Do you need a brand storming session? In today’s episode, I have the honor of introducing you to brand photographer and strategist Lena Lee. We’re chatting all about developing your brand strategy, incorporating your values into your brand, and leveling up your business. 

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: 

Getting Started With Your Branding Strategy (2:47)

Digging Up The Past And Dreaming Of The Future (7:02)

Defining Who You Are (9:42)

Finding Inspiration For Your Brand (12:21)

Collaborating With The Environment (15:20)

The Brand Storming Experience (22:56)

The Best Time To Plan A Branding Strategy Session (26:49)

Results From A Brand Storming Session (29:03)

How To Level Up Through Branding Strategy (33:41)

How To Get Your Photos Out Into The World (38:07)

Key Tip From Lena (42:50)

Connect with Lena:

Instagram: instagram.com/lenaleephotography

Website: lenaleephoto.com

Review the Transcript:

Quianna: Once you decide to invest in your next branding session, it’s vital to add intentions and to make a game plan. Trust me, babe, what you’re wearing and the location we have planned for your session is very important. But without defining your brand and crafting your mission statement, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and to feel a little wishy washy about your business.

We’re all about growing strong roots and strong foundations around here. Before you start booking your photographer, scheduling hair and makeup and preparing for your brand shoot, grab a notebook and join today’s conversation. I’m honored to introduce you to my friend, Lina, and to help guide us through some lofty thoughts and ideas.

With a solid brand strategy, together we’ll be brandstorming, aka brainstorming your brand ideas to help articulate your why, share your mission, and how to incorporate your messaging into your brand session. Lina Lee is a photographer based in Alaska, helping adventurous and creative brands go from unknown to unforgettable.

Lena helps you elevate your business with scroll stopping images. It’s her mission to share your story that gives meaningful context and real human connection to the business you’ve built. Without a branding strategy, we’ll just be aiming to look our best in pretty places. With Lena’s help, we’ll develop a brand strategy that combines your heart, core values, Client experience, value, and personality blended together for one branding session.

That sounds like a lot, right? Well, this is why we’re having this conversation to help articulate it, get it out of our head and start taking action. I’m thrilled to introduce you to my real life outdoorsy and adventurous friend, Lena Lee, from Arizona to Alaska. Please welcome Lena!

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. 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.

Brand Strategy

Hey, hey, hey. Welcome to the party, Lena. I’m so, so grateful you can be here with us today. Yeah. I’m so excited. Thanks for having me. Yes. Well, let’s dive right into these questions. Girl, you are killing it in Alaska right now with these incredible branding stories and working with these incredible businesses and these collaborations and the outdoors.

It’s so fun and so invigorating seeing your images just come alive. And one thing I’d love to just kick off this conversation with is what exactly. Is a branding strategy and how do we get started even developing a plan for a branding session?

Lena: Yeah, absolutely. And I think so many people get so excited to work on brand photography and even other parts of like what most people consider brand, which are all the visual things, the photography, the logo, the font, the color palette, all of that.

But with the brand strategy, I noticed early on with doing photography early on a few years ago, like my couple of my clients would come to me and they didn’t even understand their why or their mission or who they were trying to reach. Like who was their target audience and things like that. So I kind of developed these brand storming brand strategy sessions that we would do prior to the shoot to really help them get an understanding of the core and the foundations of their brand.

Because The fun part, we all love, obviously I love it, I’m a photographer, so I love that too. But I split it up into two things. You have the core and the creatives. And the core is the heart, the mission, the why, and all that. It’s the things that you don’t see. So it would be like the roots of the tree that really make a strong foundation.

That’s the part I find that a lot of people skip. If you skip that, then you don’t really have anything driving, I mean, The rest of the tree giving nourishment to the rest of the tree. Then I feel like a lot of times people are just throwing spaghetti at a wall, hoping it sticks versus if you start with the brand foundations and you start with a strong strategy, then you can let that drive you for years to come.

Quianna: I love that so much. And I love that you’re such a visual person like I am, like already hitting it with the roots and the strong foundation for our trees and our businesses. I love this so much already. And it’s true. I do feel like a lot of people skip over that. They, they’re excited about their outfits.

They’re excited about the graphics and the fonts and all of these things are, Very, very important for the longevity of your brand and those first impressions. But I love that we’re going deeper. We’re literally digging deeper into the roots of these core values and these core things. So I would love to know, Lena, when you are starting to work with a brand or a small business to develop these strong roots, what does that look like?

What type of questions are you asking? Because I feel like it’s very simple for a lot of us to Say, oh, well, my why, right? Like, let’s start there. But are there any other things that you’re truly digging up to find to find clarity in these brands?

Lena: Definitely. They’re not easy sessions. So once somebody signs up for a brandstorming session with me, I like to do it in person because you can find these catalogs and different like freebies from people, but I just feel like a lot of people don’t end up doing them.

And so that’s why these sessions are in person. Cause we’re going to sit down and we’re going to spend the next four to five hours going through all of it. And I love that. Like, I love starting to see light bulbs come off. You know, come up and like people see those things is, is, is really exciting. So, but I warned them at the beginning of every session, I warn each client, we’re going to be exhausted by the end of this four to five hour session, because they’re going to be moments.

We’re going to feel like we’re hitting our head against a brick wall as we’re really just trying to push through and find the deeper meaning behind all of this. And so that’s kind of, that’s where it starts. And then we do normally start with the Y. Actually, I typically start with reasons just behind their business, reasons why they get started, why they want to help people, and then just have them really discussing it.

And then I’m sitting there taking notes the whole time, writing it all down. I think it’s a little bit easier because just like a podcast, it’s more conversational based. And then they’re getting it out of their head because I think Everybody has these reasons, it’s just they’re stuck in the head about getting them out, getting them on paper, and then having someone to discuss them with.

So that kind of That’s where we start is the reasons, then we go into the why, the mission, the values, the strengths. There’s so many. There’s a whole list.

Quianna: I love that. So when you are really digging into these questions, the first thing that comes to mind, are you digging up the past and are you trying to define who they are as a brand and who they are as a business based on their past experiences?

Or are you more dreaming with them and thinking, wait, what, what could it be? Like, what does that look like? Is it a past, present, future? I really want to kind of create a little timeline for this, for someone who’s planning their next session. I

Lena: think it depends on the client very much. So some businesses.

They see the need because they’ve really experienced it. They’ve experienced the fear or the pain and they created something to resolve that pain and fear. And so those businesses, yeah, we do kind of dig in a little bit to the past, but then there are some businesses that. By the grace of God, they’re just given this incredible idea and they’re like, Hey, I’m running with it.

I love this. Um, it’s still solving a need, but maybe it doesn’t come from some kind of pain they might have had on their own or something they needed to resolve on their own. And so that part. They may not, we may not focus so much on the past. We may dream a little bit with them, but I will say overall, we dream.

I want to dream big. I want to inspire every small business owner entrepreneur that I’m working with to dream big and to actually dream bigger. And I think that’s where having the core kind of defined almost gives you permission. To dream big and to grow big. Cause you’re like, cool. I’ve got this steady part that I can always come back to and I can always come back and be like, okay, does this align with my visions?

Does this align with my value? Does this align with my strengths? Am I capable of doing this? And then let’s take that and be like, yes, it does. No, it doesn’t. And let’s kind of give a path.

Quianna: Wow, this is incredible, and it’s actually making me think that this is so much more than just planning for a headshot, like it’s so much more than just planning for a branding session.

You truly are building the roots and the foundation for the longevity of a business, and I think that is beautiful, Lena.

Lena: I feel like it’s clarifying it. For most people, I feel like they have it somewhere deep and down, like deep down, and we just have to pull it out and clarify that for them. And that, that brings a lot of peace.

And as business owners, we, we struggle with all the things all the time. So finding a little bit of peace in your business is like, okay, that’s good.

Quianna: Yes. I love this so much. So, so going back to the core, I have another question about that. So. Basically, instead of putting that focus on, and I know a lot of us business owners are always talking about our dream clients, our ideal client, our avatar, or whatever we’re calling these dream clients that we’re hoping to attract.

I feel like we put a lot of energy in identifying who that person or who that business is that we’re helping. But I love that with your core brandstorming strategies, it really is actually defining who you are as a business owner. Does that make sense?

Lena: Yeah, it does. Uh, we also spend a lot of time on target market too.

Okay. So that is in there. But yeah, I would say if like in the four hour session, like spending probably an hour or so of that. So at least a quarter, you know, 25 percent is spent on your, why your mission, your values, your strengths. and weaknesses. We even talk about those too, but really getting those aligned.

And sometimes, sometimes the why is really easy for people. Maybe they really already felt that sometimes it’s not. And so then we really have to like, or their why is so long that it’s hard to repeat or hard to remember. So we have to narrow it down, but yeah, we do spend a lot of time on the person and why they’re doing it.

Cause I think that’s just so vital. If If you don’t have a passion behind it, you’re going to burn out so fast.

Quianna: Yes. Yeah. This is so true. And especially as we continue to grow, we continue to pivot, we continue to expand, right? I mean, we have to be so solid in those core values. And I love that you are literally making it your mission to articulate and to inspire other brands and businesses.

It’s just so incredible.

Lena: The biggest thing I, the biggest thing I want for people is. And I tell this story every time to every client and every session, but I want them to be able to repeat their why to themselves all the time. I want the why to be so simple and so clean and so precise that they can repeat it to themselves to keep them driving.

Because I had to four years back when I was about to throw in the towel, really like, hold on so tight to my why. Just grasp it for dear life because If I hadn’t, which my why is I want to help other people succeed. And if I didn’t think I was helping other people succeed, I would have just. peaced out right then and then like, nope, and I’m done.

Quianna: I love that. It truly is the fuel for our own businesses and helping others. And yes, you are in very good company because that sounds very familiar around here. I love that. So Lena, I would love to know your opinion and maybe some advice on where can we find some inspiration for our brand and business, but without feeling like we’re copying or completely emulating someone else.

And that is so hard.

Lena: And I don’t know if everyone’s been through it. I’ve been through it because you’re inspired. And I think, I think it’s a good thing to be inspired by other people. And I think it’s a great thing to have mentors that you’re like, Oh, these guys are so wonderful. I’m going to kind of follow in their footsteps.

I don’t regret following in some of my mentors footsteps, but eventually I, it had to come back around and I had to kind of take a step back and be like, okay, does that work? Does that feel like me? Like am I doing what I actually want to be doing? All of a sudden my brand colors were like soft pink and blue because I was like, Oh, I want to be joyful.

And you know, some of the other brand photographers had that. And I was like, Oh, that’s kind of cute. I’m not a soft pink girl. And that’s where my Visuals, my creatives did not align with the core of who I am and who I wanted my business to be. And so I actually wish I had done a brainstorming session in the get go.

Um, and I think that would have helped me to still be inspired by those people and to still learn from them and still to take You know, bits and pieces from there, but also to know who I was and who I wanted and who I wanted to work with, what would bring me joy as a business owner, I think is so huge.

So it’s really like being inspired by them, but really taking the time, like just sit down and take the time to be like, what brings me joy? Who, you know, what customers do I want to work with over and over and over again? You know, am I a pink person for me? I was not a pink person. I was very much blues and outdoors and mountains.

And so I don’t know where the pink came from, but that’s okay.

Quianna: Happens. Yes. No, I love that. And it is definitely a good little heart check, a good little identity check for us to be inspired by these mentors and these other, uh, just, you know, people that we’re inspired by, right? But we don’t have to completely copy them.

We can be inspired and do this. So I love that so much. And, and one thing I love about your online presence and even the businesses and the brands that you’re collaborating with, and you’re working with Lena outdoors. And I feel like that is totally your vibe and that is your thing. But I also want to mention to you how important it is to incorporate the spaces around us and our environment and how that incorporates into our brand.

So I would love to kind of drive the conversation to creating a whole. Environment for our branding message in our, in our, and not just the colors, like I said, not just our fonts, but what it actually looks like. And, and so I guess my question is, is when you are developing that branding session, that brand storming session.

What is it about the location that you are incorporating into these brands? How are we kind of collaborating with either the environment we’re currently in and we want to celebrate that, or maybe we’re in an environment that doesn’t quite align with our dream business. So how do we incorporate who we are now and where we’re going based on our environment?

Lena: Again, I don’t regret having those mentors and kind of going one direction with branding because yes, if I had sat down and done like a brandstorming session early on, maybe I wouldn’t have done that. But then I also did really help me learn who I truly liked to work with. And my kind of a good analogy, honestly, might be dating.

Like you date a bunch of,

And then all of a sudden you’re like, well, I know I don’t want that. I don’t want that. And I don’t want that. So it’s kind of maybe similar to that in that sense is like, I looked at my feed probably like a year to two years into this business. I looked at my feet on my Instagram and I realized all of my photo shoots were indoors.

Every single one of them, they were indoors, they were clean, they were white, and which is a very kind of standard for branding, but that’s not standard for me. And I kind of had to be like, I climb mountains and mountain bike and ski and kayak and pretty much do anything outside that I can do, fly airplanes and drive ATVs.

I was like, Plus I live in Alaska. Why are all my sessions inside? And so for me, I was like, I really had to have a heart to heart with myself and be like, all right, I’ve got to like pivot my branding and really focus on that core. I want to help people succeed, but also I want my target market to be people that are also into the outdoors.

And I still work with a lot of creatives and we still do a lot of outdoor or sorry, indoor things. But I want, and I love my creative, so I don’t want to ever stop working with them because I love my artists and my painters and you know, I love those guys, but I also needed some outdoor ones as well. And so that, like I said, really was a heart to heart and I had to kind of transition my branding.

I had to change my website, my coloring to speak to that outdoor market. There were like no photos. of outside on my website. Why would somebody that owns a fishing company want to hire me? You know that I had no proof. And so that’s where the environment really shifted for me. And again, I had to just sit back and reflect on like, is this making me happy?

Quianna: Yes. And that’s such a beautiful reminder. I love that so much because sometimes I think when I think of planning a branding session, booking a photographer, picking out the outfits and tying all of those together. Getting all your core messages and your creative messages together. All of that takes so much work.

And then picking that location, it does. It makes you pause and think, well, I really just need good lighting. I’m considering, I know here, for example, we’re in the desert in Arizona and it is an oven outside. So for most like photos outdoors, it’s just not an option at this time of year, unless we’re waking up at the butt crack of dawn.

But having those types of landscape photography, whether it is a direct reflection of where you are located in the world and where you are offering your services, but then also to write, like, what does it look like to work with you? Like, what are you actually providing and incorporating those environment?

Pieces and sharing what you’re capable of is so important. It’s so much more than a white backdrop. And we need those, like we do need some of those photos, clean ones. We need some great headshots and profile pics, but I just see so much power and including our environment for those photos and that imagery, and you totally hit it right on the nail.

That was so good.

Lena: I think the biggest thing on that for somebody looking to do a branding shoot, if they’ve already done the reflection and they realize like, okay, I don’t. I don’t need mountains. Maybe I need ocean or something like that. Or maybe I need indoors. I think the biggest thing is does it tell your story?

Is does it tell the story of your brand? Do you actually go to that coffee shop? Do you actually hike on that trail? Do you actually lead tours over? On that river, you know, I’m using a lot of outdoor ones because that’s who I work with now. Um, you know, is it in your studio or is it not? Like for me, I can make lighting work that if it’s totally going to take away from the story of your business and your brand, that’s where I feel like a little red flag would come up.

Quianna: Yes. No, I love this so much. And I quickly already can relate this back to wedding photography. I remember photographing engagement sessions, right? And I remember having these consultation calls very similar to your, to your branding strategy calls, but with, with wedding couples. And I remember asking them, Hey, I want to know when, where was your first date?

Where was your first kiss? Right? Where did you guys say I love you for the first time? Or where, where were you when those emotions came up that you decided, Oh, this is my person because of. something, right? Whether it was 4th of July fireworks or it was at this local diner or you went for a walk for your first date around this park or maybe your first kiss was somewhere in high school, right?

Like who knows, right? But I love incorporating those to make it so personal to the couple. And I believe this completely aligns with your brand. You absolutely nailed it too, where you’re mentioning like, does this really explain your brand story? Does this really explain who you are and the services you’re providing?

Because you don’t just need a picture with your laptop or at a coffee shop to be legit. Like, unless that is how you spend your time. And that is a piece of your business and a piece of your, Client experience, what does that look like? So I’m so happy you brought this up to make it more personal. We need to shake things up.

We need to share our personalities and share our color and our vibrancy. And that comes with things that are all like you’re already doing.

Lena: Yes, absolutely. I think I don’t know about you as a brand photographer too, but like, I see a lot of pictures with laptops and a phone, but I don’t actually know what that person does.

They could be anything. They could be a real estate agent. They could be a copywriter. They could be a photographer. My first brand shoot, I didn’t even have a camera. I was like, wait, what? Um, and so I, with my, my goal and what I think somebody looking to do a brand shoot, my biggest goal would be, okay, I want somebody in.

Seconds to know exactly what I do and who I’m doing it for. Like that is my biggest goal. When I work with clients is be like, how can we let them know? Like, oh yeah, this person leads hikes or, oh yeah, this is a real estate agent. Like I want people to know instantly.

Quianna: Yes. Oh my gosh. That’s such an incredible reminder.

Like we all need that right now because it’s true. We can incorporate those images as variety pieces or kind of filler photos on our feeds and add them to our contact page, of course. But someone needs to do a lot of digging and searching to see before they can even decide what the heck you do and how you can help them.

Lena: And you’re going to lose them. Like you’re going to lose potential clients that way. Oh

Quianna: my gosh. Okay. So I would love to go back and revisit your brand strategy sessions. I mentioned before, the, the mention of brainstorming, which to me is just brainstorming for your brand is brilliant. And I just would love to kind of unpack that experience.

What is it that someone would need if we were going to hire you to work on this branding strategies? session. What would we need to present to you? Like, how could we, and I’m doing air quotes over here. How could we do our homework to feel prepared for that four hour experience with you?

Lena: Oh, that’s so funny.

I send over homework and I like, and all my clients are like older adults and I’m like, I know it’s been a long time. I like, I actually in the email, I call it framework, also doing air quotes, framework, not homework.

Quianna: I love that. That makes it sound a little more businessy instead of high school homework or college work.

Yep.

Lena: in their 30s, 40s, 50s wants to do homework. So I do, I send over that actually, and it’s I think it’s 10 questions that I’m kind of mean. I say it’s 10 questions, but then in the little paragraph under each one, there’s actually like tons of little questions. So it’s more like probably 30 questions, but it is so fun to see my clients show up in person.

I send a little reminder, like two weeks out, like, Hey, please do not procrastinate on this. Like this is going to take you time to fill this out. And every client comes up with just pages and notes. And that’s when. In the brainstorming, because that’s what I said. We have so much like in our minds and there’s so much going on up there as entrepreneurs.

We’re dreaming, but we also have this 5000 long thing to do on our to do list. And so there’s just, but we keep it all in our head. So to see people come with pages of notes and then Yeah. I’m there to help clarify all that, to make it concise, to make it easier to understand, and then we talk through all those questions on a deeper level, and then we really try, like, I’ve had people cry in these sessions, because sometimes, you know, in a good way.

But most of the time we’re laughing and having a blast. And, um, but it’s like all the emotions that you’re going through as an entrepreneur. And so, gosh, I mean, I could read you out the whole list of everything we go through, but it’s kind of a long list that we go through those five hours. But then at the end of those sessions, they get a handbook that I have typed up, like everything they’ve said, or everything we’ve clarified that they said.

Because like I said, I want to make it more concise. Typed up this Well, 50 pages doesn’t sound concise, but a lot of it also is like refresher for them to go back and read, but they have it all in this like paragraph form. And then it’s like, okay, if I need to work on marketing and I need to talk to like a marketing team or social media manager or somebody, I can literally just give them this handbook that.

They have literally their whole brand in their hands. Well, the core and the foundations in their hands, they can take that and they can give that to their web designer. They can give that to their social media manager. They can give that to their staff and their future employees to be like, memorize this because this is the company’s brand.

And I want everybody to be aligned. So that’s kind of the process is they’ve got the homework and we spend the four hours, you know, banging her head against the brick wall and getting through it all. Cause it is tough. It’s really tough. That’s why I think a lot of people skip this and we go through that.

And then at the end they get this both digital and printed copy of this wonderful handbook that they can walk away with and be like, okay, if I have ever any doubts or any questions about my brand, I can go in and actually just read. I love that

Quianna: so much. I feel like all of us are craving that. We need this refresh.

We need this handbook and we, we get in our hands. I love this so much. So, so when would you say Lina is the best time to plan this branding strategy session with you? Is this something that many of us may need a refresh for and just kind of like a, almost like a, If we’ve experienced a recent pivot and we need a refresh or is this more a foundational business where you’re like, Oh, no, this is best.

If you start from day one, when, when it’s a good time to plan one of these.

Lena: twofold. I don’t know if I would say day one because I do think you need to like, get out there a little bit, test the waters a little bit. Honestly, make a few mistakes. It’s going to make you stronger in the end. Uh, so most of my clients have typically been in business maybe six months to a year or longer.

And so that, but the early ones, at least six months to a year is probably pretty early, like to do that. But the people that have either A, already have a business or B, want to start another business that they’ve already kind of done some of the bootstrapping, maybe with a prior business, those two are the ones.

that have it and need clarity are the ones that are starting a new business or pivoting. I mean, they can come at any time. And I feel like that’s a big group of my clients too, is people that really are just searching for clarity. They’re like, okay, I’ve been in business for two or three years, but I’m not growing.

I feel like things are kind of mismatched and just everything was thrown into a pot and stirred together. How can I like pull that out and do that? I love that.

Quianna: And the first visual that comes to mind is if you’re kind of in survival mode, that might be a good time to go from surviving to thriving, right?

Like that’s the little kind of bridge or the little bandaid that it’s going to help get you out of that. Hey, I’m just in business here. I’m making money. I’m doing things that I love, but things are a little scattered. Or maybe I’ve kind of kind of opened up this spillway here to offer. Too many things and I kind of want to like tighten it up and I kind of want to refine things and that’s where you come in with these branding strategy questions and, and just really just kind of ties it all up like a bow.

Like I love that. Oh yeah.

Lena: I love that too. That’s a great way to like. Imagine it too.

Quianna: Yes. Oh my gosh. I love this so much. So what, what are some outcomes or what are the results that you’re hoping that your clients get? So not just the book, like that handbook that everybody needs and we all need to sign up for this.

But what are some results or just kind of after effects or ripple effects that you’d like to create with these branding strategies? Sure.

Lena: Well, besides just the inner peace that comes with it, I think that’s a huge thing, right? Is for clients to find the inner peace and the clarity to be like, okay, this is where I’m going to pursue.

So a lot of times throughout the session, If people are kind of wondering, like, well, what am I going to do with this? Why do I need to know my values? Why do I need to know my why? Why do I need to know these things is I constantly say, okay, what we’re going to do now is when we decide to add a new product or add a new service or venture down a different road in your business, you come back and you always ask.

Does this align with my why? Does this align with my values? Yeah, and if it doesn’t align with your why, like which mine is, I want to help people succeed. And I really someday want to have a Hallmark podcast. I really do. I really want to have a Hallmark podcast. I think it’d be so fun. But at this season in my life and in my business, I don’t think a Hallmark podcast is actually going to help people succeed.

It doesn’t quite align with my why. And I’m just going to leave that there on the back burner. Maybe someday I’ll figure out some way to connect them. That’s the thing is, okay, does it align with my why? And if it doesn’t, it gives me permission to be like, okay, don’t focus on this right now versus something else.

My business, if that aligns with my wine, that aligns with my values and it aligns with my target audience. Okay. Let’s, it gives you permission to follow through on that. And so I think that’s a really good thing is just to constantly be able to go back and ask, does this align? And I do that all the time.

And it really. It’s interesting. It does bring me, it’s such a simple question, but it does bring me a lot of clarity on like, okay, should I do this or should I not do this? And then other aspects is Now you’ve got this core done, all the visual things, all the fun things that people, what we talked about earlier on, that people rushed to, the color palette, the logo, the font, the photos, the website, all these things, now we can get them all matching.

We can get them all aligned from, A deeper, meaningful heart centered type of type of business. Like they won’t be super scattered anymore. And that’s really my hope is that people can take that and then run with it and then run with the fact that they’re like, okay, I know my target audience. I know my brand.

I know my, why I’m going to talk about all these things. Yeah. Hopefully that really brings some clarity.

Quianna: Yes. Yes. No, 1000%. In fact, the first thing that’s coming through my mind is I feel like, especially as business owners and even more so in this creative space, a lot of us are multi passionate. And I feel like one thing to mention is that we happen to be good at a lot of things.

Like I mentioned that a lot on the podcast. And so, and I laugh about that because it’s easy for us to get into new projects and start new things. definitely suffer from shiny object syndrome. Like that’s just like something that I do, right? But I love that you’re creating this brand strategy. So anything that comes through my pipeline, whether it is getting inspired by another photographer, that’s offering a new program or offering something new or posting a photo session somewhere that I want to include in my offerings as well.

I can check back on that and think, wait a second, does this actually align with the big picture and not just with my business and what I’m currently offering now, but. Does that align with the longevity and the big, big goals that I’m working towards and I think that’s, yes, it’s such a beautiful reminder and it almost kind of adds, like, I feel like you’re creating this homework for, for brands and businesses and, and you’re clarifying these offers, but then you’re also actually a business coach.

Like you’re creating these, these business opportunities to look back on and to check yourself, like to actually check yourself, make sure you’re in alignment with those goals. And I love that so much.

Lena: I never meant to be a coach, but it’s so funny. A lot of my stuff kind of keeps coming back to, I want to help people succeed.

And if they don’t know how to do this, then I’m going to just do the best of my ability, like try to help and like try to help them do it. And it kind of just, the brandstorming just kind of rolled off of that. Cause I was like, if I do brandstorming sessions, will that help people succeed in their business?

And that’s my biggest goal. And that’s what I really want for them.

Quianna: Oh my gosh, totally. So what advice would you give to someone that feels confident where they are? Maybe business is going good and maybe they do have a great ROI on their time, on their investments, and maybe they’re thinking, okay, I’m ready for this next level.

I’m ready to take this up a notch. I’m ready to be taken more seriously. Seriously, maybe they’ve burnt out of their local market and their networks are kind of dwindling, right? Like their family and friends have already worked with them and they’re ready to reach that next level. How would you encourage someone to be so grateful and appreciative of where they are now, but then also cast that vision?

Because that’s the thing that I feel a lot of us struggle with, with branding and with branding strategy is. Right? It’s like, how do you look more expensive? Like, how do you look more professional? I mean, you charge more, yeah. Yes! How do you crack into that luxury market? And how can you be taken more seriously?

So, through branding strategy, how to take it up a notch. What does that look like for you and your clients?

Lena: Definitely. I think it’s adding that layer of professionalism, uh, on one hand, but I think on the biggest, actually, now that I think about it, the biggest thing is the confidence. Confidence, confidence in yourself that you can take your business to the next level and have, like, changing your mindset to just feel confident, man, that’s going to take you so far.

And I feel like that’s a lot of this. Both brainstorming. And then a lot of my clients, they do the brainstorming and they combine it with a brand photography session that once they’ve gone through the whole process, I mean, and it’s months, this takes months for us to go through. Once we go through the whole process and we have everything and they look at the end photos and they’re like, wait, I’m that person.

And I’m like, they’re like, that’s not me. I look so legit. I’m like, that’s how the world sees you. And that’s who we need to keep showing to the. Rest of the world, right? Like if that’s how your community sees you now, and it’s so fun to watch that confidence really just develop and like them feel good.

And then that’s going to take that alone. I think it’s going to take you leaps and bounds. I know it did for me changing the mindset and just believing in myself. And then with actual strategy aspect of it, that’s where the professionalism part comes in. Because as soon as you have all of this lined out and you feel confident in it, it adds an extra layer of professionalism that you.

You believe in, and then other people are going to see that too. And it’s going to start to showcase in everything, right. In your marketing materials, your online presence, your emails, your photography, anything, your social media. Now you’re showing off this really incredible professional brand. And yeah.

If you’re crushing it, you can’t charge more. You just got to believe in it.

Quianna: Yes. I love that so much. And this is a beautiful reminder for all of us listening, not honestly, it’s, and I hate using that word, fake it till you make it. Cause that’s not true. I know that we are backed by our experiences, by our education, by our efforts, by even just our passions alone.

But when you lead with that passion, Oh my gosh. Like anybody will believe you. Anybody will.

Lena: You gotta believe yourself, and that’s the thing. I deal with insecurity. I don’t think people realize, like, I still sometimes go into almost every shoot, like, oh gosh, I hope I can crush this shoot. But I do in most of the time, you know, that’s a very small percentage is still there, but I just battle it.

And I’m like, Nope, you got this. You’re going to do it. And you’re going to help these people. You’re going to help more people. And you’re going to keep doing that year after year. It’s a big, it’s hard sugar coat, but. You know, I was always insecure, but I’m like, like you said, I can look back and be like, wait a minute.

I have a degree in photography. I also have an MBA. So I, you know, am supposedly a business expert. Yeah. And It’s like, okay, wait, I do have these things, you know, like one of my favorite clients is a macaron baker. She’s been baking for years and now I’m like seeing her like put her photos out there. Try teaching new classes in the new place.

She’s showing up at these networking events. She’s creating social media. Like it’s fun to watch. Like,

Quianna: all right, you got this. Yes. Well, I’m so happy that you mentioned that because I would love to sort of round out this episode with what’s next. I feel like you are devoting so much time and energy into planning this branding strategy into executing a photo shoot into truly living it.

So really going above and beyond for your clients to gain that, that, um, like easy and organic referral base. Let’s, we got that going on. But what’s next, Lena? Like after you have this handbook and you have your images and you’re ready to go, like we mentioned before we even started recording, a lot of our clients struggle with, and even we do this sometimes where you invest in this photo shoot and then they just sit on your gallery and they don’t get shared.

Maybe a profile picture gets updated. Maybe your email signature gets updated and maybe you have an ebook or a new freebie that you kind of splash some of our photos in. But for the most part, they just sit in that gallery. So how can we make it a fun experience to actually get these images and get these graphics out into the world?

Lena: There are so many places you can use photos. And you can use them in so many things and you’re right. I totally, I, and I am a little guilty of this too. I’ve done some brand photo shoots and I, but I’m trying to walk the walk and talk the talk, so I really am. So you might see more and more photos of me on my social media, on my online presence, like, because I’m just trying to show people like, Hey, there are all these places you can use your images.

And so. Lately, my next biggest thing is I really, really, I have some, my clients where, yeah, they spent thousands with me to get these beautiful photos and really haven’t utilized them to the full extent and really showed their full story. They have the images and they love the images, which is good, but okay.

So I just kind of sat back and I was like, all right, I might have to be kind of like the brainstorming where I like sat them down. I’m like, all right, let’s clarify your brand. Now I’m going to sit you down. I’m like, okay, now let’s take your photos. We’ve got the branding. Good. We’re comfortable with the branding.

Let’s do some marketing because that’s really the next step. Step once you have all these things and all the brand things, right? All the visuals, the website, the Cree, uh, the logo color palette photos. So my next biggest thing is to, I’m going to create this. I don’t know. I don’t have a great name for it yet.

Maybe we can brainstorm later, but a content creation summit is what I’m going to start doing here in Alaska, where. I’m going to start with my former clients because I know they have their photos. Yeah, I know they have great photos. Uh, and I’m going to sit them down in a room and we’re going to, we’re going to make reels and we’re going to create posts and we’re going to tell their story on social media.

And then we’re going to look at their email list and we’re going to look at their website and we’re going to look at their printed marketing materials and be like, okay, where can we start splashing these images everywhere? Right? Not just one here and one there. Where can we really truly start to show and tell your story through these brand images?

So that’s my next biggest thing. And um, I think it’s going to be really valuable. I hope so. I don’t claim to be a social media expert, so I’m going to have coaches. But it’d be really cool to have some coaches there helping me out that are social media experts. And then But I am a good marketer and I do, like I said, I, I’m testing it all the time, trying to walk the walk and talk the talk.

And so that’s kind of, yeah, that’s the next thing.

Quianna: That sounds incredible. And what a great experience, not just for your clients to maximize their exposure from their branding session, but then also to be in the room with other incredible, passionate business owners. That’s the whole point. Yes, we need to cultivate those spaces and show up, get in the room.

And it’s incredible when you can be around a community of other business owners and maybe you’re surrounded by people that you feel like, gosh, I just don’t know as much. Maybe I’m falling behind and maybe I don’t belong here. But You’re supposed to be there. Like you have to create these experiences.

And I’m so excited that you’re advocating for truly being seen, getting out there, sharing those messages. And yeah, I mean, we’re, like I said, we’re invested in these brand sessions, get them out there, babe, get them online so you can find your people. I love that so much.

Lena: And any roadblocks that might be keeping you from doing that, we’re going to, we’re going to talk on it.

Yes.

Quianna: Yes. Oh my gosh. I’m loving all this information, Lina. Thank you so much. So one question I love to ask every guest. What key tip would you like to share today? It could be something you wish you knew sooner or something you’d like to share with an entrepreneur today? Oh, that’s a good one.

Lena: I will fall back on what has helped me the most in the last year.

A year ago, I’ve struggled a lot in this journey. This has been a five year business. And so, you know, I struggled about a year in, and then I struggled about four years in. And last year, I was really struggling. I was about to throw in the towel. And I hired a coach who was amazing. And the biggest thing that she helped me on, you can kind of toss everything out, but the biggest thing was mindset.

And she was, I would constantly be like, Oh, you know, if I make a 10 K, 10 K month, if I book, 10 clients for the next couple of months if I do this and she said no we’re going to change that mindset to I will have 10k plus months I will continuously book client clients and to just change my verbiage and to really go in and be like okay I am going to do this just switching that mindset switched my energy.

And I really started to believe in myself a lot more and then I had more energy. And then I think other people saw that energy and felt that energy. And all of a sudden it kind of was just happening. I was having those huge months. I’m having a concern. And then it’s been a year and I haven’t stopped.

And so it’s like, all right, mindset and just. Just believing in yourself and not letting those doubting sentences come out, stopping them right away. I think that is the biggest thing for any entrepreneur.

Quianna: That’s incredible advice. And you’re right. Like, and I feel like this ties in perfectly with your branding strategy sessions because we truly have to untap and dig deeper you.

into your whys, into what got you started in the first place, and then completely shifting that mindset because we only got so far from what we know, right? And so we only know what we know, or whatever that saying is. And now it’s time to invest in yourself. It’s time to invest in some coaches and some mentors and, and truly shifting that mindset because you’re right, there’s, it’s an energy exchange.

And that is what is just so crazy, bringing up confidence and bringing up Clarifying our offers and all that stuff. It’s all energy and it’s all how we, we perceive it, how we’re, how we’re perceived online. It’s all, it’s all connected. It’s so beautiful. Yes. Oh my gosh. So how can we connect with you, Lina?

Where can we find you online? I want to go back and stalk all of your gorgeous Alaska photos and all of your adventures and outdoor stuff. So how do we connect with you?

Lena: Absolutely. It’s actually really easy. I kind of love my name because it’s really easy to remember, but it’s Lena Leigh Photography. So you can find me on socials, Lena Leigh Photography on Facebook and Instagram.

I’m much, I’ll be honest, I’m way more active on Instagram. So if you actually want to say hi, that’s where you’ll find me. And then my website is Lena Leigh Photo. And I do live in Alaska, but I am hoping to expand and keep branching out and working with. national and international clients. That’s kind of my next huge photography goal.

So we’ll see how that one goes, but that’s how you can find me.

Quianna: That’s amazing. Well, you’re going to make it happen. I believe it’s already true. So soon I’ll be seeing you on all the awesome. I just can’t wait to see a picture of you in Bass Pro or something, or just online, all these crazy brands and businesses that you’re working for.

I’m like, Oh, yeah. That’s Lena. There she goes. That’s so cool.

Lena: It’s gonna happen. Oh

Quianna: my gosh. Well, thank you so much for your time today. And thank you for sharing these little golden nuggets. I feel like sometimes, sometimes the work that we do can feel a little redundant. It can feel like, okay, everyone’s just got to get on this train.

We got to do this, but it’s so important to take some time to journal this out, to answer your questions and really dig deep to. To build that foundation for a strong business. So thank you.

Lena: Absolutely. It was really, this was really fun.

Quianna: Thank you. Well, I can’t wait to see you soon. And I can’t wait to just continue connecting with you, learning from you and supporting you.

So I’m just so proud of you.

Lena: Same to you. Absolutely.

Quianna: Wow, that was an impactful conversation and I’m so grateful you joined this chat. I can’t wait to see what you come up with next for your brand session. As a reminder, you are in charge of your business. Your past doesn’t define you and the future you will thank you for putting in the work today to help shape your vibrant future.

This entire branding series is dedicated to helping you feel confident before, during and after your next branding session. Be sure to tune in next week to help. Plan your outfits and style for your next photo shoot. I’ll be introducing you to a favorite local stylist and can’t wait to continue this branding journey with you.

I’m challenging you to take some time this week to develop your own branding strategy and start questioning. Everything up against your mission statement and core values. If new projects don’t align or bring you closer to your goals, then it’s a no thank you. Maybe later or hell no. Write it down and revisit, but don’t let all of those ideas derail you and your business dreams.

And if you haven’t noticed, I’m legit taking notes over here too. Make sure to follow along with Lena Lee and hopefully when she comes down to the Phoenix area to visit, we can all plan a hangout soon. Thanks again for listening. I can’t wait to continue dropping episodes to help you feel seen, heard, and understood.

If you enjoyed this episode and think a friend needs some help with some branding strategy, cause you all know we have too many ideas, please share. Every review, share, and mention truly makes a difference. I appreciate you more than you know, and can’t wait to chat next week. Hope you have a productive day.

Don’t forget to dance in the kitchen to celebrate. 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.