Thanks for tuning in. Really appreciate Walid for sharing so openly in this chat—there’s a lot of noise in the photography education space, and this conversation helps cut through it. He’s someone who’s actually still shooting, still building, and mentoring for what sounds like the right reasons. We covered a lot—from calling out the fakes to finding the right kind of support, and what it really means to build a career with purpose. Hope you enjoy this one!
PhotoBizX The Ultimate Wedding and Portrait Photography Business Podcast 613: Walid Azami – Calling Out the Fakes in the Photography Industry
Apr 21, 2025
00:00
Premium Members, click here to access this interview in the premium area
Walid Aami of www.walidazami.com first appeared on the podcast a few years ago in episode 493, where we dived deep into pricing for all photographers, and working in the world of celebrities and commercial clients in Los Angeles.
His photography journey started with an opportunity to work alongside Madonna, and from that moment, he knew this was his path.
Since then, he’s photographed some of the biggest names in the world—Kanye West, Mariah Carey, Jennifer Lopez, Usher, Bernie Sanders, and Justin Timberlake, to name a few. His commercial work includes collaborations with major brands like Volkswagen, Target, and HP.
Beyond his impressive portfolio, he is passionate about helping photographers understand their worth and build profitable businesses.
We recently chatted over email about his STEP pricing course when I commented on his new direction and possible interview topics for PhotoBizX.
He replied, “I'd love to have a harder conversation with listeners about their community, how they learn, who they choose to learn from, the real gurus and the fake ones, support within your inner circle, and how you talk to yourself.”
This sounded perfect to me! The result is this interview, where Walid shares his thoughts and warnings about photography business coaches by calling out the fakes in the photography industry.
Here's some more of what we covered in the interview:
- Fuelled by frustration — Walid mentors for free because he's sick of seeing good people misled by bad advice.
- No more pretenders — He calls out the “educators” with zero client work selling strategies they’ve never used.
- Do your homework — Photographers research lenses more than coaches. Flip that.
- Proof over promises — Look for consistent work, actual growth, and bookings—not just bold claims.
- AI ≠ experience — Be wary of cookie-cutter courses built by bots and marketers, not working photographers.
- Current or irrelevant — If they haven’t been booked recently, they shouldn’t be coaching.
- Walk it, then talk it — Only take pricing or strategy advice from someone still in the game.
- Pick with purpose — Choose mentors doing what you want to do. Not just anyone with a mic and a funnel.
- Depth over dabbling — Real authority comes from staying in your lane and going deep—not chasing trends.
- Gut check always wins — Testimonials are nice. But trust your instinct. It’s usually right.
- Build your own crew — A trusted circle beats any course or program.
- Edit your circle — Keep people who lift you. Let go of those who don’t.
- Tough love counts — The right mentor will push you. Not just pat you on the back.
- Support with substance — That’s what Visual Business Academy is: free, focused, and full of creatives who actually care.
- Talk nicer to yourself — How you treat yourself sets the tone for your whole business.
- Celebrate what counts — Walid’s “quick tens” remind us to anchor each day in gratitude and small wins.
- Still in the trenches — Walid’s not just teaching—he’s still shooting, directing, and creating at the top level.
- From refugee to front cover — No agent. No shortcuts. Just grit, talent, and making history with Vanity Fair Italia.
- Chaos over polish — Behind the scenes at that shoot? A mess. But the result? Magic.
- Confidence is contagious — Walid lives it, teaches it, and passes it on.
What’s on Offer for Premium Members
If you’re on the fence about becoming a premium member, join with the $1 trial today and get access to the FULL interviews each week, a fantastic back catalogue of interviews, and have ALL future interviews delivered automatically to your phone or tablet.
Plus, special member-only interviews.
The gut check will always, always win. The gut check is your direct direct line to you, and whatever higher source you believe in. – Walid Azami
You'll also receive access to the members-only Secret Facebook Group, where you can connect with other Premium Members and interview guests to help, support and motivate you to take ideas you hear in each episode and put them into action. The group also has FB live video tutorials, role-play, and special live interviews. You will not find more friendly, motivated, caring and sharing photographers online.
Seriously, that's not all.
I do hope the community researches the gurus more than they research the latest gear, the latest restaurant to go to, the latest accessory to purchase, because this is your future. – Walid Azami
In addition to everything above, you'll get access to instructions on forming or joining a MasterMind Group with other premium members. These groups are super motivating, make you accountable, and build friendships with other pro photographers with motives similar to yours – to build a more successful photography business.
What is your big takeaway?
Following this interview, I’d love to know if you're taking anything from what Walid shared. Is there something you heard that excited or motivated you to the point where you thought, yeah, I'm going to do that! If so, leave your thoughts in the comments below; let me know your takeaways and what you plan to implement in your business based on what you heard in today's episode.
The way you speak to yourself is going to dictate what you allow how others speak to you in your life. – Walid Azami
If you have any questions I missed, a specific question you’d like to ask Walid, or a way to thank you for coming on the show, feel free to add them in the comments area below.
FREE Live Training • TOMORROW!
Another FREE Masterclass with the absolute guru of photography websites, SEO and all things tech, Alex Vita!
Details andregistration here: https://learn.photobizx.com/beyond-seo-registration/
Only free till the live training happens tomorrow morning.
iTunes Reviews and Shout-outs
I check for any new iTunes or Google reviews each week, and it's always a buzz to receive these… for several reasons.
Firstly, it's confirmation that I'm on the right track with the interviews and that they are helping you improve your photography business. That's awesome!
Secondly, iTunes and Google are the most significant podcast search engines, and your reviews and ratings help other photographers find PhotoBizX. More listeners mean more interviews and, ultimately, a better show.
Please watch your circle… The words you allow into your ears, the words that go and settle into your brain, into your soul, are going to either sink you or they're going to take you through your voyage. And if somebody doesn't, if they question you, if they make you get that weird little feeling, your gut feeling, again, that I'm talking about. You have to edit those suckers out. Your future depends on it. It's your future. It's your life. – Walid Azami
If you have left a review in the past, thank you! If you haven't and you'd like to, head to https://photobizx.com/itunes or https://photobizx.com/google. You can leave some honest feedback and a rating, which will help me and the show. I'll be sure to thank you on the show and add a link to your website or blog if you let me know the URL of your website and your name.
Alternatively, if you've left a review for PhotoBizX and are looking for more backlinks to help your SEO, leave a review for the new Photography Xperiment Podcast. Email me your keywords or phrases and where you'd like me to link them.
Believe in yourself and the world will catch on to how great you are. – Walid Azami
Another great way to get a backlink to your site is to send a video testimonial. It doesn't need to be fancy, and your phone will be perfect. Click record and tell me how PhotoBizX has impacted you and your photography business.
This is not a review this week, but a shoutout for Luci Dumas and the recent podcast episode in which she interviewed me!
If you haven't had enough of my voice and want to hear some of my thoughts on the state of the photography industry and where I see gaps and opportunities for photographers to grow their businesses, have a listen in one of these spots:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/2WdxE50pkHeBjbfJxCPP3w?si=961eaae522d04052
Here’s a feel for what we get into in this chat…
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How wedding photography pricing has shifted over the years—and what it takes to stay relevant when the market’s flooded.
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The sneaky-good upsell tip I picked up at an AIPP event that gave my album sales a solid boost.
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Why real networking isn’t about chasing favours—it’s about showing up, adding value, and building proper relationships.
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My take on gift certificate collabs—and how I made it work with a local vet in a mutually beneficial way
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A simple but powerful SEO play: How I interview vendors, turn those chats into blog posts that rank and build real community connections.
Links to people, places and things mentioned in this episode:
Visual Business Academy on Discord
Episode 493: Walid Azami – Photography business advice from a celebrity photographer
You have to be in the game to be advising on the game. – Walid Azami
Thank you!
A good coaching program should never try to keep you in there the whole time… A true, good program has to be an end game, because the game shouldn't be for the coach, for the mentor, to always keep you in there and to keep milking you for money. – Walid Azami
That’s it for me this week; I hope everything is going well for you in life and business!
Thanks, and speak soon
Andrew
613: Walid Azami - Calling Out the Fakes in the Photography Industry
Andrew Hellmich: Today's guest first appeared on the podcast a few years ago in Episode 493, where we dive deep into pricing for all photographers and what it was like working in the world of celebrities and commercial clients in Los Angeles. His journey into photography started with an opportunity to work alongside Madonna, and from that moment, he knew that this was his path, and since then, he's photographed some of the biggest names in the world, Kane West, Mariah Carey, Jennifer Lopez, Usher, Bernie Sanders and Justin Timberlake, to name just a few. And his commercial work includes collaborations with major brands like Volkswagen, Target and HP. Beyond his impressive portfolio, he's passionate about helping photographers understand their worth and build a profitable business. We were recently chatting over email about his Step Pricing course, when I commented on his new direction and possible interview topics for PhotobizX, he replied saying, "I'd love to have a harder conversation with listeners about their community, how they learn, who they choose to learn from, the real gurus and the fake ones, support within your inner circle, and how to talk to yourself as a business owner." That sounded perfect to me. I'm talking about Walid Azami, and I am rapt to have him back with us now, Walid, welcome back.
Walid Azami: Thank you. Thank you so much for having me. I'm happy to do this again with you. Thank you. Had a good time last a few years ago, I guess.
Andrew Hellmich: Me too, me too, Willie. Look, I got the impression because, look, I do get your email, and I sort of follow along, and it feels as though you're moving in a new direction, helping photographers. So is that right? And are you still shooting?
Walid Azami: Yeah, I mean, I'm absolutely shooting still, and I'm directing, and I'm creative directing also, and still photographing. To be honest, the helping photographers, I've been doing it, I want to say, for about seven or eight years. I've been doing it for free, and I've been doing it, I think I was probably one of the very, very first accounts that did this, and I actually did it anonymously first, because I was so fed up with this industry. And I'm saying that because I want your listeners and your viewers to understand, like, where this is coming from. I was so fed up, and I was like, this is never going to happen to someone else, and I'm going to make sure that I make it easy on everyone else. So then I did it anonymously, and it just kept growing, growing. And then I was like, "Well, let me just slap my name on it too." So yeah, so I'm, I guess nothing has sort of changed, but a lot of things have changed, in a sense, like new projects and all that.
Andrew Hellmich: So when you say you were one of the first to do it, what do you mean there? The first to do what?
Walid Azami: You know, you read off a little bit of my last email, just teaching my peers in this industry, right? And so what has happened is there are a lot of really, really great filmmakers and photographers with excellent courses, and they really are, but I would say the majority of them shouldn't be doing it, and it is a catastrophic disservice to people. And so when I say I was one of the first ones doing it, it's just because, I guess right now I'm noticing, because when I said that the real gurus and the ones that are fake, what I really want to warn the community about, because I won't mention names, and everyone should have the right to do what they want to do, but it's about how we research it. But I've never noticed that there's a lot of people selling courses, teaching because they can't actually book the clients themselves. And I've had enough of that, so now, you know, I've, yeah, I'm speaking out against it, and I think that I just want to warn my community. I'm not saying who to go to, who to not go to, but I'm telling you, research that stuff.
Andrew Hellmich: So are you worried at all that the listeners thinking, "Well, hang on a sec, Walid, you're in the same, the same boat." Here you are a photographer saying, "Hey, be careful who you learn from, and you're teaching people what you believe in as well."
Walid Azami: Absolutely not and so absolutely they're going to be saying that. But I'm absolutely not concerned. And the reason why is, and I'm not the only one, by the way, that I think can teach this and there's a lot of people. First of all, I just want to say there really shouldn't be a gate saying you're allowed to teach and you're not. But I do hope that the community researches the gurus, more than they research the latest gear, the latest restaurant to go to, the latest accessory to purchase, because this is your future and so, and the community that I offer is 100% free. So this isn't about bringing it into my pocket, you know, the VBA and everything. And so I'm not really worried about it, because when you go back, mm. I'll say this at the risk of sounding incredibly, incredibly pompous. You can google my work, and you can see I did the cover of Vanity Fair. I did the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, right? I've shot these people. And so when you look and you say, "Yeah, but who's this clown that wants to teach", you can at least find me and you know that's who you're learning from. There's a lot of incredible people also that you can Google their work now. They don't have to do celebrities or big brands. They could do their local stars, like incredible weddings. You should be able to see examples of that work over and over and over. And you should be able to say, "I see consistency. I see a pattern. I see somebody that I can trust. I see their growth. I see them everywhere." And you can Google them, you can Yahoo them, you can LinkedIn them. You could go on Threads and Twitter and Tiktok and Snap. And they're everywhere because they've existed and they have all this experience. So am I worried? Absolutely not, because I think that anyone that would say that hasn't done the research, and if you haven't done the research, then you're not that interested in learning, and I'm only interested in teaching people that want to better themselves, or even, even if I don't teach you, I just want to warn you that there's a lot of people selling courses. You just write on chatGPT 'teach me how to do a course', and it's not your knowledge. And to me, it's deceitful and it's absolutely dishonest.
Andrew Hellmich: I agree, I agree with that. I'm going to use you as an example, because we're here, we're talking to each other. I know that I can push back with some of the things you say and challenge some of the things you say. And I'm happy to, you know, to play that vice versa.
Walid Azami: and I love that, yeah.
Andrew Hellmich: If you're teaching and you know you said, you know, you've shot the cover of Vanity Fair, you've done this, you've done that, I can Google you and see your amazing work. I can see all the celebrities. I can see your portfolio. Do you think it matters that the person we're learning from about photography or photography business, does it matter if they're still doing it now, or is it okay that they've built up that portfolio and they're no longer doing it themselves?
Walid Azami: I think it absolutely matters. Absolutely matter. Well, it depends. If it's business. It matters if they're out there and they can, the market is changing so fast, like look at artificial intelligence and where it was even one year ago to today, right? Look at technology. You have to be in the game to be advising on the game. Now if you want to teach lighting and beautiful lighting is timeless, and you don't necessarily have to be actively participating in the market if you're teaching because you understand it. So it's kind of like a split decision, but you're talking about marketing, you're talking about teaching, business and pricing, yeah, I need you to be alert, because you can't be giving somebody 2014 examples in 2025.
Andrew Hellmich: True. Okay, I like that.
Walid Azami: I'm just incredibly passionate about the community. And honestly, like you said in the beginning, I started with Madonna, and one of the things she always said was my worst fear is just being LA, just being in the middle, and people not having an opinion about you. And the only way people have an opinion about you is when you speak the truth.
Andrew Hellmich: I like that. Why wouldn't you name names? Like if you know there is some people pretending to be a guru or positioning themselves as a guru out there on the internet, and you know for a fact they're not like, why not name names?
Walid Azami: Why not? Um, it's a really good question. And there is one person that I have written about, but that's because he stole my concept, start to finish, you know? So I do sometimes name names if it's like that theft, we, because I do believe that it's important to speak people's language to an honest person, to a person with integrity, to a kind human being. That's how you should be speaking. But some people don't understand that language. You know, there's that saying "I'm not Michelle Obama. They go low. We'll meet you right there." It's just, I think it's time that artists just get back in that driver's seat and take control of the industry and take control of their careers. Told you it was gonna be a good episode. But why not name names? Because that's their karma. It's not mine. My job is to make sure to tell you where to go, what to look for, how to protect yourself. My job isn't there to police the community and say this person is unqualified to be guiding your career. Now maybe people might disagree with that, but it's their karma. It's not mine. I just want to tell people what to look for, and if I give you the tools what to look for, even if you never, never even go into my a free community of mine, or go look at a free Instagram post or a free YouTube video, I still want to tell you what to look out for. That's just what we should do as human beings.
Andrew Hellmich: I'm going to ask you about finding the right person for the listener, but before that, when you're talking about coaches and saying that it's best if that photography business coach is actually walking the walk, they're in business. They're doing the thing that they're teaching day to day. What about the scenario where we talk about a football coach? You know, he could be coaching one of the world's best football teams, but there's no way he can do what he's asking his players to do. He doesn't have those skills, but he knows what he wants them to do to succeed. Can that be the same with a business coach in photography?
Walid Azami: Not necessarily. I think that that football example is great, but that would be for somebody teaching you about composition, that teaches you about lighting, things that are pretty consistent. And I understand there might be new types of lights that create, you know, that create a light, but for the most part, the basics of lighting will always stay consistent. And so I believe that that coach is that's the guidance, you know, it's like the game isn't constantly evolving with AI, and isn't evolving because the market has evolved or devolved, right? It's like you're learning the core of the game in certain plays and everything. It's like you're learning the core of lighting in your certain setups. I don't think that to me, at least that doesn't correlate, but, yeah, I think it's a little bit differently, because the market changes, the trends change, and yeah, for the most part, I would still stick with my point of you should be in the game if you're going to be teaching the game, but the game that you speak about is, I mean, at the same time those players, if they're getting traded from one team to another, you probably want an agent that is actively negotiating what the current rates are, the current negotiating tactics and trends of the industry are. You don't want somebody that hasn't done that in about 15 years negotiating your contract.
Andrew Hellmich: True, true.
Walid Azami: If we're going to do the analogies.
Andrew Hellmich: I like that. I like that. So what about for the listener? Let's say they're in a position with their business when they want to take it to, you know, the next level, for want of a better term, how would you say they should be wary about who they hire? How do they pick who to work with?
Walid Azami: How you pick a good mentor to teach you is number one, you have to look and see. Do you want to do what they have done? Do you want that path for the most part, or if they are a destination wedding photographer? Did they actually do destinations? Do they travel Hawaii once, and then they traveled to maybe Tokyo once, and now they're selling a course on it. Right? Is this something that they're actively doing? Are they actively posting new work? Are they actively telling you the trends and the industry? I want you to see if this is the person that should be guiding you. That's the first thing that I would do. The second thing is, I would look and see if there is consistency in them. Did they jump from food to then landscapes to now, suddenly, I'm doing destination weddings. I don't know if I would rely on that person to guide my career that much. Mainly, those are the two things. But I would also see, have they spread their wings? You know? Was it a and when they say, 'I'm published'. Was it a real magazine, or was it a magazine that they paid for, pay to play? Type of magazines that doesn't diminish the quality of the photography, but when you're running on published, you should say, 'check cashed'. You know, when you are saying, "I'm a destination wedding photographer." I need to see that over and over and over. Do you know, like the basics? Because when you are teaching, when you are guiding someone else's career, somebody has said, "Hey, I am incredible at making films. I am incredible at creating photographs, but I'm not incredible at taking the ship and moving it through that harbor and sailing this ocean", for example. "Can you show me how to do it" and to be an artist, it just it comes from like within. And so that artist, that creative is giving so much, and you just want to make sure that the person guiding you gives a damn about you, about your future. So you want to look and see that they've done it. You want to look and see that the credits are real and not a magazine cover that they created in Canva. I've seen those before too. You know when they say they've shot for Fendi. Did they shoot for Fendi? And if they did, that's a phenomenal because Fendi is hard to get to. I would love to photograph for Fendi. I haven't yet, you know, but, or did they photograph an influencer wearing a Fendi blouse? Two different things, but I've seen that happened, right? You just want to make sure. You want to check all over the place, but the main part of it is okay, so let's say Google comes through for you. Let's say they are a destination wedding photographer, and they've done some amazing stuff and like, cool now it's your gut check, and no search engine in the world can tap into that, you have to say, "Does this feel right?" If something feels off, jump ship, if you're like, they just don't have that experience that I think they should have but I see so much potential. I see hunger, I see drive. I see myself in this person, and they kind of see me and what where they used to be, and your gut instinct says, 'Go for it', then I say, take a chance and invest in yourself.
Andrew Hellmich: Right. Do you think it's a good idea if I was hiring a coach or a mentor to work with, say, one on one, would you suggest I contact someone that they've mentored in the past and get some feedback from them, or is it more my gut feeling that should make the choice.
Walid Azami: I think, in anything, even when I teach pricing, when I teach marketing and my programs, when I operate as a photographer, as a director, it's always a gut check. When I, you know, I just put out a video about it, it's like when I fired a client, or slash walked away from a job, and that was a record cover, that was three music videos, and that was a creative direction contract. And I was like, "Something isn't sitting right with me", and that's on my channel, and they can look at that if they wish. The gut check will always, always win. The gut check is your direct, direct line to you and whatever higher source you believe in, not saying yours, anyone's, is right or wrong, be it God, be it the universe, energy, light, Mother Nature, Allah, whatever you have. But there has to be something bigger than you that you tap into. And that was what I believe your gut feelings are, you know, and they're tapped into that. I think that any coach that you know, like, imagine a contractor with your home, and you're like, do you have references? Like, yeah, what they're not going to do is be like, here's a phone number to someone that hates me.
Andrew Hellmich: True
Walid Azami: Right? So they're only going to give you their best. They're going to give you, you know, if you're a part of any like, Facebook groups of a certain neighborhood, and they're like, "Hey, does anyone know a great plumber?" And everyone is like, "I know this person." And you're like, "Is that your dad? Is that your husband? Is that your sister in law's business?" And it's like, everyone's going to recommend and I love that because it's they mean well, but your gut check should come in first, because no one's going to say, "Hey, here's a number to this client. Boy, did I mess up that job, but have a good chat with"..
Andrew Hellmich: True
Walid Azami: You know. So I don't believe in testimonials that much.
Andrew Hellmich: Okay, that's interesting, because I thought that if I was to ring someone, let's say I was looking to work with a coach. I rang someone I'd work with, I'd want to know, even if they had results, you know, was the coach responsive? Did they answer emails quickly? Did they turn up to the Zoom meetings they said they were going to do every week? That kind of thing.
Walid Azami: You know, that's not. First of all, I definitely agree with you. So let me pull back a little and say that you were right about that, any answer is an answer, right? Even sometimes a no answer is an answer. So I would be very interested in just finding out whether that is their cousin or not, they still get some kind of data. You know, there's a lot to be said sometimes in between the words of a sentence, like, "Hey, are they very timely?" "Um, yeah." Boy, that pause told me a lot more than anything before, after that. You know any sentences, so I think you're absolutely correct. So let me say that I was wrong about that. But still, I would say that if you could, if you could find out about somebody, like, just ask around, but your gut check, even if you're like, you put something out on Twitter, like, has ever taken so and so's course, and if no one responds, your gut check, I just want creatives to rely on that gut check more and more and more, that is your everything in your business.
Andrew Hellmich: That makes sense. You talked about when we were emailing each other about getting support within your inner circle. Do you mean we should, as creatives, create our own inner circle, our own little network. Or you're talking about the network with the coach that we go with?
Walid Azami: Your own network, a good coaching program should never try to keep you in there the whole time. You know, if you go to a doctor and you're like, "I have a lot of anxiety", for example, one time, this is true story about me, had a lot of anxiety. That's like, my fuel is anxiety, but more than usual, a handful of years ago, and I feel like, before I could even finish the sentence, he's like, "Here's a prescription." And I was like, "What?" And then I looked at him and I said, "So what's my end game? Am I like, How long am I going to. Be on this thing." And he goes, "Oh, I mean, as long as you want", I'm like, "Am I gonna have to keep upping the dosage? I mean, "Sometimes", "Is there gonna be a counter medicine that I might have to take? Or is there drawbacks to this?" I mean, there is some. And so I just realized I said, "So there is no end game to this." And he goes, "Well, we don't like to say it that way." You know, American pharmaceuticals, right? And so I don't want to say too much, because I don't want to get your podcast episode banned. You know, they control everything, but there has to be an end game. A true good program has to be an end game. Now, if there's upkeep stuff. Those are great, but there has to be an end game, because the game shouldn't be for the coach, for the mentor, to always keep you in there and to keep milking you for money. So I'm not sure if that answers the question a bit, but
Andrew Hellmich: It does. So do you feel like it's a good idea? It sounds like you do, but I might be wrong that the listener should get themselves into some kind of mastermind group with other creatives. Could be in the same space, could be in a different space, where they bounce ideas off each other. You know, they talk to each other regularly. They stay accountable to each other. Is that a good idea?
Walid Azami: I think that's a phenomenal idea. But I would also say that you should collect your own small little village outside of any program constructed by someone else.
Andrew Hellmich: Right. Okay.
Walid Azami: Yes, absolutely, we're so multi-dimensional that you shouldn't ever put all your eggs in that one basket, you know. And so when we were emailing back and forth, and I said, "God, I really, really just want to shake up the community and say, 'Please watch your circle' ". There was a video that I reposted yesterday with Gary Vee and Doechii, and it just gave me chills. And he had said, you know, she was in tears, very visibly. This is before she got famous, before she was on the Grammy stage, before she won for best new artist, and she was talking about, I'm fascinated by her story, because the way she story told and and just made raw videos for YouTube and TikTok and just like shake "I got fired from Chipotle today." "I just got my pandemic check, and I'm going to invest in my own music video." I have such a soft spot for fighters like that, that I just instantly subscribed to them. But when I saw this video, it was a, Gary Vee is telling her "Don't give up. I can see you one day on the Grammy stage. I could see you one day being named one of the most important artists to come out after a long time. I can see you being so, so famous, so successful." He's like, I don't know, maybe in like, 44 months, I believe in the power of words, and I believe in energy. And so what happened? She was on the Grammy stage 44 months, and one day later, after that video aired, insane.
Andrew Hellmich: That's crazy. So what do you attribute that to do? You think that she's manifested that because of what he said?
Walid Azami: I think it's a series of things. I don't believe that you can just manifest and then poof, it just comes out. You manifest. You write it, you think on it, you meditate on it, you walk and you think about it, and you visualize, and you do all that. But then you actually go and you do the work. And that manifestation fuels the work, and the work feels the manifestation, and it goes in a circle, in a circle. I don't have a course, I don't have a program, I don't have an eBook. I don't have a PDF to sell anybody. I don't have a penny to make about manifestation or law of attraction. I get there is absolutely zero gain for me. But I believe in it so much that I preach about it every single place that I can talk about that'll allow me even a few minutes to talk about law of attraction, manifestation. It's not tied to religion. It's not tied to any particular God or deity or anything. It's just teaching people that words have power, which is why Olympic athletes they visualize, which is why the American CIA studied this so deeply, because they understand the power of it, you know. But Doechii is, I think, that there's manifestation. But really the main reason maybe I didn't do the best job, you know, setting it up, was that your circle matters, the words you allow into your ears, the words that go and settle into your brain, into your soul, are going to either sink you or it's going to take you through into your voyage. And so she's crying, she's visually just sobbing. And he says, "Don't give up. There's something really special about you", and to me, it is important to surround yourself with people like that. And as much as we edit our pictures, as much as we edit our videos, we should be editing our circles, too. And if somebody doesn't, if they question you, if they make you get that weird little feeling, your gut feeling, again, that I'm talking about, I don't know if this person's really a believer, you have to edit those suckers out. Your future depends on it. It's your future. It's your life. So that's what I mean by like. You construct your own circle, and then you have, hopefully, a circle of professionals that really understand you, your own circle that you curate. It could be a cousin and it could be a sibling, a mother and a father, or just one parent and the other parent doesn't believe in you. Everyone's dynamic is different, but that's a circle that's like, go, please. You could do anything you want. In this world, a professional circle, they understand the language, you know. They understand the frustrations of like, damn it. The client wants the raw photos. What am I supposed to do? Well, your mom may not get that, you know. So both are very, very important. It's 2025, the world has changed so much if you don't have that circle, I would worry about collecting that versus more gear.
Andrew Hellmich: I like that. How many do you think is a good number to have in your circle, talking about photography and business. What do you feel is a nice number?
Walid Azami: That's a great question, because I never even thought about that. I don't know. I think that every person has to have a role, and you're either, this is not my original saying, It's cliche, but it's either you're drilling holes in the boat or you're paddling. So if they're drilling, that circle needs to be. Go from here to just a little bit tighter.
Andrew Hellmich: Right. Okay.
Walid Azami: I just, I don't mess around with that, you know, like, it's like, I just don't mess around with who I allow into my circle. And I'm, I just take it very, very seriously. I just, and I want to encourage other people to think the same thing, because the people, the entities that will sink you, are never from outside of your circle. It's the front row of your life. So you have to be so careful. It's always in that front row.
Andrew Hellmich: Let me play devil's advocate in a way.
Walid Azami: Please, please. Yeah.
Andrew Hellmich: What about if my work just isn't that good, or what I'm trying to do just isn't working. I probably need someone to tell me," Hey, Andrew, maybe this isn't for you. Or maybe you need to change direction, or you need to step up your game. You need to work on your photography skills before you work on your business skills." Do I kick them out of my circle, or do I take notice?
Walid Azami: No, no. You keep those people, if someone says your work isn't that good, and you know that because and it stings. And I'll give you an example, somebody said, my work didn't warrant a rate increase. This was about seven, eight years ago, and I was like, "Really. Really?" And I said, "Is that why it's the poster for your world tour? You launched a world tour on my picture, but I'm not good enough. Oh, and your new single cover is also mine?, you know? And so those people might "Ooh, be careful for this one." So when they put you down, to keep you down, be careful. Edit your circle when they bring your expectations down so you can better manage it, so that you can make better decisions and recalibrate. That's a person you want to keep, when a person is willing to risk that relationship with you and say, "Gosh, this might really, really upset you, but I think that you could work on your lighting a little bit more before you advertise as a fashion photographer", just for example, that's a person that is willing to upset you to make you better. You see the difference kind, Andrew?
Andrew Hellmich: I can, I can.
Walid Azami: Yeah, and so I think keep those people, because there's, 'yes people' are like eww, who needs a, yes people are the worst people. Do you like this? Yeah. And then you find out later on that it was horrible. And I'm like, "Why did you say you like it?" "I don't know. I don't want to upset you." No, no. What you didn't want to do is make it uncomfortable for yourself, and you put your own comfort ahead of my career.
Andrew Hellmich: Yeah, that's interesting.
Walid Azami: It's the third coffee that's helping pump out this aggression. But I just want people to hear it, and that's why I wanted the email. I'm like, let's talk about this.
Andrew Hellmich: Yeah, in one of those emails, Walid, you talked about how we talk to ourselves, and I'm not sure are you talking about the inner dialog that we have as a business owner, about our photography, about our business, about the way we present ourselves, like, what are you talking about there? What did you feel strongly about? To include that in one of those emails.
Walid Azami: Thank you for actually bringing that up, because it's important and ….
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Andrew Hellmich: Walid, this has been unbelievable. Totally. I didn't know where it was going to go.
Walid Azami: I didn’t either.
Andrew Hellmich: I'm so glad we had the chance to connect and do this. I'll have links to where the listener can find you online, including your Discord channel. I will add a link to that in the show notes, so if they want to check that out and apply to get into that community, into your circle. Mate, massive thanks for coming on, for sharing everything you have.
Walid Azami: Thank you for having me. I really, really appreciate it, just because time is expensive for all of us, you know, and so just giving me that time and the microphone to be able to speak and give my opinions and to anyone listening or watching this, whichever way you get it, just thank you for investing in like, listening and investing in yourself. And maybe, maybe you pick up 10% of what I say, but I hope that that gives you just that 10% boost, at least, or 20% boost to do something better. That's it. Just believe in yourself and the world will follow.
Andrew Hellmich: Beautiful.
Walid Azami: Yeah. So thank you.
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The post 613: Walid Azami – Calling Out the Fakes in the Photography Industry appeared first on Photography Business Xposed - Photography Podcast - how to build and market your portrait and wedding photography business.