It all starte
d when two black dogs met.
I was walking around Lake Daylesford with my rescued greyhound Issy. Lorne was doing the same with his rescued greyhound Evie. Peas in a pod in appearance, night and day in temperament. Both beautiful, gentle animals, they facilitated a chat that resulted in a meeting with Lorne’s partner Juanita. Lorne and Juanita are two of the nicest people in the world and both incredibly clever at what they do.
However, it’s Juanita’s skill I want to highlight in this post.
Lorne mentioned that his partner liked to photograph women. And by God is she good at it.
But Juanita is not just a good photographer, she is brilliant. She brings out the essence of the person that she is shooting. Their strength, their vulnerability, the different ways that they want to be seen in the world.
Recently I was surprised and flattered to be asked if I would like a shoot. YES!
Then came concerns and fears that I am oh so familiar with… I can’t do this I’m too old too fat too unattractive. I don’t have anything nice to wear… I don’t think that I can do this…
I am not surprised that a whole lot of unhealthy emotions arose, but I didn’t really expect them either. When I think about my ‘personal brand’ I can’t help but ask myself “how did I end up in public relations?”
It was an odd career choice for someone who grew up with a mother who freely admits that she doesn’t like people. Therefore, our family had little to do with people. Few visits and fewer visitors and less than brilliant social skills.
My choice of career became clearer to me when a friend asked “How come you’re not in the media? Isn’t that your job? “I explained that it wasn’t about me, it was about helping my clients to get stories in the media (or stay out of the media). I loved the strategy, the liaison, the facilitating others into the media, while I stayed clear of the public eye.
So now, my personal brand was starting to take on a much more public hue.
Key Learnings
- Feel the fear and jump at opportunities anyway.
- Your values and attitude are what matter
- Even though you do the job every day don’t forget to reflect
Post 4 in the series is what I learned from my photo shoot experience
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