Posed for Success

What is the #1 thing stopping you from getting your branding photos done?

When I ask my audience this, a surprising number of you say that you want to lose 10 pounds before you get your photos done. Or some version of that:

• You aren't comfortable in your skin
• You don't like the way you look

We are living in a world that generally associates success with a certain look. However, we need to acknowledge that the overwhelming majority of people look nothing like that. Let’s break those stereotypes and start normalizing what we, as female entrepreneurs, actually look like. 

But I do hear you. I see that you aren’t sure of this whole branding thing because you want to be that confident business owner and can’t get over that mental block - that you have to lose those stubborn pounds we’ve all gained during the pandemic in order to get your photos done.

So I’ve got a secret for you: You don’t have to actually lose those ten pounds in order to look like you’ve lost it in photos. Because these tips and tricks will help you in every aspect of your business. From branding photos to video to speaking engagements...even to your iphone selfies. 

Let’s dive in. 

Find Clothing That Fits and Complements You

You’d be surprised how an ill-fitting blouse or shapeless dress will add ten pounds to your image.  While you may want to hide with outfits that are looser, I want you to start with something a little more fitted. V-necks or a long necklace are a great option to compliment your neckline and make you look leaner.

And don’t be afraid to use shapewear. It doesn’t matter what size or shape you are, shapewear helps your clothing lay better and lifts and tucks away everything. 

Now if you want to slim up your figure, stay away from large patterns or horizontal stripes. Vertical is the way to go! Stick with solid colors or layer your clothing to add dimension to your outfit.

Focus on Your Posing

Posing does wonders to emphasize your best features and hide what you hate. So what techniques do you need to know to pose like a pro?

Whatever is closest to the camera looks bigger and whatever is further away looks smaller. I have wider hips and smaller shoulders, so I always push my hips back and my shoulders forward when taking pictures. A little lean isn't noticeable in the camera and keeps the focus on your face. I always tell my clients to give me a little hinge at the waist and it totally changes the look and feel of the image

Sit up straight and suck it in. A little bit of good posture does wonders...plus, it makes you look and feel more confident!

If it bends, try bending it. This breaks up your body from looking like a block and adds some "white space" around you. Hands on hips or a popped knee creates spaces between your body and helps your shape look more natural

Out and Down

To learn what this means and more, check out the rest of the show notes at www.britbennion.com/episode83

And don't forget to grab my guided cheatsheet while you're there!

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Have you ever felt like you are competing in an oversaturated market? The problem isn’t that the market is oversaturated, it’s just that you’re still trying to fit in with everyone else doing the same thing as each other. You haven’t done anything different to make people start to notice you. 

So what can you do to stand out?

Focus on what makes you unique

It may be hard to figure out what makes you unique when you don’t think you’re unique. But how much harder is it for your potential client to think you are unique when you’re doing everything the same as everyone else? SO HARD. I promise, you don’t want to make it hard for your clients to figure out what sets you apart.

If you’re struggling with this, ask your close family and friends. A little distance allows them a different perspective. Sometimes we don’t know what is unique about us because it comes so naturally to us. Think of things that come easily to you, because I guarantee that it doesn’t come that easily for everyone else.

No one can do what you do exactly like you do it. So let people know that you do things differently or that you have a strength that is well suited for what you do. 

Infuse your personality into everything

You need to put the YOU into your brand.

Maybe you think that if you are a certain way that you’ll get more clients or people will like you better. All that does is keep your potential clients on the fence. They don’t like you enough to be dying to work with you and they don’t dislike you enough to move on.

The goal is to get them off of the fence. It doesn’t matter which way they go. Some will go one way and others will go the other way. But if everyone says on the fence, your business won’t go anywhere. That’s where you end up being stuck in the oversaturated market. That’s when people start competing with you over price. And you really don’t want that to happen.

So infuse your personality into everything. Some people will love you and some people will not. And that’s okay. I know plenty of people who can’t stand Beyonce, but you’d better believe that she couldn’t care less about them because there are so many people who know she is Queen B. And when people are off the fence you can really start to focus on serving the ones that are on your side of the fence. 

The biggest reason you want to infuse your personality is that you can just be yourself. And that’s significantly less exhausting than trying to be someone else or suppressing who it is that you really are.  Just show up as you!

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Links Mentioned

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Do you want to know how to make social media not suck the life out of you? When you are growing a business you hear all sorts of opinions about how you should be posting every single day or that if you don’t have a large enough following that you won’t be taken seriously, or that the algorithm is out to get you, so there’s no point in even trying. Trust me, I’ve heard it all. And honestly, you can throw all of that advice out the window. 

After years and years of trying to crack the code, find the secret formula, and unravel the mysteries of social media, I’ve found that there is only one true trick. 

Consistency. 

Just be consistent. Consistency looks different for everyone and every industry. But if you truly want to gain traction on social media, then you need to be consistent. 

We may think that because the “experts” say we should be posting every day, that we have to be perfect and never miss or we will have failed. And that just isn’t true.

You do need to be consistent. Because that builds trust. That builds connection. That builds the relationship that you want to have with your clients, customers, and audience. 

When you are bouncing around, with no consistency, it will make it so much more difficult to establish those patterns on which we as human beings so heavily rely.

 Have you ever signed up for someone’s email list and then never heard from them again? And then a year later, they all of a sudden send you an email? It’s jarring. It’s confusing. And if you’re like me, I immediately delete and unsubscribe. Because they don’t have my trust, they didn’t take the time to nurture and develop a relationship with me. 

So, let me say this again. Consistency matters!

Here are 3 simple steps to being consistent on social media:

1. Know who you are talking to

Before you start off with creating bucket-loads of content, you need to be really clear about who you are talking to with your posts. 

Before I sit down to do any batch work, I take a few minutes to refresh myself, or redefine who it is that I’m speaking to. I think about their wants and desires. I get really focused on my ideal community so that when I do get to writing, recording, or creating, they are top of mind.

Learn more at www.britbennion.com/episode81

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Brooke Jefferson is a family photographer, podcast host of the Book More Photography Clients Podcast, and business coach, who thrives on helping photographers book more clients through marketing their businesses on social media and building relationships with their local communities. Her focus is helping others maximize their potential by creating a profitable, sustainable, and most importantly, a fulfilling photography business. She’s built a 6-figure photography business and teaches photographers how to grow their own thriving business.

Brooke knows that the best way to increase your growth is through client experience. In fact, she is a known expert on mapping out a client experience and unleveling it. Allowing business owners to both increase their client numbers and retention. Here are some of her powerful tips.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS ARE EVERYTHING

In business you only get one chance and then people have a deep opinion of you. Whether you’re online or have a physical store, you need to focus on your client experience. This means, how are you showing up and how are you making your client feel? Start by asking yourself:

1. Do I have a streamlined and professional way of presenting myself and my services?
2. Do I respond in a timely manner? (Do I greet my customers at the door?)
3. How can I make myself/product/service the obvious choice

Getting real honest with yourself about these questions allows you to see the holes in your processes and how to improve the client experience.

Speaking of processes, Brooke tells us that your systems and processes are the key to an amazing client experience.

Learn more at www.britbennion.com/episode80

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When someone lands on your "About Me" page they are looking for a reason to hire you - a reason to work specifically with you. So how can you do that and what pictures do you need to make your "About Me" page stand out from the competition?

1) Welcome the viewer into your space

When a potential client lands on your website and wants to learn more about you, they have some expectations when they click on "About Me". It’s like a new friend coming to your home and is about to ring the doorbell. They expect you to be the one to greet them at the door. They probably anticipate a friendly, “hello” or an invitation to come sit down and chat. 

That’s exactly what you want your page to do for you. 

You want to immediately show your face and welcome them into your world. 

Imagine what it would be like if a neighbor knocked on your door, you cracked it open, stuck your hand out holding a sign with a paragraph of your life bio. Weird huh? That’s what so many people are doing when they forget to include a photo of themselves on their "About Me" page and think that a stanza on their life accomplishments is a good enough introduction. 

Check out more on www.britbennion.com/episode79/

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Stepping into a brand photoshoot can be a very vulnerable experience. Getting all dolled up, staring into the lens of a camera, moving in awkward feeling poses. Not the easiest thing to do. But I spoke with my good friend and personal stylist, Swapna Patel, to give us the inside scoop on styling yourself for your personal branding session. 

Swapna Patel is a New York City area-based personal stylist. She teaches female entrepreneurs to quit hiding behind their laptops in sweatpants, messy buns and confidently use their wardrobe as a tool to show up as the face of their brand.

As a stylist, Swapna has helped coaches, fitness experts, photographers, realtors, and other female business owners level up their style, using what they already have in their closet, so they can look like true industry experts. It is Swapna’s firm belief that it is not what you wear, it is how you wear it! While she loves style, she is not a label junkie, something she prides herself on! Working with Swapna has saved her clients lots of money, boosted their confidence and some say it has even changed their life! 

So what is Swapna’s take on what to wear for your next photo session? She says that you should start with what you already have. Many times you have everything that you need in your closet, but you just don’t know how to put them together. It’s always a good idea to bring in an element of “play” and “creativity” to your style.

Also, ask yourself: What are the finishing pieces I need to complete this look? Don’t always go for the exact same things that you wear every day. Mix it up and have fun. Because you can use your wardrobe and style to tell a story about who you are. It’s all a part of who you are as a personal brand. 

But what if you think you don’t “have a personal style”? Swapna tells us that you need to think about your brand aesthetic because it very often mirrors your own personal style. Start with the descriptors that you are using in your brand. For example “modern” - head on over to Pinterest and start creating a vision board of what you like. Focus on the colors that pop out to you and incorporate those into your wardrobe. 

Pinterest is an excellent resource for you to not only understand what your style is, it also helps you to know what isn’t your style. Allow yourself to grow and play. Try something new. Mix and match what you already have and add pieces that compliment what you already have. That’s what brings life to your style. 

When you are planning for your photoshoot here are a few strategies to look and feel your best:
 
Find out more at: www.britbennion.com/episode78

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Ready to debunk personal branding myths that I hear all of the time? This is important for you to hear at any stage in your business journey, because they are the basis of personal branding that people mess up all the time. So let’s set the record straight today.

1. You have to look or act a certain way in order to have a successful brand.

We are not robots….we are not machines….we are not the stepford wives...we are humans. Humans who run, own, and operate businesses. 

The point in thinking of yourself as a brand isn’t that you create an alter-ego that you call your personal brand. It’s not that your personal brand all of a sudden is this super-human, polished, robotic persona of you. That’s all wrong. The actual point of a personal brand is to become authentic and intentional. 

The best way to become more human in your brand is to know who you are and then accept that enough to tell your story. 

2. You have to be an extrovert to have a personal brand

Many people who are successful and are building personal brands are actually introverts. So how do we balance between showing up online and being an introvert? A lot of it has to do with boundaries and understanding where to draw the line. 

The best example of this is Jenna Kutcher. She is the queen of batching and this is one way that she is able to be successful and an introvert -because she protects her time and energy.

This is not to say that extroverts have it easy. They certainly deal with many things as well, but just remember...if you happen to be an introvert, it doesn’t mean that you can’t have a successful personal brand.

3. You have to have a certain number of followers to be successful.

This could be likes, followers, subscribers, downloads, anything. There is no magic number that you need to hit in order to be successful. In fact, you are the only one who gets to determine what success is for you. There are thousands of broke “influencers” and thousands of thriving businesses with small followings. 

What matters most is finding what works for you and your brand. And this mostly means that you need to treat each and every follower with respect and understand that they are a human being, not a cash cow. 

I’ve worked with many women entrepreneurs who have very small followings but generate multiple 6 figures and are living the lifestyle that they want. It’s because they’ve worked with me and understand that by getting clear on who they serve and how to best serve them, they can produce the results that they are promising and can generate the revenue that they need. And you can do the same. Start by serving who you have and stop focusing on the numbers. Your consistency and authenticity is going to get you to where you want to be far faster than if you focus solely on numbers. 

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Amy Throw is an Award-Winning Entrepreneur, Executive Coach, Author & Speaker. Creator of the Full Circle 7 Method to Executive Presence, she helps women become powerful, respected leaders who are admired and trusted by others. With a background in sales, leadership, executive style, and personal branding she helps business leaders and entrepreneurs discover their unique genius zones, hone their leadership and public-speaking skills, and unleash a powerful executive presence. With her guidance, women transform into the powerful, influential leaders they were born to be. 

If you are ready to change from uncertainty to confidence-if you want to have influence in your brand and business, Amy is your guide.

She understands how many women feel lonely and isolated while growing their businesses. This leads to stress, overwhelm, and a loss in confidence. 

And if you don’t have that confidence piece, you can’t build your business. We’ve seen a massive shift in how businesses are marketed. With social media, you have an almost unlimited space to show up and speak about what you do. But one of the biggest challenges that women face is “public speaking”.

Public Speaking can be anything from:

One-on-one conversation

Sales pitch

On-stage speaking experience

Live Video

Webinars / Zoom

Amy shares with us her 5 tips on how to help successful women overcome the fear of public speaking:

1. Stand Tall Like A Tree: We need to remember that how we look, in our posture, sends a message. We forget that we speak volumes without saying a word. Instead of getting stuck worrying about what you’re going to say and how you’re going to say it, start by just standing tall. This helps you to feel more stable and grounded, which will allow you to instantly be more confident.
2. Shine the Light: Imagine that you have a search light that’s positioned in your heart-center. Stand in such a way that that search light can shine out to your audience. This opens you and your posture up, which signals confidence, and it will allow people to sense your energy. 
3. Bring the Energy of a Smile: The act of smiling releases the “happy hormone” oxytocin. If you bring the energy of a smile, not just the motion of smiling, you receive an oxytocin hit and the people who are watching you get an oxytocin hit. Your energy can be shown in person and through live video. Find a picture of something that brings you joy and look at it before you go on video or do your next presentation.
4. Remember-It’s Not About You: When we are consumed by our fears, we cannot serve others.
5. Use the “Stop Sign Technique”: When you have all of those self-destructing thoughts pop up in your mind. Start by recognizing the thoughts that you have, then visualize in your mind a stop sign, take a deep breath, and imagine all of those thoughts dumping out of your mind onto the sidewalk.

These steps will not only help you in growing your business, they will help you in your whole life. You will feel so much more confident because you have trained your body and brain. Just like working out, building your confidence is like building a muscle.

Grab Amy’s Poised and Confident Guide

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Are you doing the same thing over and over in your business just not seeing the results that you want? Maybe you have found success. Maybe you have a viable offer. But what about growth? It’s something that we all seem to be chasing. Let's dive into what you need to understand in your business so that you can achieve growth. 

If you’ve been following me on IG or are in my FB group, you may know that I'm about to move across the country. YES! It’s honestly a big deal for me and my family. Our house is filled with boxes and I’ve been sorting through what to keep and what to leave. This has been a pretty stressful time for us.

But this is a good move for us. Really good. I’m excited in so many ways. We’ve been preparing for this moment for years and everything we’ve done for the past 5 years has lead up to this moment. 

Yet, despite all of this amazingness, there have been so many times that I’ve thought to myself:

“Maybe this isn’t a good idea.” 
“This is going to be hard and your life is so good now, why do you want to change it?”
“Who knows what’s going to happen after you move? You’ll have to start all over again. It may not be as great.”

Now hold on a minute. Remember, I just told you that this move is great for my family. I KNOW this is the next step for us.

So why do I get these thoughts in my head?

I have a mentor who once said to me:

“What got you here, won’t get you there.”   

All of those crazy thoughts in my brain were telling me to stay where I was. To keep doing what I was doing. To play it safe.

Are you getting upset in your business because you keep doing the same thing over and over again and yet, you aren’t seeing any different results? 

If you are stressed, worn out, or frustrated that you cannot get traction with booking more clients, it comes down to this one factor. 

Understanding that what got you here won’t get you there. 

So start by thinking about where you are today. Whether you have found success or are just starting out or somewhere in between. Now think about where you were last year and ask yourself:

"What have you done in a year’s time? Who have you served, what have you changed?"

A lot of times we fail to look back on what we’ve done to see where we’ve really come. 

What have you done in the past 12 months? Have you grown? Do you know what steps you took to get you here? Have you kind of floundered? That’s okay, it’s not the end of the world. But what have you NOT done that has kept you where you are? What haven’t you done that has prevented you from having that growth that you want?

Let me give you an example of one of my clients. She and I were on a call about her business. She had laid out her current business model and what she was doing.  Then she told me about where she WANTED to go and what she WANTED to do. 

All of a sudden you could feel the energy in the conversation shift. She knew that growth was vital to get her to where she wanted to be. When I asked her why she wanted to work with me now and what motivated her to take action now, she said, "I know myself. And I’m scared to do this big thing. But I also know that I want to take my business to the next level. To grow. To make money. To live my passion. To do what I love. And I know that I can’t get there by doing what it is I’m currently doing.” 

She KNEW that she had to make a change in her life and business if she wanted to get to the next level.

The same thing with me and move. I KNOW that doors and opportunities will be opened to me that I’ve never had before. And while I’m scared, I also know that I can still do it. And I know that

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We talk a lot about how to improve your personal brand. But do you want to get an insider’s look on HOW getting clear on your branding can actually move the needle in your business? In this episode, we are deep diving into the experience of one of my students from the Brand Builder’s Bootcamp. So you can see the exact transformation that it made on her and her business.

 When building a successful brand, what do you really need?

Community - A group of women who are building their business online who understand what you are going through and what you are trying to do. Trying to do it by yourself will lead to despair and frustration. You don’t need to do that. Working with like minded women and following a roadmap will eliminate the stress and overwhelm that causes you to not be consistent and show up for your audience. 

Roadmap - You may know what you want your brand to look like, but you may not know the steps to get from Point A to Point B. If you are ready to jump in with both feet and have the path to get you there, you need the roadmap that is found in Brand Builder’s Bootcamp.

Mindset - Don’t be generic or worry about whether or not you’re doing it right. Understand that overcoming perfectionism is one of the best things that you can do for your business. People don’t need “perfect”. They just need the information that you put out into the world. 

Putting up “B-” work is “A++++” compared to putting up nothing. Brand Builder’s Bootcamp is the key to stop getting stuck and to get out of the fear of creating content that connects with your ideal clients.

Chelsea was able to go from unsure and insecure in her new position as content manager, to confident, consistent, and self-assured. All because she had the exact roadmap to get her there. I have seen the change in Chelsea's and many other of my students' business. 

I want the same thing for you - I'd like to welcome you to Brand Builder's Bootcamp. Just like Chelsea, you’ll be joining a community of women who are building their brand and business online. Women who want to scale and succeed. Women who are ready to go to the next level and feel confident that they have the tools to get there by attracting their ideal clients. 

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