Matt Sweetwood on his new business, Insurious, on retailing, and on cameras

Gary Pageau of the Dead Pixels Society talks with Matt Sweetwood,  entrepreneur, author, CEO and co-founder of Insurious. After leaving the family camera store, Unique Photo, in 2015, Sweetwood embarked on a career as a consultant, an author ("Leader of the Pack") and startup CEO.  Now he's back with Insurious, an online insurance company for cameras, audio equipment and more.

Never one to be shy about his opinions, Sweetwood talks about his new company, how photo retailers can compete in the age of COVID, and how the camera hardware vendors are contributing to the decline in the camera market.

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Transcript

Gary Pageau  0:03  
Hello again and welcome to the Dead Pixel Society podcast. I'm your host, Gary Pageau. And today we're joined by entrepreneur, photographer, author and the CEO and co founder of Insurious, Matt Sweetwood. Hey, Matt, how are you today?

Matt Sweetwood  0:18  
Gary, it is so good to be here with you. Thanks for having me on.

Gary Pageau  0:24  
So most people in the photo industry, no mats we would in the sweet wood family, from my little tiny little hole in the wall little camera store in New Jersey called Unique Photo, can you kind of give us a background on where I went wrong in that description?

Matt Sweetwood  0:45  
I think that that's probably accurate because we're tiny little people. No, I'm joking. No, we had a really, it really was an amazing career. I had, you know, almost 30 years. You know, from a small company with four people we had working we were a little district little distribution company, delivering film and batteries and flashbulbs in paper bags to small stores in the New York/New Jersey area. And when I left the company in 2015, we were one of the largest, single-location camera stores in the country, had a big distribution company and kind of caused a bit of trouble in the photo industry, between friend and foe with Polaroid and Fujifilm and a bunch of other companies. But I like to think that, you know, even after that many years, they're people. I don't know, there's a combination of people that hate me, love me, fear me, or laugh at me. I think the laugh at me is probably the biggest contingent, but nevertheless, it was quite a journey through the photo industry and photo business. And in some ways I miss it. And that's maybe why I've somehow been drawn back to it.

Yeah, that's one of those things

Gary Pageau  2:06  
Where I think people when it comes to Math Sweetwood they've got an opinion, whether they love you or hate you. They've got an opinion.

Matt Sweetwood  2:12  
Yeah, we had a president like that. I think. So. Yeah.

Gary Pageau  2:18  
So you were with the company. You were president of the company. You were there for a lot of growth. Your parents actually started it as I recall. Yep. And so it was a family business, and it's still in the family. correct?

Matt Sweetwood  2:30  
That's correct. So then, and they're doing a really good job with it. I taught them well.

Gary Pageau  2:35  
There you go. And so then you left in 2015, you kind of spread your wings, you You did a couple things, here and there. Can you kind of talk about the companies you've started and work with since then?

Matt Sweetwood  2:47  
I was a consulting CEO for a social media network called BeeBee helped them out and get started and get going. They're still operating primarily out of Spain. I wrote a book in the middle. They're sort of my life story, crazy journey through the photo business. And through, you know, being a single dad called leader of the pack, very proud of that book. A lot of people talk about how it's helped their lives. I've done consulting, I speak pretty frequently, obviously, now, during COVID time, not so much speaking. But we do some virtual, I've done some virtuals in front of some big companies, ever really a couple of really good talks on happiness and personal responsibility. I know some of you would like. And then I decided it was time to leave the New York area area after New Jersey area after spending my own life, moved to Florida. And here I actually am currently involved in two startup projects. One LuxNow, which is a luxury rental platform for autos, homes, and yachts a little bit like Airbnb, the luxury side, which were sort of dragging along during this COVID time, obviously, travel tourism industry is low. And the startup which I really want to talk about, which we just launched two weeks ago, called Insurious, which is very relevant to your audience. And the concept behind and Insurious is a quick access to essentially all peril insurance, for your camera, video accessories, all sorts of stuff, computer equipment. You know, when I when I ran that camera store, I used to laugh because laughs sort of sadly, people would come in the store literally every day and say my equipment was stolen. And they would find out that their homeowners or business insurance doesn't cover it, the auto insurance doesn't cover this doesn't cover it. And so we've come up with a product that's very unique for just a few dollars a month and in about five minutes all online. You can get insurance to cover all of your equipment. I know I sound like I just gave a sales pitch but I'm really excited about the product because it fills in a missing place. You know, even if you have some equipment insurance, it doesn't cover you against all peril and are even though you know no such things all parallel. But in our case, we're covering things like earthquakes and floods and water damage and loss. And if you drop it, you break it, it's stolen, all sorts of things like that at a very low cost. So we believe this is a product that will be really exciting. And you can go get it right now.

Gary Pageau  5:16  
So the question is, is how is this different from other offerings in the space because I know there are other players in the space, I think PPA has a, a relationship with a insurance company to provide this sort of coverage. So what what's the difference?

Matt Sweetwood  5:34  
Okay, so a couple of difference. One, like I said, it's the range of coverage, this is going to cover you against things that the normal policies don't, for example, earthquake, I know that's unlikely, relatively unlikely, but flood damage, water damage, you drop it in water, it's stolen, it's lost, it's broken, really, under almost any kind of condition like that. In addition, if you look at the cost of this insurance, you're gonna see it's extremely low.

Gary Pageau  6:00  
Yeah, you can notice that the premiums are what, like, $12 a month, right? 

Matt Sweetwood  6:04  
You have policies that'll cost you $150 a year, you can insure, you know, $5-$6,000 worth of equipment, it's a really low rate, you'll see Uber fast claims. And the best part is that you sign up, you'll have the policy, typically, within a few hours, maybe at most 24 to 48 hours, you'll actually have the policy and be enjoined. We also cover rental equipment. So when you go rental equipment, you can actually have that covered. So for

Gary Pageau  6:29  
Example, if you are a journalist, and a lot of the journalists now own their own equipment, because the papers and whatnot are providing,

Matt Sweetwood  6:38  
Yeah, for awhile now.

Gary Pageau  6:39  
Of course. Yeah, exactly. And so let's say you were covering a natural disaster, you know, a flood or something. So this would account for that for an independent journalist.

Matt Sweetwood  6:49  
Say you're covering a, a mostly peaceful demonstration, and someone bumps into you, and knocks your camera down or steals the front, it's covered, you're covered. So and you know, a really quick access, you know, and you think of it's not only for professionals, you think there's a lot of consumers out there that you know, have lots of camera equipment, they travel, you go abroad, right, cameras are stolen, damaged, whatever lost when they're abroad. So it covers that too. We're also excited, we'll roll out, I'm actually looking for, for those of you listening out there, I'm looking for a couple of dealers to work with me to build out the dealer program, sort of in a beta test. So we have an affiliate program built in and we'd love to, you know, have the dealers go out there and sell the product, earn revenue for themselves and for their salespeople, and actually be able to sell that kind of insurance at the point of sale. And I think the actual point here is that this is a win win for everybody. Because like I said, when I was running Unique Photo, we'd have people come in who've lost their gear, either lost it stolen, whatever, a whole assortment of things, how many wedding photographers put their their lens down at a wedding, and it disappears, or something like that, and they don't have the funds to buy it again. So the photographer is out, the store is out, because it's not, it's not going to make the resale, you know, and so on. So I believe that there's a win win in the industry. And it really fills into a segment, you know, available for everybody. Right? It's available not just for Association members, anybody can take advantage of this. And I think the cost point is at a is at a place where it's extremely attractive, and the access to it. And I don't want to underestimate this, you know, people have you buying insurance sometimes is a little bit complicated. Sure, I'm telling you, you can get through our application, we say seven minutes or less, you can really get through that application in five minutes, enter your credit card, and you're covered. It's as simple it's really as simple as that. It's a FinTech product, which I love being able to say FinTech on podcasts.

Gary Pageau  8:49  
It's very trendy. very trendy, I

Matt Sweetwood  8:51  
feel really good.

Gary Pageau  8:53  
So what what is it? Is it actual replacement value? Or is it or is it the value of the

Matt Sweetwood  9:01  
That's right, you're gonna list the replacement value of the product, and that's what it's going to cover determines that base, right? Yeah. And it's small and it's a small, you know, and you can choose deductibles, we have low deductibles, obviously, the more deductible less deductible effects a little bit the premium on the policy, but you'll see that you'll see the the policies that come in when you're insuring, you know, between five and $10,000 of equipment, even up to $20,000 really low, you know, and I believe we can insure up to you know, maybe 50 or $100,000 worth of equipments, you know, we have the we have range at the high end for even you know, working professionals and businesses.

Gary Pageau  9:37  
Even those Leica people and

Matt Sweetwood  9:40  
I don't know, I think we might have a Leica exclusion.

Gary Pageau  9:46  
So, talk a little bit about the the can the the what you see as the what's happening with dealers these days and opportunity because I think as we've all seen, the camera market is stressed. Now, in terms of, you know, people are buying as many cameras, surely not buying the amount of equipment and accessories. So obviously dealers need to find other areas of revenue.

Matt Sweetwood  10:11  
I mean, that was the success formula that I used a Unique Photo where we went from having no camera store, and in a few years have one of the biggest was continually look for imaginative ways to draw people to your establishment, either that's online, or it's in the store. And that's by creating experience, providing products service, all sorts of things. I mean, I'm kind of saying things. Like, if I was a camera store owner, I was listening to me right now and be like, yeah, yeah, Matt, we know all of this. But knowing all of it, and then really sort of thinking about it. And, you know, actually executing and going out there, I will tell you, when I left Unique, I had many projects on my desk. In other words, some of them were pie in the sky, like, hey, I'd like to do this. So I was always in that mode of trying to find the next big thing, what are we going to offer? What are we going to do next? How are we going to change the game Next, you know, when I created the education program, essentially the first ones to really do that on the scale that we did, you know, and then I started to look at how to work the education program, and then build a rental department and built a used department and then build all of these things, and then look within those departments how to improve upon them, right. So if you have an add on like this, that can add revenue onto a sale very easily, and repeat revenue, right. So this is a repeat revenue, it usually is an ideal thing. Now, there's not a lot of big dollars in it, obviously, because you know, if you're selling $150, you know, policies, there's not a lot of room for that. But it's a thing that you can repeatedly sell, and provide a service to your customer and tie the customer to the store, because he knows he got the insurance from you. So he's more likely if he has a claim to come back with his money and buy from you. And we all know that story. So you're always looking for something like this, add on simple way to you know, create something, you know, create a story, create anything. So we believe that this is going to dovetail really well into that retail channel.

Gary Pageau  12:08  
I think it's, it's interesting, you mentioned that about, you know, creating experience, I remember when Unique University was launched, and some of the things you were doing there was were pretty impressive, and I had the chance to see the store, gosh, must have been 10 - 12 years ago, I was out in New Jersey and saw the store and saw how you had the various boutiques set up for the different brands, and you had to pick a coffee shop in there. And really COVID is kind of thrown a curveball at any, any retailer who is offering experiences now.

Matt Sweetwood  12:38  
I think that we just need to hold on a little bit longer. The pent up demand for human beings to socialize and get back out there is enormous. And I do believe that without being political that now the election is over, I believe that you're going to see opening up of states. And I just think that people are so desperate to get out there. I know here, you know, I'm now in Florida. And we've been open the whole time all the stores and everything have been open. What I've noticed is that all essentially, and this is what leadership here has claimed that I've actually watched it happen is that the stores operate COVID friendly, they keep distance they clean, they wear masks, they do all the things you're supposed to. And so I think that I think that's a pivot point for retailers. So if some advice to a retailer right now is you get right out in front of that COVID thing if you haven't already and just say hey, look, we're making an environment here where you can come in, if you have classes, you can try to have them outdoors. You can, you can socially did I mean, you know, there's all sorts of things, but get in front of it. And that's how I always viewed marketing. For me when I was at unique is whatever the situation was, I wanted to be out in front of it. So you should have a COVID camera something right, I can already think of how to do it. Come in and you clean? How about having a coke COVID cleansing of your camera to make sure that your cameras I mean, it's silly idea. But I'm just saying I would be crazy ideas like this would roll around in my head all the time how to do it how to do it right? I would turn around and look at some of the big guys. And I'd be like, Okay, how do I get my advantage on them? What do I have to do? How do I get people in the store? You know, whatever it is I got to do, I do.

Gary Pageau  14:17  
You know, that's one of the things that I've mentioned a couple times with guests on the show is there are folks who are looking at COVID as a temporary experience where eventually it will go away. But I think in a lot of ways COVID lifestyle is going to be with us for a long time. This hand sanitation even mask wearing i think is going to continue at least when people fly certain areas where you know contactless payments or kiosks or things like that will still be prevailing. So I think it's it is one of those things where a retail or service provider has to get ahead on because it's not going away.

Matt Sweetwood  15:00  
I could not agree more. You know, there's a psychological component to this. You know, even let's say we had a situation where everybody was vaccinated. Okay, which won't happen. But let's say you had a situation with that. How many people really would be 100 convinced in their hearts that even though they're vaccinated, they couldn't get COVID? Well, there's a large percentage of people that are going to be afraid, or what about COVID? 21? Yeah, right, because that's coming, right, or 22, or whatever it is. So I agree with you this new clean way of living, right, I'm already starting to formulate the marketing plan for the store, but I don't need to do it. I'm not running a camera store anymore, or retail or any kind of thing like that. But to me, that would be you know, how I would focus my business. And then I would start to look at how I can work around that. 

Gary Pageau  15:54  
Yeah. And that's actually like, you know,

Matt Sweetwood  15:56  
I already have an idea for a course, you know, you discuss with length, you get photographers in your building, and you talk about how to stay safe at gatherings for a photographer, there's a course for you, right there. Even

Gary Pageau  16:08  
You know, if you're a portrait photographer, how do you teach a portrait portrait photographer how to conduct a sanitary session or whatnot. Right? 

Matt Sweetwood  16:16  
However, right? There's all right. But in terms of retail environment, you get in front of this, and you'd be the most COVID, health conscious, friendly retail store there is. That's it, you just take it to the next level. And you people respect you for doing that. And it's an attraction. So I can think of all sorts of things. But yes, you're right. It's going to be here, retailer needs to get around it. If you don't have contactless payments. Those should be those should be in there right now. You know, and contactless payments are right away. I'm like, that's awesome. Because that means that's another excuse for me to get their information. You know, where to get this, like all sorts of goodies that come come with that. So I would have contactless payments, I would advertise that. I would talk about how often we clean the demo equipment, the used equipment, the rental equipment, I would do all of that stuff.

Gary Pageau  17:05  
Yeah. Because I mean, there's really no downside to doing it. Who doesn't want to have a sanitary experience? Right. And people may not have been thinking about it. But even even if you're not super concerned about COVID, there's still no downside to being right. 

Matt Sweetwood  17:21  
Well, here's an idea for you. Here's an idea that I really like just came to me right now. So I would advertise this is a real one, I would actually do this right first marketing idea, I would advertise to the customer, that every piece of equipment that I sell, will be sanitized clean in front of their eyes. Okay, so I would take it out, not if it's new in the box. But if they're buying something that's out, like, let's say they're buying a tripod off the floor, even a bag, buying a used camera or something like that, I would put it I would have the counterclaim, I would have them stand there, I would have the counterclaim I would train my people how to do it, and I would clean the equipment, I would advertise that to them. Hmm. Now somebody may think that's silly, but I actually think that that would be a selling point, I think people would really appreciate that.

Gary Pageau  18:07  
Yeah, well, especially considering, you know, honestly, when we talk about, you know, who's buying cameras these days, it is older people, for the most part, and they're most concerned about COVID.

Matt Sweetwood  18:16  
There's a subliminal message in there, right? Because it's an easy way, when you say that we we sanitize all of our used equipment, all of our pre owned whatever you want to call it gently worn equipment in front of you. You're not just advertising COVID, you're talking about your use program. But you're doing it without indirectly saying come in and buy a used camera, which is, you know, very 1981. So but you're talking about something that's tangential to the thing and sort of creating more cachet around what you're doing. So I really like that kind of strategy. And there's one that I suggest that every retailer go for right now. Just thought of it. I'm sure there's a bunch of people out there that,

Gary Pageau  19:02  
What is the commission on that?

Matt Sweetwood  19:03  
Yeah, that's right. It's the usual commission that gets paid in this is no in all honesty, by the way, I will say I won't mention who. But I've had a few retailers actually reached out to me and I consulted them a little bit successfully, by the way. So if you're out there in any way in the photo business, I'm glad to help if I can.

Gary Pageau  19:22  
So you've always been a photo business guy. You've grown up in the business and everything. So did it was the idea was behind Insurious. We want to create a FinTech app slash business for for cameras, or you just wanted to create an insurance business and you started with cameras.

Matt Sweetwood  19:45  
That's the latter more likely but they really both were together. What happened was this business was formed by three partners in the business two people are from the insurance industry, and they actually reached out to me looking for an operatior, a marketer, and someone that knows how to do this stuff to run the company. And, and we took a look. And we said, okay, one of like, we can cover other things, too. We can cover high-end bicycles. We can cover musical equipment, audio equipment, the policy will that you sign up for it can cover a lot of different things. But since we're on a photo industry, you know, discussion right now. And so we focus, we basically launched the product two weeks ago, it works, we've sold policies already. And you can go on there now and buy cameras, you know, you have your camera equipment. And that's an industry I know. So this is our first vertical market is to walk into this business. So that's kind of it was kind of a combination of things. And I will tell you that this is always when the people came to me with the idea. I'm like, there's been a need for this literally for 30 years through this kind of thing. And like you said, there's other products that are similar. They sell in pockets, they sell only through the association, they they're not really aimed at consumers, there's extended warranties, but there's nothing really like this product that has been, like I said, needed for a long time. So for me coming into the cat, we have a FinTech product, the real answer is we have a FinTech product that's really good for a lot of different kinds of gear. But our first attack is at the camera business where I believe it's very, very needed product.

Gary Pageau  21:16  
So when you communicate this to the consumer, how do you explain this as different than an extended warranty? And do people still need extended warranties,

Matt Sweetwood  21:28  
I still think that people do in certain cases need extended warranty, because an extended warranty covers against manufacturer or a defect, or something breaking within the camera. This is an insurance policy, this is for loss, damage, theft, you know, that kind of natural disaster that happens to it, which is equally likely probably to an actual, you know, manufacturer defect, so, and the manual, and there are some like all encompassing extended warranties that say if you lose it, but you have to read the fine print on those, they don't really cover you under most circumstances.

Gary Pageau  22:03  
Yeah, that was my question. Because, you know, I'm thinking of it as you know, someone who's in the market for a camera, and I'm talking to the dealer, and the dealer says, you know, hey, I'm, I'm pitching you the extended warranty. And oh, by the way, you also need this other thing. And really, the dealer is going to be nuanced enough to understand what the differences.

Matt Sweetwood  22:25  
That's right. And the difference is actually important. Whether this is more important or not, I don't know the marketplace is going to determine that as we go forward. Because I think when you sell an extended warranty, there's something a little bit funny about extending an extended warranty. It's sort of this will always I always had a little bit of fun with this, as you're like, I always was afraid the customer asked, Well, why do I need this? Do you think this is going to break in a year? Right?

Gary Pageau  22:51  
It always happened with like, you know, washing machines, it's like the day after the extended warranty is when your washing machine does.

Matt Sweetwood  22:57  
That's right. So do you think you do you think you need this, it was always sort of this pejorative thing. But people have always had stuff they've lost. It's sort of a more general kind of thing where it's either been lost or stolen. And particularly when you're in the business. I can't tell I'm if you're any photographer out there listening will take I don't I don't even think I know many photographers who haven't had stuff stolen here.

Gary Pageau  23:20  
I mean, they're, you know, they may, they're at a function or wedding or an event, they set their bag down for 30 seconds and it's gone.

Matt Sweetwood  23:29  
 It happens all the time cars broken into, if you remember, actually there was a problem. Remember those Nikon mugs? They would sell these coffee mugs that look like lenses?

Gary Pageau  23:39  
Yeah, I've got a couple of them.

Matt Sweetwood  23:41  
They actually I think had to stop selling them or there was something done with them. I can't remember now it was a while ago, because people were leaving them in the cupholders of their car. And people were breaking in the cars thinking they were real lenses.

Gary Pageau  23:53  
Now, are you going to ensure those those mugs? Can you?

Matt Sweetwood  23:57  
I think you probably could include that in the thing? Yes. I mean, you'd have to have a lot of mugs to you know, meet like a $50 deductible, but okay, you know, nevertheless.

Gary Pageau  24:08  
So, so, so you've been doing your own thing for about five years or so. So what is what's that we could I can't talk to you and not talk a little bit about cameras.  What have you seen that's changed in the industry in the last five years in terms of cameras, technology, how people are using them in the market?

Matt Sweetwood  24:34  
I think that, you know, obviously there has been a continued downward pressure on sales. You know, in the camera business, the smartphones, guilty. I mean, I'm guilty. You know, I have a whole bevy of Lumix cameras. You know, I shot as a luminary for a while. But you know, the smartphones are really powerful, you know, COVID affecting just people traveling and just going out in the world, I think, you know, I've been in a camera business a long time. And it just seems like it's a bad luck business. You know, I don't know if that's God's will or whatever it is, but just it just seemed like throughout the history, events beyond any prediction or control just seem to come and just hurt, hurt hurt. And I will tell you also, I, you know, I have to lay some of the blame for the what happened in the industry, on the manufacturers and the big vendors, you know, from the days of Kodak and Polaroid and the way they would punish the dealer channel back in the day, and then the lack of support for the dealer channel as a general principle, no, not controlling it in a way that's beneficial. Also, for the dealers, even though a lot of the executives in those companies probably would deny it. No, we care about the dealers. But you know, we all know what the real story is. So I think over the last couple of years, I think just the pain quotient has increased the environment from COVID, to smartphone development to the movement to online sales, where a local store is at a disadvantage to you know, the power of Amazon. And it's just been a really, really rough ride. On the on the good side, I think that the quality of product in the photo industry has been never been higher. You know, we briefly touched on this before we got on but, you know, I still had people come to me, what should I buy? What should I buy? And, you know, there's no such thing as a bad camera? Is there a bad camera? Is there a bad tripod? Is there a bad I mean, they're all they're all great, everybody's making great product. And so the ability to different of course, that also is a negative, because the ability to differentiate comes down to a little bit of a marketing game. But on the good side, I mean, I know today, in the last five years, the quality of product that's being put out there is really spectacular cameras from even, you know, inexpensive cameras to high-end cameras, they do things that are just truly amazing. And a real credit to the R-and-D and the technology that exists. I wish as a matter of fact, the average consumer had a better understanding of how truly incredible what those electronics do. They just see them as you know, they snap a picture, they think it's basically, you know, just appears they understand how complex the software and the hardware and the imaging sensors, and all of that stuff that happens, you know, real really is it's really amazing. So,

Gary Pageau  27:33  
Yeah, you know, the things I think that the industry has struggled with the last few years is, why does someone need a camera. And I know there are those who advocate almost that it should be like a, a watch, in the sense that it's a luxury item. It's a status symbol, you should if you have a camera around your neck, you're you're really differentiating yourself from the plebes and the other folks. And I just don't know if I'm comfortable with that, because I think everyone should have every house should have a camera or real quote unquote, real camera. Obviously smartphones are excellent. Not to diminish.

Matt Sweetwood  28:16  
I agree with you. But I here's here's the thing that I'll say is and what, here's how I would always answer that question, because I've actually been on national TV asked that question many, many times. And my answer is very simple. If you're happy with 70% of your pictures coming out, and and not being able to capture 30% of your memories, a smartphone probably is sufficient for you. But you own a camera because one third of the pictures that you take are not capable, you can't capture them, you don't have the lens you don't have is just physics will prevent you from using a smartphone to capture. So if you're doing something that's worthwhile, like taking pictures of your family or your children, or you're on a memorable vacation, or you have a memorable event, and you use a smartphone, there's a one in three chance that you won't get the picture, you increase that chance dramatically by having a camera. With that being said, I think one of the problems in the photo industry is the lack while I just said that the cameras are amazing, and so on. I think there has been a little bit of lack. And this addresses your what you just mentioned, lack of forward progress in industrial design. DSLR today looks very, very much like a DSLR for many, many years ago. So the concept of a box with a lens sticking out is not very 2020 you know, and if you think of a younger person using this, I think that that is part so I and I know there's been some experimentation with this. I know mirrorless tried to change this a little bit. But still those cameras from if you just look at them, you're not a photo guy. Just look at the actual design of a camera. It doesn't look 2020 So I think if I would make any point on 2021 forget 2021 it hasn't made it to 2020 so When I look at, when I look at the industrial design, I think that that might help the industry. I don't know if it's too late now, but to me, I would always jump up and down and say stop making, you know, Canon Mark whatever, Canon Rebel, whatever looks like Canon Rebel

Gary Pageau  30:18  
Honestly a lot of them look, you know, 15-20 feet, you can't tell a Nikon apart from a Canon?

Matt Sweetwood  30:25  
No, you can't tell anything from anything. And that's the point it doesn't look, it doesn't look, you know. And when you're, you're talking, you know, I'm sitting here holding an LG smartphone, right, and it comes here with this, I have this thing in my thing where it has a split screen, you know, I'm holding this up so you can see it, but you can't see it, you can attach it as a split screen and curved sides, they get lighter, and they get thinner. And eventually, I feel like they're advancing, even though their form factor is very simple. They're advancing the form factor. They have the new foldable ones. And I just don't feel that there's been enough advancement to capture the aesthetic imaginations. So I think that industrial design design is an extremely important part that has been neglected in the pursuit of pixels and functionality. And then I believe that that was a mistake to not try to create some revolutionary design in the camera. You know, I don't know what that is. I'm not a designer. But to me, that was, I think, part and parcel of the problem. Why? Why you say carrying a camera around your neck distinguishes you? I'm not sure for particularly younger people that distinguishes you in a way that makes them look cool or feel special. I think it might make I mean,

Gary Pageau  31:39  
It's interesting. You said because I think, for example, Leica done that, to some extent, certainly I think Fuji has done it to some extent with there camera, but it's really like a very niche market, you know, people who can afford to spend $3,000 or more on a body? Well, there's not that many people. Right?

Matt Sweetwood  32:02  
That's right. Imagine you could design a camera that was you know, round, or it was I don't know what to get. I'm not that I don't want to conjecture any design. But you know, something? I don't know, just something that was cooler.

Gary Pageau  32:16  
Welll, it's funny, you should say it because I was having a conversation with a friend of mine. We were talking to kind of the early days of digital cameras. And we were talking about how the camera makers actually took a lot more risks back in back in the day when there were and you had people trying swivel lenses. And you had people doing things you know, Casio was doing something crazy almost every year. Nikon with the early Coolpix again with the swivel lenses and different Yeah, yeah. And there's a lot more risk taking back then. And you're just not seeing it now. I mean, I think they're I think they're trying to do it with software. I think there's things they're trying to do. From image processing standpoint,

Matt Sweetwood  32:59  
Nobody's arguing this the stuff the technology in the cameras is unbelievable. It's miraculous. You can take a picture and almost friggin total darkness and end up with a great image. I mean, how the hell do they do that? It sees better than the human eye.

Gary Pageau  33:13  
Right. So you're optimistic about about the camera business? Maybe not being a a solely camera focused dealer.

Matt Sweetwood  33:26  
Yeah. That's right. I just think that in order to run any bit, this is something I actually you know, I told you, I'm a speaker in the beginning. And when I give a talk, one of the things I always talk about is business reinvention. And I think the longevity and the success we had a unique was a result of this continuous drive for re imagination of your business. And reimagine ation of that business is an ongoing process. You don't wait until you're in decline. You have to keep doing this. So if you're a camera store, you have to understand your local market. You have to understand all of those aspects and look for ways to continually reinvent that business. Stay energetic, and just keep pushing forward. Because if you don't you're just not going in the

Gary Pageau  34:06  
Right place. So perhaps you're like a Matt Sweetwood and you start a FinTech business

Matt Sweetwood  34:10  
Don't be that that's a mistake. Trust me you don't want to be read my "Leader of the Pack" book, you definitely don't want to be like that. So we would the grass so the grass is always greener. And you know why the grass is always greener right on the other side. You know why that is? Right? Because of all of the bull crap that they put on the lawn over there. So yes, you have it the one thing I did have to support those kids is I always had drive to make it I worked worked work tirelessly like a bowl.

Gary Pageau  34:37  
Yeah. So where can people go to get more information on insurance?

Matt Sweetwood  34:46  
Okay, well go to Insurious.us just like it sounds i en su r io us.us. Not the.com.us. Okay, and you can you can actually get a quote in five minutes you have to buy you can just get a quote Check it out, we got a really kind of funky video up there, you can watch and I'm telling you it's a really amazing product. We're really excited about it. And you can always get me I am at em sweet wood everywhere. I love hearing from people, particularly people from the photo business and I'll say hi to everybody out there who I haven't seen in a while, which I'm looking forward to seeing again hopefully we'll start some trade shows again and I'll show up there and cause some trouble while body paint myself and we'll be ready to go.

Gary Pageau  35:24  
Yeah I think I've got a picture of you as from PhotoPlus from I don't know how many years ago when you were when they did a scholar a skeleton? Yeah,

Matt Sweetwood  35:32  
I don't want to know what you're doing with that picture. But

Gary Pageau  35:34  
Well, I think that's gonna be the picture on the promo for this. Well, thank you, Matt, for your time and great reconnecting with you and glad to see you're back in the industry. And I hope people can take advantage of what you're offering, and even a dealer can find a way to make some bucks with it.

Matt Sweetwood  35:52  
That's right. Like I said, I hope some dealers reach out to me, I'd love to work with them really specially and closely on this. Thanks for having me on. It's been a pleasure. It's so good to reconnect with old friends.

Gary Pageau  36:01  
Take care of Matt