Taking part in a personal branding shoot is an intimate experience.

You know what they say; practice what you preach. Except, that can be easier said than done. I’m used to standing behind the camera. I capture the moments… I’m not used to having my own moments captured for me.

When I decided to launch Shoot and Share, it was important to me that I really understood the feelings my clients were going to have. Their fears. Their expectations. Their insecurities.

It was an experience I knew I needed to have to help launch my business with impact and integrity. Plus, I wanted to push myself out of my comfort zone; as a new business, I had to get myself out there. It was as simple as that!

It started with the planning process; a process I had no idea would be so much fun!

I kicked things off by doing my own brand questionnaire; this was a serious eye opening experience. It made me think more deeply about how I wanted to be seen, what I wanted the personality of my brand to be and who I wanted to connect with. Once I started unpicking those questions, my new business all of a sudden came to life.

After running through these varied prompts, I realised there were three sides of my business – of myself – that I needed to portray. These different scenarios would help me connect with clients at different stages of their journey while allowing me to have the most impact across different social media channels and marketing communications.

The first was Olivia the business woman: I wanted images that would show me in the office, in consultations, working on the planning process and more “serious” headshots.

The second was Olivia the photographer: here I needed to portray my artistic side… me with the camera, editing photos and creatively working.

The third was Olivia… just me: it felt important to give my audience a sneak peek into my true personality, the one that loves my cat, sports and spending time outdoors.

Once I’d settled on these core identities, I could start thinking about how they would work in action.

I adore the planning process; thinking about what I wanted to wear and the different scenarios I wanted to create. It’s the part of my job I love advising clients on, and so to do it for myself was such an exciting opportunity. 

I spent time visiting locations prior to the shoot to guarantee they would be suitable (and found backups in case of a rainy day). I then looked at these settings and created the perfect outfits to fit in with each and every scene. Finally, I sourced the props that would add substance to the scenario; for me, these included flowers, office decorations and items for flat lays.

Once I had all of these meticulously planned, the nerves started to drop. I was confident that I was in for a shoot that would be authentically, undeniably me.

The day of the shoot was genuinely transformative.

I knew that the end goal would be worth the time I stood in front of the camera. What I didn’t anticipate was how much I would love the entire experience. Every single minute felt special. It was an absolute treat. Pure indulgence.  From the first flash, my nerves had gone entirely. My photographer made me feel totally at ease; the time flew by. 

The organisation prior to the shoot (and the slick structure on the day) helped enormously. It reduced my stress and panic because from the word go I knew where I was going, what I was doing, how I would be doing it and (most importantly) why.

Plus, having the backup locations and plans if we had been struck by less than ideal weather conditions was a massive relief. It meant a bit of rain wouldn’t matter and I would be ending the day with a fantastically curated suite of personal photography on the way.

And now? I have an incredible gallery of photographs… ones that actually made me go “damn, I look good!”

I’m sure I’m not the only person to admit giving myself those compliments doesn’t come naturally. Yet, since the shoot, it’s something I’ve started doing a lot more. As a result, my self-esteem has skyrocketed. 

The gallery has meant I’ve been able to launch my website, create the perfect aesthetic on Instagram for my brand and have that excellent headshot for LinkedIn to appeal to all the right audiences. This gorgeous content will last at least three to four months, giving me the chance to gradually tell my clients my story.

And now I’ve done it once, would I do another personal branding shoot? Abso-freakin-lutely!

If you want to find out more about everything that goes into a personal branding shoot, drop me a line. I’d love to have a chat.