When the brand specialist failed at being visible! - true story

As a brand specialist, I spend my days creating amazing branding and marketing photos helping my beautiful clients to confidently step into the spotlight of their businesses and authentically show up, connect with their buyers and become the brand their ideal clients love.

So it's rather embarrassing to share with you here that last week at a business networking event a client of mine didn't recognise me until I said my name. 

Talk about feeling invisible, 2 inches short and as though I had somehow failed her. OMG, the negative self-talk that instantly went on in my head was a shocker!

Now I'm not so full of myself as to think the world revolves around Jo and everyone should remember me but I do work on my one personal brand so not being remembered by a client knocked me for six. I'm more used to being at events when the norm is to have business people who've seen me or follow me online but never met me in person recognise me (my clients call this having an 'Oprah moment'!).

When the chatter in my head quietened down it got me thinking - how could this gorgeous woman whom I'd worked with and who follows my social pages not know me? And what the heck is up with my own personal brand strategy if a past client doesn't even recognise me?

Then it hit me - it's my hair!

For those new to following JWP and there a few of you here, hello and let me fill you in.

You see, for my entire adult life, I've straightened my hair. I love straight hair on me. And the longer the better. I feel beautiful, confident and in control. The only time anyone outside of my immediate family has ever seen me without straight hair was when I'm sick and ducking into the local shops to pick up milk or some other staple we couldn't possibly survive another second without. 

For the past year or so though, my hair has been breaking and getting shorter and shorter. Those layers you would see in my branding photos weren't intentional. 

I knew I had to do something with my hair, but what? You see when I let my hair be natural it was FUZZ. As in Hagrid or Cat Weazel kind of fuzz - like I'd stuck a finger in an electrical socket and turned it on. 

Then one day when scrolling through one my fav business FB group a woman posted about how her curly hair made her look unprofessional and was asking for help to change that. OMG, I could totally relate - curiously I read the comments.

Now, most wrote about how beautiful she was on the inside and yes while they were lovely comments, they were not exactly constructive or helpful advice to create change.

Then as I read more comments, one stood out and changed my life! It read 'I follow the curly girl method'. And that comment had 6 or 7 replies all saying 'so do I' or 'ditto'. I was intrigued.

To cut the story short because this post is already epic enough, I'm now 5+ months into following the curly girl method and rocking curls with confidence and loving it.

So hello! This is me, Jo and I have wild curly hair and I love it! (And OK you still may see me straighten it every now and then). 

Now quickly back my beautiful client who didn't recognise me. It now makes total sense why I was invisible to her. My branding images were not up to date!!! And I thank her from the bottom of my heart for giving me such an impactful lesson: don't be invisible - update your images.

So not to be like the butcher with no meat or the baker with no bread, I've spent the last week following the exact same personal brand strategies I teach my clients. Here are three easy ones you too can do today:

• Update your profile images (Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn etc)
• Use branding photos regularly when you post on socials, and
• Renew your images on your website (don't forget to add keywords to your images to help with your SEO rankings)

Curious, how are you showing up in your business? Are your images up-to-date and working for you? 

If your images aren't getting you the results you want or deserve, comment below or send me a message and let's see how we can fix that for you so you too can confidently step into the spotlight of your business and authentically show up, connect with their buyers and become the brand your ideal clients love.

Jo xx

Jo Westaway, photographer and visual brand designer of Jo Westaway Photography, creates authentic and meaningful personal branding and portrait photography to ensure you stand out, connect with your buyers so you become the brand your dream clients love!