I always like to try and find some time to reflect on the year and 2022 has been a year of business soul-searching for me and I’m really excited about what 2023 has in store. I’ve been in business for 14 years now (still can’t quite believe that!) and there are some big changes coming.

I have a rebrand and new website coming early next year, so excited! I realised that my current website doesn’t reflect my business at the moment. I am doing around 75% branding photography and visibility training and around 25% family photography and my current website doesn’t reflect this. Also my current branding and website are both around 7 years old so it’s definitely time for a big change.

I always think new websites are a bit like buying a new house – at the beginning when you’re looking round houses and then get your offer accepted it’s really exciting, then the middle part when you’re packing up (and things always seem to go wrong!) is just a bit painful, then when all of your stuff is moved in and you can start to invite friends round, it all feels worth it. Well I’m in the middle painful bit at the moment. I have so much content and pages on this website, so it’s a lot to move! Plus pulling all of the images together and creating new pages for my exciting new services too.

One thing I have absolutely loved doing is helping female business owners to get more visible in their business with confidence. From the hundreds of women I’ve worked with over the past decade, there is a common theme – nearly all of them are nervous to get in front of the camera and to be visible in their business. I have loved helping women feel more confident about showing up in their business through my personal branding photography and at my Visibility Retreat, and you’ll see lots more from me in this area next year. I’m a big believer in trusting your gut and I feel really excited about this which is always a good sign.

As the saying goes ‘New beginnings come from some other beginning’s end’ (or something similar!), so in order to make space for all of these new things I’m excited about, I’ve had to say goodbye to a couple of others. One of them is our podcast that I’ve co-hosted for 5 years,  Shoot Edit Chat Repeat.

We recorded our last episode this month and had so many gorgeous messages from our listeners. It was bittersweet as I’ve absolutely loved hosting the podcast and getting to fly around the world and chat to amazing guests, but we felt like we’d achieved what we’d set out to. 250,000 downloads, 2 awards, 2 live events, 101 episodes and a wonderful community that we really feel like we made a difference to. I feel really proud of what we achieved. After we had an outpouring of kind words from our listeners when we announced we were ending the podcast, it made us think we’ll do a special episode once a year, so we’ll be back for one-offs in the future. 🙂

I thought for my last post of the year, I would share some of the amazing business owners that I have done mini branding shoots with in Guildford, Surrey.

Over the past few years, my mini sessions have become so much more than simply headshots.

What’s included in the experience:

• My advice on how to prepare for the shoot and what to wear
• A questionnaire so I can find out more about your brand and business
• A hired meeting room in a gorgeous boutique hotel so you have somewhere to leave your belongings (and change tops!)
• Shooting spots in and around the hotel that are chosen especially for you to be perfectly on brand (all of these photos below were taken during 25 minute session in the same location)
• Expert posing tips from me and a fun relaxed session – including headshots but also more
• An online gallery with 15+ gorgeous, expressive images for you to choose from

I absolutely love running my mini branding mornings and love the variety of the businesses these people run, from florists, to coaches, to yoga teachers and everything in between!

I love looking at all of theses inspiring faces again! You can see the mini branding shoots I did in 2021 here.

If you want to get some gorgeous photos that you’re proud to share in your business, check out my mini branding dates in Guildford. My January date is full but there are slots available at my February date.

I’ll be opening up bookings for my 2023 Visibility Retreat in January. Enter your details at the bottom of this post to make sure you get all of the details when they’re announced.

If you’re looking to have a branding shoot next year, you may find these blog posts useful:

How to choose a personal branding photographer for your business

How to relax and feel good in front of the camera

Thank you so much for your support this year.

I hope you have a wonderful Christmas full of the people and things you like. See you on the other side!

PS. If you’re a photographer yourself, did you know I have an online course to help you thrive in the world of personal branding photography. Check it out here.