"Unstoppable" Keys to Success, And Branding - Rocks.
This weeks business ideas are rock solid.
I help photographers and creative entrepreneurs over 40 reclaim their confidence, cut through the noise, and build bold, independent lives through no-BS insight, experience, and action. Welcome to my Substack. I am glad you are here.
This is my weekly Wednesday post chock-full of information, ideas, tips, and, you know, stuff I like and think you may like as well.
It is the late-middle of June.
Would you like to be shooting for an assignment by the end of July?
Then do this exercise.
These are the key moves to get you to a paying gig.
Your “Unstoppable” Key Moves
1. Craft and Send 20 Intro Emails
Your Dream 50 list isn’t just a list—it’s your warm-up track. Start by sending 20 personalized emails. Introduce yourself, share a small curated set of images, and include a soft call to action. Keep each message handcrafted and intentional.
2. Shoot 3 Strategic Personal Projects
Shoot what you want to get hired for. Treat them like real assignments. Share the process, BTS, and final images across your channels.
3. Use Your Blog and Instagram Intentionally
Don’t just post pretty pictures. Use these platforms to show how you think and how your work solves client problems.
4. Offer a New Client Promo (Smartly)
Run a limited-time offer: a bonus image, a “brand refresh” session, or a short engagement for first-time clients. Make it feel exclusive.
5. Build a Referral List
Reach out to past clients, stylists, copywriters, and designers. Let them know you’re available and open to collaboration.
6. Reach Out to 10 Local Businesses
Offer a targeted, limited portfolio-building shoot. Not free work—strategic outreach.
7. Segment Your Email List
Start separating cold, warm, and client leads. Tailor your communication for each group.
8. Collect and Deploy Testimonials
Ask every client for feedback and share their praise on your site, social, and emails.
Do these key moves, and you will be booked, sending out an invoice(s), and working on your dream before the early days of August.
Need help on this? Let’s talk.
Want to Stand Out as a Photographer in 2025? Start Here.
Unless you are a grandma with a new iPhone or a twenty-something influencer living in a borrowed RV, posting pretty pictures isn’t gonna enough anymore. If you want to get noticed (and booked) in 2025, you need something more important than talent. You need to have a brand. A clear, confident, consistent brand.
Even if you’re just starting out, all fresh-faced, excited, and bursting to make images that matter, branding may be the fastest way to carve your name into the market.
So let’s break it down.
Branding Is Everything
At its core, branding is about how people experience your work before they even hire you. That means:
A consistent editing style
A clear niche
A feed that feels intentional, not random
A personality that comes through in the work
A ton of photographers are out here dumping images onto their feeds like a digital scrapbook. No plan, no strategy, no reason other than they can.
The result is easy to see.
Visual noise.
No story.
No hook.
No reason to follow.
Start thinking of your photography like you would a high-end brand.
Build visual consistency.
Don’t just shoot stuff, shoot with deliberate reason.
Edit ruthlessly and with intent.
Let your style evolve, but give it guardrails.
Pick a Lane (At Least for Now)
“I want to be known as a photographer”.
Good luck.
That’s like saying you are a chef because you make “food.”
Too vague, too broad, and too forgettable.
Pick a niche.
Food, fashion, portraits, travel, pets with attitude—whatever lights you up. You can still shoot other genres, but your brand should be rooted in how you shoot, not what you shoot.
Clients want clarity, not confusion.
Do this: choose three words that describe your visual identity.
Are you “bold, warm, and editorial”?
“Moody, minimal, and honest”?
”Soft, accessible, dreamy”?
These words will help guide your aesthetic and your marketing language.
Instagram Isn’t Totally Dead, It’s Just Lazy
You don’t need to chase trends, but you do need to show up.
Your Instagram bio is necessarily small, so be very deliberate.
Tell people what you shoot, where you’re based, and how to reach you.
No fluff. No mystery.
Aim for consistency, not perfection.
And yes, captions matter. Let your voice come through.
Use Tools That Actually Help
Design tools like Canva (or similar platforms) make it dead simple to create logos, Instagram templates, and animated posts. You don’t have to be a designer. You just need to be deliberate.
Most of these platforms offer thousands of templates. From corporate clean, to edgy and minimalist.
Whatever fits.
Match the vibe to your brand words and tweak from there.
No need to start from scratch.
Consider a Substack or Medium page for sharing your work and ideas.
Make sure you are developing an email list. This is non-negotiable for anyone trying to work in these crazy times.
Oh, and if you're stuck on what to post, grab a free resource like “72 Content Ideas for Photographers” - see below.
It beats staring at your lightroom catalog wondering what’s next.
Your Story Is Your Superpower
Want to really connect?
Tell your damn story.
Not just “I like taking pictures,” but the why behind your work.
Were you a nurse who turned to photography after burnout?
A barista with a side hustle that took off?
A grandmother documenting everyday beauty?
There’s gold in the power of story.
People buy you as much as your work.
Share your journey, your quirks, your values.
The more real you are, the more memorable your brand becomes.
Bottom Line
Branding in 2025 isn’t optional.
It brings your work into focus for the people who need to see it.
Show up consistently.
Speak clearly.
Share your story.
That’s how you build your brand to stand out.
If you’re over 40 and still hungry to make, build, and create, stick around. This space is for people who aren’t done yet (and never will be). I’ve got five decades of wins, failures, comebacks, and creative battles under my belt, and I’m sharing everything that still works—and burning the rest.
No fluff.
No hustle porn.
Just real tools for building a creative life on your own damn terms.
My Personal Website
My Photography Website.
Me on Medium.
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