Hertfordshire Personal Branding Photoshoot - Emma
Hello Autumn! I adore this season. The colours are warm and soothing, the light is soft and golden and snuggles are essential.
I’ve been thinking about what it really means to be running your own small business right now. There is no doubt that 2020 has been a year of adjustment. At every corner, we have a new normal to adjust to, new rules to the business and the uncertainty what is around the next one. But for a small business owner who is learning every avenue of running a business, this is pretty standard affair. Especially for women business owners.
We are usually learning on the ball, learning to swim in some areas and slightly drowning in others, so chuck in a global pandemic and it’s been a mad time. What I’ve realised is this:
We are brave.
We need to watch that line between the comfort zone and the danger zone.
We need to rest.
To step up and step out of the fear and into launching a new business, we have to be brave. I know so many incredible brave women who show bravery in so many ways. In the act of becoming more visible in our brands, showing our faces on social media to speaking up with authority. From being brave enough to say ‘I am good at what I do’ to owning our place in a business world where women have only recently been welcome.
We can’t learn in our comfort zone right? Because the act of learning is coming across new things. And new usually means uncomfortable for us. So we keep pushing ourselves out there, but this year I have had to really re-asses where my ‘uncomfortable zone’ was and where I was in red zone. You know the one where everything is overwhelming, you don’t know where to start or what to do - no one is learning in the red zone.
Which leads me to a huge lesson I have learnt recently. REST. You know that great saying ‘When you get tired, rest, don’t give up’ Yeah, but ‘admit being tired is okay’ needs to come before that. Tired, feels lazy. We forget about all the great things we’ve done that day, week or month and focus on what we haven’t done yet. Or at least I do. This is when I know I need some time out, some me time - some good old fashioned rest.
Emma, who is setting out on her own to create her own business and brand, was incredibly brave recently. She reached out to me about getting some personal branding photos done so she would have on brand, authentic content for her brand. The easiest way to build a brand that will stay true to your craft and reflect your values, is to make sure you are at the foundation of it.
And being visible in your brand is scary, and brave. And often being in front of the camera is uncomfortable. I was honoured to be a part of this ‘uncomfort zone with Emma as we met here in Hertfordshire. We met at Chorleywood for her Hertfordshire Personal Branding shoot for a cup of coffee and a chat. We’d spoken through what Emma needed for her branding photoshoot and we had outfits, props and ideas ready. But a huge part of a personal branding photoshoot is connection, and there is nothing I love more than a good old chat over a coffee to get to know my client a bit more.
After that, we began shooting using natural light and natural moments. As Emma is building a property buying agency her props included a camera, a book on the best schools and maps. She also brought along the majestic Zuko - her amazing black lab. So we headed out to the streets where I could snap Emma doing what she would do on the job - scoping the neighbourhood her client wants to live in to find them the perfect home.
Emma wants to distinguish herself from the old-fashioned image of an estate agent. My aim was to show her as friendly but strong and professional - the sort of person that her clients could spend time with and trust.
Emma said “I chose Christine firstly because I loved the feel of her photos. But also Christine seemed genuinely interested in my business and excited to help me. She is so warm, genuine, complimentary and non-confrontational that I couldn’t help but feel relaxed in front of the camera”.
If you are home hunting in Hertfordshire, you can find Emma via:
Website: https://www.emmasiddons.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emmasiddons.hertsbuyingagent/
