For some people, the idea of showing your face might be less than exciting. You might feel self-conscious, or not feel confident in taking great photos of yourself. You might not know what kind of pictures to take and share. It can actually cause stress and anxiety trying to figure it out and get it done.
We get bogged down by this idea of perfection. We all have an idea in our head of what “perfect” might look like, but the problem with that is it paralyzes us into inaction. The best thing we can do for ourselves is to accept that we are imperfect, flawed, and make mistakes - and show up anyway.
Perfection doesn’t actually exist.
It’s important to me to show my audience that I am imperfect. That is part of my brand. I am not looking for anyone to idolize me or look to me for style inspiration. I am looking to make you feel comfortable, and empower you to show up, just as you are.
We are all messes. I fully embrace my mess! I can do my job, despite my mistakes and “flaws”. I don’t need a big, clean house and expensive styled outfits and a full face of makeup and nice hair (although every now and then, hey, that would be nice!). That’s not me, or my brand. It might be yours! The beauty is in showing us who you are, and sharing pieces of yourself along the way that compel your audience to want to know more. And if I can help you feel better about yourself (“Hey, if Shannon can do it with bags under her eyes and being awkward 90% of the time, I can totally do it!”), I will continue to show up for you!
Here’s my advice:
Start small. But START.
Start with a selfie on a Monday or Friday morning. Find some good natural light and take a picture of yourself. Post it with a short introduction. Tell us your name, where you’re located, and three things about you and your business. Here’s what I would say:
“Hey friend! Happy Friday! I’m so glad it’s almost the weekend, this week has been a busy one in the personal branding world. In case you’re new around here, allow me to introduce myself! I’m Shannon, a personal branding photographer for small businesses and entrepreneurs. I’m based in central Connecticut, and my work takes me all over the state as well as parts of Rhode Island and Massachusetts! I have lived in New England my whole life and couldn’t picture living anywhere else (although I have a long bucket list of vacation destinations). I have been in business for close to 10 years, and truly love what I do. I love doing creative work, and helping other small businesses and bosses feel more confident and empowered to share the heart behind their work. And when I’m not working with my incredible clients, I love to write, work on art projects, and spend time with my husband and kids, going out to breakfast, taking long nature walks and snuggling up with some popcorn to watch Disney movies. I live for the simple things in life!”
Believe it or not, for me, that’s short! But you can easily make it shorter:
“Hey friends! I’m Shannon, a Connecticut-based personal branding photographer, and I thought I’d tell you a little bit about me and my business today in case you’re new around here. First, I love working with small businesses and entrepreneurs. It lights me up to watch their confidence and businesses grow! Second, I am all about the holidays, so this time of year is my jam. I don’t break out the Christmas tree for another couple weeks, but I enjoy making our home feel more “festive” starting with music and lots of baking! And lastly, I have an awesome promo I’ll be announcing to my email list for Small Business Saturday, so make sure you don’t miss it and sign up today! I have a link in my bio to make it super easy!”
Oooh, see what I did there? A little business, a little personal, and a call to action. I’m going to high five myself for that one. Feel free to copy and use those two samples as a template for your own captions! All you have to do is personalize it. The more you start writing, the easier it gets.
A “call to action”, or CTA, encourages engagement by encouraging a like, leaving a comment, answering a question, or clicking over to a website, subscription or link.
And if captions are not your thing, I will have a sweet offering for you. Click here to grab 5 free caption templates for your personal business.
This is an incredible way you can invest in your business and save yourself so much time and stress. Have someone else do the work for you! You’ll feel more confident sharing your beautiful images and level up your branding all at once.
Take better selfies.
We all know what a stretched out arm means when we see it in a picture, and you guys, I’m guilty of it, too! Luckily, there are some awesome tools you can use to take pictures anywhere! I use these when I’m at home, and when I’m out and about, because they allow me to frame my picture and then step away to create the kind of portrait I want.
Selfie Tripod with Bluetooth Remote - easily to fold up and take with you, or just use at home for photos and video. It comes with a bluetooth remote so you don’t even have to set a timer and run!
Phone Holder Grip with Adjustable Gooseneck - I love this one for attaching to my desk (I don’t have room for a tripod on my desk) and Facetiming or watching videos while I work. I also throw it in the car and can attach it to a window if I’m driving around and see a great spot for a photo. I roll my car window down, attach it and set up my shot. It can attach to so many things: countertops, tables, branches, railings, lots of possibilities! I even attach it to my kitchen cabinets to record videos or Facetime with my mom while I’m cooking. It’s a very versatile tool!
Ring Light - I do not have this light, as I prefer using whatever light I have available, but if I were to start off with a light, I would try this one. Especially if you do a lot of live videos on Facebook or Instagram, or are recording for Youtube, ring lights are very flattering. These are great if your studio or office don’t get a lot of good natural light, they help give you even, natural looking light so you don’t appear yellow or blue from overhead lighting or lamps. There are bigger, more expensive options, but this one has tons of solid reviews if you just want to give it a try for minimal investment. Just know that it creates a little ring of light in your eyes, which some people don’t care about, but you might not like how it looks. You decide! I think I’m actually going to add it to my cart right now…