We recently connected with Amber Herrera and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Amber thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.

The act of being an entrepreneur is a risk by itself, right? Not only are you putting yourself out there, spending money, passion and time on something you believe in, but you’re investing in yourself. When I started out with branding, I was so passionate about working with both products and owners but I was afraid to venture out from families and kids to businesses. It’s a different experience for them! Almost no one can visualize how high-end, indoor branding translates from warm, desert family portraits with little toddlers running around. I let that be a limiting belief, and didn’t believe I could make it work, either…despite having already done it behind the scenes.

One very good friend of mine told me at the time, “they say if you’re scared, it means you’re succeeding” and that has stuck with me. Taking the leap into the unknown is the big step, but if you’re feeling the fear from falling, it means you are at the edge and ready to jump! Comforting yourself from the fear is safe, but when you push past it, you discover an entirely new world.

Now I take on businesses that are ready to get personal with their clientele and show the personality and passion that built their foundation.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I have worked in the industry for over a decade! Getting to the heart of people and their personality has always been something I crave, so I poured that into my work. I like to ditch the small talk and get into the real stuff.

Cactus & Pine Branding offers personal brand, product and headshot photography for businesses that are ready to show their clientele the personality and passion at the foundation of their business. We work together to bring out what owners want clients to feel from the first hello, and let that guide the project. A session includes behind-the-scenes, product features, lifestyle and fun portraits, and finally, headshots for updated linkedin and social media profiles.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

“The customer is always right”, did you know that saying is used completely incorrectly? The real quote is “the customer is always right in matters of taste” meaning customers can choose to purchase whatever they personally find appealing. As a new business owner, and especially in a creative field, it is so easy to over-deliver to clients and burn out. I believe you hit one of two walls – defeat or empowerment.

There was a time in my career when a client would ask and I would reply “yes, and…” but not in a way that supported my business. I was spending time, money and energy giving more than I had to give! As business owners and creatives, clients come to us for our expertise. Learning to maneuver what they ask from a business mindset rather than a personal mindset, is a valuable skill I wish someone would have taught me early on. Now, I still say “yes, and…” with a cost or a trade off for the purchase, rather than a loss of personal time and sanity for me or support for my business. This has truly been the key to doing what I love, serving my clients above and beyond expectations, and being excited every day to continue my work!

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I’m happy to share this experience and advice, because it truly is simple. STOP looking for webinars, coaches, etc. and simply be consistent. Pick which platforms you love the most, or find most beneficial and ignore all the rest. Instagram might be great for everyone, but that doesn’t mean you have to use it! I promise it is so much more beneficial to use what you prefer and see working best for your audience. Just be consistent. Post the same amount of times per week and continue to post, it’s OK to take breaks if you’re doing it alone, but be consistent overall! If you really don’t want to do it, outsource! Lastly, remember that like counts, followers and views are all vanity metrics – they don’t tell the real story. You’ve got this!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://branding.cactusandpinephotography.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/cactusandpinebranding
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/cactusandpinebranding

Image Credits

Photo of me taken by Kate Grutsky Photography