We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Joelle and Lyndon Bradfield a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Joelle and Lyndon, thanks for joining us today. Going back to the beginning – how did you come up with the idea in the first place?
We originally worked as wedding photographers for 3.5 years before pivoting into branding photography. Making that leap definitely came with some unknowns and we knew that we wanted to create a unique offer that would benefit a specific target audience. An idea had been swirling around in Jo’s mind and one day she took pen to paper to map it out. That idea became Quarterly Branding sessions and was the launchpad that positioned us as go-to branding photographers for online business coaches.
We knew they needed fresh content on a consistent basis since they were constantly launching new offers & programs, and we understood that they would need specific dimensions that they could use across multiple platforms (ie: email, website, Instagram stories, FB ads, etc.). We also understood that their time was important to them and they wanted to be as hands-off as possible, so we made the decision that we would travel to them and it would be an all-inclusive package with a concierge type experience.
We reached out to a few recent branding clients and gave them first dibs and they immediately booked. Then we posed the question in a FB group that our target market was in at the time & immediately got upwards of 30+ inquiries. We ended up signing 4 dream clients that first year (for that package specifically) that boosted our credibility and authority and led to many more clients who we’ve been blessed to work with over the past 5 years.
Joelle and Lyndon, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
We’re Jo & Lyndon, branding photographers for personal brands & business coaches for photographers! We take a very lifestyle approach to our photoshoots, always conceptualizing the photoshoot around our clients’ personal brand. This means that every session is completely unique, allowing us to fully tap into our creativity and deliver work that truly feels on-brand for our clients! It’s so much fun to see our clients reactions when they see the back of the camera during photoshoot days, and then again when we send them their sneak peeks & final gallery. They’re head over heels every time and seeing their joy is the best feeling.
Recently we also began educating photographers and it’s been so life-giving. We love coaching them to pursue their big ideas, too! Whether its though voxer coaching, in-person mentorship, or our group program Capturing Luxury; its incredibly fulfilling to see them gain more confidence in their craft and grow their business during our time working together.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
Being able to see our clients light up over their photos and have a moment where they’re proud of themselves. It’s a really beautiful thing to show someone what you see in them, and then to see the lightbulbs go off for them that they’re powerful, inspiring, and a total boss. It’s one of the coolest things. Second to that, it’s incredibly rewarding to see our clients using their photos immediately – on their Instagram, website, presentations, etc. They’re SO EXCITED about having photos that feel like them and they want to start sharing them right away. That’s one of the biggest compliments.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
Hands down the experience we offer and as a result, the way our clients talk about us. We take special attention to craft a client experience that is thoughtful and intentional. Our clients all get a photoshoot strategy call with us to plan out their photoshoot (we cover the objective of the photoshoot, props, location ideas, the timeline, etc.) and we share sneak peeks with them within 2 days tops (we try to send sneak peeks the same day if possible). That means that they feel prepared beforehand AND they get a quick taste of how amazing their photos turned out immediately after, and they often start using them right away. In addition, we always share behind the scenes on our Instagram stories on photoshoot days & tag our clients. They’ll repost the stories on their own Instagram which expands our reach and shows people what it’s like to work with us. Our turnaround time is very quick as well (2 week gallery delivery) and our editing style is unique. All of those little details make a big difference but the main driver behind all of those touchpoints is that we care about our clients and want to make sure they feel as comfortable and confident in front of our camera as possible. Because of that, they then refer us to many of their peers and friends in the industry.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://theambitiousdreamer.com/
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/joandlyndon/
- Other: Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/theambitiousdreamer/