes in a high school gymnasium.

It’s a rare off night in this man’s schedule that begins in late October and will run non-stop till, hopefully sometime in late March, with the culmination of a State Championship in Columbus. But as for the immediate, his attention is squarely focused on the team on the floor, that will be his next opponent.

Equipped with a note pad and basketball intelligence quota that’s off the charts, he carefully observes and takes notes on individual skill sets, tendencies, habits and match ups. He instinctively observes things such as...which player has a difficult time going to his left? How many times can the teams point guard be turned on his progress to mid court? How does the offense deal with sudden attack traps and full court presses and which players lose their cool with a little bit of pressure from a pit-bull of a defender?

It doesn’t matter that the team of his focus has only 3 wins on the season, nor that his OWN team is nationally ranked, has already wrapped up its 4th straight SWBL conference championship and is the home of a two-time Mr. Ohio Basketball and Duke University commit Luke Kennard.

No, this is Brian Bales, the head coach of the Franklin Wildcats and one of the brightest basketball minds in the game and one of the hardest working men you'll ever meet.

But Bales is much more that simply a good coach, he is one the finest an example of servant leadership that you will ever meet and preparation is a part of his character.

I had a conversation with another Coach recently that made an interesting statement when he said, “No one likes to face Brian early in a tournament”. When I asked him to elaborate, he replied, “No one prepares more for any game at this level…than Bales. He’s not only a tremendous leader, he’s an incredible example, not only to his players but to all of us that are lucky enough to call him a friend.

However, don’t simply think that Brian Bales is only about basketball and preparing for the next game. While Bales loves the sport, he understands that a Coaches true calling is more about significance in the lives of those he has been entrusted with than simply short term successes as indicated by wins and losses.

Bales has taught his players, and is constantly teaching his own family, that preparing for the game of life begins with ones goals which influence thoughts, leading to action then habits, and eventually form character that inevitably leads to a destiny in each and every individual’s life.

Every one of us in life, no matter what level of success...as determined by the world that we achieve, can always point back to special mentors and various examples we crossed paths with that changed the entire trajectory of our lives.

There are individuals who are driven by success and then there are those special individuals who are DRAWN to something greater than themselves…significance. And at its root, significance has the DNA of caring and character woven all throughout it’s makeup.


Bales is a fierce competitor and no one that you would want to get into the octagon with. His intensity is unrivaled on game night, often making you wonder if he secretly fantasizes about being a Marine Drill Sargent. But underneath the trademark black button up shirt, as he turns multiple shades of red while getting up-close and personal with a player that has suddenly lapsed into on-court unconsciousness, he is also a compassionate individual with a servant’s heart that genuinely cares about the kids that he is helping develop into young men, equipped for success in the real world. 




His impact on these young men that he Coaches and mentors extends well beyond the simple win-loss record or final score. It’s resonates in the character and makeup of the individuals that will graduate and begin to write their own life stories into adult hood.

Franklin Senior, Gavin Crase, when asked about Coach Bales impact on his life, had this to say;


I can’t say enough about the influence Coach Bales has had in my life. One of the most influential things that he has helped me realize is that positive competition can be a very valuable and driving force to help you succeed in our goals and dreams. 

I’ve learned from Coach that goals aren't just about sports but about succeeding in the game of life as well. 

Coach Bales has been an inspiration to me over the past few years and has inspired me to put my head down, focus and work hard to make myself a better person, become a better husband when I am married and hopefully the type of Father that I have had the honor to watch and learn from.




Being close to Coach Bales for so long he has shown what being a leader is all about. He has shown me that a true leader is honest, confident, and committed to excellence in all his endeavors. He is a good communicator and the most positive person I know. While these are admirable qualities of a great coach he is also a great leader in the community as well.

The qualities that I wound want to aspire to the most are his honesty, commitment, and being a positive person. Those things created the "next play" mentality that we use in the basketball program. This mentality holds yourself accountable and allow yourself to have the strength and fortitude to overcome any obstacle that comes up in life.

I believe Coach helped make me a better man by simply being around him and seeing how he handles situations, good or bad. Whether in his career or personal life he has shown that its important to have my own goals to strive for. One day I plan on becoming a teacher as well as a coach. Thanks to Mr. Bales, I have learned what it means to be “all in” in these endeavors.

It’s my belief that if I ever become half the man he is, I would've done well for myself. The Franklin community is very lucky to have him.


Another one of Bales players, 2016 Franklin Graduate Braxton Lawill offered his own testimony to the influence of Bales mentorship during his high school basketball career;




“I have had the honor to watch Coach Bales lead this team by example and servant leadership. From the example in how he carries himself as a Christian, as a Coach, a mentor and by the way that way that he treats other people and kids, he is a tremendous example to all of us. I would love to be like Coach Bales in those exact ways and character traits as well as develop into the type of Father and husband that I have observed in him.



 

“I’ve grown up over the past four years and have learned a lot from Coach. One of the most influential things he has taught me in competition is that you should never give up, give in and to keep fighting for what you want! We learned this many times on the court, and Coach Bales was always great about connecting what we had battled through, overcame and learned in the process. I remember Coach telling us that adversity does not build character but rather reveals it.

While Coach Bales fiercely competitive, intense he is extremely firm with the players on is teams, however he is also very fair and he is extremely loyal to his players, his school and his friends. While he is one of the hardest working people I have ever seen he always seems to balance the time between work, basketball and family.”



“NEXT PLAY! NEXT PLAY!”, Bales screams at the top of his lungs at his son Isaiah who is standing and looking in disbelief at a rare shot that has just rimmed out from 3 point land in his 7th grade game against Bellbrook. The life lesson in the Bales mantra of his WTNO (Win the Next One) philosophy; Move on from mistakes, forget the past and focus on the future. Whether it’s the next game, next play, next exam or just a bad day, move on. God can’t do anything with your past, but he can work miracles with your future.

But Bales leadership doesn’t merely exist on the confines of a basketball floor or in a pre-game locker room speech.

Bales exemplifies all the qualities that you want in your Athletic Director / Coach / Counselor and Father.

Its midway through the Freshman game on a Friday night in Eaton Ohio and Bales is coaching and preparing again. However, the coaching is not a basketball player, it’s his Daughter, as he is locked in on the play book of the moment, her homework.

Dad is focused in and using the same skills he uses in practice, encouraging her to think, come up with answers and stepping in when needed to untie the knot when necessary.


I remember watching this and observing, as I often do when Bales is “working” and thinking to myself, I wish I could have learned from this guy as I was trying to navigate my own way through Fatherhood.  

Holly Daniels, a parent of a Franklin Wildcat remembers a moment that resonates with her. "The night of the Bellbrook game Coach Bales was in full parent -husband mode as he and his wife had just returned from a death in their family out of state. I watched him help his daughter with her homework during the JV game. A sign of a good coach shows on the court. A sign of a GREAT coach is what they do off the court. Coach Bales taught my son that week that his wife and kids are more important than basketball”
As someone who speaks on topics of leadership, teamwork and purpose, one of my beliefs is that leadership, good or bad, is a contagion.
Leadership is never about the leader but about the betterment of those you serve. It's a privilege and therefore a burden of the highest responsibility.
It's when leaders begin valuing optics over ethics, profit over purpose or position over principal, that leaders, organizations...and teams, begin to lose their way.
Nothing is more dangerous to the culture of an organization or team, than leaders who lose sight of their real purpose...to serve something greater than themselves.

The thing that separates great from average, lies in what they do when no one is looking. It’s not a skill that one turns on and off on demand, it’s character, that causes a winner to lead by example


I had the opportunity to attend one of Duke University’s pre-season closed practices, ran by Coach Mike Krzyzewskski. 

After practice, I introduce myself and mention to Coach K that I am friends with Brain Bales. Coach K lights up and proceeds to edify Bales for the next few minutes. 

Coach K had gotten to know Brian during the recruiting process of Franklin’s Luke Kennard. “Brian Bales is everything you want in a high school basketball Coach. He’s is exactly the type of leader you want your own Son to play for. I think the world of him” 




Coach K wasn’t just giving me lip service simply because Brian and I are friends. During the bus ride back to Franklin in 2015, after the Wildcats had seen their magical season come to an end against Dayton Dunbar in the OHSAA playoffs, Coach K called Brian on his cell phone offering him encouragement and praise on a great season.

This was not a sales call. Kennard was already signed, sealed and well on his way to Cameron Arena in the Spring.

It just so happens that Coach K was on a bus of his own, headed to Dukes matchup in the second round of their NCAA tournament game.

I’ve had the opportunity to be around a lot of individuals of great accomplishment in my life, both through my career in Amway and my sports photography background. One of the things I have always taken time to do, is to study how successful people treat other people. It’s not a secret why Coach K is where he is.

In life, not matter what stage an individual may be in, you are where you are...because of WHO you are.

Brian Bales, who is possibly one of the best kept secrets in the high school coaching arena, serves as Athletic Director, Head Coach, Counselor, Husband and Father. His relentless work ethic and his commitment to his profession reminds me of a conversation I had with University or Kentucky Wildcats Coach, John Calipari. 

I asked Coach Cal what was the most important piece of advice he gives his players as they prepare to leave college, on their way to the NBA.

He said, “That’s easy! Money has wings. If you pursue money, it will always prove to be elusive. But if you pursue excellence, in all your endeavors, money and recognition will hunt you down and attach itself to all your endeavors.”

It’s only a matter of time before a large Division 1 high school of college program comes knocking on Bales door. His commitment to character, dedication to his profession and knowledge of the game make him an idea candidate for any school that would want to infuse their program with a high octane shot of energy. 

But it goes beyond that. Bales is exactly the kind of leader you want if your true North is building and developing champions in the game of life beyond the court.

As Coach K stated, he’s EXACTLY the type of leader that you would want your kid to play for and to learn from. It's about significance before success, next play, next game, all in…all the time….WTNO!f the people on their team and maximize their potential. They are good at taking people to places they have never been before. While Bales is tough and demanding, it's based in love and caring. The team is always a reflection of it's leader. The young Cats are tough, relentless and demanding of each other. But spend anytime around them and you realize that they are polite, well mannered and a family. That "Family" is part of the culture of Franklin that starts at the youngest stages of the youth programs.

Adversity does not build character, contrary to the often-quoted cliché, but rather it reveals it. The teams that figured the Wildcats would roll over and curl up into the fetal position once Luke Kennard left for the bright lights of the ACC, underestimated the character instilled into them under Brian Bales leadership.

There are great players, there are great teams and then there are simply great programs. And all great programs begin with great leadership.

But Bales leadership doesn’t merely exist on the confines of a basketball floor or in a pre-game locker room speech.

Bales exemplifies all the qualities that you want in your Athletic Director / Coach / Counselor and Father. He is the kind of leader worth following. He's exactly the type of head basketball Coach that you would want your kid to go play college ball for because you know that  no matter how great your Son or Daughter was as a person, they would be returned to you a magnification of all that was good.


It’s past 9 pm Wednesday night in September of 2016. A solitary figure pushes a broom up and down the length of the brand-new hardwood that has just been set in the Franklin high school gym. 

After a day that began before dark and has seen the man help his wife Jayme, with getting the kids off to school, then dealing with the typical job demands of an Athletic Director, then attending numerous after school sporting events, helping with the kid’s homework and probably a dozen other things that went un-noticed, Bales quietly sweeps the floors and contemplates the upcoming season.


Servant Leadership




Posted by professional Ohio photographer Vincent Rush of Cincinnati Sports Photography and Dayton Sports Photography. Vince Rush can be contacted by phone at (513) 702-0495 or by email at vrush@rushintl.com or visit http://CincinnatiSportsPhotography.com

Vincent Rush is a an Ohio based professional sports and special event photographer that primarily serves as a Dayton Sports Photographer and Cincinnati Sports photographer.

February 21, 2013

Eagle Eyes


Eaton Eagles defenders swoop in on a Valley View Spartan running back. Photo by 
Sports Photographer Vincent Rush 

Posted by professional Ohio photographer Vincent Rush of Cincinnati Sports Photography and Dayton Sports Photography.

 Vince Rush can be contacted by phone at (877) 858-6295 or by email at vrush@rushintl.com or visit http://CincinnatiSportsPhotography.com Vincent Rush is a an Ohio based professional sports and special event photographer that primarily serves as a Dayton Sports Photographer and Cincinnati Sports photographer.

February 20, 2013

Buckner Martial Arts Academy Black Belt Testing


 14 year old Christopher Fallat of West Chester, (on the left) tests for his black belt in Karate at Buckner Martial Arts Academy in West Chester, Ohio. Photo by Sports Photographer Vincent Rush of Cincinnati Sports Photography.




Posted by professional Ohio photographer Vincent Rush of Cincinnati Sports Photography and Dayton Sports Photography. Vince Rush can be contacted by phone at (877) 858-6295 or by email at vrush@rushintl.com or visit http://CincinnatiSportsPhotography.com

Vincent Rush is a an Ohio based professional sports and special event photographer that primarily serves as a Dayton Sports Photographer and Cincinnati Sports photographer.

February 16, 2013

You Only Get One Shot! That's Why You Hire a Professional Photographer.



I get phone calls all the time from a Mom or a Dad, asking me to give a price to come out and photograph their son or daughter playing a particular sport or a coach will call me to come and shoot a team in an event.

My prices are not the cheapest. I generally charge between $250-$400 per event, depending on the circumstances.

While I don't get a lot of resistance to my pricing, due to the reputation I have as a sports photographer, I still occasionally do get the; "Wow! That's pretty high."

My response is always one of two questions, depending on what mood I am in.

Response one: "Are you referring to price or cost?" or "What criteria do you use when choosing a professional sports photographer?"

Are you paying for photos or are you paying for memories?

If you are simply buying pictures, find someone with a camera from Best Buy and give them $25 and let them post 400 shots on their website.

If you have a special occasion and you want it captured for a keepsake, you need a professional.

When you hire a professional sports photographer to shoot action photos of a sporting event, you are not only paying for their time and effort, you are paying for their experience, knowledge of the game flow, understanding angles and momentum and anticipation.

You paying a professional sports photographer for their professional grade cameras with extreme low light capabilities. You're renting their high speed professional grade lenses that can run $8000 to $10,000.00.

I've shot tens of thousands of action photos in little league baseball, select ball, football, basketball and other sports.

Every now and then I capture a moment like this.

Eaton, Ohio 8th grade basketball player Donnie Nicodemus was driving to the hoop in the Southwestern Buckeye League Championship game in Camden, Ohio at Preble Shawnee High School recently.

The lighting in the gym was not the worst I've shot in, but it wasn't good either.

I was shooting a Nikon D700 with a Nikor 80-200mm 2.8 lens and 5000 ISO and 1/800th of a second.

When I grabbed this frame and looked at the image, I realized that I had gotten Donnie's Mom in the background.

This wasn't just a picture, but rather a lifetime keepsake for Mom and son.

There is no greater satisfaction as a professional sports photographer than presenting a parent with a shot like this. I've shot a lot of pictures of Donnie as a result of little league photography. One I shot of him this past year was this pitching photo, with the Eaton Express, which became one of my favorites.



Why do you pay a professional photographer vs "Mom or Guy with Best Buy camera", you don't pay a professional for pictures and images. You hire a professional for memories that will hold a special place in your heart and soul for years to come.


Posted by Monroe Ohio photographer Vincent Rush, Cincinnati Sports Photography and Dayton Sports Photography of Monroe Ohio. Vince Rush can be contacted by phone at (877) 858-6295 or by email at vrush@rushintl.com or visit http://CincinnatiSportsPhotography.com

Vincent Rush is a an Ohio based professional sports photographer that primarily serves as a Dayton Sports Photographer and  Cincinnati sports photographer.

February 14, 2013

Sports Photographer Vincent Rush



Fast Break, by Cincinnati and Ohio Sports Action Photographer Vincent Rush of Monroe, Ohio

Posted by Monroe Ohio photographer Vincent Rush, Cincinnati Sports Photography and Dayton Sports Photography of Monroe Ohio. Vince Rush can be contacted by phone at (877) 858-6295 or by email at vrush@rushintl.com or visit http://CincinnatiSportsPhotography.com Check out my about.me profile!

January 27, 2013

High School Freshman Celina King Records 1000th Point.



Celina King, a Freshman at Cincinnati Christian, drive past a Cincinnati Christian Schools defender and scores her 1000th point on January 26th, 2013. 

Celina has actually been a starting Varsity point guard in High School since she was 12.


While previously at private Christian Schools, including Spring Valley Academy in Dayton, she is now in her first year at an OHSSA sanctioned school. 


More amazing than her basketball skills, is the amount of books that she had read, by the time she was 12, that deal with having a PMA, Winning and going after your goals. Celina is one of the most well balanced and humble kids that I have ever met and is a little Pistol Pete Maravich on the court.


As a Cincinnati Sports Photographer, I met Celina and her family in 2010 and was blown away by her personality, sense of humility, maturity level and work ethic.


I spoke to an ESPN editor at a holiday tournament the first time I was hired to come photograph her and was told by a gentlemen named Mark Lewis of ESPN Hoop Girls at the time, that there are lots of kids with incredible unique abilities, but there are probably only 4 or 5 kids like a Celina King.


Posted by Monroe Ohio photographer Vincent Rush, Cincinnati Sports Photography and Dayton Sports Photography of Monroe Ohio. Vince Rush can be contacted by phone at (877) 858-6295 or by email at vrush@rushintl.com or visit http://CincinnatiSportsPhotography.com Check out my about.me profile!

October 14, 2012

Sports Photography + Portrait Photography = Sportrait Photography


Senior Portrait Photography by Vincent Rush of Cincinnati Sports Photography


Senior Portrait Photography by Sports Photographer Vincent Rush


Senior Portrait Photography by Ohio Sports Photographer Vincent Rush

Just a few examples of what I refer to as "Sport-Rait" photography. 

As a result of shooting a lot of sports action photography, I am often asked if I can do Senior Portraits.

It's not my niche, but I certainly don't mind doing it. This was a great subject and a result of a simple action photo I took a few years ago of Monroe High School pitcher Jake Little. 



Two years later, his Mom would contact me about shooting his Senior portraits.


Posted by Monroe Ohio photographer Vincent Rush, Cincinnati Sports Photography and Dayton Sports Photography of Monroe Ohio. Vince Rush can be contacted by phone at (877) 858-6295 or by email at vrush@rushintl.com or visit http://CincinnatiSportsPhotography.com

October 1, 2012

Faces in the Crowd






 By Ohio Sports Photographer, Vincent Rush

Are you shooting sports photography to earn a secondary income, or are you shooting sports photography because it’s a hobby that you have no intention of ever expanding into a business?

If you are doing it to earn an income, and are like most aspiring sports photographers, you shoot a Friday night or Saturday football game and capture hundreds of action shots and run home to your computer and upload your favorites to a website such as Smug Mug www.smugmug.com and then sit back and hope the cash starts coming in.

You will also notice that there are several other photographers at your local events, with the same intentions.

I’ve always said, live by the philosophy of “Observe the masses and do the opposite”

One of your “hidden treasures” in any high school event is the kids in the crowd.



I consistently sell more 5x7’s and 4x6 prints form my journeys up into the stands that the actual game photos, simply because…NO ONE ELSE DOES!

There is a secret though, don’t just fire off snap shots that anyone with an I-Phone can capture. Be a little creative and always take a second to make sure you don’t embarrass anyone kid or post up some idiot that is flipping the finger in the background.

Oh. Yeah…I’ve saw worse than that in the background of some of my photos! Examine them carefully. There’s an idiot in every crowd.

I particularly take care to remove bad acne in a shot like that. I do not want a kid with a developing self image to be made fun of by his peers so I am very meticulous in taking care of that detail before I post a picture.



If you don’t want to sell the pics, but still want the efforts to produce fruit, post them on a local kids or schools Facebook page.

Kids will tag themselves and share the photos, garnering you some free “Brand Exposure”.



 
Posted by Monroe Ohio photographer Vincent Rush, Cincinnati Sports Photography and Dayton Sports Photography of Monroe Ohio. Vince Rush can be contacted by phone at (877) 858-6295 or by email at vrush@rushintl.com or visit http://CincinnatiSportsPhotography.com

September 27, 2012

Awkward Small Town Newspaper Photos



 I always get a kick out of my old hometown newspaper and the photos that they choose for publication for game coverage.

This latest came from a south western Ohio newspaper that has never had any idea of what a good sports action photo actually is.

While I admit, I have seen a few incredible captures in their sports photography section, they are few and far between.

Most of the time, I am asking myself...WHAT WERE THEY THINKING? (When the editor chose to publish the photo)

Look, I will admit, I am not the "Worlds Greatest Photographer". The fact is, that there is always someone better. In fact, I always say that the secret to being a "Great" photographer, is in knowing what to delete.

This shot violates two of the basic rules for good sports photography, especially with a local news paper.

1) It has to tell a story. I'm not really sure what is going on here. It looks like the photographer was so thrilled to get a "Stop Action" shot, that he thought...THIS IS THE ONE!

2) It has to be flattering to the home town team.....no explanation really needed on this one.

The following is another example of a poor and unflattering picture to the subject.


Volleyball is not easy to shoot, but this photographer MUST have had a better image in the camera!

I posted a couple of women's soccer shots that I did a couple of years ago for Monroe High School. as an example of the points I was making of the previous soccer sports action photos.



Both of the photos are crisp, clear, properly exposed and tell a story, for the sake of reporting on the game.

I've been doing sports photography in Ohio for several years now. Every picture I post or present, I always ask the question, "Would I want that framed and up on my wall, if that were my kid.?"



Posted by Monroe Ohio photographer Vincent Rush, Cincinnati Sports Photography and Dayton Sports Photography of Monroe Ohio. Vince Rush can be contacted by phone at (877) 858-6295 or by email at vrush@rushintl.com or visit http://CincinnatiSportsPhotography.com

September 26, 2012

Possibly the Scariest 8th Grade Football Player Ever



 Jarnell Stokes is a 6-foot-8, 270 pound basketball player at the University of Tennessee. He was an All-SEC freshman last year. At only 18, there's a good chance Stokes still has some growing to. You know, maybe adding that freshman 45 we all get.


For his sake, here's hoping Jarnell keeps growing, because it looks like his little brother Isaiah is on his way to being the big man of the family.

Isaiah is in 8th grade and currently stands at 6-foot-7, 225 pounds. From the photo, you can see Isaiah has a slight height and weight advantage over other players in his football league.

This is photographic evidence supporting the existence of a real-life man-child. Half man, half boy, 100% a college athletics recruiter's dream, Isaiah Stokes will undoubtedly make some academic institution a lot of money in the very near future, playing a yet to be determined sport.

The only thing that can be said with any certainty is that exactly zero dollars of the revenue generated off of Isaiah will go to Isaiah.

Re-Posted by Monroe Ohio photographer Vincent Rush, Cincinnati Sports Photography and Dayton Sports Photography of Monroe Ohio. Vince Rush can be contacted by phone at (877) 858-6295 or by email at vrush@rushintl.com or visit http://CincinnatiSportsPhotography.comCincinnatiSportsPhotography.com Check out my about.me profile!

September 25, 2012

The Marketing Mindset of High Growth Business Leaders

 Valley View Spartans Football by Dayton Sports Photographer Vincent Rush


Marketing is often misconstrued as little more than advertising – lots of brands jumping up and down and shouting as they try to grab potential customers’ attention. Done right however, marketing will cover every touch point of your business from raising brand awareness (where advertising is often a good tool), to activities that develop trust, drive trial, encourage repeat sales and incentivize them to tell their friends about you.

The key is to create a strong marketing strategy, and the starting point for building such a strategy is to challenge the way you might think of marketing and develop a marketing mindset as part of your business culture.

Think of marketing as everything that touches your customer

One of the biggest challenges facing any CEO wanting to use marketing to grow their business is the fragmentation within the industry, which makes it difficult to navigate successfully, especially with limited budgets. As a result, marketing often ends up consigned to pockets of unaligned activities that fail to deliver their full potential.

Instead as a founder, business owner or appointed marketing person you need to become the linchpin that holds it all together.  PR, branding, advertising, social media, content marketing… they are all just some in a long list of potential marketing activities that can be implemented to your advantage. But it is vital to think of them as being under one umbrella of ‘marketing’ so that everything talks to your customer in the same way; if you don’t the messages gets confused and diluted.

The most successful customer–centric businesses broaden this principle even further and look at every part of the business that comes into contact with their customer.

The passion and knowledge (or lack thereof) which your staff shows for your business and brand are often the customers first in-person interaction and form the front line of your marketing strategy- first impressions really do count!

By thinking of these areas as being under the same marketing umbrella it will make it easier for you to define what should be done and said to customers at every touch point. If you want some inspiration, think Virgin Atlantic, think Zappos, think Apple– they work to make every contact with the customer a good one and the result is loyalty.

Make every business decision with your customer in mind

Those founders, CEOs and managers who actively encourage and embrace a marketing mindset within their teams have the ability to not only understand their customers but also identify new opportunities to grow their business and achieve that all important 20% year on year growth that is the hallmark of a high growth business.

To have a truly customer-centric business mindset there first needs to be a very clear picture of exactly who you are talking to. How succinctly can you describe your customer? Where do they live? Where do they shop? What do they do? What do they read and watch? Who influences them? Can you get a clear mental picture of them as one person? Build your customer profile and that picture can be used to guide the fundamental decisions in your business.

A great example of this customer-centric business approach is five year old Moma breakfasts – founded by Tom Mercer. Tom knew that the fundamental business decision he faced was in understanding where to sell his healthy on-the-go breakfasts and that to do this he needed to get in the mind of his target customers.  He was clear that his new product was all about solving the hunger pains of busy rushed commuters – so he refused to launch the brand until he got his first stall at the end of the platform concourse at Waterloo station – exactly where his hungry commuters were.

Be bold about your brand

Every successful business will get copied in one form or another. That is why business leaders with a strong marketing mindset create brands – not just products. If you create a brand that means something to people…with values, and an identity…competitors will be deterred from copying you and customers will have a reason to stay with you.

Innocent drinks for instance have seen a multitude of competitors entering their market, including many lower priced supermarket versions. But they continue to grow – both in the UK and by expanding into new international markets. Fundamentally, this is down to that brand personality that lives on those little bottles and in everything they do which drives an emotional attraction in that three second decision at the chiller.

The reality is that a brand is so much more than a logo. The most powerful brands mean something to people; they have values and are emotionally attractive to their target audiences. This first starts by identifying what you want your brand to stand for, and what it should stand for to be compelling to your target customers. These questions begin to force decisions about what you want to mean to your target audience. Once you are clear on what you want to mean – you can build a marketing plan to start saying it.

Remain wholeheartedly focused on the end goal

One of the biggest challenges of managing marketing in an ambitious business is the wealth of options open to you – and the confusion they cause. Plus when faced with exciting marketing ideas, new technologies, and a limited budget, it is easy to become distracted and want to try everything. This is when businesses into the trap of being execution led – rather than objectives led – leading to stretched resource, wasted money and sometimes disappointing results.

Starting out with a clear idea of what you want to achieve is key to avoiding these pitfalls. So, before you do anything, first assess what you want to achieve, or where you want to get to: If you want more people to know about you, that is about driving awareness; if you want people to try you out, that is driving trial; or if you want your current customers to buy more, it is all about driving frequency.  But only by creating a business culture where all the business leaders are constantly reviewing actions and progress versus what you want to achieve with your marketing can you keep the business on track to deliver results.

Spot your growth opportunities with a marketing mindset

Any business can look across at the competition and copy what they are doing well. Far fewer have the skill to see the competitions’ weaknesses, understand what customers truly want, and deliver a compelling solution. This ability to recognize opportunity is a key trait of a growth business and of a leader with a strategic vision. The success of the likes of Steve Jobs or Michael Dell rests in their fundamental belief that the purpose of business is to better serve your customer –the very essence of a marketing mindset.


Written by Christina Richardson on Friday, 21 September 2012


Posted by Monroe Ohio photographer Vincent Rush, Cincinnati Sports Photography and Dayton Sports Photography of Monroe Ohio. Vince Rush can be contacted by phone at (877) 858-6295 or by email at vrush@rushintl.com or visit http://CincinnatiSportsPhotography.com Check out my about.me profile!

August 14, 2012

The Friendly Confines of Wrigley Field



 Wrigley Field Panoramic by Sports Photographer Vincent Rush of Cincinnati Sports Photography.

Posted by Monroe Ohio photographer Vincent Rush, Cincinnati Sports Photography and Dayton Sports Photography of Monroe Ohio. Vince Rush can be contacted by phone at (877) 858-6295 or by email at vrush@rushintl.com or visit Cincinnati Sports Photography.com 

July 16, 2012

Joey Votto Out 3-4 Weeks

Joey Votto of the Cincinnati Reds. Photo by Cincinnati Sports Photographer Vincent Rush




CINCINNATI (AP) Reds first baseman Joey Votto will have surgery to repair torn cartilage in his left knee, sidelining him for three to four weeks.

The 2010 National League MVP hurt the knee in late June but kept playing. He had a medical exam Monday evening that detected the injury.

Votto was out of the starting lineup against Arizona on Monday night, getting a day of rest and a chance to have the knee checked. He went hitless in his first two games back from another All-Star appearance, then had a single and a double during a 4-2 win over St. Louis on Sunday night that pushed the Reds into sole possession of first place in the NL Central.

Votto leads the NL in doubles, walks and extra-base hits, batting .342.

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/baseball/mlb/07/16/votto-reds-surgery.ap/index.html#ixzz20pmNtwC8


            Joey Votto of the Cincinnati Reds. Photo by Cincinnati Sports Photographer Vincent Rush

 Statement from Reds President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Walt Jocketty.

“Joey Votto met with the medical staff this evening and has been diagnosed with a torn meniscus in his left knee. He is going to have arthroscopic surgery tomorrow and should miss 3-4 weeks. Joey is very comfortable with the decision and is eager to return to the lineup.”

Votto said, “It is in my best interest and in the best interest of the team to do it now so that I can be healthy during the last two months of the pennant race.”

Votto suffered the injury sliding into third base in the fifth inning on June 29 at San Francisco.
Necessary roster moves will be made Tuesday.

Read more: http://www.espn1530.com/pages/lancesBlog.html#ixzz20tz4bSEa

 The Reds got a blow Monday that will be hard to deal with.

Joey Votto will undergo arthroscopic knee surgery Tuesday to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. He is expected to miss three to four weeks.

"It's a very simple procedure," Reds general manager Walt Jocketty said. "It takes 20 minutes. It's a very simple scope. We think it will be three, four weeks. Joey feels very comfortable with it. He wants it to be done right away so he can come back and be sharp for the last two months of the season."

Minor-leaguer Chris Valaika had the same procedure done recently; he was back in three weeks.

A roster move will be made Tuesday to replace Votto.

"We haven't discussed that yet," Jocketty said.

 Of all the players on the roster, Votto is by far the most difficult one to replace. He's hitting .342 with 14 home runs and 49 RBI. His on-base percentage is .465. No other Red is above .354.

"It's going to be difficult to replace Joey Votto," Jocketty said.

Jocketty said Votto's status will not affect the team's plans for the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline.

"We're going to try to do the same things we planned," Jocketty said. "Joey will be back. We'll just keep working."



Posted by Monroe Ohio photographer Vincent Rush, Cincinnati Sports Photography and Dayton Sports Photography of Monroe Ohio. Vince Rush can be contacted by phone at (877) 858-6295 or by email at vrush@rushintl.com or visit http://cincinnatiSPORTSphotography.com Check out my about.me profile!

July 15, 2012

Great American Ball Park


Great American Ball Park by Cincinnati Sports Photographer Vincent Rush

Posted by Monroe Ohio photographer Vincent Rush, Cincinnati Sports Photography and Dayton Sports Photography of Monroe Ohio. Vince Rush can be contacted by phone at (877) 858-6295 or by email at vrush@rushintl.com or visit http://CincinnatiSportsPhotography.com Check out my about.me profile!

July 12, 2012

Professional vs Amateur Photographers

Photo by Professional Sports Photographer Vincent Rush

Photo by a Register Herald Newspaper Photographer

Today presented me with an excellent opportunity to do a direct comparison between a small town amature newspaper photographer and professional sports photographers photograph. The top photo is my photograph from a game involving the Eaton, Ohio 12U All Star team, and the bottom one is the same player and the photograph the newspaper editor chose to feature.

The write up was even worse, but I'm not a journalist and this is a photo blog.


Posted by Monroe Ohio photographer Vincent Rush, Cincinnati Sports Photography and Dayton Sports Photography of Monroe Ohio. Vince Rush can be contacted by phone at (877) 858-6295 or by email at vrush@rushintl.com or visit http://CincinnatiSportsPhotography.com Check out my about.me profile!