A little while ago, I came across a wedding caterer with a genuinely impressive online presence. Beautiful website, well-crafted copy, strong social media, the kind of brand that makes you think these people really have it all together. I sent them an email. What came back was a mailer-daemon notification. Their inbox wasn't receiving messages. No phone number on the website. Social media had an auto-reply with no way to know if your direct message was seen. There was simply

A few years ago, I shot an intensive three-day wedding. Three twelve-hour days back to back. The kind of event that demands every single thing you have: your focus, your stamina, your creative instincts, your professionalism, all from the moment you arrive until the moment you finally go home. I was determined to give that couple my absolute best, and I really did. What I didn't do was check my email. It turned out that someone had reached out on the very first evening of tha