I know what you're thinking… GK, are you OK?   The answer is yes but this pandemic has given us circumstances way beyond our control and talking to a professional psychiatrist can be very very helpful.  Let me set this up by saying how against it I was to pay a stranger to listen to my story he or she knows nothing about. The first thing you need to understand is it's not about that person listening it's about your story and the results you need for guidance into your future.  This pandemic is new for everyone but talking to a doctor trained in the field of human psyche can sometimes be a turning point in your life. I have a wonderful family who listens to everything I talk about but that does not mean they have the ability to have an unbiased opinion on my situation at hand.  I do have a psychiatrist I talked to Mainly because my life is so intense and highly evolved that I need someone outside of my circle to make better decisions for my present judgment in my life.  
Like all doctors they listen they advise and we go over the results at a later date.   

Let me firstLet me first say that mental Health has always been a no-no to talk about. It's like the big C word of cancer.  When an athlete evolves to the majors he doesn't keep being trained by his high school coach. Think about your parents and your in-laws and your friends and your high school coach and now you're ready for professional training for this thing called life.

If you feel so overwhelmed that your friends or parent in-laws cannot help you maybe it's time to make a phone call to see which professional can. I did not grow up with this topic being normal in conversation but it is absolutely time that it is. I am a father of three, I am a husband, I am a friend and I enjoy being a mentor to kiddos who need guidance I've already cleared the path they are trying to walk.  This life isn't easy.  It's not meant to be.  You are here on this Earth because you deserve to be here.  Don't "F" it up!  Learn how to grow as a person and mentor for those who need the assistance and you'll only then see the true gratitude you deserve.  Notice I said deserve...NOT OWED. 

Nobody at any money status DESERVES ANYTHING...you must work in order to DESERVE the grace.   This COVID-19 virus is invisible to the human eye yet it brings all parts of reality into focus and reminds us who is really in charge!

special note*** it's not YOU!

What you do in this life for others is how you are judged...not the things you have done or yourself! 
Life is easier than we think.  We humans makes everything more difficult for everything including the basics.  Stop making them confusing and listen to your heart because it's telling you to listen to others, hear them, make judgements according to humanity not just results that benefit YOU.

If this seams easy...welcome to Focused with GK...if you think this idea is ridiculous - you should go back to planet that you belong to because EARTH is AWESOME and apparently you do not qualify.

-Stay Focused on Your Dreams- GK

In today's world selling online is EVERYTHING! I am presently setting up my store in Selfy and I had to share the love.  Whatever you want to sell online, this online store is perfect for you to grow as an artist or a business. Check out this link for further information.
Click here for Selfy

This morning I took a drive downtown to do some street photography and I was practically in tears from what I saw.  When you drive through the city you'll notice all of the businesses are boarded up. At first I didn't know why, but then as I noticed police cars parked all scattered around the city, I realized they were there to have a presence of security.  The police being present downtown doesn't allows business owners to relax, stay home and stay healthy.  All of the windows that are boarded up prevents any break ins and creating further damage to an already damaged pandemic experience.  As you drive through streets you'll see nothing but plywood on the buildings.  The experience reminds me 100% of hurricane Katrina.   

The same ominous sensation that ran down my spine the night before hurricane Katrina pounded the city, is exactly how downtown New Orleans feels right now.  At least, it did until I saw these visions before me.  The boarded walls suddenly had graffiti art representing New Orleans legends amongst other great talents with sayings of hope and love for each other.  This is who we are, not just us New Orleans natives, but human beings in general.  

ARTIST: Josh Wingerter Art 

Today Congressman Steve Scalise, sent an email asking for our story to share if you have not received assistance from the PPP program because congress is fighting with each to make additional personal agendas happen. I'm sharing it with you in case it actually never gets to Steve. This is my response:
I am self-employed and the only employee so, my income varies from month to month. I completed the online link the day Steve Scalise released it and started to see problems immediately. When I got to the pdf area online there was no SUBMIT, CONTINUE or NEXT button to hit. After reading further on the web site it stated how to find a PPP certified lender which I did. Fidelity sent me the link to upload the files and the waiting began. Within the 2 weeks of waiting, I was kicked out of the system showing no record of me filling out the link provided and now I'm on a waiting list for the PPP to be instated again.
Let me be clear! I am a pro photographer of 25 years and every contracted event such as weddings, convention work,etc., was suddenly canceled or postponed! These are the jobs that pay my bills and hundreds of other industry peers like myself and we are devastated.
The PPP would pay for business rent, insurance for the 2 months of lockdown.
I am now 2 months behind on these payments trying to explain my struggles and failures in our system.
My home mortgage company wants a balloon payment in 3 months and every bill sitting on my kitchen counter is now a guessing game on who gets paid first.
Where are the CLEAR DIRECT LINKS for truly small businesses to complete without stress or worry if the application was even truly submitted? Why are businesses like Ruth's Chris who was awarded 20 million dollars, in the same small business field that has less than 10 employees like myself and hundreds of event & hospitality industry business owners like myself, who haven't received a single penny!
I applied to the unemployment, disaster relief, food stamp, and PPP and NOBODY has followed up! The disfunction is obvious and needs to be resolved immediately!
WHY? WHY are we hunting for help and answers on Facebook groups? WHO is guiding us for the direct assistance we really need?
WHY are ANY AGENDAS in congress even ALLOWED????? This is about HUMANITY and SURVIVAL right now. The president should be able to mandate all companies we deal with for living expenses to be deferred without consequence. WHY are the SBA and banks profiting at all? We don't need more debt we need HELP!
WHY aren't we being offered a federal loan directly from the government without any involvement of the banks, SBA or credit card companies making money on us Americans. For those of us who finally paid down our credit cards or got out of the dark hole of debt, even 2.5% is a debt we DO NOT WANT!
SOLUTIONS: If the federal government would offer direct loans of certain dollar amounts, say $50,000 with a 15-20 year payback at 0% unless otherwise stated, I would be able to pay rent, mortgage, insurance and employees without the continued stress and worry we have right now. This chaos needs to STOP!
New Orleans, small business owners know how to work hard and we DO NOT rely on broken government systems for assistance. We do not want handouts nor a pity party. We want to work. We love what we do and at the end of the day, we ARE NEW ORLEANS!
Have you forgotten how New Orleans bounced back from Hurricane Katrina?
We small businesses took on the responsibility of helping each other. We advertised our great city and we accepted the hard road ahead. We prevailed TOGETHER!
This COVID-19 Pandemic is way worse than Katrina! I was able to fly to Canada, Montgomery, Portland, etc. to fulfill my wedding clients' contracts during the Katrina aftermath. The government is holding us, hostage, through one single item...MONEY.
We are exhausted from "SIDES" even being a thing in congress. The black flag needs to be raised on Capital Hill, sides need to cease and the ONLY AGENDA needs to be solving the problems we currently are living. How in God's name are we going to be ready for the next world disaster if we cannot adjust faster to the present one we are living?
American Tax Payer and self-proclaimed New Orleans Small Business Ambassador- George Kuchler

​Today Luminar 4 and their Easter Special from April 10-14th is LIVE! A portion of the proceeds goes to the COVID-19 Pandemic relief while you get discounts for the next few days. I recently purchased the software and quickly became addicted to what you can do from sky replacements to retouching portraits via AI technology. I immediately asked them if I could join their team via an affiliate program and after review of my application, they said YES!
I'm posting a video today showcasing the awesomeness Luminar 4 offers me in a real-world usability review.
Get a total of $25 off with my affiliate link and up to $118 off select bundled deals:

The following images are from a recent session with River Bend Charters.  Like many of us small businesses, they wanted to get some content for marketing purposes when the virus curve flattens.  Nothing is normal right now so giving yourself the time to market will also help take your mind off of the present horrible situation and focus on the positive future.  I'm really glad we did these images because the city has not been this quiet since hurricane Katrina.  I was working a wedding the night before Katrina hit and that ominous feel throughout the city is exactly the feeling I have today.  This pandemic is like hurricane Katrina just without the hurricane part.  We all were here for each other to rebuild and this pandemic is no different.
Businesses helping businesses is the only way we will grow again.  While the government immediately bails out the large super companies like the airlines, banks, Walmarts, etc.  We small businesses have applied for financial assistance through every link offered to us and I am still waiting for confirmation on ANY of them.  This is a difficult time for all of us so let me help you by creating marketing material you can use for your web site, social media and printing purposes.  Together we will RISE.

I love treating my high school seniors like the models they are.  We all pose in the mirror checking ourselves out when we get a new outfit.  My camera is basically your mirror, so let's dance in the street, show off the new threads and capture these moments of your amazing youth!

We do not have set packages because each client is unique and so is their taste.  Package pricing is applied to the order once it is placed.  Call or text me for details. 504-957-8412

This morning I sit on the couch at 5:15 A.M. wondering about how this day is going to be.  We are presently in the 3rd week of the COVID-19 virus lockdown and uncertainty is global.  Literally I know people in Ireland that are also on lockdown as well.  The black cloud hanging over all of us with no work, no income, no idea of when life will be back to normal.  We have time with the family which is actually globally un heard of because EVERYONE IN THE WORLD shares the same opportunity.  
That's right...I said opportunity!  Life is normally moving so fast we complain about not having enough time for time with the family.
Usually either the summer or 2 weeks vacation somewhere in the year is the only planned time the entire family will spend together.  We are all blessed with the recent 3 weeks and several weeks to come.  Is it scary about the money thing?   YEP.    Are we concerned about how we will get out of this slump?  YEP!  You know what I love the most...how we are ALL in a shared situation that will forever be our legacy for the rest of my life and my children's lives.  

      As I am the only person awake in my house in the dark I decide to get coffee and find something on Netflix I can watch.  I could have selected any documentary any action movie, yet I decide to watch the "Pixar Story" and THIS is what made me grab the laptop and start writing.  I knew I Wanted to be motivated and hopefully find some inspiration.  Yep...I got it!

All great stories seem to have a few things in common.  The human defeat, the struggle and the success of how they made it all happen.  The biggest aspect that made me start writing is the human aspect.  When people believe in each other so many amazing never before seen things can happen! 
Pixar went through many struggles with Disney and finding investors to believe in them and their mission to become a company nobody has ever seen before.  These days computer animation is everywhere yet greatness still evolves.

      The best phrases I've heard in this documentary are:

"Computers do not create...humans do."
"Stop looking at technology as a job replacer and start seeing it as your tool for creativity"
​"Finding people who believes in working together create the magic we see"

This weird pandemic we are all experiencing is terrible, however the level of humanity I'm seeing all around the world is inspirational.  People are inspirational when they take each others hands and lift each other up as one unit! My event industry here in New Orleans is doing just that.  Everyone who is in the entertainment and service industry like myself are on Facebook groups helping each other rise above the dark cloud we are all in.  I have never liked being a follower yet I love being the leader.  The leader who helps others believe in themselves because I remember failure and the leader who takes the responsibility of leading the charge toward a positive lifestyle everyday.  Today is the day I start that charge again.  I had some days recently of letting go and feeling deflated but I guess I needed time to mourn the situation we are in.  I am inspired to believe in the hashtag I created:
#TogetherWeRISE

Together we RISE is much more than a phrase, it's the way to live.
Stay inspired. Stay Motivated.  Stay Focused on your dreams!

​GK OUT.

Happy Wedding Wednesday!  Today I feature my friends at John's Tuxedo.  I have been knowing these guys for over 25 years.  Their customer service, quality of products and fantastic business sense matched me to the core.  It takes a lot of drive and perseverance for a small business to be successful these days.  This is my legacy in New Orleans and my Youtube channel is the best way for me to deliver our message to the world.  Enjoy the video and when you go to John's Tuxedos, tell them GK sent you.

Orpheus 2020 was so much fun.  Especially since I was able to capture images I could share with you.  My friends in the band, The Mixed Nuts, put on one heck of a show.  The immense talent in this city is always a pleasure to be in the presence of.  The following images are copyrighted George Kuchler/GK Photography 

The hit of the evening was when Harry Connick Jr and Bryan Cranston gave us a performance to be remembered.  
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