#19 Camera shy? Don't be! with Rosie Parsons

Aggie Meroni: 0:05

Welcome to the Freelance ads club podcast with me your host Aggie Meroni. Whether you're a seasoned freelance ads manager, or just thinking about taking the leap into self employment, this podcast is for you. Every week, I'll be releasing a bite sized episode, I'll be sharing mistakes I've made and lessons I've learned from my own freelance business. I'll be showcasing some of the amazingly talented freelancers in the freelance ads club. And I also will be speaking to some incredible guests who generously be sharing their knowledge with us to help us keep updated with industry trends. And I really hope that after listening to this podcast, you will come away full of confidence on how to win great clients, how to charge correctly, and most importantly, retain those dream clients so that you build a successful and sustainable business. Today's episode is a good one. And I say that every time but today I am joined by Rosie Parsons, the personal branding photographer, and I invited Rosie's to join me today to talk about the importance of being visible online. As a freelance ads manager, you are one person in a very, very noisy place trying to shout louder than everyone else to get noticed. And in my personal opinion, having decent photography or visuals, whether they're graphics, a strong brand can really help to getting you noticed and to help you stand out in someone's feed. So listen in, hear what I had to talk about with Rosie, her tips on how to get started, how to budget for branding shoot, whether you're even ready for one at this point in your business, and what the benefits are. We also talked as well about the amazing processes Rosie has in place in her business. As she is a freelancer herself. I thought it was interesting just to touch on that because it helps save time, and make things more efficient. And also give that VIP experience to clients as well. So tune in and listen in to what Rosie had to say. Hi, Rosie, thank you so much for joining me today.

Rosie Parsons: 2:22

It's lovely to be here.

Aggie Meroni: 2:24

So before I get started in asking you all the questions, the first thing I ask everyone who comes on is just to introduce themselves. And just to give us a bit of an idea of your background and how you got to where you are now.

Rosie Parsons: 2:39

Yeah, sure. So yeah, so my name is Rosie Parsons, and I'm a personal branding photographer based in Exeter, Devon, I specialise in bright colourful photos for female entrepreneurs. And I started off by working in the music industry. Funnily enough, I worked in music management for Tom Jones, which was really good fun for about five years. And that was really interesting because I had an interest in photography as well. And I got to go along to quite a lot of celebrity photoshoots. I also worked for some magazines as well and go to go to photo shoots for those. So I learned a lot about how celebrities like to be treated on photo shoots. And I now try and bring that into my own shoots and make people feel special, like a celebrity when they come and see me, which is really nice.

Aggie Meroni: 3:20

And having been one of your clients I can 100% confirm that I felt like a celebrity when I came to have my photo shoot with you. And the reason I always ask how people ended up where they are today is because absolutely no one has had one of those like traditional careers, we're all like, kind of pushed to think that we need to have that, you know, or maybe go to university, I personally felt like I had to go to university. So I did look back on it, and I probably wouldn't have had the career I had if I hadn't been. But again, I've met so many people that are really fulfilled, successful and didn't need it either. So I think things are changing now because it's so expensive.

Rosie Parsons: 4:04

Yeah, I did go to university, but I studied commercial music. But that really helped me not in terms of having a degree, but the connections that I made there. So Stevie Wonder's manager was one of my tutors. And when I left university and applied for this job with Tom Jones management, I mean, I had him as one of my references, that's gonna go some ways. So I wouldn't have had that unless I'd have gone to the course and met those people. But that's not to say, if I'd have gone straight into working in the music industry, I'm sure I would have met some really cool people that way as well. So who knows if it was a better way, but I

Aggie Meroni: 4:46

I think you've kind of hit the nail on the head enjoyed it. that it all comes down to connection. I think the photography actually helped open doors for that reason, and it's more that you stand out. People will take notice, they get interested and then they might reach out to you because they'll start following you. So it's just that kind of icebreaker. And I think as someone who isn't a photographer and just like hires or works with photographers now and again, I think something that isnt actually talked about that much is how important professional photography is, especially now a lot of online. And people listening are freelance ads managers, so it's really important for them to be visible online. So I think investing in photography is probably like a non negotiable that you should like budget for. Yeah, absolutely. I'll do it once a year or once every couple of years, just so that I'm confident online.

Rosie Parsons: 5:48

Well, if you think about any leader in any different field, like think about Marie Forleo, Amy Porterfield, Denise DuffieldThomas, then they're out there, and you look on their website, and they look professional, and they look like they invest in themselves, they take themselves seriously and that you can trust them. If they have selfies that they took, you know, they wouldn't have the kudos and the respect that they deserve. And if you want to be taken seriously, and as a leader and someone to trust, then you do need to invest in yourself and look the part.

Aggie Meroni: 6:20

Definitely. But like coming across you when I just launched my business, and I think it is your colourful presence online. See my brand is really bold. So I was like, instantly I wanted to work with you but it was totally out of reach at the start. But it was on my vision board. I'm gonna work Rosie, and this year I did. I remember one of the first things I did invest in was a branding shoot. And it was one in London with like a local photographer. And it was still a massive investment for me at the time. And I thought, am I being self indulgent? Are people gonna think, Oh, who is she, sitting here getting photo taken. And I have to say, I felt so intimidated doing it, it was so out of my comfort zone. But when I got those photos back, I felt so confident. And I was like, right, I'm serious. Now my business is a thing. Like I've just invested in marketing wise for myself.

Rosie Parsons: 7:17

Well, yeah, and I think that's totally understandable to kind of if you're out in the streets of London and been photographing or watching that is understandable to feel self conscious. But it is something like either you could do photos in a studio, but it is nice to have those lifestyle shots as well. And to be out and about, it's nice to have a mixture. So sometimes we just have to kind of get over it. And it's do it anyway. And it is yeah, it's brilliant to have those kinds of photos, you need them for so many things.

Aggie Meroni: 7:44

Definitely. I do think as well. It's one of those things. And I've never really had to put myself out there when I was employed. But when you have your own business, you suddenly feel icky a lot because you're out of your comfort zone so much. And without really intentionally two way I've had a photo shoot once a year. So I had that very initial one. The lifestyle told me that I had like a mini shoot last year, I was just to refresh everything. It was back in Notting Hill. But I just I just had to use those photos to death. And then this year, I was like, I actually need some studio shots. So I just wanted a different type of photography. And it wasn't that I thought, right, once a year, I'm gonna invest in photography. But now that you're in my third sheet, I think it will be something that I think okay, I need this budget every year to get those photos done. Or website polished, my social media presence is really noticeable. Like you can see that it's me. And I think that's something that as a freelancer it's actually hard to stand out because you're one person.

Rosie Parsons: 8:46

Yeah, absolutely. And you're selling a service, aren't you? So you're not selling something tangible that you can take product photos of, and you are the product, so you need photos of you, you need people to connect with you to like you, and it is scary putting yourself out there. And that's why it's it's really important to be bring out your personality and your photos because not everyone's gonna like you and that's okay. The idea of having a personal brand and bringing your personality out in your photos is you're going to attract and repel people. So you're going to attract people who are like you, who you're going to enjoy working with and you're going to repel people who aren't on your same wavelength. But that's fine. You don't want to appeal to everybody. Very few people do appeal to everybody and those that do are instantly forgettable because they don't stand for anything. So you want to kind of draw in other people who are like you to you and then it becomes a pleasure to go to work and you're excited to work with people and that's why we work for ourselves, isn't it so that we can enjoy work and have that freedom to choose who we want to work with?

Aggie Meroni: 9:48

Absolutely. Taking myself back to that first photo shoot that I did. I just remember being completely overwhelmed. I had no idea what to expect. Just the like things I had Think about to prepare, just seems completely, like, overwhelming to me. I was like, Okay, well, what's why? Where? what's what, what makeup do I need? If like, if any guys listening is probably like, you know, how do I do my hair or whatever, you know what colours? What would your sort of advice be to someone is yeah thinking I need to get this done, but I'm a bit nervous about it. But what's involved?

Rosie Parsons: 10:23

Yeah, so with my clients, I do an onboarding process, because I kept getting asked the same questions over and over. So that's been really helpful, because then its in an email on each topic. So we go through, like, what outfits are going to be work well together. And I talk about fitted outfits even if you feel a bit overweight, and like, oh, I don't know that I dont want to show my tummy, fitted outfits look, you know, really good, much better than oversized things. And I talk about colours, what colours to bring into your outfits, and then also where you might want to hire things from and that kind of thing. And then your photographer, you might want to speak to them about what they recommend as well. But if they don't have something like an onboarding process, you can always look on Pinterest as well for ideas. Just thinking about shortlist as well? That's a really important one, like, what do you want to get from the session? Where are you going to be using your photos? And what do you need, the photographer will guide you in some respects, but you know your business so you know what topics you're writing about. And then therefore what photos you're going to need to go with those topics. They can't read your mind. So you need to go prepared with a list of what you need, really. And that doesn't necessarily, it doesn't have to all be just smiling nicely at the camera. You could have some pointing ones. You could have like a pondering faces. Or if you're doing a sales page, what about having a really excited expression? Like I'm excited to work with you? Come on, let's go. So think about what you need before you go to the shoot and write yourself a list and ideally share it with your photographer before you go as well.

Aggie Meroni: 12:01

I think this is the thing that actually overwhelms me the most because I was new and even now like I'm still a newish business, it's only like two and a half years, nearly three, I was still thinking like, When am I actually going to need these because that is actually the mental load. That was like holding me back. So I was like, okay, so I don't really ever have like a concrete business plan, which is probably not a good thing. But you know, for those of us that are more organised, you might be like, Okay, I'm gonna have three launches of different things to share. I'm launching a new service, maybe I'm gonna ramp up my VIP days or my strategy calls, what do I need to actually promote myself doing that? So I need sales pages, I will be doing social media posts, do I have an email list? Will I need an email header or signature for my emails, I'm just trying to fit all social media profiles together.

Rosie Parsons: 12:53

So having a bright background is one of the easiest things to do, to remember. And another place that one of my clients used recently, which I thought was a genius was at the end of a pitch deck. And again, it was like excited with the phone like right next step, contact me let's get going. And I thought oh, that's a brilliant way to finish off a pitch deck is you know, remind them of who you are, and ended on a high. So that was a good one.

Aggie Meroni: 13:20

Also, another one, which is one that you shared that I did, was I put my big girl pants on and did my like, first public speaking thing in like four or five years, and I used my photography from your shoots in my deck and presentation.

Rosie Parsons: 13:36

I know, I saw that. That was fantastic. I shared that on my socials as well because I was like, I haven't seen photos of behind the scenes of people doing that. And that looked amazing. It just jumped out from the stage and looked great.

Aggie Meroni: 13:46

Yeah, so sometimes it might be one of those things. It's like is it worth it? Is it worth the investment for my business? I would personally 100% Say yes like definitely budget for it even if you have to put some money aside every month to say okay, I need this amount of money to do it. So yeah, that was personally overwhelming for me. Another couple of things which I did not appreciate as a person having their photograph taken was the amount of self care needed before you have a shoot. Right? So this isn't just for women by the way so making sure you've moisturised your eyebrows are well or kept washing your hands because you know if you have a manicure fine, and maybe not necessary if you're a guy but my hands are really dry. And that's something that I was told to make sure you moisturise your hands because if you're holding things the camera picks that up and oh my goodness, that is the details. I had no idea.

Rosie Parsons: 14:44

Yeah, that's true. It is lots in the detail, you need to think about a lot of things. I mean, it's not the end of the world. If you're not somebody that sort of wants to do that stuff. You don't have to but it will elevate the photo more if you take care of those little details there.

Aggie Meroni: 15:00

And what a good excuse to get your roots done or get a trim? Maybe get your eyebrows threaded, have a facial, moisturise and face mask the night before going. Oh, I'm in a hotel in Exeter, I don't have a child with me. I don't have to cook anyone dinner, someone's cooked dinner for me. I was like , yes!

Rosie Parsons: 15:19

Yeah, exactly. And you can just blame it on me that I wrote she said I had to, I had to get my facial.

Aggie Meroni: 15:32

I think sometimes as well, if you have your own business, you kind of can neglect yourself as well. So it's an excuse just to say I actually need to book time in to get these things done, because I'm investing in myself to get these photos done.

Rosie Parsons: 15:44

Yeah, definitely. And we have a hair and makeup artists on site. So when you come you kind of get looked after in that way. But if you're going to somebody where maybe a more lifestyle shot, they probably won't include hair and makeup. So it's really good idea to make sure that you book those things in obviously, if you're good at your own makeup, you can do that yourself. Hair wise, I recommend going to a hairdresser and making sure that it's you know, looking really good. And then also keep asking your photographer during the day, like my makeup artist will keep an eye on you throughout the whole shoot and just make sure that hairs looking right. But obviously you can't see yourself. So you need somebody checking. And the photographer is probably thinking about the composition and how the photos looking and your expression. So they might not be looking at all those little details. So it's worth just a check in with them and say like, Is my hair still looking? Okay, and taking little breaks to check in the mirror and that kind of thing.

Aggie Meroni: 16:34

And another thing, lifestyle thing that I didn't really appreciate as well is how important the time of day is that you have your shoot. Oh, yeah. So you know, if there are lots of different slots available, go for like nine or 10 o'clock. Is that right? Just because the lights more forgiving?

Rosie Parsons: 16:52

Yeah, it is. If you go mid day, then it is going to be probably harsher light. Unless it's cloudy. That's one of the reasons I stopped doing shoots outdoors as much, I still like photograph indoor in people's houses sometimes. But generally, like the studio means whatever the weather is going to be like, its the same conditions. You need to think about if there's a particular wall or really nice location, that's your brand colour, you need to check on the light various times a day on it, because if it's in the morning, it might have the bright morning sun on it. And then the awful photo, like for photos, and then the evening it might the sun's gone round. And it's now in shade, which is much nicer, soft light. So you can kind of yeah, there's a lot to think about when doing on location photos, which is part of the reason I don't do them anymore. There's too many variables as well as people watching you. But yeah, like I said, it is nice to have a mixture. But just like think about where you're going and check out various times of the day if you can, just to make sure what the lights like.

Aggie Meroni: 17:53

And seeing that we've touched on, like before we spoke today is how you can help is to be authentic when promoting yourself. And sometimes people have a misconception that if your doing branding shoot, then it's all very strict. Like, you know, there's that you're not going to show your personality. What would your advice be? For anyone who's feeling that way? Like? What tips would you have for them to show themselves? Like genuine selves?

Rosie Parsons: 18:22

Yeah, I think about the locations and think about where you're choosing to be photographed, does that represent you and who you are? Not just in terms of colours, but the vibe of the place? And is it something you like to hang out, and that sort of represents your brand aesthetic that you kind of slipped in slot right in there? Yeah, because you don't want to just take photos like in like, say, for example, in a really posh area of London or something. And then I don't know, it might work for somebody's brand, but then you might want somewhere really funky and colourful. So it's thinking really hard about where you want to go beforehand. And then it's in the outfits that you wear as well, like some people have told me before that they're worried before they come that they're going to not look them like themselves, but I was like you will because you're going to wear your own outfits. In fact, I used to have a studio wardrobe of lots of different colours so that people could choose. But often people would end up thinking I don't really, I wouldn't really wear that. So don't look like me, I don't recognise myself. So now I just get people to bring their own outfits. And that's the same for whatever shoot you do is if you bring your own outfits, you're thinking about the location you want to go to and like try and be a bit goofy on a shoot. Like don't take it too seriously. You don't have to like, you know, pose. Like, I don't know, you can even be more relaxed. And yeah, just be yourself and then that will come across in your photos. Oh, and I would say actually the most important thing probably is to make sure you get on well with your photographer, because if you're having fun with them, then that will come across and that's part of the reason that I do the hair and makeup at the beginning of the shoot. Because it's rare. really nice for people to come in, they have some breakfast and relax. And then I can chat to them for an hour while they're getting their hair and makeup done. And it helps them get to know me relax and feel like we're friends. So that when I go to photograph them, we're actually having a good time. And it's not just like, oh, this cameras in my face.

Aggie Meroni: 20:17

Yeah. And I have to say one of the thing I absolutely loved about your studio is that life size cutouts

Rosie Parsons: 20:28

That's quite a new addition. I love them, too. So one of my questions I asked people when they come and see me is like, Who's your celebrity crush, because it always makes people's face light up. And I can say, Well imagine they're standing next to me. And it makes people smile. And I kept getting the same names over and over again. And I thought, I find it quite nice to get some cutouts and then they kind of stand next to me. And then when I want people to point then they're pointing at Idris Elba and Ryan Reynolds. I mean, that's better than pointing at a wall, isn't it?

Aggie Meroni: 20:58

Yes, I have to say it made the day very enjoyable. And I was like, where did you get this because my office, obviously, that'd be a bit weird, because I don't actually have a reason for having that. I think that's like, just from a business perspective, I think it's a really fun way to kind of enhance your customer experience. And I think it's something that no matter what service you provide, there are unique things that you can do so that you're memorable, and that you create an amazing experience for your clients and your customers as well. And I think that's like, you know, becomes my niche. And the same thing is with my clients that what experience that they give their customers. That's what makes them memorable. And that's what makes people come back. So yeah, I think no matter what industry, you're in whatever niche whatever, that is something to be creative with and have a bit of fun with as well as and so yeah,

Rosie Parsons: 21:55

I'm always thinking after every shoot, how can I improve that, you know, not, not like giving myself a hard time or anything, but just thinking, oh, like, for example, a lot of people come and they say they want to log onto my internet. And it's quite a difficult kind of app to find the little thing to give them. And then one client pointed out that there's a QR code on it, then people can scan it and open it on their phone and log straight in. And that's like much quicker. And then I thought, Well, how about if I get that that scanned, bigger and put it on the wall, then people can just scan it really quick. And it's just little things like that. And the cutouts were a new thing. And I just always thinking of little like ways how can I improve it and I didn't used to do loads of snacks and cakes stuff. And then I noticed that people were getting a bit tired and used to just have like, you know, a few muffins. And then I thought Yeah, actually, I can make this like it's not that expensive to put on a nice lunch. And I live next to Waitrose. So that's yeah, so easy. And it has made the experience much nicer for everybody. And it feels a bit more of a treat.

Aggie Meroni: 22:56

Yeah, your spread was good. But also, as well, like, just from a business perspective, I think your processes are so good. So your onboarding is really slick. And it's very thoughtful. So you know, you know that lots of people visit you they come to you as a destination photographer to get their photos done. And people aren't, they don't know the local area. So you help with recommendations, hotels, places to go for dinner, places to do last minute shopping like I haven't got a top for like what? What places can I go quickly to buy something and exercise? Yeah, me that was great. Because even though I booked two months before I had the session, I could quickly look back on those emails. There was also a very surprising fun email, which I'm not going to say anything. Yeah. Anyone wants to book a lovely surprise. Yeah. But that was amazing. That's an amazing thing to receive. And again, not not needed, like butter. Yeah, that's a lovely, delightful surprise to get in your inbox, you know? So yeah. And it's kind of made me think more about how I onboard people and the experience they get. Even like your podcast onboarding was amazing, because I wrote these podcasts earlier this week actually is Yeah. Like, you know, the emails, the onboarding, the question, like everything was slick. Because I have to say everything that I've done this year has been very off the cuff. And I've kind of walked like run before I can walk. Yeah. So next year, I'm going to be putting a bit more of an organised process in place to help me so I'm not frantic all the time.

Rosie Parsons: 24:35

I tell you what it is, is because I've got four children, and I am like mainly quite harassed all the time and stressed and very disorganised. I've got ADHD and if I didn't have help with systems, I would be a complete mess. So yeah, when I was setting up the new podcasts, I was like, I'm not going to have time to reply to everybody to tell everyone individually, what I need to do what they need to do so I just set it up straightaway, like what is the, when they book it, they can book it in themselves in a date and time, that's gonna send an auto email some next steps. And like, yeah, save me lots of time in, which is what I need. And it gives everybody the right information. Onboarding, like, yeah, it's so important. And I'm, again, I'm always thinking about how to improve it. When people come and give me feedback, I listened to it, and then try and implement it in the business always improving. And whenever I go to any other business, I'm always thinking, why don't they ask for feedback? Because, like, there's little things that I think could shape could change, that would make a better experience, but no one ever asks. So I think it does feel like awkward asking you want to hit just hear that is fabulous. Everything was great. But actually, if you can, like take, take yourself out of it and not take it personally, if you can just listen to the feedback, then you can make things better and better and better.

Aggie Meroni: 25:53

that feeling like, Oh, I really like scared when I said, I was like, I really have no idea how this is gonna go, because I noticed quite a few new things this year. And again, it's all been like, minimum viable product. So like, just get it out there, see what the feedback is, and then then iterate it and improve it. But even when you do that initial one, you still put a lot of effort and heart into it and it gets torn apart. It does, it does hurt stuff. That's another thing. You just have to be brave, and like it will improve for the better.#

Rosie Parsons: 26:32

Yeah, and another thing you can do that's quite helpful, I find is to interview people, even before you've made something like interview your ideal clients about, you know, what are their worries about coming out? Like, I always interview people, when they're at the shoot about, like, how did they feel beforehand? And, you know, just kind of really try and understand people and when you're in a business, it can, you can easily forget how it feels to to not experience your service. So yeah, it's really good to kind of ask questions before you even make something.

Aggie Meroni: 27:00

Yeah, it's just actually made me realise that I didn't ask for feedback after our power hour. That's actually something I don't do. I don't actually ask for feedback after those, which is probably something I should do for next year.

Rosie Parsons: 27:15

That can be automated as well. So it could just like automatically send them an email with a link to filling out a form and, and then you don't necessarily have to do anything about it straightaway. But then you've got all that really interesting data to look back at next time you work on something.

Aggie Meroni: 27:29

Yeah, definitely. It's one of those things that just is never done, you know, yeah, it's always things that you need to tweak to improve. And I think when you're in the thick of it, when you're doing your client work, it's so hard to put time aside to sort of polish those things up, isn't it? And you just kind of muddle along and think you'll be fine.

Rosie Parsons: 27:47

Oh, it's so important to take time out of your business to work it on it, rather than just in it. Yeah, it's the only way that anything's going to change. So ifyou're feeling like I was feeling, disorganised and like missing things, missing emails, right, something needs to change. So you need to sort of take that time out to work on on it.

Aggie Meroni: 28:08

Yeah, I have to say, like, we're recording this just before Christmas. And in two days time, or not, actually, tomorrow, tomorrow's Friday, tomorrow's my last day of the year that I'm officially working. But I actually feel a bit overwhelmed with how much I need to work on, on my own business, because q4 is just my busiest quarter. And it's just a bit insane that I just don't have the time to do all these things that I need to do. And that my to do list is huge. I was like, it's fine. Next week, my husband's working anyway, and my in laws will be like taking charge of my child. Next week is the week I will just sit down quietly with my out of office on and just work through things that annoying me. And I'm hoping by the time I hit 2023, I'll be a lot happier with where things are. Yeah. So on that, if there's someone who is on the fence about investing in branding, or branding shoots, yeah. Is there sort of any advice you would give them that are things to consider before they make that initial investment?

Rosie Parsons: 29:13

Yeah, I think about what like what you're selling, and how much that cost, because that will indicate like as to how much you can invest in personal branding photography, because different photographers will charge different amounts. And what you don't want to do is if you're selling courses for like 100 pound each, if you spend a lot on photography, it's going to take you quite a while to see that return back. Whereas if you're selling courses for 1000 pounds each, then it's a no brainer to go for a more expensive photographer because then you're gonna make that money back so much quicker. So just think about, you know what your budget. Like, if once you've got nice photos, you'll be able to beat more sales, but how much you spend on those photos. You need to think how many sales will I need to make that money back I'm. So that's a really important thing to think about. And then also think about your brand and what brand words you have like how how would you describe your brand? And then try and find a photographer? That is similar. And you know, if you're fun and playful, then come see me. If you're, like more corporate and things, and there'll be lots of other photographers. Yeah, so you kind of want to have a good look around and try and find a photographer that really matches your brand. And your brand words, really,

Aggie Meroni: 30:34

would you say that it's really important to have to have had someone create your brand. So you might have worked at a branding, maybe a graphic designer or branding strategist or someone, they can help you with those ads, the colours, the feel of your brand, approach someone like you?

Rosie Parsons: 30:53

Yeah, definitely. I work with a lot of graphic designers. So like, we have clients that come and see both of us. And basically, what you want to do is to see a graphic designer first so that you can get your colours locked down. And that's whether you see me or any other photographer, because you don't want to be taking photos and wearing bright red, if actually your brand colour is green, you want to when you're creating photos you want wherever you drop them in your website or your social media, they need to create a nice cohesive brand. So you need to be absolutely sure, like what your colours are going to be. I think apart from that, yeah, I mean, having a graphic designer is is really important. And they will like bring your photos and your whole brand to another level. Oh, definitely, if you can afford it, recommend that. But if not, then the most important thing is that you're very clear on your colours, and then you can go in and book a photographer.

Aggie Meroni: 31:45

Yeah, definitely. Because I think sometimes just from a freelance manager perspective, sometimes you kind of doing it because maybe x agents, then you've gone freelance, or maybe it's in house, and then you've decided to do a bit of freelancing on the side. Some people are career changes. Like I was just starting out. I was really fortunate that my best friend's sister is a creative director. So she gifted me my brand. Oh, yeah, a lifesaver for me. It's probably the best birthday present I've ever received that PDF. I was like, Oh, my God, I love you so much. Yeah, that is that gave me confidence that I knew what colours to use what the film was on everything. Social media, when I finally got enough budget to invest in my website, it really helps me brief what I wanted. So yeah. So yeah, before booking the photography, take a step back. If you're kind of like muddling along at the beginning of your journey, try and find someone to partner with to help you get that fit. Yeah,

Rosie Parsons: 32:49

definitely because once you've got your photos, then you're going to be dropping them into Canva to create all your nice graphics. And so you really, you need to have a really good idea of what fonts you use, what colours you use, so that then you can use those photos to the best advantage and create all those beautiful graphics that are going to like skyrocket your brand.

Aggie Meroni: 33:12

Yeah, I also think just from a solo founder perspective, it massively stops the overwhelm, because you're like, the options are narrow. Now you have two fonts or three Max, probably six colours, and like, you know, a kind of vibe that you're gonna go for on your socials. And then it's just like, Okay, this is what I do on my grid. This is what I want to replicate for my photography. It just visually it helps when you're speaking to a photographer if they have an idea of where you're coming from?

Rosie Parsons: 33:42

Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. And I think you probably, I was thinking, Oh, surely I can do it myself. I can pick out some colours, I can pick out some fonts. But it's not just that it's the patterns and how those play together. It's, you know, graphic designers are amazing. And like, I know, some really good ones. And I can like, share them in the show notes, if you like. And yeah, I'd say like, look on Pinterest, and is a good thing about nowadays is that you can work with people from wherever it doesn't have to be just a local person. So yeah, there's some brilliant graphic designers out there. And I think that's a massive, worthwhile investment in your brand as well. But again, do think about your pricing of your products. Are you charging enough? You got to believe in yourself. And actually, once you've got that graphic design looking really good, you got really good photos, you can charge a lot more because you're going to look the part.

Aggie Meroni: 34:34

And I think this is the thing is a lot about how you come across. So it's your marketing, isn't it? I mean, whatever is going on behind the scenes, we all have our off days and there's always a fire to put out and you probably don't feel like you're on it. I know I don't. But what I put out on social media, everyone's like Wow, you've got your stuff figured out. No, like even today my son's not Well, I'm juggling the childcare with my husbandd today. My laptop gave out on me. We were late starting this recording, It's pandemonium that no one would ever know. Yeah, it's definitely like the face that you show the world and why people should trust you, isn't it? Yeah,

Rosie Parsons: 35:17

yeah. Yeah, it's a balance of being authentic. You don't need to share everything. You want to bring your personality and you can't? I mean, it's good to share some struggles. But you don't want people to think oh, gosh, like she doesn't know what you do. Yeah. So it's balance?

Aggie Meroni: 35:32

Yeah, definitely. Well, I have learned so much personally, from you like the way that you like, run your shoots, and like your onboarding, and how you are with your clients and how you are on social media as well. It really stands out when I see your posts. And I'm hoping I emulate that after having done with work you. I like to be bold when I'm on social media for that reason people remember me? Yeah. I really hope that people listening to this have taken away some nuggets, like maybe if they're not confident yet, or they're just starting out, they know what the next steps are people that are more established maybe and they have budget to invest. Now to take the next step. They're more confident in what they need to be doing to take that next step. So for anyone listening, where's the best place, they can find you online or anywhere?

Rosie Parsons: 36:22

Yeah, so my website will be the place to start. So that's Rosie Parsons, photography.com. And I've got my pricing and things on there. And if you just drop me an email through there, you can book a call and stuff and we can have a chat.

Aggie Meroni: 36:33

Fantastic. Well, Rosie, thank you so much for your time today. It's been a pleasure as always, and I have no doubt we'll be in touch. Thank you. If you enjoyed listening to this episode today, then please hit subscribe or follow depending on where you're listening. It really helps other people find us. Also, if you're a freelance ads manager, and you're looking for a lovely community of other ads managers to support you as you grow your business, then check out the show notes and apply to join us. And if you're a brand or an agency that are looking for talent, support your new projects, there's also an application form for you in the show notes to tap into the talent in our community. So thanks again for listening in. And I will see you on the next episode.