Are you ready to give your business a boost? Today’s episode is the kickoff for my brand new series, The Branding Experience: Book More Clients with Better Branding by Simply Being Yourself. In this episode, I’m sharing why a branding shoot is key to building your authority.

On Quianna Marie Weekly, we’re chatting about business growing pains, finding genuine connections, and celebrating wins of all sizes through the lens of a photographer at heart. Sprinkled throughout stories and interviews with past clients, photographers and other business owners this podcast is designed to help you step into your purpose. Truly create a life you’re proud of, a life worth photographing and sharing.

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Today’s episode is brought to you by The Green House, my resource garden for photographers! Let me help you AMPLIFY your heart online and in real life to turn bridesmaids into future brides through templates, workshops, and freebies!

Review the Show Notes:

Review The Show Notes: 

Introducing The Branding Experience Series (1:56)

Building Authority With Branding (5:28)

Prove That You’re An Expert Already (7:32)

Investing In Your Business (11:57)

Review the Transcript:

Do you wish your dream clients would just trust you? Are you ready to increase your pricing? Not just because of taxes, inflation, and the cost of living these days. Because you really are that talented and deliver stellar experiences for your clients. You, my love, deserve to be paid more. You deserve to work with clients that value your time, creativity, and energy.

Wouldn’t it be amazing to launch something new, post about a new product, or announce a new offer, and to get responses like, send me the link, can I pay in full? How do I sign up? Take my money now. If you’re not getting those responses yet, it may be time for an updated branding photoshoot. An overhaul of your online presence, not just a quick social media post or headshot update.

You may just need a quick mini makeover or a DCC Dallas Cowboys cheerleader complete transformation side story commercial break, by the way, have you seen that documentary on Netflix? I’ve been watching DCC on CMT, the country music channel for years in the past and absolutely love that series. You know, what’s crazy to see the amount of comments and literally a movement to get those girls higher paying salaries.

And what’s crazy, they are working so hard, right? Like they are working so, so freaking hard. They sacrifice so much, endure rigorous training, and sometimes their genetics, like their height or their bone structure of their faces, push them forward through tryouts or it leaves them in the dust. If you’re feeling like a cheerleader in your business and putting in the work, sacrificing your time and energy and not seeing the results you’re craving.

Let’s break it down and make a game plan for your business. Trust me, I see you. You’re putting in the work, your current clients adore you, and you already have raving reviews from past clients. Maybe you recently experienced a pivot or you’re hitting a wall with your current network and need a flood of fresh, shiny new clients.

The Branding Experience

Book More Clients With Better Branding, Simply Being Yourself

I am officially kicking off a brand new series called the branding experience book more clients with better branding, simply being yourself. And this entire series was created just for you. This series is broken up with the perfect timeline to help you prepare for a successful branding session. Let’s maximize your efforts to find alignment with your vision and visuals.

We start with a handful of episodes to understand the power of branding and how just one photo shoot can completely change your life. I know I’m being dramatic, but trust the process. Then I break it down to three parts. Before your branding session, we’ll cover how to prep, style, location hunt, and creating a brand storming session.

I cannot wait to introduce you to my friend, Lena, about all about the brand storming ideas and curating the perfect session. We’re going to cover during your brand session, which is all about posing and props, easy B roll and content ideas to capture your next brand session, highlighting your client experience too.

This is a big one. We’re really going to tap into either recruiting your own clients, like your favorite clients that you love, or possibly bringing in friends and family members to pose and to be hired models for your shoot. We’re going to go over all of that. Plus after your branding session. We’re going to chat all about maximizing your efforts with brand design and searchable SEO hacks, social media generation that feels aligned with you and your offers, and even a launch party to send off your new offers with a bang.

Branding Series: Introducing Experts

Throughout this series, I’ll be introducing experts and sharing real life branding session experiences so we can learn from them and gain a ton of inspiration for your next photo shoot. My goal with this series is to help you feel prepared for your next branding session, as well as gain as much exposure and attract as many new clients as possible.

If you’re a photographer tuning in, take notes. This series is also designed for you to learn different perspectives to enhance your own client experience.

For today’s kickoff episode, I’ll be starting with building authority with branding. I’ll be breaking down the ways you’re already proving you’re overqualified, but can’t even see it, Plus sharing the importance of investing in a professional to level up your business.

When we’re taking our business seriously, others take us seriously to ready. It’s time to kick off this brand new series, the branding experience book, more clients with better branding, simply being yourself. Let’s get this party started.

Welcome to Quianna Marie Weekly, a podcast for creatives who love to celebrate wins big or small by dancing in the kitchen.

Photographers who are excited to serve their clients. And friends who are ready to chase really, really big dreams. You can find all of the resources mentioned in this episode at kianamarie. com slash podcast. Join me as I share weekly motivation, chat about growing pains, finding genuine connections and celebrating your wins through the lens of a photographer at heart.

Come join me for a dance party. Ready? Let’s go.

I may be dating myself with this, but when you think of a Kool Aid man, Do you instantly see a giant pitcher shaped cartoon crashing through a wall with red Kool Aid splashing all over? When you hear the name Beethoven, do you think of classical music? Or do you think of a humongous family dog tearing through the house with muddy paws everywhere?

Are You and Your Brand Recognizable?

I’m bringing up these recognizable names to bring us back to today’s topic, building authority with branding. Are you recognizable? I’m asking you, do people know what you do? How can you help them? What are you known for? When someone says your name in a room or mentions your business, can they clearly articulate exactly what you’re offering?

This is why investing in a branding session is so important. When you step in front of the camera, you are clearly declaring that you take up space. That you have a voice, that your mission here on earth matters. You’re literally making history as we speak. We need to document that. I want you to think about growing up and let’s do a quick little timeline jump really fast and I want to zoom back to our childhood.

Do you have parents that coached your soccer team or coached third base for your softball games? Then, at the end of the year, your parents, or maybe your friend’s parents, jumped in the team photo with team shirts and hats and were listed as the coaches, simply because they were there for picture day and helped wrangle a handful of rambunctious kids on the field throughout the season.

Are You Documenting Your Own History?

You see, if they missed picture day, they probably have no proof that they even helped coach that entire season. Photos may have been snapped by grandparents or other parents on the field, but pictures back then weren’t as easily taken as they are today with our phones. Now, back to my point, if you’re not stepping in front of a camera for a photo or recording yourself with a video, are you getting the credit you deserve?

We pray all about more clients and more income. We crave more opportunities and making a deeper impact. Well, how are we going to achieve those next steps if we’re not being seen? The more people we know, the more impact we make. How are you becoming well known? How are you and your brand becoming recognizable?

Proving That You’re Already An Authority

I’d like to bring up some roadblocks or hesitations we may have about imposter syndrome and feeling underqualified. I can tell you how great you are all day as your small business cheerleader, but if you don’t feel valuable or inherently chosen to the work you’re called to do, we’ll always find excuses and be playing small and playing on the sidelines.

You’ve Already Sold A Product or Something of Value

Let’s chat about some ways that prove you’re an expert already. Number one, you’ve already sold a service product or coaching opportunity doing what you’re doing. And I want you to really, really take that into consideration. If you’ve already sold one of your products, one of your offers, or you’ve booked some type of experience, that right there is proof that you are in demand.

Someone has trusted you. You know enough about what you’re offering to be booked and to make money doing that. There’s some type of exchange, right? And maybe it’s not the exchange or the financial gain that you are hoping for or that you do feel like you deserve or you’re ready to accept. But simply because there was an exchange of some kind, that right there is proof that you’re qualified.

Friends Ask You For Advice

Number two, friends already ask about your advice and trust that you know what you’re talking about. This is such an important reminder because even if, and I want to say this with a big fat asterisk or a big capital I F, even if your friends are asking you questions about something that is not even related to your specific niche yet, is proof that That you are respected proof that people value your opinions and your input.

It may be about dating advice. It may be about professional advice for maybe your day job that you’re running away from, but simply because you were able to articulate some type of advice or help or guidance is proof that if you can explain something well and something, you know, and you know, well, you can absolutely.

Offer advice, offer coaching, offer mentoring in a different topic as well. Right. Does that make sense here? Like I want to create these, these roadblocks for you and just crash them down because they only exist if you make them up in your head.

You Invest Time and Energy Into Learning More

Number three, you’re listening to this podcast with a handful of other episodes from business mentors in your ear each week.

I don’t take this lightly that you are sharing your time with me and I’m just so incredibly grateful for you, but I want to Make a note that simply because you are learning more, you are investing your time, your education, you are expanding your knowledge and sharpening your tools. Hello. You are already proving the fact that you want to learn that you are trying to better yourself.

And I just think that’s a beautiful thing that unfortunately not all of us are wired to be that way. So we have this earning to learn, and I just think that is something that is going to take you incredibly far. So keep reading those books, keep listening to these podcasts, and that alone is proof that you’re going to continue to grow and expand.

You’re Investing In Your Education

Number four, maybe you have a degree in this topic or you’ve invested in education and research how to sharpen your tools and learn more. So I kind of just totally, I don’t make this redundant, but I know not all of us have actual degrees in the industries that we’re working in. But I want you to take that into consideration that you may not have that college degree or that piece of paper, but you are putting in the time, you are Googling things, you are showing up for workshops, you are investing in your education, and that matters.

Your Experience Proves That You’re Qualified

Number five, you have the experience to prove that you’re qualified. Maybe you haven’t launched your own client experience celebration or hosted an in person networking event yet, but you have hosted dozen of birthday parties for friends. Maybe you organized your sister’s bachelorette weekend or coordinated one of your kids church plays.

You see, there are moments of experience everywhere around us. And I truly challenge you to literally take out a piece of paper right now. I don’t even have this in my notes, but I feel so called to make you do this. Literally, I want you to write out three to five things. It doesn’t have to be this like long essay of things of why you’re qualified, but I truly want you to just wiggle out some Notes and share three to five reasons why you are qualified and why you have that authority and that recognition for what you are doing.

Write it down. It, you know, it’s, I feel like sometimes in our brains, we are so wired to prove how everything’s going to go wrong and how we are not. Capable or adequate to complete a task or to offer something new in our business when in reality we are overqualified and we’re just procrastinating. So I want you to flip the script on that and please write down three to five ways that you are qualified.

Investing In Yourself

When you invest in a professional branding session, you’re ultimately investing in yourself and your business. When you show up and book your session, you’re proving your value simply because you value your time, energy, and services. If you don’t love your business and enjoy sharing about it, why should anybody else care?

I think it’s important to mention that just like a garden, your business and entire timeline in life will experience many seasons, growing pains, and growth spurts. I know, even in this episode, I’ve mentioned the power of taking your branding seriously. But on a lighter note, I think it’s just as important to share the celebration of documenting your journey.

Documenting Your Journey + Expansion

Over the years, I’ve invested in dozens of branding sessions and traded with photo besties for headshot swaps. Each time I look back at those galleries, I can see the growth and expansion. I can even tap into my mindset like a timestamp with those photos. Branding sessions aren’t just a once in a lifetime thing.

I love investing in branding sessions at least once a year and love a good mini session for new launches, new offers, and new seasons sprinkled throughout the year. First impressions matter. I’ve been scrappy my entire life. I always make the best of every situation. And I love leaning on my resources to make things happen.

The best camera you can have is the one in your hands. If booking your dream photographer isn’t in the cards this season, capturing your business and branding photos on your phone can work wonders. Personally, I’m no longer in a season of being scrappy. This is a season of intention. I’m embracing my soft CEO era, making my time feel more valuable and prioritizing my personal needs for exponential growth for my business.

This includes investing in branding photography, feeling polished, and presenting myself as an authority and high value photographer and community leader. Another way to build brand authority stems from consistency. When you have cohesive images sprinkled across your website, social media platforms, and marketing materials, you’re instantly going to look more professional.

Utilizing Your Branding Photos

These branding images can be used for so much more than just updated headshots and profile pictures. You’ll be leaving a lasting impression during presentations, speaking events, podcast interviews, and all over your graphics. Soon with consistency, you’ll become recognizable. When we recognize a person or a brand backed with positive interactions and results, we instantly gain trust.

This is why I love a repeat clients in front of my lens. Together, we build a professional working relationship and genuine friendship. I learned the types of photos I love best. And the more and more we work together. The better the results. I can’t wait to get my soul sister Felicia Romero back on the podcast for this series to share how one of our branding sessions kick started a six figure launch.

Felicia and I have been working together for the last four to five years and to see the growth and abundance for Felicia and her business is truly remarkable. Stick around for more stories like that with this series. I am so grateful you’re here and I hope you’re just as excited as I am to roll out with this new branding series.

You, my friend are priceless. You deserve the world. I want others to see you the way I see you. If you’re ready to step in front of the camera to shine your light brighter than ever, let’s connect. I have ideas already flooding for you with content inspiration and creative ways to share your passions and to turn them into profits.

I may be local here to Arizona serving Scottsdale, Phoenix, Mesa, Gilbert, and the East Valley, but my bags are packed, babe. Even if you’re moving forward with another photographer, I’m cheering for you and this series was created for you. Please share with your business bestie that needs a little kick in the butt with love and encouragement.

I’m so, so grateful you’re here with me today and cannot wait to chat soon. Okay. Love you. Bye.

That’s a wrap on another episode of Quianna Marie Weekly. Thank you so much for your listenership and support. You can find the resources and show notes for this episode and more at QuiannaMarie.com/podcast

I’d be honored if you’d show your support by leaving a REVIEW and rating on your favorite podcast app until next time, keep on dancing.

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