The Association of Personal Photo Organizers (APPO) turns 5 this summer and there is nothing like an anniversary to give you pause for reflection. I had no idea when I started my own business, calling myself a “personal photo organizer” to help people manage their photos, that I was creating a new profession. Yet that is what has happened!  Just as the concept of hiring a personal trainer was unimaginable a few decades ago, the idea of hiring someone to manage your lifetime of photos was also inconceivable a few years ago.  Then our ability to snap thousand of photos in a moment exploded and a new profession has emerged!

Over the coming weeks I will share my reflections on each milestone including the difficulties and rewards of starting a business!   Here is my list of the top 5 milestone moments so far in APPO history.

  1. We now have over 550 APPO members on 6 of the 7 continents! Asia, Europe, Australia, North America, South America and Africa. AMAZING!
  2. Our first national conference was a great success resulting in an even better second conference, with our third conference scheduled for Orlando in April 2015.
  3. In 2011, we officially changed our name from Personal Photo Organizers to APPO and created our brand identity.
  4. Joellyn Gray the VP of Marketing at FujiFilm North America heard me speak at the Darien Public Library. She invited me to share my vision with their leadership team and sponsored me as a speaker at a number of conferences.  Her endorsement helped fuel my confidence.
  5. My first client Maria insisted on paying me more than I was charging for a service she felt was invaluable.  Her insistence was the beginning of my “light bulb moments”.

As part of our celebration this summer we are also offering a 10% membership discount  to ALL new members and the chance to win one of over $7,000 worth of prizes donated by our Industry Partners.

Visit www.appo.org and our 5 Year Anniversary Promotion to learn more.

CathiPioneer of the Photo-Life Management Industry, Cathi Nelson is the founder of the Association of Personal Photo Organizers, an association that trains individuals who specialize in helping consumers and businesses rescue their irreplaceable film and digital photos, organizing them in a way that makes it simple to share their memories, lives and traditions. Since its inception, APPO has grown to include hundreds of members throughout the United States, Canada, Australia and United Kingdom.