What is elegance?

“Elegance, to me, is a summary word denoting the ultimate in beauty, craftsmanship, and quality—all put together with taste.”

That’s not me talking.
That’s Stanley Marcus, an early president and later chairman of the board of the luxury retailer Neiman Marcus talking in his remarkable book titled Quest for the Best.

Elegant. That’s what I thought about Jamie Delaine’s portfolio when I first crossed paths with her. Here’s what happened: After reading my interview with the world-renowned photographer Brad Trent, one of my readers suggested that I conduct a quick interview with a remarkable up and coming photographer Jamie Delaine.

I recently had the pleasure of exchanging a few words with Jamie and she graciously agreed to conduct a quick interview for sneezr.ca. Since I believe that honing and demonstrating Younique expertise is one of the best ways to achieve long-term success, I decided to not follow some “traditional” formula for this interview. Instead, I simply decided to ask Jamie just one open-ended question: Any advice for someone considering starting a niche business? Here’s her response:

Jamie: be yourself. truly, truly, define who it is that you are, what it is that you want in your life [and consequently, your business,] what it is that makes you different and translate that into your brand. in my photography business, my brand is ME. the more honestly and authentically and fully i can translate who I AM into my work, the more it stands out from the pack. nobody else is me. i’m the only me. you’re the only you. in the famous words of seth godin, “be remarkable.”

Jenan: Thanks Jamie and all the best until next time!
Mar 3 2011

P.S. What is elegance, for you?