If you had all the money in the world (well maybe not all the money). But lets say 500 mil drops in your lap tomorrow. What would you do with it? Would you continue to shoot and run your business because that's what you love? What would you change in your life?

I'll go first. It's a tough question. I would set up funds so my parents wouldnt have to work anymore and they could do whatever they wanted to do. They wouldn't live like royalty, but they won't hurt for anyting either. I would also set up foundations designed to help people. I know that's general. I would bring water to people that are thirsty and food to the ones that are hungry. With that I would set up funds that would pay out to those folks forever. I wouldn't just leave it all to my kids unless they could prove to me with time and age that they would continue the legacy and not be self-centered with it, and be a great steward with it.

Tell me what you would do with it?

I totally still shoot! And probably almost as much as I do now. I love it! I'd do a few things differently though....


more to come.

I forgot to add that I think I would still shoot too. Probably not 30 weddings or more a year, but I would def still shoot.

Hmmm 50 mil. First I would make sure all of my family and husbands family were taken care of. College funds for all of the kids in the family. I would set up a charitable trust, and I would find some way to make the money work to help people somehow. I just don't know what that would be though.

Not sure I would "work", I would still shoot, but I don't think I would worry about making money with my job.

For myself, I would buy a ranch and have tons of horses, or maybe a little bungalow on the beach or maybe both.

Actually the thought of having 50 mil terrifies me for some reason.

50 mil? No, he said 500 mil! Even better.

Ok, so yeah, I'd still shoot, and do all that nice charity stuff you said too...

But I might like to roll in to weddings in something a little nicer than The Sedan...

Check out these fun shots that we took in Atlanta last week. I was there to speak at the latest LaCour workshop (which was totally great and you should definitely go to the next one if you can...one of the best things you'll do for you biz) and my new buddy Jason Cohen grabbed these in front of our hotel. He even roped two other students into holding the flashed. The valet opened it up for us, too.







You can see more of the "shoot" here.
We had a super fun time with taking these...and of course I was just excited to hang out with the Aston Martin!

Haha! I'm glad you guys had a good time. I want to go to LaCour. I love those guys. Ya know, I don't know if I could every buy a car like that. Maybe a used Land Rover or something. But definately not Aston Martin. That is what kind of car that was, right? I think I would buy a really big cool house though.

If I had that kind of money, I'd buy Corey that car... he's obviously made for it.

Whew.


(Maybe a serious post later)

Maybe yea. That needs to be his new promo pic on his website though. LOL!

i'd fund like madness the world water crisis! check out www.thirstrelief.org if you are not familiar with it. i am the president of this org already and LOVE doing it, but I LOVE photography too, so ...


I would pump cashola into marketing to even higher end couples, with insane budgets for their weddings etc. and shoot maybe 10 a year just cause I love shooting weddings! Then I'd spend the rest of my time doing workshops/seminars (I love teaching and sharing what I have and I love seeing businesses succeed that create freedom for people to do other things with their lives ie. thirst relief int.) also, i'd spend alot of time traveling to places where new water projects are needed and train people on the bio sand filter technology that we utilize to provide clean water for a lifetime for roughly $5.

Lastly, I'd spend alot of time with my wife and kids and take them with me on water trips and of course I'd go to the Carribean, Australia and some other great places with my wife!!!!!!

wow, the list could go on and on.

now that I think about it I'd take some more classes at a Seminary probably and spend more time reading and reflecting and praying too.

maybe sleep too, i'm off to bed.

LaCour rules. Yeah, that was a new Aston Martin DB9. Were you kidding about the used Land Rover?

They are fun...

coreyslandrover.blogspot.com

Oh yea, I'm familier with Thirst Relief. That's how I know about the water crisis. Nothing else matters if you don't have any water. I would definately be building wells and water filters!

The things I would do for others:
Feed people. Not much bothers me more than knowing people are hungry. The self serving, greedy, power-hungry, object craving people that strive for celebrity and status make me sick to my stomach. I'm so disgusted with this in the world today. Children and families all over the world - and in our backyards, are hungry, and cold, and without hope and safety. How people can look past that and sleep at night in their luxury, I will never understand.

Support important causes such as stem cell research, education for all children and any group that fights drunk driving. I work very hard to protect my children and it sickens me to know that people, thinking only of their own convenience, drink & get in a vehicle and get on the road where they may very well take the life of a child or take a parent away from a child. And it's all in the name of having a good time. Get a designated driver or don't drink. At all. Our children deserve that. Just grow up.
I would lobby for much stronger prevention and prosecution for sexual predators. It's ridiculous the way the law treats child predators. They shouldn't even get three strikes and your out. You hurt a child once - you are done. Slam the door. Go away. God will deal with you and you will deal with God, but you've lost your freedom.

I would like to help build homes, build health care, and build strong families, again through education programs and financial grants.

I would install financial and psychological support for our soldiers and their families, because we know they are not getting it.

I would love to see better teaching for teens about pregnancy and what it is really like to raise a family and give them the tools to make the right choices. Help them to choose their education and future first and give them hope and goals.

Personally, I would obviously help my mother and siblings with whatever they need. I would give my mother in law whatever she desired because she is my biggest supporter, in business and in life.
I would buy my family a larger house on a few acres where we had privacy and peace and could play in the fields until sunset and ride horses, and play music outside and dance in the rain, and go to bed happy, and healthy, and knowing that we can and we do make a difference in the world. I have two boys and $ would give me the freedom to have more children and not have to worry for a second about supporting them. My photography is allowing me now to work around their schedules and be with them. They have never been in day care and they never will. That is just what's important to me. (I know that it is not right and not possible for everyone) But I've always found a way to do it, but $ would make it so easy. I would of course still shoot, but it would make it even more fantastic without NEEDING to do it. And I would love to see the world. And I'm bring my camera.

I would pay off my house so my husband didn't have to worry about that anymore and do the same for all of my family. Then I would sink like 200 million into breast cancer research, I have a sister-in-law who is 36 and has stage 3, in chemo right now! I would give a ton to my church, buy like 5 more 5D's (ooooh or maybe a couple of Hassleblads) and two of every lens canon makes. Start a college fund for my daughter, and all my neices and nephews, and invest the rest for the future!! I'd say my husband could quit his job, but he loves what he does, and what teacher is in it for the money anyways (LOL), and I really love what I do, so I would not quit either (maybe just hire some more staff to do the boring stuff).

If only.....

No, I wasn't kidding. I've always liked Land Rovers. I looked at yours. That is so cool, I didn't know you had one of those. I would get one 2-3 years old probably. Those things drop really quickly in value. No way would I buy one new no matter how much money I had.

These are some really great things and exactly what this thread was all about! I have thought before how cool would it be to build a community for people that couldn't afford regular housing. Many many people have trouble buying homes. Help them out and give them a chance.

A yard big enough to view a sunset and play in the rain! Boy, that does sound like fun!

Ya know, I thought that I would love to keep shooting but that would probably bring me too much liability. If someone knew I was worth 500 mil they might hire me on purpose and sue heck outta me. I might have to stop shooting for money. I could say that I would shoot just to help people and organizations. But if I had 500 mil I could hire photographers better than me and they would do a better job!

After I make sure each of my family was taken care of. I would lobby and spend all my money to try to figure out how to get universal healthcare in our economy in the US. Working towards our infant mortality rate as well (we have the second lowest of any developed country) and no this is not because I just watched Sicko I have not seen it yet. It is seeing people like ourselves or my sister have to spend outrageous (we are talking house payments) in insurance premiums....we are lucky we can, but I know many cannot.

oh and I would be smart and invest so that I would have money to keep up with this endeavor...and of course shooting.

I'd still shoot, but only for free to those who love fine photography... on the condition that they allow me complete creative freedom and TIME to do what I do.

But I would first pay off all debts I have and all the mortgages of my friends and family.

I would purchase large homes for large families (like mine). You see too many D.I.N.K's in these large 4000+ sq ft. homes - but the families that need the space cannot afford it. I would help them get what they need for their size of family. Obviously money would run out quick, so putting money into various things to keep it growing would help keep my goal happening.

Then I would help fund campaign after campaign educate people on abortion/euthanasia and to end it in our nation.

Set up a fund to help start a school system independent of governmental rule devoted solely to God's Holy word and real education so we can actually teach our kids w/o our govt (and their interests) getting in the way and forcing perversion & witchcraft down their throats.

I would then use whatever is left over to travel with my family (we home school anyway) so we can see the parts of the world and help those who need helping, I will also spend time shooting what I love - God's creation - and selling my art.

Oh, and I would buy up LOTs of land and get ready for survival...

I'd also like to:
Give it to strangers on the street...
Help pay for people's medical bills...
Buy someone with a junky car a really nice new one so they can get to work reliably.
Help widows remain in their homes they built a family in...
Cater a massive dinner to the homeless and poor...

Oh, I would buy every teenager new clothes.
Clothes that actually CLOTHE them.