Crystal Clear Podcast

You have finally made the big step to invest in yourself and your business by signing up for a coaching membership. Things are going great in the beginning. You're showing up to every coaching call, you're completing the monthly trainings, and you're collaborating with other members. But then your business picks up, you're drowning in the amount of work you have to do, and your coaching calls are starting to take a backseat.

I get it. It's tough to juggle everything, but it's important to remember that you are also a priority. So, here are three tips on how to navigate a coaching membership.

Commit to the Cause

Before you get overwhelmed by the amount of work you need to get done or the projects you have to do, mark the coaching call times on the calendar beforehand, so you don't miss a live opportunity to chat. Get to know other members and listen in on coaching topics designed to help you grow. Treat yourself like you would treat a client. Set aside time in your calendar to do the things you need to do for your business to succeed.

Often, business owners get caught up in their work for other people, and their own business falls to the wayside. Don't let that be you. You're just as important as your client, so make yourself a priority and commit to your new coaching membership. You will thank yourself later.

Show Up For You

Your coach may give you all the tools, but it's up to you to do the work. It's like the old saying goes, "you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make them drink." You have to be willing to put in the time and effort to make your business the best it can be. If you're stuck, feeling insecure, unsure how to apply it to your product or services, I challenge you to ask for help from your coach or other members. That's why they're there. There's no shame in asking for help. You do what you have to do to turn your business into a successful one, so show up to the coaching calls because you will benefit from them.

Show Support

A community develops from supporting one another and helping each other grow. If you have feedback or maybe a solution you've used before - chime in and help your fellow members. Mark a 15-minute window a few times a week where you can intentionally pop into the Facebook group, browse what's going on, offer some support, or ask some questions you've had on your mind. More than likely, other people in the group have the same concerns or questions that you do. You're there to receive support just as much as you give it, so help support fellow members who may be feeling a little lost in their entrepreneurial journey.

Conclusion

You get out of a coaching membership as much as you put in. Make it a priority to keep up with the program because it genuinely can benefit you and your business if you stick with it. A lot of times, the people who don't see any change are the ones who stopped showing up for themselves. It takes discipline and consistency, but your business is just as important as the next. Continue to show up for your coaching membership each month like you did when you signed up.

Market research is the number one way to get to know your ideal audience or client avatar. It will answer the questions of who you want to help, their problems, and if you can provide them with a solution. The more you can understand who it is you’re serving, the better you will be able to provide what they need.

Check the Competition

The first way to get the information you need is to check the competition. Go to people’s websites and social media profiles who have similar audiences to you or work in the same niche. Check what kind of content they post and what people are saying about it. Take note of how your competitors interact with their audience and what calls-to-action they use.

You can also subscribe to their email lists to see what kind of content they send out and how often. Gather information from different people and see how you can apply it to similar areas in your business.

Do not copy the competitors! The point of checking the competition is to gather information and apply it in a way that works best for you and your ideal audience. You can also better identify any gaps in the marketplace and fill them accordingly.

Identify the Target Market

Once you’ve done your research, identify the target market. Who is it that you want to help? What kind of people are looking for your services?

Market research makes things more clear as to who it is you’re trying to attract. You can then create content geared specifically towards that audience. Through your research, you will also identify specific words or phrases often used, which you can incorporate into your content to attract the right people for your business.

You can also go straight to the source and survey your target market. If you’re a relatively new business owner who hasn’t acquired an audience big enough to survey yet, start small. Ask friends and family if they know of anyone who fits your ideal client avatar. Facebook groups are also a good place to find your target audience.

Review Social Media Insights

Another great place to find some additional information on market research is in your social media analytics. Find out which content resonated most with your audience or had the most engagement. This includes likes, comments, and shares. Insights and analytics alone tell you right away what works and what doesn’t.

Your website is another great way to check your insights and see which pages are the most viewed. The data will tell you everything you need to know, including which content to make more of and which ones to scrap.

I recommend checking your insights often to see what works best for your audience on each platform. Some things work better than others depending on the social media platform. The more you check, the more familiar you will get with the content that resonates with your ideal audience.

Conclusion

Market research is crucial for any business owner and gives you a direction to work towards, will help you to identify your target market, and find out what sparks their interest. A little research goes a long way and provides the answers you need to create better content for your audience. 

I get a lot of questions and wonderful compliments about the graphics and the branding in the way that I do things. And so, I thought I would dive more into how I edit my graphics and photos and share my tips with you.

First Things, First

When it comes to editing, I have a set of presets that I have tweaked and developed based on how I like editing my photos. They're bright with loads of contrast. I shoot in a RAW format on my camera, which means I'm allowing the file to absorb as much data on the color and lighting as possible. Then, I cull through my photos and narrow them down to the best ones before bringing them into Lightroom. This is where I'll apply my presets because I know they already have the tweaks needed to make the photo better most of the time. And then I go through, and I have to make subtle adjustments.

The Types of Adjustments I Make

One of the most common adjustments I make to my photos is tweaking the brightness. Every day could be different, as well as the time of the day. So sometimes, I'll go through and make subtle adjustments if everything wasn't at the prime time that I tried to shoot that day. I adjust my whites and bring them up about 20 points or so. I like to drop the shadows down to keep the dark contrast and keep things that are dark, dark. Then, I will also adjust my lights and make them lighter.

From there, I'll bring my photos into Photoshop for some final touchups. I'm not a big fan of Photoshop, but I do use it for things like overlays. If there's a screenshot or blank tablet and I want to put a nice overlay - you get better mobility in Photoshop by manipulating the screenshot. If you have some fuzz on a shirt or lint on the floor of a flat lay and need to edit it off quickly - Photoshop is the best option.

If I need to add a screenshot or make any quick edits, I use the "healing tool" to take out little imperfections and things here and there. Then, I export my edited photos into Canva, which I use to create all of my graphics to avoid the rabbit hole that comes along with Photoshop, InDesign, and some of the more advanced programs.

Creating Graphics

Starting a business requires a lot of patience and determination. You have to be willing to make some sacrifices in your life, change your mindset, and keep pushing through when the going gets tough. But before you hit the ground running, there are a few key things you should know before you start your business.

Why? What? Who?

Why - The first and most crucial part of your business is knowing your "Why." Why are you doing what you're doing? What is the driving factor that pushes you to keep this business running? Your "why" gets you out of bed every morning, even when you're at your lowest.

What - What are your goals? What is it that you're trying to accomplish? Set small milestones that will help you get where you want to go. Start by creating small goals that are within reach. Not only will this help you stay on track towards the bigger picture, but you will build your confidence as you go along.

Who - Lastly, who is it that you're doing all of this for? Who is your ideal client? The one that you dream of working with or would benefit from your services or products. The more you know about them, the better you'll provide them with exactly what they need.

Prepare to Sacrifice

Within the first year of your business, prepare yourself to make sacrifices. Running a business takes a lot of time. The reality is that you'll work more hours for yourself than you ever did at your corporate, full-time job. That's entrepreneur life for you, but the reward is worth it when you see your hard work paying off.

The Money Doesn't Come Right Away

Starting a business doesn't mean instant profit. It could take a year or longer to see a consistent and profitable income. This is usually because, within the first year, your expenses go towards building a solid foundation for your business. So, before you start a business - don't quit your day job just yet. Set aside some money so that you can compensate for the days that your new business doesn't bring any income.

Conclusion

The thought of quitting will often cross your mind, but when it does - take a step back and reevaluate where you are in your business and if it's in the direction you want to be going. Know that you will have to pivot along the way and adjust to the many challenges that come your way, but these are the things that will make you stronger. Take those lessons, learn from them, and grow.

Build the Foundation

Your brand story is what builds the foundation of your business. It’s what helps your ideal audience understand who you are, what you do, what you stand for, and why they should choose you. Your story is what they care about most and why they, ultimately, buy from you. Share the most authentic pieces of your story that people can relate to and care about.

Every story has a beginning, middle, and end. Your brand story is no different. The beginning is where you want to be clear. Who is this story for? The middle is where you address the problems and struggles your audience may have. And, the end is how you can help.

Your customers are the main characters of the story. You want to give them a visual example of where they fit into your brand. They need to be able to see themselves and their problems answered with the help of your product.

Where Your Photos Come In

Your mindset is everything when you’re starting in your business. Finding ways to practice a positive mindset routine can make all the difference when the going gets tough. Being an entrepreneur is no easy feat, but it can be so rewarding when you see your hard work come to fruition. It’s easy to feel bored or lost because you hear yourself all the time, but how is it really looking? Are you letting the negative thoughts get in the way of your abilities? Here are a few reasons why entrepreneurial mindset work is so important.

No Comparison Mindset

By now, you know that social media can be a blessing and a curse. Chances are at some point in your life, you have found yourself endlessly scrolling through your Instagram feed. Then, by the time you put your phone down, your mood has changed for the worse.

Subconsciously, you spent all that time comparing yourself to other entrepreneurs and their progress. You start doubting your capabilities and your services and wonder if this life is for you.I’m here to tell you that it is. Sometimes, we all need a little reminder that everyone is on their own path—focus on yourself and your success, and no one else’s. You have no idea what’s going on behind closed doors.

Remember that your journey is different than everyone else’s. Instead, turn comparison into inspiration for how to make things better in your own business. What’s working for that person that you can incorporate into your business? Not everyone is as perfect as social media makes them out to be.

You Are Enough Mindset

Don’t wait until you feel “ready” to take the next steps in your business because that day may never come. There’s no better time than the present to take action, whether you’re just beginning or scaling upwards. You have the tools to get started, and you can learn the rest along the way. Putting pressure on yourself to know everything is counterproductive. Free resources and content are great starting points, but eventually, you need to go for it. Don’t let your fear of failure hold you back from all the possibilities that are available to you. As long as you know that you will make mistakes along the way, learn from them, and keep going.

Abundance Mindset

One thing to be clear about right now is that there is room for you and your business in the online world. Despite what people say about there being too many entrepreneurs or that the market is too saturated is not true. You, too, can succeed as an entrepreneur, friend. It’s so important that you get rid of the scarcity mindset and start believing that you are capable of abundance. You can have that 6-figure launch you’ve always dreamed of, but you need to believe that you can do it. Sometimes, a little accountability and support can play a huge role in getting you where you want to be as a business owner. This is why I’ve created the Creative Boss Society. It’s an opportunity for you to get the systems and strategies you need to move your business forward.

Conclusion

Many small business owners that I work with really want to channel a high-end appeal. They want to put their best foot forward, and they are looking to do that through their visuals. Photography adds that high-end, tailor-made feel to your products if you do it right. So, here are three important components that you need to have for your high-end brands.

Quality and Luxury Appeal

First, you need quality and luxury appeal. That means having the best kind of props, the best kind of materials, the thought, and detail that go into every image. Instead of creating an image with ingredients that are brought together digitally, you invest in having a luxury appeal by using real fruits that you can cut up and put with your product. Sometimes the quality and luxury aren't about the props, but rather the details that go into it. Think about the pieces that make your product unique.

Solid Differentiator

The second component is a solid differentiator. Think to yourself - what are the things that you are coming back to? Do you keep coming back to this minimalist, clean style? Do you keep coming back to that bohemian type vibe? Do you lean hard into blacks and whites and accent details? What are the things you find yourself leaning hard into, and that you love to see for your brand? What do you think your ideal customer is going to resonate with? You have a similar style and trend in the way that your brand is showing up.

Natural Products

I've also noticed many brands are leaning more into natural products or products made of real ingredients that you can get at a store. Take skincare products, for example. Many brands want to show that they use natural ingredients. So, what do they do? They style their product photos using fresh fruits to help bring their product's story to life. You give your audience a better visual of what you bring to the table and make your product more appealing.

Conclusion

Once you decide your differentiator, choose what style and direction will fit you and your brand best. That specific thing that makes your product different from the rest needs to be in your detailed shots. It needs to be in the clothes that your model is wearing. It needs to be in everything. So that look, that feeling, that lifestyle translates 100% into everything that you're doing. When you're marketing and putting things out there, you are pulling in more and more of the ideal clients you want to have to buy your things.

One of the toughest things when it comes to shooting your own product photos is consistency.

Issues with lighting, style, and brand message cohesiveness are common for D.I.Y.-ers.

So today, I’ve got 3 tips to help you achieve the seemingly effortless flow among your photos that you’ve seen on your favorite Instagram accounts.

Would you like to have more control over the outcome of your next photoshoot, ensure a more successful result, and experience a more seamless client/photographer relationship?

Then you need...drumroll, please...a photoshoot shot list.

So what is it, and why do I talk about it so often? A photoshoot shot list is basically a clean, crisp outline of what a photoshoot will look like through the photographer’s eyes. It includes important items like the setups and props to be used and the types of photos to be taken. But more than that, a shot list provides an opportunity for the photographer to clearly communicate their vision and for the client to decide if it matches what they’re hoping for.

I have worked with a lot of beauty brands over the last couple of years with different budgets and different brand styles.

And after working with so many brands, I’ve gathered a few tips that consistently lead to better beauty product photos.

I feel these tips are so important because when you're taking the opportunity to do a photoshoot, you want to make sure you get the most from it and that your products are shown in a beautiful way. And here’s the best part: the tips I’m going to give you below are actually things that are in your control and not dependent on a professional photographer.

Did you get some vertical images in your last product photoshoot?

As I’ve developed my client photoshoot questionnaire over the years, I’ve found that so many business owners consistently forget about vertical images. So if you didn’t get some vertical shots in your last batch of product photos, I want to tell you why you should definitely think about putting them on the list for next time.

Last year, I heard about a new company offering a different kind of email platform.

This platform has allowed me to easily distribute free tools, notify my list of upcoming events, and stay connected with the people who really want to hear from me during this strange COVID-19 time when so many businesses are turning to the online world in order to survive and thrive.

Not every photographer you might want to work with will be located near you.

If you’ve found someone who is capturing the style and feel you're going for but lives in another state, that's totally okay. You can ship your products!

As a specialized product photographer, I serve clients from New Jersey to Hawaii. But I know long-distance shipping expenses can add up, so I like to support my clients in reducing those costs as much as possible. Here are the tips I give them, and I hope they help you, too.

Sometimes it’s a struggle to get a small business off the ground in today’s super competitive world.

So as a photographer and business owner, I'm going to talk about the awkward elephant in the room: the things that make your business look unprofessional.

Small business owners have access to better quality photos, videos, websites, and branding than ever before, and customers/clients will often skip over businesses that don’t LOOK like they are professionally run. So to be able to make the living you want, charge prices that reflect the value of what you offer, and show the expertise you have, here are some important things to avoid.

Everyone has distinct likes and dislikes, and our brains all work in different ways. But as business owners, we’re all looking for the tools and systems that will allow us to run our businesses in the best way possible.

Many businesses are pivoting right now due to COVID-19.

With so much uncertainty in the economy here in the US and around the world, businesses are having to shift into what's going to work in the current circumstances with what they can control.

And I’m right there with all of the small business owners figuring out how to work at home on lockdown with my kids while the schools are closed. I've had to make some quick adjustments, and I wanted to share the things I'm specifically focused on in the hope that they might help you, too. And sometimes it's just nice to hear from somebody else and know that they are in the same place as you are.

Instagram is my favorite way to connect with other business owners, creators, and moms.

It’s also the hottest social media platform out there at the moment.

So if you want to up your Instagram game, I’ve got 3 underused ways you can take your photos and turn them into something great for your account.

Yikes, friends! The competition is fierce!

Gone are the days of being able to set up a so-so website for online presence and run around handing out business cards.

When you hand out a business card now, you can bet a week’s income that the recipient is going to turn around and look you up online for credibility about what you say. And the state of your website will either attract them or deflect them from hiring you, buying your product, etc. This is where the investment in good photography can make a huge impact on whether your visual game is on point and whether you’ve given your brand the visual credibility it deserves.

I’ve been in business for 6 years!

In those 6 years, I’ve been on cloud nine, ready to throw in the towel, and everywhere in between.

I’m about to get super real here with my reflections and 20/20 hindsight, but I have to own that I’m grateful for all of the business experiences I’ve had because they’ve shaped where I’m at today.  And my hope is that by sharing these thoughts, you might get some encouragement and clarity around things going on in your business.

Sometimes you just hit the inspiration roadblock.

It happens to everyone, even those of us in the creative professions.

So what will help when you’re having a slump day? Here are my suggestions for getting the creative juices flowing again.

I LOVE talking about props.

And obviously, props are a huge thing when it comes to working in any kind of photography.

There are tons of affordable options for props. You can literally find props everywhere if you look with the right eye. So this makes understanding how to invest in props in a way to maximize your return on investment an important topic for business owners. I’ll give you a few things to keep in mind whether you’re looking to invest in props for your own photoshoot, you’re working with a photographer, or you’re the photographer yourself.

You’ve got some beautiful product photos. What’s next?

In today’s world, it’s not enough to just have a great product and great product images anymore.

With all of the tools and resources out there for learning how to have and use fantastic images, lots of businesses do. So if you’re planning to run any type of ads on Facebook or Instagram, let me share with you 3 ways to take your photos one step further and stand out just a little bit more with your business.  These methods are commonly used by a lot of bigger organizations, but they’re within reach for the rest of us, too.

What’s a content checklist, and how can it help you?

Business owners sometimes don’t think about creating a content checklist because they’re not behind the camera. But if you, as a business owner, get involved in making a content checklist for your photoshoot, you’ll have more control over your photoshoot outcome and make sure you hit all of the touch points for your business.

Service-based businesses need photos, too.

While they may not have any physical products to sell, service providers like designers, marketers, and branders, still use images for their websites, social media, and blogs.

And even if these business owners have gone through the work of getting their own brand imagery, they may worry about having enough material for their amount of online activity. This is where good stock photography can give you the opportunity to stretch your image material for longer amounts of time, spend less than you would on additional custom brand images, and still have eye-catching photos to display online.  And I’ve got an easy, pennies-on-the-dollar way to get beautiful stock photography, including some shot by yours truly.

I know clothing flatlay photography can be challenging for a lot of people.

For those of you who are struggling with it, let me make it a little easier.

In my work as a commercial photographer, I have lots of clothing clients and I actually really love these kinds of shoots.  So here are my top 5 tips for this specialized area of flatlay photography.

“Scaling your business.” What does that even mean?

A little while back, I mentioned the concept of scaling a business on Instagram, and my followers had so many questions.

A lot of people think of scaling as hiring actual employees, but really scaling is about finding whatever avenues will work to run your growing business faster and more efficiently, leaving you with the time to keep growing your business.

Before founding Crystal Clear Creative Studios, I actually worked in HR for over a decade, recruiting and hiring for various types of businesses.  They ranged from small, locally-owned companies to Fortune 500 companies and defense contractors, and I hired A LOT of people for them.  So based on my corporate and entrepreneurial experience, here are my top 3 tips to make hiring and outsourcing a good experience so you can successfully scale your business.

How was your 2019 business year?

Let me tell you about mine.

Today I’m sharing the top 3 turning points for my business in 2019, and maybe my takeaways will spark something for you and your business in 2020.

We all know you’ve got to spend money to make money.

But when you’re a business owner looking to invest for growth, it’s easy to find yourself pulled in a lot of different directions. The places you COULD spend your money seem endless. So to help you and your business thrive in 2020, I’d love to share my “20/20” hindsight perspective about the investment spots in which I‘ve gotten the most value for money.

Certain products just look better when a person is interacting with, using, applying, or wearing them.

So what do you do if model fees are a bit of a stretch financially?

This is a common issue for growing product businesses, and I’ve got some affordable methods of getting people into your pictures to share with you.

Growing your own business can feel lonely, like you’re on a hunt by yourself to try to find all the pieces you need.

At least, this is how it felt tome when I quit my corporate job after 9 and a half years and jumped into creating my own business so I could have more time with my kids and pursue something I really loved.

I was searching the internet, trying to find the tools and resources I needed. But so much of what I found just wasn’t right for the type of business I wanted to create. And coaching or masterminds wasn’t in the budget back then. It would have been so amazing to have had one place with all of the information I needed at a price I could afford.

Things come up. Whether it’s waiting on rebranded labels, shipping problems, or damaged products, there are lots of random issues that can cause problems with your photoshoot.

However, as a product photographer, I’ve noticed there are 2 specific things that seem to come up pretty regularly to keep small business owners from getting the results they were hoping for from their product photoshoot.

So here’s what they are and how you can combat them to have the best product shoot possible.

Is your product shoot budget a bit smaller than you would like?

I know it can be very difficult to come up with the money for a full professional product shoot of everything you offer all at once, so let me give you the suggestions I’ve given a lot of business owners who are unsure about how to get their professional product shoots done on the budget they have.

I work with A LOT of product businesses. In fact, I’ve worked with 150 this year alone!

And even today in a world full of branding and marketing info, there’s one mistake I still see product businesses owners making all the time.

These wonderful people love their products so much that they think everyone should have them! So in other words, they haven’t targeted an ideal audience. And the reality of trying to talk to EVERYONE is that you really end up talking to NO ONE. This lack of audience focus keeps product businesses from reaching their full potential and hurts them with their business photography, too.  So if you’re a product business owner in this predicament, let’s figure out who those people are that will want to buy everything you make.

“How do you do it all?” 

“How did you get where you are in your business?”

People sometimes ask me these questions, and the answer really comes down to mindset and the things I choose to do everyday. So I want to touch on how I’ve personally changed my own business mindset for success and some of the habits I’ve developed for getting stuff done.

I live on the ‘Gram.

And if you’ve been on Instagram a while, too, you’ve seen a monochromatic, well laid-out, and well thought-out feed.  In fact, you will have seen A LOT of them.

So let’s talk about whether that perfect feed is still the thing you should focus on.

Let’s sharpen up your shop’s image!

If you have a product shop, it’s the place to which you are driving all of your marketing and traffic and where people will come to find those fabulous items that only you can provide.

But even though they are so important for product creators, sometimes these shops don’t get refreshed as often as they should.  Here are 4 common areas of product shops that I frequently see could use some updating.

Good photography is so important for your business...but it isn’t everything.

Sometimes business owners who have invested in photography can find that their images aren’t really working for them or that their business isn’t moving forward as a result like they had hoped.

As a person who has crossed paths with A LOT of business owners wanting to make the most out of their photos, I’ve found that there are a few key things that need to be in place in order for images to have the desired effect for a business.  So here’s what you can do to up the productivity of your photos.

Fall is a favorite season for many of us.  Bring on the leaves, pumpkins, and cider!

This season change also marks the lead up into the holidays.  And girl, let me help you get ready for that!

These next few months are some of the busiest of the year, so right now at the beginning of September is an excellent time to plan your holiday photos, content, and marketing.  And to make the planning easier, here are 5 trends I’ve been seeing that will make your visual materials up to date and on pointe this season.

Lots of business owners worry about not having enough variety in their images.  And we live in a social media culture that makes us feel like everything has to be new and completely unique.  

However, the fact is that we can actually create consistency and help set expectations for our followers by reusing images.  And while we may feel like we are using an image a lot, it’s important to remember that our followers or past/present customer are not going to see our images everywhere we post them. 

Canva is my fav tool to recommend to all the business owners who need a quick and easy way to size or create quality graphics using their photos.  

SEO.  It stands for search engine optimization.

Your SEO ranking has to do with how Google and other search engines pull up your website among the millions of site out there on the world wide web. 

And when you upload an image to your website, you have the opportunity to do a few key things that will increase your SEO.

There is a huge shift happening toward Instagram marketing.

It’s a visual platform that is growing and growing.  And there are some behaviors from an image standpoint that can help you increase your Instagram reach and leverage more of what your business can do there.

I'm using great images but my business still isn't taking off... 

Have you had a professional gallery of images created for you?  And did you start using those beautiful images only to have nothing happen? 

That means it’s time to perform an audit on some key factors of your image use and marketing strategy. 

A style guide ebook brings your brand together.

It’s a one place to keep everything that is important and relevant to your brand.  These would be things like  your mission statement, tag line, key words, description of who you serve, description of the benefits of your products or services, description of set you apart, logo, fonts, colors, textures, and styles of photography.

And a style guide ebook is a great way to communicate what your brand is all about to others, especially photographers and other creative industry professional who might do work for you.