PERSONAL BRANDING PHOTOSHOOTS

Headshots, personal branding photoshoots, branding photos - lots of words thrown around these days but what do they actually mean?!?

Here's a quick summary:

• Professional headshots: These are the most basic form of business portraits. They are the absolute minimum for any business owner. The main purpose of a headshot is to allow your customers and clients to put a face to the brand name. Ideal for use on your LinkedIn profile and other social media platforms.
• Personal Branding Photos: This is the next step up from headshots. A personal branding photoshoot is perfect for you if you've been in business for at least a year and know exactly who you are and who your target audience is. Personal branding photos help you elevate your profile and build a connection with your audience. We start to bring in your personality and can create a cohesive set of images you can use across both your online and offline platforms.

Simply put - if a headshot is a single orange skittle (mmh - my favourite), then a personal branding photoshoot gives you the whole bag of yummy colours! #yay

Today's client spotlight will be on the fabulous Dr Nikki Ramskill, popularly known as The Female Money Doctor. Yes - she's actually a real doctor with over 12 years of experience as an NHS GP and women’s health specialist.

Nikki believes health and wealth are intimately intertwined and is a trained money coach and also runs an award winning blog, The Female Money Doctor. She is the ONLY doctor to be featured in the top 25 feedspot list of Personal Finance Blogs in the UK and has been highlighted in Plum’s Top 5 Personal Finance Blogs for female financial independence.

Nikki now helps women all over the world improve their mental health and well-being through getting organised with their finances and building wealth for the future they truly deserve. #winning

Nikki came in for a personal branding photoshoot because she had a clear idea of what direction she wanted to take the business and wanted new branding images that reflected her vision and growth.

We had a thorough pre shoot branding consultation. This gave us a clear outline for our shoot so we could create exactly what Nikki needed for her business and marketing needs! This has been one of my favourite shoots this year and I absolutely love what we came up with. Enjoy the interview!

Tell us a little bit about yourself, what do you do? 

I'm a financial empowerment coach for women. My mission is to help women to feel better about their finances through small habit changes to make a big long term impact on their money. I do this through bespoke one to one coaching and through my three online courses that tackle money mindset, budgeting, planning and organising, and finally investing in the stock market.

What inspired your interest in money and financial empowerment? 

So before I became a coach, I became a doctor. I still work for the NHS as a GP. I realised, at the age of turning 30 that I had a big problem with my money. I was in a lot of debt and had no savings, yet working as a doctor, it "looked" like I had it all together. I took some time out of work through burnout and when I returned, took steps to turn my money problems around. I then realised what a huge part money has to play in healthcare, and I started blogging about my money journey through my blog, The Female Money Doctor. I then trained as a coach to take people on the same path to freedom that I have started on.

What sets you apart from others in your space? 

I think because I'm a doctor, I have a different perspective and way of explaining things. I like breaking down difficult concepts and making them easy steps to follow. 

Who are your favourite clients to work with? 

I love working with women who have been hiding from their finances thinking they can't do it. When they learn some basic principles of what to do, and realise why their mindset is how it is around money, it's like a weight gets lifted from their shoulders and they have so much confidence. This is why I love doing what I do. 

Did 2020 and the whole lockdown experience teach you anything new about yourself?

Yes, that I love working from home! I've since taken steps to work with an online GP service while I'm building up my coaching business. I really enjoy being able to help patients from all over the UK in the same way I do with money (in fact, I help coaching clients all over the world!). This brings me a fresh perspective on how I teach and I how I manage patients. So it's online working all the way from me!  

Let's get more personal - what meal could you eat every day for a year? #foodiealert 

Oooo it definitely has to be noodles. When I went travelling during my burnout year, I ate noodles nearly every day and never got sick of it. Every region in Asia has their own way of serving noodles, so it never became boring!

What or who always makes you smile? 

My husband Tom. He always seems to know how to cheer me up. We're both so busy with work, so time together is precious and fun!

Why did you decide to have a personal branding photoshoot now? 

My website was not in alignment with who I had become as a coach. I took selfies as my "headshots" which was ok when all I was doing was blogging, but as a coach, I wanted to demonstrate how far along my journey I had come. My photos just didn't reflect that my expertise in this space, so I knew it was time for an upgrade. 

Did you have any concerns or worries before the photoshoot? Or did anything surprise you during your shoot?  

Yes, I was convinced that I would look awful in all my photos and I would hate them, but I actually had the opposite problem in the end and wanted to keep all my photos!! I was surprised by how much more relaxed I became as the afternoon went on. I can definitely see this in the photos. You helped put me at ease Wani!

How have you used your photos? What benefits, if any,  have you experienced from having a professional branding photoshoot?  

All over social media and my website. I've also sent them to newspapers as headshots for print, and I even use them on my doctor profiles. They look amazing! I definitely think having the photos makes me look more serious about my business. It's not just a "hobby", it's a whole direction change for me, and one that I am determined to make a success of.

Finally, where can people find out more about you?

The best place is my facebook group: https://facebook.com/groups/thefemalemoneydoctor
but if you love listening to podcasts, check out mine: https://anchor.fm/thefemalemoneydoctor
or my blog: https://thefemalemoneydoctor.com
I'm on instagram as well - @femalemoneydoc

2022 is just around the corner - so whether you are looking for a simple headshot or a full personal branding photoshoot, I'd love to chat about how I can help you stand out and be seen in your business.

Find out more about our headshot and personal branding services right here. If you have any questions, drop me a message at wani@waniolatunde.com or via the contact form. I'd love to help you look your absolute best!