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Home » Personal Branding

Personal Branding

Mary Doyle | Fusion Physical Therapy

June 11, 2019 By Andrea Leave a Comment

Physical Therapist, Endurance Coach, and Survivor!  

I first met Mary Doyle from Fusion Physical Therapy when she was my coach for Ironman 70.3 Chattanooga. She was the Ironteam coach for Team in Training and they had recently allowed a few folks that weren't quite up for a full Ironman to join the team. That would be me!!

Mary Doyle offers run analysis at Fusion PT ATL
Fusion PT Atl evaluation

Many of our teammates had known Mary for years as an Ironman coach and Team in Training coach but I had just met her. She was recently recovering from surgery for a benign brain tumor and shared in blog posts what it was like to recover from brain surgery. Even though the tumor was benign, the struggle to recover was real. I remember being in awe of her strength as she struggled to ride a bike again. 

"Andrea was super easy to work with! Very professional and efficient. She came up with lots of ideas for shots that came out great. Our new website looks amazing!"

Mary Doyle, Fusion Physical Therapy ATL

Mary Doyle

Owner, Fusion Physical Therapy ATL

Recently, I became a patient of Mary's and learned that not only does she run a successful physical therapy practice and train endurance athletes, but she is also getting her doctorate (five years before retirement no less!) to stay competitive in the marketplace. That to me is so inspiring. If you know me, you know I love a good story of a woman pursuing her goals regardless of her age! 

The best part is that she thought she'd be "checking the box" after so many years of practicing physical therapy. But she's found that getting her doctorate has been amazing and she's just loving what she's learning! I've found that as I get older I just love to learn as well. 

Andrea, I need some pictures for my website...

"Well, actually you need a new website." That's how our first meeting went. I said I could take your money but what you really need is a mobile friendly website. Fortunately, I had just the person to recommend.  Kellie Taylor from Taylor Street Designs came in and redesigned Mary's site to be mobile first and reflect all of the services that Fusion PT ATL has to offer. 

THEN (and only then) did the work of planning out the photos begin. Once the flow, the categories and the menus were laid out, we could begin planning the photoshoot. To be efficient, we needed to plan for everything up front. Some of the things we needed to plan ahead for were:

  1. 1
    Headshots: all physical therapists needed to come in before regularly scheduled appointments.
  2. 2
    Models: Mary wanted to use real patients as her models to replace old stock photos.
  3. 3
    Shot Lists: We needed to list the procedures that Fusion PT offers.  We wanted to show dry needling, run evaluations, and post-surgery rehab as well as the fitness classes they offer.
  4. 4
    Lighting and Location: Did we want to use artificial light or the rooms with large windows? 

Consistency is key...

One important element of the shoot was a headshot of each therapist. We needed the same background, consistent lighting, and plain clothing. We needed to consider the colors of the new website.  Simplicity and consistency was key!

Lisa Eichler, therapist at Fusion PT ATL
Barbara Johnston, therapist at Fusion PT ATL
Jett Denton, therapist Fusion PT Atl
Kelly Marcuzzi, therapist at Fusion Physical Therapy ATL

One thing they really wanted to do was get rid of the generic stock photography and show their services with real patients. We scheduled patients who were recovering from running injuries, rehabbing post-surgery, or needed dry needling. We photographed it all! The result was a much more personal feel to the website. 

fusion physical therapy session with patient
Fusion PT offers dry needling

Fusion PT | Physical Therapy AND Physical Fitness

Another key function of the new website was to demonstrate that Fusion Physical Therapy also offered fitness classes on-site. We scheduled a separate shoot to capture yoga, tai-chi, and boot camp style fitness classes. 

Mary offers yoga at fusion pt atl
Fusion PT ATL fitness classes

A fresh new site!

The result was a fresh new site that demonstrates exactly what services Mary offers. It is also a modern, mobile first website that makes it easy for visitors to find and contact her from their mobile phones. You can check out Mary's new website at Fusion Physical Therapy ATL. She's also a great physical therapist if you are looking for one! My foot is nearly healed after seeking treatment from Mary!

Need new photos for your business but not sure where to start?

Download my free resource, The Personal Branding Power Bundle. This guide will help you get aligned and clear on your brand, your needs, and how that translates into photos. This will help you prep for your photo shoot and ensure that you get photos you love, and, more importantly...attract your ideal clients. 


About Andrea

Andrea is a personal branding photographer who helps female entrepreneurs, and small business owners bring their brand to life. She is based in Cumming, Georgia but you can find her shooting from coast to coast.


Filed Under: Personal Branding

Bringing Amy Lyle’s Failures to Life

November 26, 2018 By Andrea Leave a Comment

Amy Lyle: Author, Comedienne, and Screenwriter

Amy Lyle Book of Failures
Amy Lyle Book Cover

Filed Under: Personal Branding Tagged With: author

Planning for a Personal Branding Shoot

October 27, 2018 By Andrea 2 Comments

What is personal branding?

According to the website BrandYourself, a personal brand is the unique combination of skills and experiences that make you..you. Effective personal branding will differentiate you from other professionals in your field. I've also heard it explained simply as "your reputation." What do other think of, when they think of you or your business. When I think of it in terms of photography, I think of taking those unique qualities and bringing them to life. Rather than just getting a headshot, you are showing a little bit more about you or your business through the photos. 

personal branding in Cumming

What are the keys to a successful personal branding shoot?

Aside from the obvious need for a great photographer who connects with you and understands your brand, planning is the key. Great communication beforehand includes what you want your pictures to look like (formal, casual, stylized) and where they will be used (website, marketing materials, billboards.) This is really important for the photographer to know because this will affect whether they shoot your photos vertically or horizontally. The desired number of photos is also good to know so you can allocate the proper amount of time. Additionally, if there are a combination of indoor and outdoor photos, you can plan for the sun accordingly. 

personal branding

My personal branding shoot

I put my money where my mouth is and I had my own pictures taken. I needed photos for two websites. My photography website (which you are on right now) and my new venture, The Big Girl School. I met a fabulous photographer at a photography conference in Palm Springs and I knew that I wanted her to take my photos. Her name is Heike Delmore and she is based in Canada! But before you scratch your head on that one, she just happened to live in the same town as my cousin. I was able to visit family AND get my photos taken. Win/win.

Heike and I met twice on the phone to discuss at length what I was looking for. We went through my website together and then I made her a Pinterest board of photos that I like. I want to walk you through exactly what we discussed and show you the outcome. 

My shotlist

  • Good headshot
  • Natural shots of me laughing/looking away
  • Reflections/through the window shots
  • Looking at images with client
  • full width header for website
  • Me shooting/with camera
  • Me teaching/with laptop
  • No Glam/Very natural

My prop list

  • Laptop
  • Phone
  • Pink Roses
  • Coffee Mug
  • Camera/Camera Bag
  • Glasses/Sunglasses
  • Folio Box/Printed Images

Wardrobe

  • Ripped Jeans/Brown Leather Jacket
  • Jean Jacket/White Jeans
  • Dark Jeans/Black Lace top
  • Blue Dress with textured top
  • Hot Pink Jeans/Black top

Additional information

At the time of the shoot, I was still developing the branding for The Big Girl School and I sent her my branding guide to give a good idea of the colors and look and feel of my brand..

the big girl school branding guide

The Results

I could not have been happier with my photos. Heike spent a lot of time with me and delivered on every level. Let me share the photos below. Her photos even turned into a branding package for The Big Girl School. The colors and look and feel are throughout my new website. 

Personal Branding photo shoot in Atlanta

I love the casualness of this shot!

personal branding in Atlanta

We planned ahead on props and wardrobe.

Andrea Ferenchik personal brand library

Reflection shots were something I specifically requested. The pink flowers in the reflection? BONUS!

Personal Brandins session with Heike Delmore

I wanted photos interacting with clients.

personal branding in Cumming

And showing clients their prints.

personal branding photoshoot

I got these pink pants specifically for my Big Girl School Brand and wanted to incorporate into my shoot.

personal branding for the Big Girl School

This shot has everything...brand colors, my camera, and reflections!

photographer in Cumming GA Senior Pictures in Cumming

I loved this shot because it completely goes with my brand. This is somewhere I would actually shoot senior pictures. It felt very true to me and what I sell.

senior pictures in Cumming

Peace Out! This is just a super fun shot!

Do you own a business? Are you an author? Do you need more than the average headshot?

I specialize in personal branding in Cumming. Call me and we can meet for a coffee. We can discuss your needs and bounce ideas off of each other. You can decide later if you want to hire me. I love the creative process. I loved seeing MY brand come to life and would love to do the same for YOU. 

Want to see more? Check out my personal branding gallery for inspiration!

Download your FREE Personal Branding Photo Shoot Planner

Download this free resource to help you define your brand and plan your shoot. 


About Andrea

Andrea is a personal branding photographer who helps female entrepreneurs, and small business owners bring their brand to life. She is based in Cumming, Georgia but you can find her shooting from coast to coast.


Filed Under: Personal Branding Tagged With: personal

Sue B. Zimmerman | The Instagram Expert

July 3, 2018 By Andrea 12 Comments

Sue B. Zimmerman Personal Branding Shoot in Boston

Meet Sue B. Zimmerman

I wanted to introduce you to an AMAZING woman and entrepreneur, Sue B. Zimmerman. I have followed Sue B. for several years now. I first saw her when she taught an Instagram class on Creative Live. Teaching on Creative Live is a bucket list item of mine. It’s one of those goals that feels so far out there, I have no idea how I would get from here to there. Just saying it feels almost ridiculous. But she did it!  I didn’t have a clue that just seven years ago she was teaching women how to use social media around her kitchen table. I saw a throwback she posted on Facebook and I was intrigued to say the least!

Recently, I had the opportunity to meet her IRL (in real life) when I attended her SBZ B-School Retreat in downtown Boston. Over the past seven years, she quite literally quit her day job running a boutique on Cape Cod. She now runs a wildly successful (I’m talking blow you away successful!) business with a team of seven talented marketers.  She speaks as #theinstagramexpert at conferences around the world. After super-stalking her Facebook page, I know that she’s accomplished this amazing success after turning 50! Ladies, this should be an inspiration to us all. That’s why I wanted her to tell her story, in her own words, below. This momma, quit her day job and reinvented herself to become The Instagram Expert. Enjoy!

Sue B. Zimmerman #theinstagramexpert

P.S. She also shares an affinity to super-expression when she sees a camera which, of course, I love. 

Q: Tell me about yourself

A: I have a wonderful, supportive husband and three fiercely independent daughters.  I met my husband Roger when I was thirteen years old at summer camp…we were wearing the same tennis shirt.   

Sue B. Zimmerman #theinstagramexpert
Sue B. Zimmerman and her daughters

I love to workout, especially rollerblade along the shore on Cape Cod in the summer.  I also love crafting.  When my daughters were younger I taught art classes in my home. Over ten years ago I taught scrapbooking and even taught on QVC. Painting rocks and shells is one of my favorite hobbies.

Above all, I like to travel and see the world.  Taking online relationships offline and meeting in person is a true luxury.

I’ve been creatively doing what I love for over 35 years.  I had my first business hand painting barrettes when I was thirteen years old. I was not allowed to be selling at recess, but I did, and it validated my craft. 

Lesson Learned - Be a rule breaker. It helped build confidence and brought me to the next opportunity.

Q: What led you to do what you are doing today?

I was using Instagram to bring customers into my seasonal store on Cape Cod. This was an eye opener when customers came in asking for what they saw us post on Instagram. This became a BIG light bulb moment - I was using Facebook, Twitter & Foursquare to market my store, but NOTHING worked as quickly as Instagram. Sooooooo, I decided to teach other business owners how to use Instagram to market their businesses. I started by doing local workshops, spoke at local events, got interviewed on podcasts and I was in the zone. My brain thinks visually, and Instagram became my happy place...so much creativity, inspiration and information. 

I closed my store after six years. I went all in and took my business online. I realized what I loved more than anything was teaching and helping others make money doing what they love.

Lesson Learned- Follow your gut.  Go where your heart is happy!

Sue B. Zimmerman #theinstagramexpert

Seven years ago Sue B. was teaching classes on social media in her community and around her kitchen table!

Sue B. Zimmerman #theinstagramexpert Creative Live

Today, Sue B. is a top Instagram educator on Creative Live.

What are your goals?​​​​

To help women, passionate business owners, entrepreneurs and creatives get more visibility online so that they can share their brand to reach the right target market using Instagram.

Are there specific goals you want to achieve, or do you do this purely for the satisfaction it brings?

I am all about being a lifelong learner. I am constantly improving my leadership skills. I want to grow this business with my amazing team and really make a difference in the world helping others have the success they dream of. 

Sue B. at the SBZ Boston Business Building Retreat

Sue B. showing us Instagram strategy while exploring downtown Boston.

What have you learned from the process of reinventing yourself?

It takes a #SHITTON of hustle, heart and drive to get what you want.  I always check in with myself to make sure I am enjoying what I am doing. In fact, Morgan, my COO, checks in with me and asks me if I like what I am doing and if there is anything else I want to be doing.

What advice do you have for other women who are considering a change?

DO YOU!  Embrace your unique self - everything - your gray hair, wrinkles, voice and fucking own it!  When you confidently show up as yourself others will fall in love with your gifts, your products and your services.

SBZ Business Building Retreat

Sue B. doing an Instagram Live stream with her students in downtown Boston.

How have you dealt with obstacles and setbacks?

I like to reflect on them as life lessons.   Live and learn - move on!  Being an entrepreneur is a journey and I love the ride.   I had my first business at thirteen years old and I have had seventeen after that.  Being the leading Instagram educator is business #18 and I am in my genius zone. When you have a setback, bounce back and keep the ball rolling - it gets you to the next opportunity.  

Sue B. Zimmerman B-School Boston Business Building Retreat

Sue B. with her students at the SBZ B-School Retreat in downtown Boston.

Would you do it all again?

Absofucklinglutely!   

Each business has taken me to where I am today.  Without the building blocks of each one - I think I would have stumbled more.

There is no such thing as instant success.  Show up consistently, do the work, make an impact, be kind and help others.  Success and happiness will follow... I am living proof. xo

You can follow Sue B. at the following:

  • The Instagram Expert
  • Sue B. Zimmerman
  • ​Sue B. Zimmerman Facebook
  • ​Sue B. Zimmerman Website

About Andrea

Andrea is a personal branding photographer who helps female entrepreneurs, and small business owners bring their brand to life. She is based in Cumming, Georgia but you can find her shooting from coast to coast.


Filed Under: Momma Quit Her Day Job, Personal Branding Tagged With: careers after 40, reinventing yourself

Mom Loves Baking Brand Shoot

May 21, 2018 By Andrea Leave a Comment

Lise Ode, Mom Loves Baking

My latest client, Lise Ode who runs the highly successful Mom Loves Baking blog and Instagram (with almost 200k followers!) was introduced to me by Amy Lyle. Amy had recently done some crazy personal branding photos with me (post to come!) and referred me to Lise.  We spent time at Starbucks talking websites, Instagram, and what blogs and photographers inspire us. We shared tips and tricks with each other. We became friends! This was long before I took a single picture. 

That's what I love about personal branding. You get the opportunity to meet people with unique businesses. You get to hear the vision for their company. It's collaborative. There is planning involved to ensure that you have a shot list and a schedule to make the best use of time. But most of all, it's fun! I'm thrilled with Lise's pictures and am excited to share them with you. 

Lise Ode Mom Loves Baking

Lise's brand is very fun and VERY colorful. If you look at her Instagram, it is filled with brightly colored confections. She wanted to reflect that in her headshots. She chose her dress and accessories to be bright and whimsical. Her newly renovated white kitchen was the ideal setting to make the colors POP. The green trees and sunny day were the perfect compliment to the blues and pinks in her cake and cupcakes. 

Lise Ode Upside Down Ice Cream Cone Cake

Lise gave me several examples of sites she liked and showed me a cookbook that she adored. We also looked at the layout of her new website to see where we needed full width hero shots or portraits. We also planned for logo placement and text. Based on the things that she showed me, we added some accessories to the background to give the photos variety and texture. 

Lise Ode

The collaboration is what I love. If you have a business and need headshots or personal branding give me a call or send me an email. There's no pressure and I'd love to hear about your business and how you envision bringing it to life.  Who knows...maybe we'll become friends too! I'd love that. 

In the meantime, check out MomLovesBaking.com. Be warned! You may have to spend a few more minutes on the treadmill if you decide to make the tasty treats on her site. But almost 200,000 Instagram followers can't be wrong...this mom knows her stuff. Give her a follow: Website Instagram

Yummy cupcakes from the Mom Loves Baking Blog

About Andrea

Andrea is a personal branding photographer who helps female entrepreneurs, and small business owners bring their brand to life. She is based in Cumming, Georgia but you can find her shooting from coast to coast.


Filed Under: Personal Branding Tagged With: careers after 40, mommaquitherdayjob

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