We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Bonnie Aunchman a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Bonnie, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Taking care of customers isn’t just good business – it is often one of the main reasons folks went into business in the first place. So, we’d love to get a conversation going around how to best help clients feel appreciated – maybe you can share something you’ve done or seen someone do that’s been really effective at helping a customer feel valued?

I show customers I appreciate them with fun “experiences” instead of gifts.

Being in the creative industry ~ I always feel like I have to “bring” on the creativity! Fun things I do is to send an Ice Cream Truck to a Photo Studio I work for. I send to their business around lunch time. It’s one of my biggest gift hits! (& it’s such a cost affordable gift. The cost of sending truck and ice cream was about $60) This, of course, depends on how big the company is that you are sending the gift/ice cream to. It’s a fun, creative and memorable gift!

I also send a Prosecco Truck. This one I send on a Friday (end of day) about an hour before ‘quitting time”. I sent a Procecco Truck where proseccos where served with citrus and edible flowers.

You can do the same thing in a variety of ways. A beer truck, a taco truck . . . . You just have to “know you audience/customer” and personalize it to them.

Search your area for different food/drink trucks or “carts”. I find they do small runs and many are so beautifully styled and decorated.

Bonnie, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m a Commercial Lifestyle Photo Stylists specializing in children’s brands, styling for brands in the home/interior, food and wardrobe market for children.

started in the industry as a children’s modeling agency. I have one of those “one fateful day” stories. One early morning a Photographer Assistant called me telling me she forgot to tell me that the model she hired from me had to bring her own wardrobe for the photo shoot. (Usually, there is a Photo Stylist on set to provide that) The model lived 4 hours away and had already left for the photo shoot. So, I said . . . no problem! I went to our local mall and shopped for clothing for the model and arrived at the photo shoot to dress and style the model.

That client was Walt Disney. From that very day on I started to photo style for them from their website, to editorial features to 20+ Magazine covers for their publication Family Fun Magazine. I eventually transitioned my Modeling Agency into a Photo Styling agency and have been photo styling for brands and magazines ever since. While I “jumped into” the creative and styling agency with a dream client with steady work ~ like all businesses you have ups and downs and I have had my share of the downs too ~ but it’s really through the downs we learn and grow.

Through photo styling, I have been able to diversify services into what I do today. I still photo style, but now I have created a course to teach the business side of photo styling, digital educational products as well as do live Workshops for commercial photographers and in-house creative departments on how to source, style themselves and hire creatives.

Have you ever had to pivot?

Ohh yes! The Pivot that started it all! My entire (almost) career I was a Freelancer with my own business. (I decided early on that I did not want to hire/join a Styling Agency to get work) I preferred to get my own work. Yes, it’s alot of outreach and doing your own billing/invoicing. But I don’t mind that. And didn’t want to sign an exclusively/non-compete contract. But, there was an exception. I wanted to style for a specific, nationwide Home Decor company. So, I set a plan in motion. I would freelance for one of their sister companies and then when they had their yearly Home Decor/Influencer Conference I would attend and introduce myself to the Company Creative Director. That’s what I did. I meet with the Creative Director and within 3 weeks had an interview, (then had a 2 day photo stylist test inside the studio) and within another couple weeks was hired as a Photo Stylist. Sooo, different for me it was a Monday -Friday 9-5 and I LOVED it.

And then another “fateful day” scenio ~ one day, without any notice or warning ~ the job I love was gone. Such a vivid memory. It happened on a Thursday. I gave myself Friday and the Weekend to be sad and then Monday morning ~ My new mission started. I will create a course, digitial products and videos for photo stylists who need to learn the business of photo styling. (There are alot of people who teach “how” to style ~ the composition, the palettes, etc.) but not the business side of the industry. Within this job I loved and lost ~ I was supervising 15+ photo stylists and learning what they needed. (& also they gave me testimonials to how I had helped them, which gave me the “boost” I needed. So, that ol’ mantra “When something happens TO you, know it’s really happening FOR you” was really resonating and speaking to me! THIS is how I felt. The lose of job is happening FOR me.” and it guided me every day as I built another layer (& income stream!) into my creative business.

I look back on it now and think of all the lessons I learned (human nature, leadership, resources, technical photography skills I learned from photographers to improve my craft, friendships made . . . there is such a long list) I also think of my preferred business model, Freelance Business Owner. While I loved the job ~ would I really want/be able to sustain the 9-5 long term? I don’t think so. My tenancy of “blaze your own trail” is set firmly in me. But, my home decor job happened FOR me. Maybe it was the length of time it was supposed to be. It was the absolute reason/ catalyst that started me on diversifying (& growing) my business. Another mantra of mine from Dr. Seuss “Don’t be sad because it’s over ~ smile because it happened.” I smile thinking of that job I loved and feel fortunate for the lessons I learned and the business that became BECAUSE of it.

Today I have several courses/products in addition to styling for brands: business course for photo stylists, 2 day workshop for corporate creative departments, digital products including a resource library, styling contract, my Workflow Kit of 12 PDF Planner, “Tools I use as a Photo Stylist” video.

We can all create products/services through our talents. Think about what your clients/others ask you to do for them? Can you make a course or a product from it? You can.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

BEST source of new clients for me is Trade Shows. (I use very little social media. I’m more of an in-person connector.) Trade Shows have been my go to source since starting my creative business. I specialize in Lifestyle styling ~ so that falls into home, food and wardrobe brands. I go to trade show in all these markets. (About 5 shows a year.) Just about every industry has trade shows. When the Trade Show announces it’s dates, I first go to see who is attending/exhibiting and who will be giving presentations and see who I would love to meet with. (& also falls into my brand style and color aesthetic) You do have to match your style/product/art/creativity with who you are approaching. Prospective clients have to envision working with you and your style. (For me, I work with vibrant colors ~ I would not approach a brand that uses dark/moody colors in their advertising.)

Also, I say ” We style happy”. So, when thinking about approaching a new client I say to myself . . . “Do they style happy? Does their website, ads, socials have a “happy vibe”? Are they bold and colorful?

I write for my own blog/other blogs, so I am considered “press” so I do register under press. (Not necessary to do that – but helpful) Something to keep in mind is the exhibitors are there to sell and do business. I’m mindful and respectful of that. When I go their booth, I say . . . “I know you are here to meet new customers, I just wanted to introduce myself, I’m a stylist and would love to talk to you about your styling needs after you settle in back from your show and give them a card of my styling work. (& then I do follow up!)

This saves me a alot of time trying to “attract” them to me on social media, sending them “cold” emails to ask if they would like to hire me, and the qualification process of “do they work with stylists?, already have in-house stylist? and placing ads. Key is: Does your work/talent look like it would fit in with their company? While it’s said that it’s only the actual talent that matters to get hired ~ I find that people want to work with people they connect with.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.bonnieaunchman.com and https://www.aunchmanstyle.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bonnieaunchman/ and https://www.instagram.com/aunchmanstyle/

Image Credits
Lynne Graves Photography