Chris humphrey portfolio

Photography - Copywriting - Graphics - Video

photography gallery

copywriting samples

9 Samples of the Daily Atomic Essays I wrote for 300 consecutive days.
(Topics: Small Business, Christianity, Marketing)

On Marketing FaithIt's a fundamental truth of marketing - When they buy, people either move
toward pleasure or away from pain. There's really no in-between.When we talk about marketing our belief in Christ and the saving power of His Grace, we must acknowledge something a bit confusing.People move toward pleasure, but it really causes pain.It's contradicting but true. People also move away from their perceived pain, which is ultimately good and holds lasting pleasure for them.They may not like God, but He loves them...unconditionally.This is often hard for us because we have to flip the script a bit, but history is on our side. There are more than a few stories of folks turning toward "pleasurable" things to avoid pain - only to find themselves at rock bottom once the truth (the true pain) was revealed to them.The truth is always there, and we are always ready to share.We have to stand up and care for the most vulnerable. Sometimes those people don't like us...but we must stand firm. Sometimes those people will mock and even try to hurt us...but we must stand firm. We are the light, not the dark. We know evil hates the light.That's why hold it high.Our prayer is our power, our faith is our foundation, and our strength is in our Savior, Jesus Christ."If God is for us, who can ever be against us?" – Roman 8:31

A Semi-Non-Political Message From the Movie Free Guy (movie spoiler alert)I love politics. You could call me a political wonk (A "wonk" is a person
preoccupied with arcane details of policy and governance, btw) and I would not be offended. And as much as I would LOOOOOVE make this political, I won't. This message is for BOTH parties, how 'bout that?In the brilliant movie Free Guy, our hero, Guy, enlightens his fellow NPCs (nonplayer characters) about the fact their world is in danger and the only way they will survive is if they work together.He convinces them there is something more to their lives (than things blowing up and creating chaos every day).Folks, I will not wax poetic here. You have to understand this one big thing. If we don't work together in our very real, non-video game lives and stop the massive moral mayhem and the mindless mania for a moldy monarchy, things will get a LOT tougher and perhaps NEVER easier.Do you like paying stupid high prices for gas, rent, Insurance, cars, or FOOD?!!! Or how about never buying a new house or even a first one?This is all happening because we have a magical collection of lunkheads in government that don't care about you. They want to keep their job, and that's it...even if that means you lose yours. This is NO BUENO, kids!We need to work together because there is something SO much better (and we need to survive...sound familiar?). Look, I don't know who's going to be the one who leads us to "better," but it's NOT going to be a couple of guys we wouldn't trust driving us to Baskin Robbins.I'm not telling you who to vote for in the next big election (as much I would love to :), I'm just saying let's work together and EXPECT more for our lives (and better prices, for Pete's sake...whoever Pete is).

Daddy, Could You Make This Choice?You're the father of one child, a son. And in the face of a global pandemic that will eradicate the planet, it's been discovered that your son's blood holds the cure that will save the world. But in order to generate a cure fast enough, the doctors need to take all of his blood.You know what this means, and the decision you make is heartbreaking, but unfortunately, others don't feel this way.Your son died to save humanity, but so many others don't believe it, or worse,they don't care. As a father, how would this make you feel?"Wouldn't you want to stand up and say, "Excuse me! I'm not sure if you are aware of it or not, but the amazing life you have, my son died so that you could have that life. My son died so that you could live. He died for you. Does it mean nothing to you?" Perhaps that is what God wants to say." – Matthew Kelly from Rediscover CatholicismI'm not a preacher or pastor or even an author, but I know a powerful message when I hear it, and I've never forgotten this story, especially as the father of a son.Is it possible to somehow help a world in such desperate need of salvation to understand that "the cure" is within its grasp?What will it take for them to hear this message AND take action?I can tell you one thing that is needed - the message better be compelling, and it better spell out what salvation is to them.I think this is a messaging challenge and a big one. It's also a distribution challenge and, yes, also a big one.Can a new way of marketing be the answer? Perhaps. I'd like to find out.

One Simple yet Meaningful Thing I Learned From Hallmark Christmas ShowsOK, I admit it, I watch "some" Hallmark Christmas shows. Although I am boycotting them at the moment since they've drifted pretty far from traditional family values, that's another conversation for another day.My focus is on an older one that delivered a surprisingly great message despite the undeniably simple and silly plot (a Hallmark staple).This episode is not unlike others. The plot is familiar. Handsome widowed dad with a precocious and adorable daughter meets the newest person in their small town who just happens to be his same age and equally attractive. They argue, they fight, they make up and fall in love. You get it.Get to THE POINT already!Got it, so in the "makeup" section at the beginning of the third act, the female love interest, acknowledges how great the dad has been doing being a single parent while running a successful small business, (blah, blah, blah) "how do you do it?" His response was simple but powerful,
"You just show up..every day and do the best you can."I'll be honest, I didn't expect to be moved by something so simple.I'm always trying to find a way to get everything done...at the highest level...and on time and I often ask myself "How is this going to get done?"As ridiculous as it sounds, I'm going to just show up every day and do the best I can. Does it have to be any more complicated than that?Prayer helps a lot when stress finds its way into my life but I also have to learn to be kinder to myself as I remind myself to be kinder to others. Often, it's the stupid simple things that can make the biggest changes.

3 of the Best Marketing Nuggets of Gold I Ever Dug UpHi, I'm Chris, and I'm a Marketing Junkie.I've been reading business and marketing books since I was in high school, and since that was four decades ago, that officially makes me old...and relatively well-read if I do say so myself.Things change a lot, but these three pieces of business currency have not changed in a very, very long time, nor have they decreased in value.1. People Only Care About Themselves - "No one cares about you" is the first thing I say to my content creation class. It might not be the kindest thing to teach aspiring entrepreneurs, but it's truest. If your message says anything other than something that benefits them and their specific needs, you might consider changing it.2. Know Your Customer When you're building something and your passion is behind the wheel, it's really easy to get stuck between your ears - hearing only what you want to hear and seeing only what you want to see. Peter Drucker said know your market and know your customer so well that your product or service sells itself...and it's true.3. Start With a Problem and Then Create the Solution - So many lightbulbs turned on when I read this from Seth Godin. Everyone wants to be loved and have their product or service to be loved. The very best way to achieve this is to make it FOR THEM and the needs that THEY have. (See #1)Even though these are all different, they all blend together nicely, which is what makes them so effective and so timeless.

When Selling Chicken Is Not EnoughWe all know Colonel Sanders. His name and chicken go together like chicken and waffles, but if you don’t know his story, his name also goes together with perseverance.After an eclectic collection of careers from fireman, farmhand, lawyer, insurance salesman and even a steamboat ferry operator, Harland Sanders opened a service station in Corbin, Kentucky. In 1930, at the age of 40, he began cooking for hungry travelers at his own dining table and got pretty good with his fried chicken recipe.As word of his culinary fame spread from his small town over the years, the Governor of Kentucky made Harland an honorary colonel, and Colonel Sanders turned from a local cook to a thriving restaurant owner.This is usually where the story ends for most people - successful restaurant, successful recipe, the rest is history, right?As Lee Corso would then say, "Not so fast, My Friend!"When the Colonel turned 60, his popular restaurant was forced to close because a new highway project would pass his town and restaurant by (remember the movie, Cars?). But, rather than retiring and living off his local fame, he chose a different path - a longer and less traveled path, for sure, but a path that he was committed to.Colonel Sanders decided to take his recipe on the road, traveling from restaurant to restaurant, cooking his signature chicken recipe for the owners as a sort of cook show audition. His plan was simple - if they liked the recipe, he’d sell it to them and live off the royalties of each chicken sold. It was a good plan, but what he didn’t count on was the rejection, and there was a LOT of rejection.Legend says he was turned down 1009 times before he received his first yes. 1009 times - ****a number almost too impossible to imagine!But with faith in his product and an almost unimaginable amount of
perseverance, Colonel Sanders turned his unique chicken recipe into a tasty plate of legendary success.Found some failure? Surely you're not too chicken to try again?

"The Grass Is Always Greener...Yesterday, I came across an alternate version of this common phrase I've never heard before. Of course, I've heard, the version about the grass on the other side.But this alternate version was new to me.The grass is always greener...where you water it.This is a completely different meaning than the original, and it really got me thinking about how to be a better person.When we're not happy with our current situation, it's common to look at the "other side of the fence" and see how much nicer it is over there.Over there, the problems are small. Over there, they have it so much better, Over there, they don't worry about things the way we do over here.But what if "over there," they are doing things differently?What if over there, they are watering their grass, and over here, well, I forget about basic lawn maintenance? The perspective is different now.Now it's not about my jealousy for the good fortune over there...it's about my responsibility and my action (or inaction) over here. Ouch.So now, it's on me, as it should be. My actions=my results.We all make choices. We can be good, we can be not so good. Our choices are our own, but what we often overlook is that, in the process our choices, these choices often affect others.HOW we water (or don't water) does affect the lives of those around us. So it's safe to say that "over here," has an effect on "over there." If you've ever owned a lawn next to someone who doesn't care for their lawn, you know this is true.This isn't science.It's basic human maintenance.

What Does the Enemy Look Like?I'm seeing a sizable amount of conflict against Christians...from Christians, and I simply do not understand it.What is our purpose as Christians?To be completely unbiased, I asked the Intellect of the Internet, Chat GPT this question and got this list:• Love and Relationship with God
• Discipleship
• Love and Service to Others
• Evangelism
• Worship
• Living a Godly LifeWhat I didn't see was "Criticize the Denominational Nuances of All Christians Who Believe Something Different Than You."Call me crazy, but I think this tactic has Satan's fingerprints all over it, and it reminds me of the military strategy of Divide and Conquer."To make a group of people disagree and fight with one another so that they will not join together against one." – Idiom from Merriam WebsterI even got so frustrated one time and said, "What the hell is going on!" and then I realized this is exactly "hell" is going on here.What does the enemy look like? He looks very familiar.“The Bible tells us to love our neighbors, and also to love our enemies; probably because generally they are the same people.” ― G.K. Chesterton

6 Topics in Seth Godin's Book, This Is Marketing That Will Make This Your Favorite Marketing BookMarketing is no longer about interrupting people with your message but rather connecting with and serving the right people. In "This is Marketing," Seth Godin explores the shifting landscape of marketing and shows how empathy, authenticity, and creating remarkable experiences is the most effective way to truly connect with customers.“People don’t want what you make They want what it will do for them.”1) The Marketing Mix Revised - The four Ps of marketing (Product, Price, Place, and Promotion) but the new fifth P is Permission, and this is the foundation to build your marketing strategy on. No more force-feeding your message. Your customer gets to decide when to eat now.2) Marketing is Magnanimous - When you view your marketing as a way to help and serve your tribe, you'll show you care...because you really DO. You'll connect with their values, they'll connect with yours and a bootiful relationship will come about. This method of aligning values helps you to serve more effectively and become a trusted partner (this helps referrals).3) Start Small - Connect Big - Don't chase the big fish - find the smaller, hungrier ones who NEED you and what you offer. Those are the ones who will engage more and help you refine your offering. And as a bonus, these are the ones you can deliver crazy-great value to, thus building your brand and getting better at
what you do. (that is a sweet bonus!)4) What is REAL Marketing? - Marketing isn't merely about pushing your products onto prospects. It's about creating connections and serving an audience who genuinely need you."Marketing is the generous act of helping someone solve a problem, their problem." – Seth Godin5) The Story is Significant - Storytelling is the part of marketing that resonates with people on a level nothing else can. Through compelling narratives, businesses can connect with their core audience emotionally, making their story a part of their customer's story.6) The Purple Cow - One of Godin's most famous concepts (from his first book, btw) is that of the "Purple Cow." He argues that to stand out in a crowded marketplace, you must be remarkable—just like a purple cow in a field of brown ones. In other words, your product or service must be so extraordinary that it naturally attracts attention and generates word-of-mouth marketing.Word-of-mouth marketing is one of the most powerful methods of getting your message to the ears of your ideal customers.“Marketing is the act of making change happen. Making is insufficient. You haven’t made an impact until you’ve changed someone.” – Seth Godin, This is Marketing

custom graphics

Video production

I’ve created hundreds of pieces in a former career and I love finding new ways to connect using video, especially short-form content.

Effective video doesn't have to have on-camera talent. Graphic explainers and kinetic-type videos can relay more message very effectively as well.

Contact

For 30 years, I’ve served local people just like yourself, and I love that connection.That’s why I do what I do.My professional background is photography, video, copywriting, graphic design and customer service.If you'd like to chat about your business, give me a call.

You can reach me directly at:[email protected]918.625.4630

© Chris Humphrey Creative 2026

© Chris Humphrey Creative 2026