Wednesday Top 3

We are back for another installment of Top 3. Each week I create a list of things that have been on my mind that will help other entrepreneurs.

Ready?

Top 3 ways to prepare for your Personal Brand shoot:

Pick the right clothes

Go for solid colors. They photograph better than patterns.

Use your brand colors as an inspiration. Bold colors stand out on FB.

The style should reflect your personality and your brands personality. Are you very serious and professional? Choose a suit. Are you and your business fun and creative? Pick bright colors and a casual look.

Bring Props (yes props)

Your ideal client wants to see you “work”. They love behind the scenes looks. So bring in the tools of your trade: computer, phone, notebook, fabric samples, paint brushes, etc.

A business plan (Don’t freak out.)

A personal Brand session will give you an on-brand bank of images to use in your marketing for months to come. Brainstorm, before the shoot, where and how your images will be used. Think about what topics will be covered to plan for “action shots”.

One of these things is not like the other.

You have that song stuck in your head now don’t you?

Sorry.

These images look like they don’t belong on my page. But they do. I was hired recently to photograph Choose Tire and Automotive for Kernersville Magazine.

I learned some valuable lessons:

1) Grown mean who work in a auto shop DO NOT like to have their picture taken.

2) Grown men who work in an auto shop are HARD to photograph. They don’t want to be there. They don’t know how to act. They don’t know what to do with their hands.

3) These were the nicest guys in Kernersville. They were nice and the let me take their picture. It took some convincing.

So here are the images from the January Kernersville magazine. It was an honor to be included.

To each their own...

You are going to find this hard to believe…

My own children hate having their pictures taken. I can’t blame them. I’ve had a camera in their face since a few minutes after they were born so they have earned the right to be sick of it.

But I will keep trying and keep making them come to my studio.

Especially when I get results like these.

Once Removed...

I had this idea. And I won’t lie. I saw it on Pinterest.

I take family pictures all the time. But what about the grandparents. I never get a chance to capture the bond that grandparents and their grandkids have.

I talked about this idea with my friend Kayla. Her parents and her in-laws live close. She loved the idea. We made a plan and had an amazing photo shoot at her home. Her parents loved the idea and I spent a wonderful afternoon capturing their relationship.

On the drive home it struck me, One day when the grandparents are long gone, those kids will have these pictures of this wonderful afternoon to share with their kids. It will remind them of the small details that they love so much.

These images will last far beyond the subjects in them.

Wanna learn more about Grand Parent sessions? Click here…

Writer's Block

When Audra and I spoke about her personal brand shoot, I knew exactly what we needed to focus on. She is an amazing writer and often writes about her faith, her family and herself. We talked about wardrobe, props, etc. And when I walked into her beautiful home and saw all of the gorgeous light I knew this would be special.

We captured her writing, the space she writes in, and threw in a head shot or two.

The result: a bank of images she could use for her social media, website, and any promotional work.

That is a must for any business owner on social media. You want images that capture you and your business and show people what it is you are truly good at.

Dream Job

This portrait session was an absolute dream. I LOVE shooting mother/daughter sessions. I love to show how close a mom and her girls are. I love to capture that for all time.

And then I get to capture images of the sisters together.

Your daughters might argue but deep down they love each other. And I get to document it all.

And now, enjoy the Sweat girls…

Referral Program

Do you want to know what the backbone of my business is?

It’s not IG.

It’s not FB. (Ewww David!)

It is not emails.

It is my past clients. The number 1 way that I have gotten new leads or new clients is by referrals aka word of mouth. Looking back over my books, I can trace each client to a past client.

Y’all! It really does mean so much to small business owners when you spread the good word. When you talk us up it is like currency.

That is why I have created my REFERRAL PROGRAM. I want to celebrate my biggest fans and THANK them for their support.

It is super easy. Like, WAY easy! Ready…

Tell your friends about me and my work.

That’s it. Whether you are a client or not. All you have to do is tell 3 friends about my work.

If they book with me, that is when the goodies drop!!

I have sent Gift cards to Amazon, gift cards to my studio, even cold hard cash.

But in all seriousness, referrals really do keep my business afloat.

And Thank you, to those reading this. Thank you for your support. Thank you for trusting me. Thank you for helping me reach my dreams.

{Reaches for the Kleenex}

Angie - {Greensboro Personal Branding}

Here is the thing about Angie’s profession: she has to connect to her clients. Period. End of sentence.

As a Doula she is with her clients on one of the most important days of their lives. But the connection starts WAY before then. She meets with her clients several times to discuss their needs, their desires for a birth plan, their fears, their dreams. She coaches them, encourages them, guides them long before their sweet babies make their grand entrance.

Angie came to me when it was time to update her website, Facebook profile, and Instagram profile. She wanted to convey the right message to potential clients, to show them what she can do. In other words she wanted to connect with them before ever meeting them. So we set up a Personal Branding session. We did new Headshots in my studio. A few days later I was in the room documenting a meeting with her clients. I could barely remember to take pictures because I was so engrossed in what she was teaching them.

We made some magic.