Story Sets Featuring Burnout Coach Ellyn

What is a Personal Branding Lifestyle Story Set?

That is a lot of words to describe a simple photo, however these photos aren't meant to be simple, they are detailed and intentional. Each photo conveys a different vibe, emotion, mood and story. As business owners you need to take your clients/customers/buyers/investors on a journey. You need to create supporting evidence to KNOW, LIKE and TRUST you!

How do you get people to know, like and trust you, this is easy you show up as your true authentic self! This is why in my contract I have a no extended editing clause stating that I will not edit to changing physical size, removing aging, changing hair color or makeup. I want you to be seen AS YOU ARE, your awesome, amazing and kickass self that is also ready to show up and help and support your own people.

Everything within your story set is intentional. From the specific story sets we decide to the outfits you wear within the story set to the props you bring and of course the colors are even specific to your brand. Intentionality and reasoning behind each photo, is what we plan for.

Let's talk about my client Coach Ellyn, every business owner needs to follow her on social media, here is her Instagram page. Ellyn is a burnout coach, she works with clients and speaks about how to avoid burnout. Our shoot day was at GRLS Studio in Tacoma. We planned a very ambitious day filled with different story sets. We stayed on top of our rental time and I planned out how we would flow through each one.

Working on the Desk Set

Our very first set was at a desk. Within the desk set at the last minute we added eating because she had picked up food before her shoot and needed to eat, so we just added that in to our photos for fun and got us laughing right from the start. As a burnout coach Ellyn wants to also share that business and life aren't always sunshine and rainbows, but frustration and exhausting, so we do added not always perfect smiling expressions.

• Eating (we've got to refuel to keep up our energy so we don't crash)
• Working at computer
• Recording podcast episodes

Speaking Set

This was a fun set and since we didn't have any actual people to be in the audience I created a "stage" and positioned myself to the side and directed her look at the "audience" in front of her. This set had been expanded and we recently did a full speaking set where I came to one of her speaking events and photographed her in action. However, it is easier to stage talking sets when I can request people to just say "peas and carrots", which creates lots of laughing expressions and gets the mouth in more flattering photogenetic positions.

Post-It Note Set

Who doesn't love to work with Post-It Notes for your business? I didn't before, but now I do. She had just used this to create a new offer and had save the Post-Its to put up on the wall and then had a fun tossing photo.

Lifestyle Headshot Sets

Of course we all need a variety of headshots, sometimes they are of us looking at the camera and sometimes we are just looking away. The variety captures us in many slightly different expressions. I highly recommend one headshot as your primary headshot that you upload and send to speaking engagements. This shows the consistency across the board and promotes brand recognition. This set was spread throughout the rest of the sets. When she was in a specific outfit, we'd do a lifestyle headshots and then continue with the rest of the story.

Cozy Set

Cozy sets are always done last, when the hair most likely has relaxed a bit and you're getting ready to get into something more comfortable. Ellyn wants to share the part of life when she is off of work and how she relaxes and decompresses, a very important part of our mental health that we may not give as much focus as we should. Within this overall cozy set we had different stories

• Boss girl chilling
• Working boss girl in cozies
• Journaling
• Relaxing
• Meditating

Eventually we plan to have another shoot that is shot within her studio apartment where we get true working home lifestyle photos, until then these are great ways to still get the message across without having to bring people in your home if that doesn't work for you.

What sets do I use in my personal branding photoshoot?

Your business brand and you are unique, what will be in your photoshoot is completely dependent on what we are trying to convey. Honestly I couldn't say until we talked.

Here are some other ideas to ask yourself, do you...

• Work with clients? Or is community a part of your brand? Yes, then have a client on set
• Where do you work? Office, table, couch, coworking space, coffee shop....
• What are your tool of the trade? Do you have a podcast? Create using your hands? Have specific equipment that your teaching with?
• What are any hobbies or small things you like to share about yourself? Books, journaling, hiking, wine, spiritual, foodie...
• Also what does your website need? Are you still rocking those stock photos? What are those stock photos your using that you need to replace?
• Do you have supporting photos for your content pillars?

This list could go on and on, but we will stop at that. If you want more individualized help and are ready to replace your stock photos, update your headshots and really show up as your authentic self as you are today, let me be your guide through the process.