Here are the top 3 ways to stand out from your competition:
VIBE- Know who you are, and don't be afraid to be more of you! Your uniqueness attracts attention, which attracts clients! MESSAGES - Please keep your messages simple! Know who your clients are, and what they need to hear from you... And then stick to three or less messages. CONSISTENCY - The easiest way to stand out, is to show up on a regular basis. Because most of your competitors do not. Be the face of your business, and answer everyone’s questions before they come to you! That’s how you become the expert, and who doesn’t want to work with an expert?!? As a Visibility Strategist and Social Media Manager near Columbus, Ohio I work with service based businesses who have graduated out of the DIY season of their businesses and they are ready to , I want to help your business POP in such a way that your reputation precedes you; everyone everywhere will know exactly who you are and what you do - just like a T-Rex. The goal is to take over the world. So beige isn’t part of the plan.
Where these 3 things might be exhausting for you, I have the capacity to be consistent in all areas of your social media. For me, social media is challenging and competitive - and I play to win. So if you are ready to explode to the next level in your business, then it’s time to delegate this portion of your business over to me!!
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Learn from the fishermen! They know how to get all of the fish they're looking for... Some even make a living taking others out on excursions to specifically get a particular type of fish (so they are taking inexperienced people out and they are STILL able to catch fish).... it's because they have gotten to know the fish that they are seeking. The inexperienced fisherman will go out to the middle of the ocean and throw out a worm on a hook and hope that they attract something... They're just hoping for a fish... any fish! But this method isn't going to get them a lot of fish, and most days they probably aren't going to catch anything. This is similar to the business owner that doesn't know who they are wanting to attract as an audience. A very general message going out to EVERYONE, doesn't attract anyone... people are picky, they have a lot of choices, and they're not going to go to someone that doesn't specialize in exactly what they need.... and if you offer too much, it becomes a noisy distraction. Confused humans don't buy. Just like fish are scared off by too much noise.... so are humans. Versus the experienced fisherman, who has studied the type of fish that they want... They've done their research so they know the kind of bait to use, they know where to go, they know if they need extra nets or what kind of fishing rod... They are going out ready to attract the fish that they want! Do you know who your audience is? Do you know how to attract them? Do you know what methods will bring them to you? If you don't, that's where I come in! I'm a visibility coach, and I help my clients attract the right audience with the right messages (visual and verbal). It's time to message me! And bring in the biggest catch of your business (in less than 3 months)! Let's go!! The video below is in case you don't like to read things :) Have you ever heard the phrase C's get degrees?!? It's referring to college courses that you just need on your resume but no one cares about your GPA. In Visibility, we also only care about C's, but for us, our C's represent: Clarity, Confidence, Consistency & Creativity. Clarity, Confidence and Consistency are pretty self explanatory, but what do I mean "Creativity"???!?
Creativity is all about knowing your secret sauce... that one piece that will differentiate you from your competitors... and guess what? It's YOU!! You are the creative part of your business!! Stop trying to blend in with your competition!! You are the key to getting your audience to decide on YOU vs. Joanna down the road. If you are not sure what your secret sauce is, or you don't know how to clearly communicate that to your audience, then it's time to contact me... I'll save you time and energy, and help you book more clients!! Let's go... Let's get visible!! Do you know that there are actually 2 different types of lifestyle branding?? There's the "influencer" type and the "service-based business" type.
Too many businesses, are trying to act like an influencer... but you don't get your money from affiliate links, or paid sponsors... your business is directly from the clients...
Let me show you how to build the right type of influence marketing... the kind where clients will flock to you as the expert! Your marketing will be SO good that everyone else in your industry will start to copy you!! The monsters made me do it LOL I had my She-Rex Podcast up for about 4 weeks, and the creative monsters that live within me were getting super restless, they have been begging to be let out forever, then they resorted to banging on the door... they they finally threw a coup... and busted the door down. So we've made some changes, starting with the Podcast: There are 4 categories of creative monsters (that I know of): 1) The "Crazy Creatives" have ALL.OF.THE.ENERGY... and as soon as they ran out, they started getting into EVERYTHING... rolling down the hills, climbing all of the trees, opening all kinds of doors and letting other monsters out to play... They were also the muscle behind the coup. 2) There are those that are just elated not to be stuck in the room with the overly energized monsters, they take everything at a little bit of slower pace, and love being in nature!! They have spread out, finding a nice patch of grass to lay down in and watch the clouds floating by; they are taking their shoes off to wade in the water; and walking in the woods just to experience life as they've only imagined... These are the "Heartfelt Creatives". 3) Then there are the "Smart Creatives"... they've been working in the back back corner of my mind for the last 7 years... waiting for that door to open and let them out.... they have plans. They are actually the brains behind the coup. They are the ones that decided it was time to start showing up in full force. 4) And we can't forget the pups... but I don't think these are monsters, I think they are just the "Research Hounds"... they go digging on behalf of the Smart Creatives... or Curiosity... to find as much as they can on any given topic. The Creative Monsters have been locked away in a room inside my brain for a long time by the LOGIC aliens... they had invaded my brain, and had me under a spell. A spell that made me believe that I could only do what would be accepted by society... and the LOGIC of that has been holding me hostage. After the creative monsters escaped The logically aliens have tried to hypnotize me again, but the Smart Creatives have been drinking their protein shakes, and they are ready to fight logic with logic. The logical aliens say things like, "Society won't understand, people will think you're weird if you show all of your creativity" And the Smart Creatives stand tall and proud, and retort, "Don't you think they thought the same things about Dr. Seuss, Walt Disney, and Neil Gaiman??" And the Aliens scoff, "HA!! You can't really be comparing yourself to the GREATS... the Godfathers of Imagination and Creativity??!?? Who do you think you are?!?" Meanwhile, the Logical Aliens haven't noticed, but the Crazy Creatives have calmed down and joined ranks with the Smart Creatives, and the Heartfelt Creatives have taken up a position behind the Aliens. As the aliens stand so smug, the creative monsters fully encircle and link arms around the aliens... there is a clicking noise that is like chain clinking together. And then they wait... they stand tall, and sure... and it's the Heartfelt Creatives that speak, as one, in unison, "We will not be intimidated by your lack of vision & heart. We will not be moved... We can be anything that we want to be... and So can you." The smallest Crazy Creative who hasn't hit his growth spurt yet, yells, "We will not go back into hiding... we were sent here to bring joy." And with that, the head Smart Creative, and the head Logical Alien decided it was time to have a lunch date. To decide how the Aliens could still stay and play too. To hear the spoken version of this, come listen to my podcast!!
or watch it on my YouTube Channel... This is just the beginning... and now you know that the creative monsters are in charge! It's ALIVE!!! I understand how proud Dr. Frankenstein must have felt when his monster first sat up. Creating a podcast is a lot more than just recording into a microphone (or it is when you've got a background like mine - that believes in process and presentation... yes, yes, sometimes that's a downfall). But I finally did it!! The first episode is up! And it is all about setting the stage for the tools, lessons and resources that we'll discuss in this podcast!! The episode is only 27 minutes long - which is the goal... I want to keep each episode 30 min or under. So what is this first episode about?? Well, it's a synopsis of my personal history with trials and downfalls... and how I refuse to allow them to mean something about me. It's about resiliency!! Want to listen to the first one? And then connect with me on Instagram, and share your story too. Episodes to come: 1 - Resiliency (the one that's already up) 2 - Becoming a She-Rex 3 - The Power of Self Talk 4 - Finding Your Squad 5 - Overcoming Self-Sabotage As a playful professional, I am a visibility and accountability coach. I help small businesses stake their claim in a crowded market, learn how to show up in front of their ideal clients, all while embracing their inner T-Rex.
If you need help creating a strong business, attracting ideal clients, or following through on your goals, reach out and let's chat!! Columbus is known for our love of food... we have a lot of breweries, pizza shops, donut shops, and coffee shops. Like a lot of coffee shops!! Just like there are a lot of personal trainers, gyms, photographers, DJ's, and real estate agents!! (And probably whatever you do for a business, you know at least 10 people in YOUR network, that do the same thing, right?). But if you look at our local coffee shops, even though they all sell coffee, they are all known for something unique too... Let's take a look at these four (above): 1) Fox in the Snow!! Besides being known for their industrial design style and ultra clean modern vibe, they are also known for their HUGE pastries!! & Oh and yeah, they serve great coffee too. 2) Pistachio Vera... when you hear this name, everyone knows that you can get coffee from this shop, but they are known for their French styled pastries and desserts - like their famous macarons. 3) Upper Cup is one of my favorites (in Gahanna), and although I love their coffee, I will always rave about their sandwiches! 4) Winan's has (IMO) the best freshly made candied buckeyes - and other chocolates - in town!! And they are super creative with their coffee too! So, how can small service based businesses in Columbus, like personal trainers, photographers and real estate agents, learn from the coffee shop business model??? Pick ONE audience, clarify your message, and fall in love with your offer. Before you start balking at me, I know the common argument: "I don't want to turn down business". But I'll let you in on a little secret: You'll actually get MORE business if you talk to a smaller group. It's weird science, but it's true! So, pick a group that you WANT to work with... a group that you think you know what their struggles are -within that demographic. And then show up for them, talking to them and their needs/wants/struggles... If this is where you feel stuck... this is where you don't know who your audience is, or what your message is to them... then this is when you reach out to me. As a Visibility Coach, this is specifically what I do for you!! I'll have your business and brand up and running smoothly in 9 weeks AND you'll get all of the visual content to accompany your brand's marketing and messages!! AND you'll get a custom made content calendar, that you repeat every 3 months!! Do you wanna be a T-Rex, and rule your business like a boss??
Then it's time to get the 3C's of Visibility!! And make them your new marketing habits!! Humans, I did a thing!! And oh my goodness am I giddy!!
But here's the truth of it... I hesitated and dragged my feet through most of the process; I started writing the book back in the Winter of 2021. I drafted it, and then completed re-wrote it - twice. And then when it was completely finished in December of 2021; I sat on the book for another 5 months before I uploaded it to Amazon! And I was never consistent in working on it... if I had, it probably would have only taken 3 months But after finally seeing it in print... whoa, that changed everything! Things happen, when things happen... I am pleased to announce that my book will be carried by Paragraphs Bookstore in Mt Vernon, Oh (my hometown). I have a single signed copy, waiting and ready! (I'll deliver more at a later date). I'm so excited to get this into the hands of struggling solopreneurs, who just need to find more clarity in their business (but don't want to be bored to death while doing so... No worries, we don't roll like that). If you happen to be the one that gets to the yellow brick road first from Paragraphs, do me a favor and take a snapshot just like this one... And tag me in it. And then let's schedule a coffee date! Whether you want to talk about your business, or how to write your own book, or anything in between... I'm game! And if you don't get it from Paragraphs, if you got it from Amazon instead... Still, if you take a picture of it, post it and tag me in it... I'll sit down with the first 10 people (virtual, or in person). This is just the beginning... I'm creating my own yellow brick road! And I hope you do as well! Everyone has fears, you're not alone in that... it's just some of us are better at pushing through them than others.
I want you to try something... Make a list of all of the things that you do to procrastinate. C'mon get really honest with yourself... You know what you want to do in life, but you haven't quite been able to follow through on it... So what kind of things are you doing instead that your brain tells you is more important? For example, my brain will tell me it's more important to clean the house then to do a video. Do I need to clean the house, yes! Does it need to be during the time that I would be most productive for work? Absolutely not! That's a form of procrastination. Your turn! What's some of the things that you use for procrastination? What's holding you back? I have a book out, it's called the "Yellow Brick Road to Self Discovery", and it's all about getting past your fears to reach that big dream that's in your heart. You can find it on Amazon!! If you want to read more about procrastination and how you can overcome it, it can be found in the chapter titled, "Poppy Field of Distractions" ![]() What's the difference between a head shot, a traditional portrait session, and a branding session... Besides cost?? There are actually 5 major differences. But let's knock the head shot session out of the way first, because usually the goal of the head shot session is to get one or two images. Its sole purpose is for a profile image. Branding sessions will cover the head shot image, but will also give you images for your social media content; and images that you need for your website that go beyond a head shot. So what's the difference between getting a traditional portrait session and getting a branding session... here are the TOP 5 differences: 1. Intention The difference between creating just “pretty” portraits, and creating portraits that will convey a message to your ideal clients is all about the intention behind them. For example, in the above image I know her message, her audience, and her WHY she feels the need to show up for them. She talks very candidly about all of the trauma (physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual) that she's endured over the past 3 years... AND how she's walking through her healing process. We picked this location for it's natural elements... where she feels most grounded. Her messages will be based on her thoughts, feelings and practices that she's doing to recover and grow stronger. Everything that we did during this shoot was speaking directly to her Who, What, & Why. As a branding photographer, I will set up a consultation call with you and ask a lot of questions about your business. The more I understand your business, your ideal clients, your message, and your purpose - the better our shoot will go. 2. Posing & Composition After we know the intention for the photos, it's about posing for communication; and creating a composition that allows for negative space. None of which you'll find in traditional portraits. These photos for your brand are the beginning of a conversation with your ideal clients. The image is a prompt for your topic of conversation. For example, in the above photo, I know her brand so well, that I know where she gets her inspiration from... so this photo is a "tip of the hat" to that. She used this image to talk about where she came from and how she's evolved over time. I left a "negative space" off to the side, so she could add text to this image when she wanted to. 3. Copyright With branding sessions, it is a given, that of course you will get shared copyright… which gives you permission to re-crop, and re-edit your photos to fit whatever purpose you have for that image. Getting shared copyright means getting shared ownership of the images. Unless you are willing to pay a higher price, you'll won't get shared copyright with traditional portraits - because those are considered to be artwork. But branding sessions are commercial work. For traditional portraits you'll get Sharing Rights and Printing Rights only. Also, because you have shared ownership of the images... although I greatly appreciate it, you are under no obligation to tag me in any of your photos... these images are yours to promote YOUR business!! 4. Receiving the Images When you work with me, here’s what you should expect: You’ll know exactly how many images are included with your branding session from the time you book. If it’s a limited amount (typically 30 or 60), you’ll get your choice of what images you want out of the entire session. After we have photographed your session, I will send a basic edits gallery to you, with a watermark on each image. You'll get this gallery in less than a week from your shoot. As a client, you'll go through and tell me which images you want (and if you want any extra images; I'll let you know what the added fee is for them). Once you've selected your images, then I continue to edit just those chosen images with a high quality touch; I don’t photoshop any images that are not chosen for the final gallery. When the final gallery is ready for delivery, you’ll get a link with the ability to download all of those images. I send a step-by-step guide on how to download on the computer as well as on your phone. 5. Legal Paperwork - Contracts & Invoices As a business owner, you should be signing a contract with your photographer, and getting an official invoice. We do this to protect both parties - and make sure we are all of the exact same page. You should know exactly what you are getting, as well as what is expected of you… in written form. This is a write off for you, so the invoice is needed for your files. An email “handshake” is not good enough. Final Thoughts: Although I cannot speak for all branding photographers, I become your Champion!! I support my clients even after the session is over. I support them by re-sharing their posts (especially when my images are used); and I support them by sharing reels and post ideas with them that I think are applicable to their brand. I also recommend your business when I encounter anyone that might benefit from your services. I want to see you succeed in your business more than anything else… and when I KNOW your brand, I don’t mind passing something along that may help with it. Are you ready for Branding Photos?? As you can see above, I work with a large variety of clients... I can help you too!
I'm also a Visibility Coach and Branding Strategist. Which means I help you untangle the stress of the backend of your business (website, photography, social media), so you can go back to focusing on what you do best. |
Sarah VSelf described as 'the world's nicest badass', Sarah has a wild imagination, but a calm demeanor. She has a podcast, and published a book in 2021. She works with business owners who are in the Done-for-You era of their business. Archives
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