5 questions that will help you to build your personal brand, show up on line and connect with your people
I’m going a little bit rogue with today’s post. As well as sharing some thoughts about questions that you can reflect on to build your personal brand, I thought I’d answer the same questions myself. It’s been a while since I’ve shared my face on these pages or across my social channels, so it’s time to do what I’m suggesting you all do. Here I am, showing up!
The following questions are a great starting point for reflection and your answers are amazing content to share with your audience. Even if you’re an established creative, business or freelancer I think it’s still really useful to revisit these stories. Things ebb, flow and change and people who are newly finding you will love to hear your backstory in the context of where you are now.
A huge part of showing up online is having images that reflect your awesomeness. If you’d like to book me for a branding or portrait shoot get it touch.
Ok, let’s get into it! Here are my answers to 5 questions that will help you to build your personal brand.
question 1 to help you to build your personal brand: Who are you?
That’s me, up there. I’m Laura. My friends call me Babb and I live in Birmingham, where Bab is a term of endearment. I was called Babb (it’s my surname) long before I moved here but I like that everyone assumes my the name of my photography businesses (I also photography weddings and families over at Babb Photo) is a very Midlands play on words.
When I’m not behind the camera, I can often be found hiking. I love people but I also really enjoy being a long way away from people. Favourite local (ish) hikes include the Shropshire Hills and my favourite ever hike was The West Highland Way. I love art (especially sculpture) and architecture (particularly Brutalism), I’m almost always listening to music (a lot of folk, but there’s also rock, pop, electronic and grime on my playlists).
I’m incredibly passionate about wellbeing. So much so that I turned that into a business too (must stop doing that, running all of my social accounts is a LOT), where I teach meditation, build community, and I’m just about to qualify as a counsellor. On a personal level I am driven by equality, social justice and connection.
question 2 to help you to build your personal brand:What are the key moments that led you to do what you do now?
The short answer is that I bought a camera on a whim. My grandad passed away and my mum passed on some of the money she inherited and I decided that’s how I wanted to spend it. Years later when my grandad on my Dad’s side passed away, I realised that he’d been a passionate photographer in his younger years. I have his old rangefinder camera on a shelf at home. I love that both of my grandads were a part of my photography journey.
From a hobbyist, I went on to photograph a wedding for a friend and that was a jumping off point for starting my wedding photography business. This side of my business is a lot newer. It was initially born out of a need to pivot away from weddings during the pandemic, but I quickly realised how much I love photographing people that are passionate about what they’re putting out into the world.
Question 3 to help you to build your personal brand: what is your 'why'?
Your “why” is what drives you. In this post I talk a little bit about finding your niche as a heart-led business owner. The “why” is part of this. Why do we do what we do?
And this is probably going to be my most vulnerable answer. I have been driven towards roles that explore human connection because human connection used to be a really confusing thing for me. In the last couple of years I’ve found out that I’m Autistic and ADHD, so it’s perhaps no surprise that I’ve ended up in work roles where I can connect with people, explore relationships and try to make sense of them.
I connect with people and explore relationships at weddings, I connect with families and explore their relationships at family shoots, and I connect with people and explore the things that light them up through Babb Shoots It. And my counsellor training has been a three year deep dive into understanding humans. I think I have a pretty good understanding of people and connections at this point and I get a lot of fulfilment from being able to document people being passionate about the things and people they love.
There’s also the adventure of it all. While Birmingham is home my work as a photographer takes me all over the UK and sometimes further afield. I’ve been a speaker at workshops and conferences in the US. I started my own photography educational community and conference (which is now run by the awesome Ami and Rosie). I’ve photographed weddings in Tobago, Dubai and across Europe. Photography really has been a been an adventure and I do so love an adventure.
Question 4 to help you to build your personal brand: What is my offering and what's unique about it?
This is a tricky one to answer, isn’t it? There are a whole bunch of amazing personal branding photographers in Birmingham and around. You could work with any of them. What sets me apart, though, is who I am as a person, my values and the fact that if we’re aligned, you won’t find anyone who cares more about what you do.
I am here to support heart-led business owners who want to leave the world a softer place than they found it. I love to work with freelancers and creatives who are making a difference. Feminists (intersectional), activists, change-makers, artists. Therapists and coaches. Anyone who’s as passionate about supporting connection as I am.
As well as my years of photography experience, I have a sprinkling of awards, accolades and press features. More importantly, though, I can support you psychologically through the shoot process. As a meditation teacher and counsellor I am a nervous system expert, and I can also help you to get clear about your brand and the messages you want to share with the world.
Question 5 to help you to build your personal brand:Why is my story worth telling?
Ok, I lied. This might be a little bit vulnerable too. My story involves recovering from mental health struggles, loss, grief, my business all but collapsing during the *insert P word, coming to terms with my late neurodivergence diagnosis, and those are just the headlines. I’m still here and I’m still incredibly passionate about doing what I do.
Ok, I’m also pretty tired some days if I’m honest (running three brands while attending University is a lot!) but I’m also committed to self care, being compassionate to myself and making sure you do the same. If you want to work with someone who really gets what it’s like to have to push through your own feelings of vulnerability to step in front of a camera, I’m here and I’ll do what ever I can to support you.
I think it’s important to share my personal experience (to a point!) because I think the online space and its toxic positivity can be incredibly damaging and problematic. We are all humans and we all struggle. My struggles in the past really inform who I am as a person and business owner, as well as my values. And being values driven is important to me.
Are you ready to show up? Drop me a message and let’s chat about photographing you in all of your glory.
What are your answers to these 5 questions that will help you to build your personal brand, show up on line and connect with your people? I’d love to know.