In a previous post link I mentioned Bruce Gilden’s five day workshops Be Yourself for which he charges $1,300 to $1,700 for 12 to 14 participants. Anna rightly pointed out that he is famous and I am not so fees may be lower. This got me thinking about a number of models of learning I am aware of and possible fee structures.
In my second career I was an executive coach at board level for large corporations and consultancies. I worked for Praesta, the premier executive coaching company in the UK, and built my own business. In my own business coaching individual clients at senior level my favoured fee structure was £12,000 for a six month contract. In that contract I committed to one 2 hour face to face coaching session per month. In addition I was available for email and phone contact through the duration of the contract. Most of these contracts consumed less than 12 hours of face to face and for 90 pct of the contracts very little additional work on email or phone. All my clients left happy and used me again.
Coaching and developing a photography capability have a lot in common. You can’t change people quickly. There is a process of making the client aware of something from which follows a process of play, practice and assimilation. The client then absorbs this new activity in to their own being or practice or rejects it and keeps with what they prefer. Bruce Gilden used to teach his jump out and flash photograph subjects style in his earlier workshops. He then found clients did it in the workshop but rarely again. This is why he came up with the Be Yourself idea.
Idea
I believe there is a lucrative market available for my retreat. One idea for me to consider and work on over the next year is combining with a photographer who has a name and is interested in the idea of The Truth & Beauty of You. I have a Masters in Psychology, am trained in Gestalt Psychology and have ten years of coaching people behind me. I can provide the retreat structure and the personal development aspect of the work. Let’s say I take a young recognised name not yet earning what she would like and team up with her name and skills aiming at the premium market.
Models
There are a number of models I am aware of that are worth considering as a structure for my own retreat or learning experience.
- The Falmouth MA in Photography. It costs individuals around £10k for a two year programme. There is a lot of self study backed up by world class lectures and teaching staff.
- The Photography Institute link charges £699 for a 12 module diploma. I took this course in 2016 to reenter the photography world and get up to speed with digital after a 20 year absence. It is mostly self study and a much lower level of engagement than the MA but is well structured and does get limited access to tutors to review work.
- The Cleveland Institute iGold programme in Gestalt and Organisation development link is an immersive learning experience over 18 months in five countries. There is a permanent faculty of 4 with guest faculty and 36 attendees. The current charge is $13,700 per person. This is where I learnt my Gestalt practice in 2008/9 in Ireland, Singapore, South Africa, Holland and Portugal. I paid £15,000 for five weeks of learning in which we followed the make aware, play, try, execute and assimilate model. In my coaching business this fee paid itself back many times over. My class of 36 are still a very close network of professionals and friends to this day.
- Tim Mannakee photography holidays and workshops link is another experience to consider. I have been to Tuscanny and Venice with Tim. He charges €1790 per person for six people for his Dordogne Workshop to €7000 per person for nine people in Uzbekistan doing the Silk Road. Tim’s value proposition is he finds the places and knows where the images are that people want. He then gets them there at the right time. Most participants are experienced photographers and there is little tuition from Tim. The model works very well.
I need to do a lot to put more detail in to the retreat proposal and this will take the balance of this year to do.
Categories: Project Development SP, Sustainable Prospects