We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kim. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kim below.

Kim , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to start by getting your thoughts on what you are seeing as some the biggest trends emerging in your industry.

One of the biggest shifts I’m seeing in the personal branding space is a move toward docu-style marketing content and a growing trend of employees using their personal brands to elevate their company’s presence.

Regarding marketing content, people are craving realness. We are moving past the overly polished messaging. In fact, I recently saw a post from Filmsupply that said 2025 is all about making people feel something. With the rise of AI-generated content and tools like ChatGPT, a lot of brand messaging is starting to look and sound the same—clean, perfect, and totally lifeless.

What’s cutting through now are stories that feel raw, honest, and human. One of my favorite recent examples is Lacoste’s campaign featuring a real NYC taxi driver. The images felt like street photography—featuring real life, in a cool way, and clearly not overproduced.

This shift goes beyond images—it’s about a more human-like connection. Ironically, social media has made many of us feel more isolated. With an epidemic of loneliness, people are hungry for belonging, meaning, and brands that actually see them. I hope this trend pushes us toward more community-driven, emotionally resonant content, both online and in real life.

The second trend I’m watching is the rise of employee-driven branding. More and more, employees—and founders and leaders—are using their personal brands to strengthen their company’s brand. It’s smart: people trust people more than companies. This helps build trust, visibility, and relatability, both internally and externally.

We’re in a moment where showing up as your real self—whether you’re a brand or a professional—isn’t just welcome, it’s expected. And I think that’s a good thing.

* 82% of people are more likely to trust a company when its senior executives are active on social media (Entrepreneur).
* Executives estimate that 44% of their company’s market value is directly attributable to their CEO’s reputation (Weber Shandwick).
* 90% of employees agree that when a company’s leadership is active on social media, brand image is enhanced (Reaction Power).
* Branded messages from employees are reshared 24 times more often than the same messages shared by companies (MSLGroup).

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I help women—mostly over 40—build their personal brands. A lot of the women I work with are coming out of long corporate careers and stepping into something new, like coaching or consulting. It’s exciting, but it can also be overwhelming for them because they are starting something new and are the face of their business. For the women who aren’t used to sharing themselves online this can be a litte daunting.

I’ve been in marketing and sales for over 20 years, and in 2020 I was 48 when Covid hit and I started to feel like if I didn’t make my dream of becoming a photographer true now, I may never get the chance. So, I made my own career pivot. I started my photography business, and along the way, I realized I could combine my background in marketing and branding with my love of storytelling and visuals to help other women navigate that same transition.

So now, I offer personal brand photography and strategy. It’s a one-stop kind of service—I’ll help women build their brand foundation, define their why, values, positioning, etc., and then bring it to life visually so it’s consistent and clear. It is a huge confidence booster when you have a strategy and professional images that make you feel awesome.

My approach is different because I don’t believe in making people fit into a cookie-cutter brand or being trendy. I want their brand to stand out because I’ve captured their personality so people can really feel what it would be like to work with them. I also bring the perspective of someone who’s reinvented herself mid-career, so I get it on a personal level. Turning 50 really does change how you see the world and, more importantly, yourself.

I’m proud of the women I work with and the confidence they walk away with. There’s nothing better than seeing someone light up because their brand finally reflects who they are and what they’re here to do.

At the end of the day, I want people to know that building a personal brand doesn’t have to feel intimidating. It’s empowering—and even fun—especially when you’re not doing it alone.

The best compliment I ever received is that I make older women look cool.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

They say the right message gets delivered to you at the right time—and that’s exactly what happened to me.

A book, The Seat of the Soul by Gary Zukov, that had been sitting on my shelf for over a decade was rediscovered—and one small quote changed how I would do things. Permanently.

For a long time, I was searching for purpose and felt lost, always searching for the next best “thing” to make me happy. Getting divorced and being laid off were all my problems due to other people’s actions. I chose to blame others (the “why me” syndrome), not realizing I could “choose” how I felt and how I reacted to things.

One day in 2020, I decided to pick up the book The Seat of the Soul. A simple quote led to the proverbial aha moment for me: Take a look around you—every single choice, every decision you made got you to where you are now.

That did it for me. I realized I had the power to create the life I wanted and was ready to make a change.

In a feverish frenzy, I started reading books about spiritual growth and conscious living, listening to podcasts, and taking online courses. I found a mentor online and seriously began my lifelong passion for photography as a career. In short, it was the most significant creative explosion of my life.

I was 48 at that time, and I am convinced that each day should be spent doing what we love. That’s why I’ve decided to pursue photography with unrelenting passion. Clients know and can sense my genuine passion for the craft, and it’s communicated through every word and gesture of mine.

My new mantra, which I celebrate with others, is to find your passion and do what lights you up. Take the risk. Start the business because it is never, ever too late.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

One of the biggest reasons I created my Personal Brand Buildout package is that when I started building my business and personal brand, I got completely lost in the endless sea of online resources and advice. I spent hours reading, listening to podcasts, downloading freebies, and taking courses that promised to “change everything,” and honestly, most of it just left me more confused.

I can’t even tell you how much time and money I wasted on marketing and social media classes that were supposed to be the magic fix. I fell for every shiny sales pitch from the latest guru telling me Facebook ads would launch my two-week-old business. Spoiler: they didn’t.

Looking back, it honestly gives me anxiety. What I needed wasn’t more information—I needed guidance. Someone to help me cut through the noise, stay focused, and build something that felt real and right for me.

That’s why I built the Brand Buildout package: to save other women from going through what I did. Because yes, we’re lucky to have access to all this knowledge—but without the right direction, it can actually slow you down, drain your wallet, and make you second-guess everything.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kimconant.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimconantphotography
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimconant