We recently connected with Gina B and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Gina, thanks for joining us today. We love asking folks what they would do differently if they were starting today – how they would speed up the process, etc. We’d love to hear how you would set everything up if you were to start from step 1 today.

I initially didn’t set out in life to dive into photography and etc.; as a matter of fact when I first went to college I had a more medical focus. I didn’t actually start shifting towards my current goals until approximately 3-4 years ago.

If I was going to re-do my life up until now, I would’ve waited to go to college until I felt 100% confidence in answering the question “what do I want to be when I grow up?” Would I have gone to college in the first place? It certainly could’ve been an option but do I really need 4+ years of college to know how to run and market a business?

Likely I would’ve taken a cluster of courses that went over using a camera, using Lightroom and Photoshop, running a self-employed business, marketing said business, and perhaps an accounting course or two so I would know how to run my numbers.

While taking those courses on the side I would be working to build up capital to invest into the necessary gear and software for what I’m trying to do, most likely a full time job or a part time job while juggling side hustles related to my endeavors (photography, modeling, celebrant). The transition out of that job into my full time capabilities as an entrepreneur would’ve been much smoother and intentional than how things played out in real life too; I had impulsively and abruptly switched gears from full time work to building my business and that ended up being a needlessly stressful transition.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I made to choice to make myself the brand, solely because of the variety of services I offer. Consider me a Jill of trades of sorts. My passions fall within the wedding and fashion industries particularly:

– I started out pursuing modeling around 2017, both print and runway. I’ve worked a variety of genres including fashion, editorial, boudoir, couples/engagements/weddings, lifestyle, fine art, and more. I also offer coaching sessions, where I teach you posing, runway walking, and other modeling tips and tricks.

– I picked up photography about a year after I picked up modeling. Got a hold of a Nikon (Nikon gang all the way!) and didn’t look back. I’ve taught myself most everything I know, from manual shooting to editing in Lightroom. I’m currently in the process of changing up my shoot style. There will still be artistic and editorial flairs to my work, but now I want to lean in a more cinematic and documentary direction. I primarily focus on lifestyle portraits but have dipped into boudoir, product, and food photography

– This one I haven’t been advertising as strongly but I got myself ordained and am now a minister through the Universal Church of Life. I originally did it for a pact I’d made with my best friend that we would officiate each others weddings. After her wedding I kind of sat on my minister status for a few months until I discovered an elopement company. I had actually initially applied as a photographer OR an officiant because both options were listed, and they decided to go the officiant route. I DO offer officiant bookings outside of this company! I will curate a wedding script personalized to your marriage and work with you to ensure all of your needs are met. I am also not limited to religious or nonreligious ceremonies. I will perform your ceremony whether you’re Catholic, Jewish, Pagan, atheist, straight, LGBTQ+, interracial, traditional or non traditional, and more. The only group of people I refuse to work with are bigots.

– Stay tuned for this next one but through the beforementioned officiant pact I made with my best friend came the idea for the two of us to build a wedding planning business of sorts that includes a few different services that can be bundled up! That one is currently on pause as I plan my own actual wedding haha #bridelife

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

So far the majority of clients I’ve received have found me either through instagram or through word of mouth. I can’t tell you how many clients I met on instagram that would reach out asking about my bookings on behalf of a friend!

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

Consistency. Is. Key.

It’s not about the time of day that you’re posting, it’s about you maintaining a consistent, online presence. Figure out a posting schedule that works best for you, whether that’s twice a week, once a day, or three times a day. Whatever it is, make sure it’s something you can stick with under most circumstances (but don’t be afraid to take a little bit of time for yourself here and there when you can?).

Hashtags and the rules surrounding hashtags seem to be ever-changing. I always try to pick a solid 5, maybe 6 tags based on the topics of the post so as to pull in the right niches. You aren’t gonna tag #catvideos on a post about broccoli, for example.

Videos seem to be all in at the moment, and posting videos is the fastest way to work the algorithm in your favor. And your videos don’t have to be Hollywood productions either! Some of the most viral clips online are relatable, educational, or outrageously funny. Don’t be afraid to experiment.

Lastly, while Instagram particularly used to carry the attitude of “only post your highlights because you don’t want to look bad”, that attitude have shifted. Nowadays, people want REAL over CURATED. So don’t be afraid to be yourself, you WILL find your people on social media :)

Contact Info:

• Instagram: instagram.com/ginabcreating
• Other: instagram.com/ginabmodeling