Okay guys, have ever felt like you’re holding back your personality in your business? Maybe it’s as simple as worrying about having too many emojis in an email or maybe your whole style and brand just doesn’t feel true to you. We’ve all been there – a little unsure of how to approach this world of being a boss lady.

Despite what I’ve lead the world to believe, I have not always been so secure in who I was as a photographer and business owner! There were so many pesky insecurities that wanted to control how I did things. From the fear of being rejected to being worried that I had to fit a boring professional stereotype, I created boxes for my business that felt safe. For a long time, I felt like I was holding back aspects of myself to fit inside that bland (I’m talking regular cereal bland) box. No Honey oats.

This is something I see happening to so many other photographers so I decided it was time to speak up. You are far from alone!  I let my business run by fear for far too long until I realized that it was time to kick fear to the curb and take control. It turns out that by holding back my personality, I was actually holding back my business and making it harder to connect with my dream clients! Little did I know, if I just loosened the reigns and showed up to my inbox, sessions and consults as myself, my best clients would show up too.

When I was working on my rebrand (with the best – Meg Long!!), I realized I was ready for my clients to see the real Whitley from start to finish! Surprisingly, this became the biggest and most influential change I made while growing my business. It wasn’t about a new preset or fancy management software – it was free and simple: be myself. Turns out, my clients didn’t want the regular Cheerios, they DID want the Honeyoats!!

In the rebrand process, I knew that I wanted my business to be fun, playful, and filled with youthful energy and it turns out it could be all of those things while still serving my clients well and succeeding! Business can be whatever you want it to be. You are the leader of YOUR business! We all work so hard to be our own boss, but sometimes it’s easy to drive our businesses being 100% true to ourselves. So friends, be whoever you are in life and let that translate into business!

Your clients want to know the real you – no matter if that’s calm and sweet or a total social butterfly! They (someone on the internet) say, “your vibe attracts your tribe” and who you are also attracts your dream clients. So how do you get started? I have some fun action steps ready to roll! Pick up that journal & your morning coffee and let’s take those steps towards making your business YOURS.

Three Starting Steps to Infusing YOU into your Business

1. Describe yourself in 3 words.
Start simple, friends! What three words do you use to describe yourself? How would your mom or your best friend talk about you to a stranger? Write ‘em down!!

2. Describe your work in 3 words.
Now pick three words to explain your work as a photographer. Does that match how you would describe yourself or is there a disconnect? If there’s a disconnect, why is that? What words would your clients use to describe you and their experience? You can ask for reviews from some of your favorite brides or seniors and use those to narrow your list. When I did this, the three words I picked were fun, energetic, and colorful. My clients agreed – these were the traits that set my photos apart from the crowd!

3. Look at your business as a whole and see if it all lines up.
Do the words you use to describe your work actually reflect EVERY area of your business? Does it translate seamlessly to create a flawless and consistent brand from start to finish? Look at everything – social media, marketing, emails, editing, the way you shoot – anything you do to serve your clients. Are your three words being reflected? If not, what needs to change?

You are on your way to making the same change that I did. Start small, reevaluate the little things, and keep tweaking until your whole business is YOU. Do not settle for less than yourself when running your business! Embrace the beautiful boss lady that you are.

What does all of this mean? For me, this led to growth. It meant more inquiries and those inquires turned into more clients. It meant my Instagram followers became connected with me. In the end, it meant more business and more profits – just by kicking fear in the face and being real with who I was!

When you are true to yourself in your business, you get to be yourself ALL the time! No faking it required! You aren’t as worried about living up to a false persona, but are instead embracing the person you are consistently in all areas of life. You’ll serve others better and work from a place of confidence and freedom.

You win. Your clients win. Your business wins. EVERYONE WINS!

Who’s with me on this one?! Put more of YOU in YOUR business this week!